The effect of Ti addition on equiaxed grain formation in ferritic stainless steel welds

This study examines mechanisms for providing nuclei to equiaxed grains in the welds of pure ferritic stainless steel （FSS）. The addition of the alloy element Ti to pure FSS 439 causes the precipitation of TiN, which can benefit the columnar-to-equiaxed transition （CET） of gas tungsten arc welding （GTAW）. Meanwhile,the initial morphology of the precipitates, the concentration multiplications of Ti, N, etc. of FSS 439 should be controlled to induce the formation of CET during the short welding process.

Effect of superheat on quality of central equiaxed grain zone of continuously cast bearing steel billet based on two-dimensional segregation ratio

The quality of central equiaxed grain zone （CEGZ） of GCr15 bearing steel billets was investigated at different superheats （20, 25 and 35 ℃ by experimental observations and a finite element model in order to optimize superheat in continuous casting process. Several GCrl5 billets were collected from the continuous casting shop, and the same CEGZ was chosen for comparison of internal quality of GCrl5 billets. Considering the limitation of segregation index at some points, two- dimensional segregation ratio in CEGZ was introduced. Firstly, the segregation ratio and the area of center large dark points in CEGZ obtain the minimum at 25 ℃ superheat, which indicates that the quality of CEGZ at 25 ~C superheat is improved compared with those at 20 and 35 ℃ superheats for corresponding continuously cast billets. The highest superheat and the lowest superheat are not beneficial for improving the central zone quality in the billets. Secondly, the quality of CEGZ of GCr15 billets increases with a decrease in the secondary dendrite arm spacing of CEGZ. Finally, according to the established finite element model, it is deduced that the secondary dendrite arm spacing of CEGZ is closely related to its later solidifica- tion time at solid fraction of 0.5-1.0, and the former will be decreased when decreasing the latter.

Current understanding of the origin of equiaxed grains in pure metals during ultrasonic solidification and a comparison of grain formation processes with low frequency vibration,pulsed magnetic and electric-current pulse techniques

The formation of fine,non-dendritic equiaxed grains throughout a casting without the addition of refiners(i.e.independent of alloy chemistry),is made possible by using ultrasonic,magnetic or pulsed magnetic and electric current pulse techniques.The dominant mechanisms proposed for the grain refinement produced during the application of an external field are cavitation phenomena assisted nucleation or fragmentation of dendrites(ultrasonic field),wall crystals arising from the cold surface of the mould(electric current pulse,magnetic and pulsed magnetic fields).In all these cases fluid flow provides an additional contribution(e.g.reduced temperature gradients,growth rate and remelting of dendrites)to maintaining an equiaxed grain structure.The origin of equiaxed grains under an external field also depends on the casting conditions(volume and shape of casting)and the type of alloy other than the mechanisms specific to a particular technique.The current work aims to provide a detailed understanding of the various factors and mechanisms that influence the grain refinement achieved during the solidification of pure metals(magnesium and zinc)subjected to Ultra Sonic Treatment(UST).The role of the temperature range of UST application,time duration and an unpreheated sonotrode are examined with respect to the origin,evolution of equiaxed grain structure,morphology and the columnar to equiaxed transition.The origin of grains was analysed from three fundamental aspects that contribute to refinement(i)heterogeneous nucleation(ii)fragmentation of existing dendrites and(iii)grains produced from the colder surfaces(arising from mould walls or vibrating surfaces as wall crystals).A comparison of UST refinement with mechanical,low-frequency vibration,electric current pulse and magnetic field solidification of pure metals has also been provided to highlight the importance of the cold surfaces(sonotrode and mould wall)in influencing grain refinement.

Microstructure evolution and improved properties of laminated titanium matrix composites with gradient equiaxed grains

With the purpose of improving both the strength and ductility,gradient equiaxed grains were successfully achieved in the matrix of the laminated TiB/Ti-TiB/Ti-6.58Al-1.76Zr-1.04V-0.89Mo composite via water quenching(WQ) and thermal compressing deformation. Gradient equiaxed grains varied from approximately 1.0 μm in TiB/Ti-6.58Al-1.76Zr-1.04V-0.89Mo layer to 5.5 μm in TiB/Ti layer. The formation of the gradient structure was related to the alloying elements diffusion during the initial sintering process,and the equiaxed shape was constructed by dynamic recrystallization during thermal compressing. WQ treatment before thermal compressing was adopted to obtain fine lamellar structure,which promoted the segmentation of αlamellae,and accelerated the dynamic recrystallization process. Raising the quenching temperature can increase the proportion of equiaxed grains in the composite,which improved both the bending strength and ductility. Compared with the as-sintered specimen,the specimen with gradient equiaxed grains exhibited nearly 30% enhancement in flexural strength(from 1719 to 2218 MPa),and the ultimate bending fracture strain was increased from 7.0% to 17.2%. This significant improvement should be attributed to the coordination deformation by interface gradient grains,the grain refinement strengthening and the good balance between strength and ductility of the recrystallized equiaxed grains.

