Effect of annealing treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of warm-rolled Mg-Zn-Gd-Ca-Mn alloys

The basal texture of traditional magnesium alloy AZ31 is easy to form and exhibits poor plasticity at room temperature.To address these problems,a multi-micro-alloyed high-plasticity Mg-1.8Zn-0.8Gd-0.1Ca-0.2Mn(wt%)alloy was developed using the unique role of rare earth and Ca solute atoms.In addition,the influence of the annealing process on the grain size,second phase,texture,and mechanical properties of the warm-rolled sheet at room temperature was analyzed with the goal of developing high-plasticity mag-nesium alloy sheets and obtaining optimal thermal-mechanical treatment parameters.The results show that the annealing temperature has a significant effect on the microstructure and properties due to the low alloying content:there are small amounts of larger-sized block and long string phases along the rolling direction(RD),as well as several spherical and rodlike particle phases inside the grains.With increas-ing annealing temperature,the grain size decreases and then increases,and the morphology,number,and size of the second phase also change correspondingly.The particle phase within the grains vanishes at 450℃,and the grain size increases sharply.In the full recrystal-lization stage at 300-350℃,the optimum strength-plasticity comprehensive mechanical properties are presented,with yield strengths of 182.1 and 176.9 MPa,tensile strengths of 271.1 and 275.8 MPa in the RD and transverse direction(TD),and elongation values of 27.4%and 32.3%,respectively.Moreover,there are still some larger-sized phases in the alloy that influence its mechanical properties,which offers room for improvement.

Effect of annealing treatment on morphologies and gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods

The high-temperature stabilization of ZnO nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal treatment was investigated. The structure and morphologies of ZnO nanorods were characterized by XRD and SEM, respectively. The thermal stability of ZnO nanorods was also detected by thermal gravity analyzing. Thermal annealing treatment results indicate that ZnO nanorods are fundamentally stable when annealing temperature is lower than 600 ℃. When annealing temperature is beyond 600℃, the diameters of ZnO nanorods obviously decrease and the aggravating tendency of nanorods between each other also increase. Annealing treatment can greatly influence the gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods. Comparing with ZnO nanorods without annealing treatment, the gas sensing property of ZnO nanorods to H2 with concentration of 2.5×10-6 can increase from 2.22 to 3.56. ZnO nanorods annealed at 400 ℃ exhibit optimum gas sesing property to H2 gas.

Effects of annealing treatment on microstructure and tensile behavior of the Mg-Zn-Y-Nd alloy

In the present study,the Mg-4Zn-0.6Y-0.5Nd alloy was hot extruded and annealed at 200℃,225℃ and 250℃ for different time to optimize microstructure and mechanical properties.The results exhibit that the dual-size grain structure and linearly distributed secondary phase are the main feature of the as-extruded Mg-Zn-Y-Nd alloy,which can be described as the elongated grain is surrounded by the fine equiaxed grain.Moreover,the as-extruded alloy shows strong{011^(-)0}fiber texture feature,especially for the large elongated grains.The annealing treatment results in static recrystallization,which increases fine equiaxed grains but decreases large elongated grains.In addition,the equiaxed grains formed during the annealing treatment demonstrate relative random orientations,which weaken the{011^(-)0}fiber texture of the alloy.Moreover,during the annealing at 225℃and 250℃,the extension twins begin to form in the alloy and weaken the{011^(-)0}fiber texture of the alloy further.The annealing treatment has little influence on the linearly distributed secondary phase but promotes the coarsening of small precipitates at 250℃.The annealing treatment could increase the yield and ultimate strength,but the elongation decreases,especially at higher temperature.Such a variation can be ascribed to the evolution of texture,grain structure,twinning and precipitation during the annealing treatment.

