In-situ additive manufacturing of high strength yet ductility titanium composites with gradient layered structure using N_(2)

It has always been challenging work to reconcile the contradiction between the strength and plasticity of titanium materials.Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF) is a convenient method to fabricate innovative composites including those inspired by gradient layered materials.In this work,we used LPBF to selectively prepare Ti N/Ti gradient layered structure(GLSTi)composites by using different N_(2)–Ar ratios during the LPBF process.We systematically investigated the mechanisms of in-situ synthesis Ti N,high strength and ductility of GLSTi composites using microscopic analysis,TEM characterization,and tensile testing with digital image correlation.Besides,a digital correspondence was established between the N_(2) concentration and the volume fraction of LPBF in-situ synthesized Ti N.Our results show that the GLSTi composites exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to pure titanium fabricated by LPBF under pure Ar.Specifically,the tensile strength of GLSTi was more than 1.5times higher than that of LPBF-formed pure titanium,reaching up to 1100 MPa,while maintaining a high elongation at fracture of 17%.GLSTi breaks the bottleneck of high strength but low ductility exhibited by conventional nanoceramic particle-strengthened titanium matrix composites,and the hetero-deformation induced strengthening effect formed by the Ti N/Ti layered structure explained its strength-plasticity balanced principle.The microhardness exhibits a jagged variation of the relatively low hardness of 245 HV0.2 for the pure titanium layer and a high hardness of 408 HV0.2 for the N_(2) in-situ synthesis layer.Our study provides a new concept for the structure-performance digital customization of 3D-printed Ti-based composites.

Construction of a High‑Performance Composite Solid Electrolyte Through In‑Situ Polymerization within a Self‑Supported Porous Garnet Framework

Composite solid electrolytes(CSEs)have emerged as promising candidates for safe and high-energy–density solid-state lithium metal batteries(SSLMBs).However,concurrently achieving exceptional ionic conductivity and interface compatibility between the electrolyte and electrode presents a significant challenge in the development of high-performance CSEs for SSLMBs.To overcome these challenges,we present a method involving the in-situ polymerization of a monomer within a self-supported porous Li_(6.4)La_(3)Zr_(1.4)Ta_(0.6)O_(12)(LLZT)to produce the CSE.The synergy of the continuous conductive LLZT network,well-organized polymer,and their interface can enhance the ionic conductivity of the CSE at room temperature.Furthermore,the in-situ polymerization process can also con-struct the integration and compatibility of the solid electrolyte–solid electrode interface.The synthesized CSE exhibited a high ionic conductivity of 1.117 mS cm^(-1),a significant lithium transference number of 0.627,and exhibited electrochemical stability up to 5.06 V vs.Li/Li+at 30℃.Moreover,the Li|CSE|LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) cell delivered a discharge capacity of 105.1 mAh g^(-1) after 400 cycles at 0.5 C and 30℃,corresponding to a capacity retention of 61%.This methodology could be extended to a variety of ceramic,polymer electrolytes,or battery systems,thereby offering a viable strategy to improve the electrochemical properties of CSEs for high-energy–density SSLMBs.

Microstructure characteristics and thermodynamic properties of A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites prepared by semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting

A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were prepared using a semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting method.The microstructures,mechanical properties,and thermal conductivities of the composites fabricated under different suction casting processes were compared.Additionally,the microstructural evolution characteristics and performance enhancement mechanism of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were discussed.The results demonstrate that suction casting at 610°C with a low solid phase ratio can significantly enhance the material density and reduce the agglomeration of SiCp.The A357-SiC_(p)/A357 interface is clear and straight with good bonding.With an increase in the suction casting temperature,the bending resistance and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiC_(p)/A357 layered composites exhibit a trend of significantly increase at first and then slowly decrease owing to casting defects,interface bonding,and SiCp distribution.Compared with SiCp/A357 composites,the bending strength,deflection,and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites increase from 257 MPa,1.07 mm,and 155.72 W·(m·K)^(-1) to 298 MPa,2.1 mm,and 169.86 W·(m·K)^(-1),respectively.This study provides a reference for improving the rheological casting of aluminum matrix layered composites.