A review of the origin of equiaxed grains during solidification under mechanical stirring,vibration,electromagnetic,electric-current,and ultrasonic treatments

Refinement of grains and intermetallic phases in the as-solidified alloy structure offers uniform struc-tural properties,eliminates or minimizes common solidification defects,including segregation and hot cracking,and improves thermomechanical processing of wrought alloys.Melt processing by an external field is an efficient process for achieving refinement of the solidification structure of Al and Mg alloys without altering the alloy composition.A wide range of melt processing methods and solidification stud-ies(conventional,directional,and in-situ approaches)have been reported in the literature that explore the mechanism of refinement.Identifying the dominant grain refinement mechanism has been a focus of most investigations because significant variations exist according to the casting conditions and the type of applied external treatments.The origin of fine grains occurs through either one or a combination of heterogenous nucleation,fragmentation of dendrites and grains formed and then separated from the surface of the melt and mould wall under vibration or agitation.The first part of this review describes the prominent external field techniques and the mechanisms proposed for the origin of fine grains.The second part critically compares the current understanding of these grain refinement mechanisms to de-termine differences and commonalities to identify the factors that promote the formation of equiaxed zones occupying a large volume fraction of the casting.

EQUIAXED REFINEMENT OF GRAINS IN ALLOY TC11

The formation reason and elimination method of non-uniform microstructure defects in Ti al- loy TC11 bar have been studied.The coagulating and coarsening into block of the part of grain boundary α and secondary α seem to be caused by the ingot cogging and initial forging temperature in the β region as well as no more enough deformation and uneven distribution. The grain α,elongated α and blocky α may be finally eliminated by adopting the technique of (α+β)thermomechanical processing+β processing,W.Q.+recrystallization annealing,A.C., thus the size of uniform and fine equiaxed α structure is believed to be reduced to 1.9258μm.

Effects of the Nozzle Design on the Properties of Plasma Jet and Formation of YSZ Coatings under Low Pressure Conditions

How to control the quality of the coatings has become a major problem during the plasma spraying. Because nozzle contour has a great influence on the characteristic of the plasma jet, two kinds of plasma torches equipped with a standard cylindrical nozzle and a converging-diverging nozzle are designed for low pressure plasma spraying（LPPS） and very low pressure plasma spraying（VLPPS）. Yttria stabilized zirconia（YSZ） coatings are obtained in the reducing pressure environment. The properties of the plasma jet without or with powder injection are analyzed by optical emission spectroscopy, and the electron temperature is calculated based on the ratio of the relative intensity of two Arlspectral lines. The results show that some of the YSZ powder can be vaporized in the low pressure enlarged plasma jet, and the long anode nozzle may improve the characteristics of the plasma jet. The coatings deposited by LPPS are mainly composed of the equiaxed grains and while the unmelted powder particles and large scalar pores appear in the coatings made by VLPPS. The long anode nozzle could improve the melting of the powders and deposition efficiency, and enhance the coatings＇ hardness. At the same time, the long anode nozzle could lead to a decrease in the overspray phenomenon. Through the comparison of the two different size＇s nozzle, the long anode is much more suitable for making the YSZ coatings.

Effect of low-frequency rotary electromagnetic-field on solidification structure of continuous casting austenitic stainless steel

To understand the solidification behavior of austenitic stainless steel in rotary electromagnetic-field, the influence of low-frequency rotary electromagnetic-field on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting was investigated based on industrial experiments. The results show that the solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel can be remarkably refined, the central porosity and shrinkage cavity can be remarkably decreased, and the equiaxed grains zone are enlarged by means of application of appropriate low-frequency electromagnetic-field parameters. The industrial trials verify that the stirring intensity of austenitic stainless steel should be higher compared with that of plain carbon steel. Electromagnetic stirring affects the macrostructure even if the average magnetic flux density of the electromagnetic stirring reaches 90 mT (amplitude reaches 141 mT) with the frequency of 3-4 Hz. Due to a higher viscosity, rotating speed of molten stainless steel is 20%-30% lower than that of molten carbon steel in the same magnetic flux density.