Effect of annealing treatment on microstructures and properties of austenite-based Fe-28Mn-9Al-0.8C lightweight steel with addition of Cu

The mechanical properties of an austenite-based Fe-Mn-Al-C lightweight steel were improved by co-precipitation of nanoscale Cu-rich and κ-carbide particles.The Fe-28Mn-9Al-0.8C-(0,3)Cu (wt.%) strips were near-rapidly solidified and annealed in the temperature range from 500 ℃ to 700 ℃.The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the steel under different annealing processes were studied.Microstructural analysis reveals that nanoscale κ-carbides and Cu-rich particles precipitate in the austenite and ferrite of the steel in this annealing temperature range.Co-precipitation of nanoscale Cu-rich particles and κ-carbides provides an obvious increment in the yield strength.At the annealing temperature of 600 ℃,both the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of Fe-28Mn-9Al-0.8C-3Cu (wt.%) steel strip are the highest.The total elongation is 25%,which is obviously higher than that of Cu-free steel strips,for the addition of Cu reduces the large sized κ-carbides precipitated along austenite/ferrite interfaces.When the annealing temperature rises to 700 ℃,the strength and ductility of the two steel strips deteriorate due to the formation of massive intergranular κ-carbides precipitated along austenite/ferrite interfaces.It can be concluded that a proper co-precipitation of Cu-rich particles and κ-carbides would improve the properties of austenite-based Fe-Mn-Al-C steel.

Effect of annealing treatment on microstructure and fatigue crack growth behavior of Al–Zn–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy

Al-Zn-Mg-Sc-Zr alloy samples were annealed to four different states （under-aging, peak-aging, over-aging and double-aging） and then thoroughly investigated by means of electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, tensile and fatigue crack growth rate tests to explore the influence of annealing treatment on microstmcture and fatigue crack growth behavior. The results indicate that Al3（Sc,Zr） particles can effectively refine grains and enhance tensile properties and fatigue properties. After annealing treatment, the under-aged sample and double-aged sample obtained average grain sizes of 4.9473 and 4.1257 μm, and the maximum value of yield/tensile strength （561 MPa/581 MPa） was obtained in peak-aged state. In the Paris region, fatigue crack growth rate, crack deflection and bifurcation, crack blunting and inter/trans-granular propagation were discussed based on data fitting and Laird model and Griffith theory. And the results show that the under-aged sample possesses the best resistance to fatigue crack propagation and the most tortuous and bifurcated crack path. For all samples, the fatigue crack growth rate in the rupture region was inversely proportional to yield strength.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V induced by annealing treatment

Ti-6Al-4V specimens were fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM)to study the effect of thermal treatment on the phase transformation,elemental diffusion,microstructure,and mechanical properties.The results show that vanadium enriches around the boundary ofαphases with increasing annealing temperature to 973 K,andα′phases transform intoα+βat 973 K.The typicalα′martensite microstructure transforms to fine-scale equiaxed microstructure at 973 K and the equiaxed microstructure significantly coarsens with increasing annealing temperature to 1273 K.The SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy annealed at 973 K exhibits a well-balanced combination of strength and ductility((1305±25)MPa and(37±3)%,respectively).

The effect of annealing treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of cold-sprayed nickel coating

The effect of annealing treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of cold-sprayed Ni coating was investigated by conducting micro-hardness and tensile tests and using a normal optical microscope （OM） ,a scanning electron microscope （ SEM）, a transmission electron microscope （TEM） and an electron probe X-ray microanalyzer （EPMA）. The results show that following the increase of the annealing temperature ,the micro-hardness of cold-sprayed Ni coating decreases and the elongation after fracture increases, while the tensile strength increases before decreasing. The tensile deformation and fracture behavior change from a typical brittle fracture to a hybrid brittle and ductile fracture, then to a typical ductile failure. It is found that when annealed at an elevated temperature （ e. g. 900℃ ） ,the grains tend to grow abnormally with the oxides spheroidizing and the defects agglomerating at the interfaces, causing the tensile strength reduction of the cold-sprayed nickel coating. It is also pointed out that the tensile strength of the cold-sprayed Ni coating can be significantly improved by the appropriate annealing procedures, but the elongation after fracture cannot be clearly increased because it is difficult to eliminate the main defects in the coating by the following heat treatments.