Preparation and characterization of diamond film on Cu substrate using Cu-diamond composite interlayer

Large area diamond films were fabricated on copper substrates by a multi-step process comprised of electroplating Cu-diamond composite layer on Cu substrate, plating a Cu layer to fix the protruding diamond particles, and depositing continuous diamond film on composite interlayer by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition （HFCVD）. The interface characteristics, internal stress and adhesion strength were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman analysis and indentation test. The results show that the continuous film without cracks is successfully obtained. The microstructure of the film is a mixture of large cubo-octahedron grains grown from homo-epitaxial growth and small grains with （111） apparent facets grown from lateral second nuclei. The improved adhesion between diamond film and substrate results from the deep anchoring of the diamond particles in the Cu matrix and the low residual stress in the film.

Lithium–matrix composite anode protected by a solid electrolyte layer for stable lithium metal batteries

Lithium (Li) metal with an ultrahigh specific theoretical capacity and the lowest reduction potential is strongly considered as a promising anode for high-energy-density batteries. However, uncontrolled lithium dendrites and infinite volume change during repeated plating/stripping cycles hinder its practical applications immensely. Herein, a house-like Li anode (housed Li) was designed to circumvent the above issues. The house matrix was composed of carbon fiber matrix and affords a stable structure to relieve the volume change. An artificial solid electrolyte layer was formed on composite Li metal, just like the roof of a house, which facilitates uniform Li ions diffusion and serves as a physical barrier against electrolyte corrosion. With the combination of solid electrolyte layer and matrix in the composite Li metal anode, both dendrite growth and volume expansion are remarkably inhibited. The housed Li|LiFePO4 batteries exhibited over 95% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 1.0 C in coin cell and 85% capacity retention after 80 cycles at 0.5 C in pouch cell. The rationally combination of solid electrolyte layer protection and housed framework in one Li metal anode sheds fresh insights on the design principle of a safe and long-lifespan Li metal anode for Li metal batteries.

Damping and Mechanical Properties of Cocured Composite Laminates with Embedded Perforate Viscoelastic Layer

The composite laminates with embedded acrylonitrile butadiene rubber （NBR） layer were fabricated by cocuring process. The embedded layers were perforated with a series of small holes to allow resin to flow through the damping layer and completely couple the structure to improve bending stiffness and interlaminar shearing strength of these cocured composite laminates. The damping, bending stiffness and shearing strength of these composite laminates with different perforation diameters were investigated. The experimental results show that increasing the perforation diameter leads to significant decreases in damping and significant increase in bending stiffness up to an area ratio of 7.065%. The area ratio here is defined as the ratio of perforation area to the total damping area. Beyond the area ratio of 7.065%, increasing the diameter to an area ratio of 50.24% results in only a slight variation in damping and bending stiffness. Moreover, increasing the perforation diameter does not always increase the shearing strength of the embedded viscoelastic layer. The shearing strength of embedded viscoelastic layer increases only when the area ratio is greater than 19.625%; instead, it will decrease.

WAVE PROPAGATION IN PIEZOELECTRIC/PIEZOMAGNETIC LAYERED PERIODIC COMPOSITES

This paper is concerned with the dynamic behaviors of wave propagation in layered periodic composites consisting of piezoelectric and piezomagnetic phases. The dispersion relations of Lamb waves axe derived. Dispersion curves and displacement fields are calculated with different piezoelectric volume fractions. Numerical results for BaTiO3/CoFe2O4 composites show that the dispersion curves resemble the symmetric Lamb waves in a plate. Exchange between the longitudinal （i.e. thickness） mode and coupled mode takes place at the crossover point between dispersion curves of the first two branches. With the increase of BaTiO3 volume fraction, the crossover point appears at a lower wave number and wave velocity is higher. These findings are useful for magnetoelectric transducer applications.