Friction and wear behavior of TiC particle reinforced ZA43 matrix composites

TiC/ZA43 composites were fabricated by XD TM and stirring casting techniques. The tribology properties of the unreinforced ZA43 alloy and the composites were studied by using a block on ring apparatus. Experimental results show that the incorporation of TiC particles improves the microstructure of ZA43 matrix alloy. The coefficient of friction μ and the width of worn groove decrease with the increase of TiC volume fraction φ (TiC). The width of worn groove and μ of the composite during wear testing increase with increasing the applied load. Metallographic examinations reveal that unreinforced ZA43 alloy has deep ploughing grooves with obvious adhesion phenomenon, whereas TiC/ZA43 composites have smooth worn surface. Delamination formation is related to the fatigue cracks and the shear cracks on the surface. [

Effect of ball milling time on microstructures and mechanical properties of mechanically-alloyed iron-based materials

The microstructures and mechanical properties of an iron-based alloy (Fe-13Cr-3W-0.4Ti-0.25Y-0.30O) prepared by mechanical alloying were investigated with scanning electron microscope,optical microscope,X-ray diffractometer and hardness tester.The results show that the particle size does not decrease with milling time because serious welding occurs at 144 h.The density of the alloy sintered at 1 523 K is affected by the particle size of the powder.Finer particles lead to a high sintered density,while the bulk density by using particles milled for 144 h is as low as 70%.In the microstructures of the annealed alloy,large elongated particles and fine equiaxed grains can be detected.The elongated particle zone has a higher microhardness than the equiaxed grain area in the annealed alloys due to the larger residual strain and higher density of the precipitated phase.

Selective laser melted AZ91D magnesium alloy with superior balance of strength and ductility

In the context of global carbon neutrality, the application of lightweight magnesium alloys is becoming increasingly attractive. In this study, selective laser melting(SLM) was employed to achieve nearly full dense and crack-free AZ91D components with fine equiaxed grain structure. The formation mechanism of typical pore defects(gas pore, lack-of-fusion pore and keyhole pore) and melting modes(keyhole mode and conduction mode) were systematically studied by varying the laser power and scanning speed. The morphology and volume fraction of the pores under different processing conditions were characterized. A criterion based on the depth-to-width ratio of the melt pool was established to identify different melting modes. The strength and ductility(tensile strength up to 340 MPa and uniform elongation of 8.9%)of the as deposited AZ91D are far superior to those of the casting components and are comparable to those of its wrought counterparts.The superior balance of strength and ductility of SLMed AZ91D, as well as the negligible anisotropic properties are mainly ascribed to the extremely fine equiaxed grain structure(with average grain size of ~1.2 μm), as well as the discontinuous distribution of β-Al_(12)Mg_(17) phases. It thus provides an alternative way to fabricate high-strength magnesium alloys with complex geometry.

Microstructure of Nano-Y_2O_3/Cobalt Based Alloy Composite Coating by Laser Cladding

Composite coatings made of nano-Y_2O_3/cobalt-based alloy and produced by crosscurrent CO_2 laser on Ni-based superalloy are introduced. Cross-section or surface of the coatings was examined to reveal their microstructure using optical microscope, SEM, including EDS microanalysis, TEM and XRD. The results show that some equilibrium or non-equilibrium phases, such as γ-Co, Cr_(23)C_6, Y_2O_3 and ε-Co exist in the coatings. Fine and short dendritic microstructure and columnar to equiaxed transition (CET) occurred by adding nano-Y_2O_3 particles. With the increasing amount of nano-Y_2O_3 (1%, mass fraction), fully equiaxed crystallization appeared. These are caused by nano-Y_2O_3 particles acting as new nucleation site and rapid solidification of the melt. The results also show that inhomogeneous dispersion of nano-Y_2O_3 results in the formation of ε-Co phase in the coatings. The sub-microstructure of the clad is stacking fault. The mechanism of the formation of equiaxed grains is also analyzed.

Fine equiaxed β grains and superior tensile property in Ti-6Al-4V alloy deposited by coaxial electron beam wire feeding additive manufacturing

Coarse columnar β grains result in anisotropic mechanical properties in Ti alloys deposited by additive manufacturing. This study reports that Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated by coaxial electron beam wire feeding additive manufacturing presents a weak anisotropy, high strength and ductility. The superior tensile property arises from a microstructure with fine equiaxed β grains(EGβ), discontinuous grain boundary α phase and short intragranular α lamellae. A large region of fine EGβ arises from a special combination of the temperature gradient and solidification rate, and attractive α morphology is caused by solid phase transformations during interpass thermal cycling and post heat treatments.