Impact of Annealing Treatment on the Behaviour of Titanium Dioxide Nanotube Layers

In this work, we study the influence of the annealing treatment on the behaviour of titanium dioxide nanotube layers. The heat treatment protocol is actually the key parameter to induce stable oxide layers and needs to be better understood. Nanotube layers were prepared by electrochemical anodization of Ti foil in 0.4 wt% hydrofluoric acid solution during 20 minutes and then annealed in air atmosphere. In-situ X-ray diffraction analysis, coupled with thermogravimetry, gives us an inside on the oxidation behaviour of titanium dioxide nanotube layers compared to bulk reference samples. Structural studies were performed at 700°C for 12 h in order to follow the time consequences on the oxidation of the material, in sufficient stability conditions. In-situ XRD brought to light that the amorphous oxide layer induced by anodization is responsible for the simultaneous growths of anatase and rutile phase during the first 30 minutes of annealing while the bulk sample oxidation leads to the nucleation of a small amount of anatase TiO2. The initial amorphous oxide layer created by anodization is also responsible for the delay in crystallization compared to the bulk sample. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibits parabolic shape of the mass gain for both anodized and bulk sample;this kinetics is caused by the formation of a rutile external protective layer, as depicted by the associated in-situ XRD diffractograms. We recorded that titanium dioxide nanotube layers exhibit a lower mean mass gain than the bulk, because of the presence of an initial amorphous oxide layer on anodized samples. In-situ XRD results also provide accurate information concerning the sub-layers behavior during the annealing treatment for the bulk and nanostructured layer. Anatase crystallites are mainly localized at the interface oxide layer-metal and the rutile is at the external interface. Sample surface topography was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a probe of the photoactivity of the annealed TiO2 nanotube layers, degradation of an acid orange 7 (AO7) dye solution and 4-chlorophenol under UV irradiation (at 365 nm) were performed. Such titanium dioxide nanotube layers show an efficient photocatalytic activity and the analytical results confirm the degradation mechanism of the 4-chlorophenol reported elsewhere.

Effect of Cu doping and annealing treatment on the microstructure and mag-netic properties of nanocrystalline single-phase Nd-Fe-B alloys

The effects of Cu addition and annealing treatment on the magnetic properties and microstructure of Ndl2.3Fe81.7-xCuxB6 （x=0-1.2） ribbons melt-spun and annealed were systematically investigated by the methods of vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Optimum magnetic properties were achieved by annealing melt-spun Nd12.3Fe81.5Cu0.2B6 ribbons at 550℃ for 15 min, which only contained Nd2Fe14B phase. The remanence, coercive force, and maximum energy product increase by 18.4%, 36.2%, and 49% respectively compared with those of Cu-free samples. The sig- nificant improvement in magnetic properties originates from the freer grains of the samples by introducing Cu, which leads to the stronger exchange-coupling between neighboring grains.

Evolution of microstructure and properties of a novel Ni-based superalloy during stress relief annealing

We discussed the decrease in residual stress,precipitation evolution,and mechanical properties of GH4151 alloy in different annealing temperatures,which were studied by the scanning electron microscope(SEM),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD).The findings reveal that annealing processing has a significant impact on diminishing residual stresses.As the annealing temperature rose from 950 to 1150℃,the majority of the residual stresses were relieved from 60.1 MPa down to 10.9 MPa.Moreover,the stress relaxation mechanism transitioned from being mainly controlled by dislocation slip to a combination of dislocation slip and grain boundary migration.Meanwhile,the annealing treatment promotes the decomposition of the Laves,accompanied by the precipitation ofμ-(Mo_(6)Co_(7))starting at 950℃ and reaching a maximum value at 1050℃.The tensile strength and plasticity of the annealing alloy at 1150℃ reached the maximum(1394 MPa,56.1%)which was 131%,200%fold than those of the as-cast alloy(1060 MPa,26.6%),but the oxidation process in the alloy was accelerated at 1150℃.The enhancement in durability and flexibility is primarily due to the dissolution of the brittle phase,along with the shape and dispersal of theγ′phase.