Microstructure of Ni /WC Surface Composite Layer on Gray Iron Substrate

The surface infiltrated composite （Ni/WC） layers on gray iron substrate were fabricated through a vacuum infiltration casting technique （VICT） using Ni-based composite powder with different WC particles content as raw materials.The microstructures of surface infiltrated composite layer,the interface structures between surface composite layer and the substrate,the changes of macro-hardness with the increasing of WC content and the micro-hardness distribution are investigated.The infiltrated composite layer includes a surface composite layer and a transition layer,and the thickness of the transition layer decreases with the increasing content of WC.The thickness of transition layer with 20%WC content in the surface infiltrated composite layer was 170 μm which was the thickest for all transition layers with different WC content.The surface composite layer was mainly composed of WC,W2C,FeB and NiB,along with Ni-Cr-Fe,Ni （Cr） solid solution,Ni （Si） solid solution and Ni （Fe） solid solution.The transition layer was composed of Ni （Cr） solid solution,Ni （Fe） solid solution,Ni （Si） solid solution,Fe （Ni） solid solution and eutectic.The surface macro-hardness and micro-hardness of the infiltrated layer had been evaluated.The macro-hardness of the surface composite layer decreases with the WC content increasing,and the average macro-hardness is HRC60.The distribution of micro-hardness presents gradient change.The average micro-hardness of the infiltrated layer is about HV1000.

Multi-objective Optimization of Co-cured Composite Laminates with Embedded Viscoelastic Damping Layer

Presented herein is a methodology for the multi-objective optimization of damping and bending stiffness of cocoured composite laminates with embedded viscoelastic damping layer. The embedded viscoelastic damping layer is perforated with a series of small holes, and the ratio of the perforation area to the total damping area is the design variable of the methodology. The multi-objective optimization is converted into a single-objective problem by an evaluation function which is a liner weigh sum of the two sub-objective functions. The proposed methodology was carried out to determine the optimal perforation area ratios of two viscoelstic layers with different perforation distance embedded in two composite plates. Both the optimal perforation area ratios are approximate to 2.2%. However, the objective value of the plate with greater perforation distance in embedded viscoelatic layer is much greater.

Formation mechanism of bimetal composite layer between LCS and HCCI

A low carbon steel （LCS）/high chromium white cast iron （HCCI） bimetal wear plate about 20 mm in thickness was prepared by liquid-liquid bimetal composite casting technology to substitute for the welding wear plate. A clear and distinguishable composite layer between the LCS and the HCCI was detected with SEM, and the composition and phase were analyzed through EDS and XRD. The composite layer was composed of three sublayers from the LCS to the HCCI： pearlite transition layer, composite layer, and HCCI transition layer. The Vickers hardness from the pearlite transition layer to the HCCl transition layer was 360 HV to 855 HV. The austenite grows as dendrites between the composite layer and the HCCI transition layer under constitutional undercooling. A large amount of C and Cr, and a small amount of Si and Mn dissolve in the matrix. Granular Cr7C3 is uniformly distributed. Due to the solute redistribution at the solid-liquid interface, the primary austenite grows from planar to cellular and finally to the distinct dendrite crystals. The dendrite crystals have an obvious growth direction perpendicular to the composite layer.

Formation mechanism and control of aluminum layer thickness fluctuation in embedded aluminum-steel composite sheet produced by cold roll bonding process

The influences of rolling reduction and aluminum sheet initial thickness(AIT)on the thickness fluctuation of aluminum layer(TFA)of embedded aluminum?steel composite sheet produced by cold roll bonding were investigated,the formation mechanism of TFA was analyzed and method to improve the thickness uniformity of the aluminum layer was proposed.The results showed that when the reduction increased,TFA increased gradually.When the reduction was lower than40%,AIT had negligible effect on the TFA,while TFA increased with the decrease of AIT when the reduction was higher than40%.The non-uniformities of the steel surface deformation and the interfacial bonding extent caused by the work-hardened steel surface layer,were the main reasons for the formation of TFA.Adopting an appropriate surface treatment can help to decrease the hardening extent of the steel surface for improving the deformation uniformity during cold roll bonding process,which effectively improved the aluminum thickness uniformity of the embedded aluminum/steel composite sheets.