Insight into the structural transformation of tetraphenylethylene acids at liquid–solid interface induced by linear aminofunctionalized triazine derivatives and annealing treatment

The interaction between organic photoelectric molecules leads to the formation of a certain aggregation structure,which plays a pivotal role in the charge transport at the intermolecular interface.In view of this,we investigated the mechanism and law of intermolecular interaction by detecting the self-assembled behaviors between organic photoelectric molecules at the interface by scanning tunneling microscopy(STM).In this work,the structural transformations of tetraphenylethylene acids(H_(4)ETTCs)on graphite surface induced by temperature and triazine derivatives(zcy-19,zcy-27,and zcy-38 molecules)were studied by STM technology and density functional theory(DFT)calculations.At room temperature,zcy-19 and H_(4)ETTC molecules formed a small range of ordered co-assembled nanostructure,while for zcy-27 or zcy-38 molecules,no co-assembled nanostructures were observed and only their own self-assembled structures existed on graphite surface,individually.In the thermal annealing trials,the original co-assembled H_(4)ETTC/zcy-19 structure disappeared,and only zcy-19 and H_(4)ETTC self-assembled in separate domains.Nevertheless,new well-ordered H_(4)ETTC/zcy-27 or H_(4)ETTC/zcy-38 co-assembled structures appeared at different annealing temperatures,respectively.Combined with DFT calculations,we further analyzed the mechanism of such structural transformations by triazine derivatives and temperature.Results reveal that triazine derivatives could interact with H_(4)ETTC by N–H···O and O–H···N hydrogen bondings,and whether temperature or zcy series compounds could achieve successful regulation of H_(4)ETTC assembly behavior is closely associated with the conjugated skeleton length of zcy series compounds.

Bonding enhancement of cold rolling TA1 P-Ti/AA6061 composite plates via surface oxidation treatment

TA1 P-Ti/AA6061 composite plate was produced by oxidizing the surface of the titanium plate and adopting a cold roll bonding process.The results revealed that the oxide film(Ti6O)prepared on the surface of TA1 pure titanium was easy to crack during the cold roll bonding,thereby promoting the formation of an effective mechanical interlock at the interface,which can effectively reduce the minimum reduction rate of the composite plates produced by cold rolling of titanium and aluminium plates.Moreover,the composite plate subjected to oxidation treatment exhibited high shear strength,particularly at a 43%reduction rate,achieving a commendable value of 117 MPa.Based on oxidation treatment and different reduction rates,the annealed composite plates at temperatures of 400,450,and 500°C displayed favorable resistance to interface delamination,highlighting their remarkable strength-plasticity compatibility as evidenced by a maximum elongation of 31.845%.

Effect of annealing treatment on microstructures,mechanical properties and cavitation erosion performance of high velocity oxy-fuel sprayed NiCoCrAlYTa coating

The mechanical parts serving in the marine environment are up against the dual damage of corrosion and cavitation erosion,so the Ni Co Cr Al YTa coating with excellent corrosion resistance is successfully prepared by high velocity oxy-fuel(HVOF)sprayed technology to protect the equipment from deterioration.The chemical composition and mechanical properties as well as the microstructure evolution of the coating before and after annealing treatment are studied.At the same time,the influence of annealing treatment on the corrosion and cavitation erosion behaviors of the coating is investigated,as well.The NiCoCrAlYTa coating mainly containsγ-Ni,β-Ni Al,andγ’-Ni3Al phases.During the deposition,the microcrystals or incomplete crystals generate in the interior of the coating because of the large temperature difference and impact force.Meanwhile,there is twin crystal structure in the as-spayed coating.After annealing treatment,the growth of grains and the segregation of reactive elements improve interface strength and inhibit the formation of micro-defects in the coating.The annealing temperature is of significance to the microstructure,mechanical properties,anti-corrosion and cavitation erosion resistance of the coating.This study provides a combined approach toward improving the corrosion and cavitation erosion resistance of NiCoCrAlYTa coatings.

Influence of annealing treatment on microstructure and properties of cold sprayed stainless steel coatings

304 stainless steel coatings had been deposited on carbon-steel substrate by cold spray technique, vacuum annealing treatment was applied to the coatings with different temperatures, and the influence of annealing treatment on the microstructure and electrochemical behavior of the coatings in 3.5% NaCl were analyzed. The results indicated that, the cold sprayed coating was constituted by the flattened particles, and the interfaces were clearly observed between the deposited particles. It was also found that annealing treatment led to the recovery and recrystallization of the elongated grains in the as-sprayed coatings with the increase of annealing temperature. When the annealing temperature achieved to 950 ？ C, the interface of particles was disappeared and the coating s structure was made of new recrystallization austenite grains. Annealing treatment increased the potential volts, and reduced the corrosion rate with the increase of annealing temperature. The electrical corrosion morphology indicated that, the corrosion was firstly at the distortion area and the crevice corrosion mechanism played an important part. Based on these results, processes active during annealing treatment are kinetically dependent and strongly influenced by the annealing treatment temperature.

Residual-stress relaxation mechanism and model description of 5052H32 Al alloy spun ellipsoidal heads during annealing treatment

Marginal-restraint mandrel-free spinning is an advanced technology for manufacturing ellipsoidal heads with large diameter-thickness ratios.Nevertheless,the spinning-induced residual stress,which greatly influences the in-service performance of spun heads,should be removed.In this study,the effects of annealing on the residual-stress relaxation behavior of 5052H32 aluminum alloy spun heads were investigated.It is found that the residual stress first rapidly decreases and then remains steady with the increase in annealing time at the tested annealing temperatures.The relaxation of the residual stress becomes increasingly obvious with the increase in annealing temperature.When the annealing temperature is less than 220℃,there are no obvious changes in grain size.Moreover,the spinning-induced dislocations are consumed by the static recovery behavior,which decreases the residual stress during annealing.When the annealing temperature is approximately 300℃,the broken grains transform into equiaxed grains.In addition,static recrystallization and recovery behaviors occur simultaneously to promote the relaxation of the residual stress.Considering the different stress relaxation mechanisms,a model based on the Zener-Wert-Avrami equation was established to predict the residual-stress relaxation behavior.Finally,the optimized annealing temperature and time were approximately 300C and 30 min,respectively.

Influence of post-grown treatments on CuInS_2 thin films prepared by sulphurization of Cu-In films

Polycrystalline CuInS2 （CIS） films were prepared by sulphurization of Cu-In films. The surface morphology and phase composition of the as-grown film, the KCN-etched film, and the annealed KCN-etched film were investigated. During the sulphurization, the secondary CuxS phase segregated on the surface of the as-grown films. To improve the crystalline quality of CuInS2 films, a series of post-grown treatments, such as KCN-etching and vacuum annealing KCN-etched films, were performed on the as-grown films. Both as-grown and post-treated films were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）. The results indicated that a CuxS secondary phase segregated on the surface of the as-grown film, which could be removed effectively by KCN etching. After the vacuum annealing treatment, the KCN-etched film had a sphalerite structure with （112） preferred orientation. Meanwhile, the crystalline quality of the CIS film was significantly improved, which provided a novel method to improve the performance of thin film solar cells.