IN SITU GRADIENT DOUBLE-LAYER COMPOSITES OF Al-Fe ALLOY BY CENTRIFUGAL CASTING

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Interface characteristics and wear resistance of Ni-B_(4)C plated ZTA reinforced high chromium cast iron composite

A chemical composite plating of Ni-B_(4)C was used to prepare the surface-modified zirconia toughened alumina(ZTA)ceramic particles.The ceramic preforms were prepared by the plated ZTA and sodium silicate solution binder,followed by casting infiltration to prepare the ZTA particles reinforced high chromium cast iron(HCCI)composites.The result reveals that a distinct interface layer forms at the ZTA/HCCI interface,which consists of phases of ZrB_(2),FeB,Fe_(2)B,and NaSiO_(4).The interfacial wettability between ZTA and HCCI is improved by the diffusion and reaction of Ni and B_(4)C.The wear test reveals that the Ni-B_(4)C plated ZTA particles can effectively improve the wear resistance of the ZTA/HCCI composite,and the wear rate of the composite is decreased to 11.6%of HCCI.

Modifying element diffusion pathway by transition layer structure in high-entropy alloy particle reinforced Cu matrix composites

The Al0.3CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy(HEA)particles reinforced Cu matrix composites(CMCs)were fabricated by mechanical alloying and sintering.Transition layer structure was obtained by multi-step ball milling to investigate the related influence on element diffusion behavior and wear properties of CMCs.The results indicate that a new Cu transition layer is generated,and the thickness is about 5μm.Cr element diffuses into the interface via the transition layer,which forms the complex oxide.Because of the structure of Cu transition layer,the diffusion rates of Ni,Co and Fe increase,especially the Ni element.The wear resistance of CMCs is improved by 30%,which is due to the improvement of interface bonding strength,compared with the CMCs without transition layer.This method is applicable to the development of advanced HEA reinforced metallic matrix composites.

Love Waves in Layered Graded Composite Structures with Imperfectly Bonded Interface

Theoretical analysis and numerical calculations of Love wave propagation in layered graded composites with imperfectly bonded interface are described in this paper. On the basis of WKB method, the approximate analytic solutions for Love waves are obtained. By the interface shear spring model, the dispersion relations for Love waves in layered graded composite structures with rigid, slip, and imperfectly bonded interfaces are given, and the effects of the interface conditions on the phase velocities of Love waves in SiC/Al layered graded composites are discussed. Numerical analysis shows that the phase velocity decreases when the defined flexibility parameter is greater. For the general imperfectly bonded interface, the phase velocity changes in the range of the velocities for the rigid and slip interface conditions.

Preparation and characterization of carbonyl iron soft magnetic composites with magnesioferrite insulating coating layer

Spherical carbonyl iron(Fe)powders were coated with magnesioferrite(MgFe2O4)insulating coating layer and then mixed with epoxy-modified silicone resin(ESR).Soft magnetic composites(SMCs)were fabricated by compaction of the coated powders and annealing treatment.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS),X-ray diffractometry(XRD)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)revealed that the MgFe2O4 layer was coated on the surface of the iron powders.The magnetic properties of SMCs were determined using a vibrating sample magnetometer and an auto testing system for magnetic materials.The results showed that the SMCs prepared at 800 MPa and 550℃ exhibited a significant core loss of 167.5 W/kg at 100 kHz and 50 mT.