ANNEALING INDUCED VARIATION OF CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SYNDIOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE FIBERS

Syndiotactic polypropylene （sPP） as-spun fiber （sPP1） and drawn fiber （sPP2） were prepared by melt-spinning and melt-spinning/hot-drawing, respectively. The structure transition of the two fibers induced by annealing at different temperatures and the corresponding mechanical properties were subsequently investigated by the combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, wide-angle X-ray diffraction （WAXD） and tensile testing. The results indicate that the chain conformation and crystal forms of the two sPP fibers are not obviously changed at low annealing temperature （40℃）. With increasing the annealing temperature, the trans-planar conformation and mesophase in sPP1 and sPP2 fibers can be completely transformed to helical conformation and crystal form I under tension. Upon removing the tension, a small amount of mesophase and trans-planar conformation will be regained. The mechanical properties of the annealed fibers are manifestly dependent on their initial structure and the annealing temperature.

Effect of annealing on properties of Al/steel composite plates prepared by surface oxidation treatment before cold roll bonding

Al/steel composite plate has a wide application prospect,but great differences in properties between Al and steel are observed.It is difficult to obtain high bonding strength by the traditional cold roll bonding process.Al/steel composite plate was thus prepared by cold roll bonding at a reduction rate of 60%after oxidation treatment on the surface to be composited on the steel side.The heat treatment of holding at 400℃ for 1 h and cooling with the furnace was then adopted.The bonding strength,microstructure,and properties of the Al/steel composite plate before and after annealing were analysed and compared through shear test,bending test,tensile test,and micro-characterization.Results show that the shear strengths of the interface before and after annealing are 100 and 80 MPa,respectively.Although the shear strength of the annealed Al/steel composite plate decreases,the bending and overall tensile properties of the composite plate are improved,showing better mechanical properties.

Effects of stoichiometric ratio La/Mg on structures and electrochemical performances of as-cast and annealed La-Mg-Ni-based A_2B_7-type electrode alloys

In order to investigate the influences of the stoichiometric ratio of La/Mg （increasing La and decreasing Mg on the same mole ratio） on the structure and electrochemical performances of the La-Mg-Ni-based A2B7-type electrode alloy, the as-cast and the annealed ternary Lao.8＋xMgo.2_xNi3.5 （x=0-0.05） electrode alloys were prepared. The characterization of electrode alloys by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） shows that all the as-cast and the annealed alloys hold two major phases of （La,Mg）2Ni7 and LaNi5 as well as a residual phase of LaNi3. Moreover, the increase of La/Mg ratio brings on a decline of （La,Mg）2Ni7 phase and a rise of LaNi5 and LaNi3 phases. The variation of La/Mg ratio gives rise to an evident change of the electrochemical performances of the alloys. The discharge capacities of the as-cast and the annealed alloys evidently decrease with growing the La/Mg ratio, while the cycle stabilities of the alloys visibly augment under the same condition. Furthermore, the high rate discharge ability （HRD）, the electrochemical impedance spectrum （EIS）, the Tafel polarization curves, and the potential step measurements all indicate that the electrochemical kinetic properties of the alloy electrodes increase with the La/Mg ratio rising.

Nano-porous Composites Based on Liquid： Synthesis, Characterization, Esterification Heteropolyacid Functionalized Ionic and Catalytic Performance in

Fhnctionalized ionic liquid samples （bmim-PW12） were synthesized by 1-butyl-3-methyl- imidazolium bromide （bmimBr） and 12-phosphotungstic heteropolyacid （PW12）. The samples were annealed at 100-450 ℃ and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, thermal gravity-DTG, brunauer emmett teller, and NHa-temperature programmed desorption. The results showed that the bmim-PW12 samples were crystal and maintained intact Keggin structure. The organic parts of those samples were partly decomposed at a temperature more than 350 ℃. The sample annealed at 400 ℃ exhibited nano-porous structure, strong acidity, and excellent catalytic activity on the esterification of n-butanol with acetic acid. The higher ester yield was obtained when the mass ratio of catalyst over the reactants amount was 5% for bmim-PW12 catalyst annealed at 400 ℃.