Generation Mechanism of Interfacial Layer and Its Effect on Fe-Cr-Ni/Al-Si-Cu-Ni-Mg Composite Performance

Fe-Cr-Ni/Al-Si-Cu-Ni-Mg composite was taken as the experimental material. The chemical composition of interfacial layer was tested. The generation mechanism and influence of interfacial layer on the composite were analyzed. The results indicated that the generation of interfacial layer is sensitive to temperature. Interfacial layer will generate rapidly when temperature reaches 500 ℃ or above. The interfacial layer is mainly composed of Al, Si, Cu, Fe, and Cr, element Ni distributes at the outward of the interfacial layer for the precipitate of Ni later than Si and Cu, and there is almost no diffusion of Ni during the solution treatment. During heat treatment process, unequal quantity changing of metal atom results in disperse or concentrated vacancies or holes near the matrix. The existence of interfacial layer will induce a decrease of compression strength and plasticity at room temperature and an increase of strength at higher temperature comparing with composite without interfacial layer.

Effect of silicon content on microstructure of Al-Si/SiC_p composite layer cladded on A380 Al alloy by TIG welding process

Tungsten inert gas（TIG） welding was applied to creating a composite layer on the surface of cast aluminum alloy A380. Different mixtures of Al, Si and SiC powders mixed with sodium silicate solution were pasted on substrates. Surface melting was conducted by TIG welding to produce Al-SiC layer on the surface. Microstructural evolution was investigated by X-ray diffractometry（XRD）, optical and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and elemental microanalysis（EDS）. Properties of clad layers were studied by microhardness and sliding wear testing. The results showed a uniform distribution of SiC particles in dendritic aluminum matrix. Addition of excess silicon caused the formation of eutectic crystals and coarse silicon particles in the clad layer which resulted in higher hardness and wear resistance of clad layers.

Enhancing the separation performance by introducing bioadhesive bonding layer in composite pervaporation membranes for ethanol dehydration

A high performance composite membrane was prepared under the inspiration of bioadhesion principles for pervaporative dehydration of ethanol.Chitosan(CS)and polyacrylonitrile(PAN)ultrafiltration membranes were used as the active layer and the support layer,respectively.Guar gum(GG),a natural bioadhesive,was introduced as the intermediate bonding layer to improve the separation performance and stability of the fabricated CS/GG/PAN composite membranes.The contact angle of the GG layer was just between those of the CS layer and the PAN layer,minimizing the difference of hydrophilicity between the active layer and the support layer.The peeling strength of the composite membrane was significantly enhanced after the introduction of the GG layer.The effects of preparation conditions and operation conditions including GG concentration,operating temperature and ethanol concentration in feed on the pervaporation performance were investigated.The as-fabricated CS/GG/PAN composite membrane showed the optimum performance with a permeation flux of up to804 g·m-2·h-1and a separation factor higher than 1900.Besides,the composite membranes exhibited a desirable long-term operational stability.

Research on quantum well intermixing of 680 nm AlGaInP/GaInP semiconductor lasers induced by composited Si-Si_(3)N_(4) dielectric layer

The optical catastrophic damage that usually occurs at the cavity surface of semiconductor lasers has become the main bottleneck affecting the improvement of laser output power and long-term reliability.To improve the output power of 680 nm AlGaInP/GaInP quantum well red semiconductor lasers,Si-Si_(3)N_(4)composited dielectric layers are used to induce its quantum wells to be intermixed at the cavity surface to make a non-absorption window.Si with a thickness of 100 nm and Si_(3)N_(4)with a thickness of 100 nm were grown on the surface of the epitaxial wafer by magnetron sputtering and PECVD as diffusion source and driving source,respectively.Compared with traditional Si impurity induced quantum well intermixing,this paper realizes the blue shift of 54.8 nm in the nonabsorbent window region at a lower annealing temperature of 600 ℃ and annealing time of 10 min.Under this annealing condition,the wavelength of the gain luminescence region basically does not shift to short wavelength,and the surface morphology of the whole epitaxial wafer remains fine after annealing.The application of this process condition can reduce the difficulty of production and save cost,which provides an effective method for upcoming fabrication.