Microstructure and room-temperature tensile property of Ti-5.7Al-4.0Sn-3.5Zr-0.4Mo-0.4Si-0.4Nb-1.0Ta-0.05C with near equiaxed β grain fabricated by laser directed energy deposition technique

Near-equiaxed β grain was achieved in the near-α Ti60(Ti-5.7Al-4.0Sn-3.5Zr-0.4Mo-0.4Si-0.4Nb-1.0Ta-0.05C) titanium alloy via laser directed energy deposition(LDED). The microstructural evolution along the building direction and the room-temperature tensile properties along the horizontal and vertical directions(building direction) were systematically studied through SEM and OM. EBSD and XRD were utilized to accurately demonstrate the texture of the α and β phases. The results showed that the α phase presented a low texture intensity, which was ascribed to the weak textured β grain with near-equiaxed morphology, since there are Burgers orientation relationships during the β →α transition. In addition, numerical simulation, combined with the CET curve of Ti60 alloy considering the effect of multi-composition,was utilized to elucidate the formation mechanism of the near-equiaxed β grains. Furthermore, according to the solidification theory, we proposed that the solidification temperature range ΔTfwas more accurate than the growth restriction factor Q in predicting the formation tendency of equiaxed β grain in different titanium alloys. Tensile results showed that the horizontal and vertical samples had similar strength,while the former exhibited larger elongation than the latter. The effect of the near-equiaxed β grain and the internal α phase on mechanical properties were revealed at last.

Effect of electromagnetic stirring on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting

An investigation on the influence of low frequency rotary electromagnetic stirring on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting was experimentally conducted and carried out on an industrial trial basis. The results show that application of appropriate electromagnetic stirring parameters can obviously improve the macrostructure of austenitic stainless steel, in which both columnar and equiaxed grains can be greatly refined and shrinkage porosity or cavity zone along centerline can be remarkably decreased due to eliminating intracrystalline and enlarging equiaxed grains zone. The industrial trials verify that the electromagnetic stirring intensity of austenitic stainless steel should be higher than that of plain carbon steel. Electromagnetic stirring has somewhat affected the macrostructure of austenitic stainless steel even if the magnetic flux density of the electromagnetic stirring reaches 90 mT （amplitude reaches 141 mT ） in average at frequency f=3-4Hz, which provides a reference for the optimization of design and process parameters when applying the rotary electromagnetic stirrer.

Solidification Structure of Continuous Casting Large Round Billets under Mold Electromagnetic Stirring

The solidification structure of a continuous casting large round billet was analyzed by a cellular-automaton-finite-element coupling model using the ProCAST software. The actual and simulated solidification structures were compared under mold electromagnetic stirring （MEMS） conditions （current of 300 A and frequency of 3 Hz）. Thereafter, the solidification structures of the large round billet were investigated under different superheats, casting speeds, and secondary cooling intensities. Finally, the effect of the MEMS current on the solidification structures was obtained under fixed superheat, casting speed, secondary cooling intensity, and MEMS frequency. The model accurately simulated the actual solidification structures of any steel, regardless of its size and the parameters used in the continuous casting process. The ratio of the central equiaxed grain zone was found to increase with decreasing superheat, increasing casting speed, decreasing secondary cooling intensity, and increasing MEMS current. The grain size obviously decreased with decreasing superheat and increasing MEMS current but was less sensitive to the casting speed and secondary cooling intensity.

Effect of Longitudinal Magnetic Field on Microstructures of Directionally Solidified Ni-Based Superalloy

The effect of a longitudinal static magnetic field on the microstructures of the superalloy DZ417G during directional solidification at the low withdrawal velocity was investigated experimentally.The experimental results showed that the application of a high static magnetic field significantly changed the interface shapes and microstructures of the superalloy.In practice,when the magnetic filed is applied,the well-ordered columnar dendrite structures still existed in the entire sample as the increase of magnetic field from 0 to 0.3 T.With the increase of magnetic field,the columnar to equiaxed transition(CET)occurred and reaches a maximum under a 0.5 T magnetic filed,and then decrease with the magnetic filed still increase.When the magnetic field is higher than 1.2 T,equiaxed grains zone on the edge of sample increased again and gradually extended from the edge to the center of the sample.Moreover,the macrosegregation may occur along with the appearance of the equiaxed grains.These phenomena should be contributed to interaction of the EMD and TEMC in liquid phase and TEMF in solid phase.

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of an Ultrasonic Waveguide for Ultrasonic Casting of 35CrMo Steel

To achieve ultrasonic casting of 35 CrMo steel,the waveguide unit for introducing ultrasound into liquid steel was studied numerically and experimentally.The structure and length of the ultrasonic waveguide were optimized by modal analysis.The simulation results showed that a T-shaped waveguide unit matched the vibrational system better than an L-shaped unit.The performance of T-shaped waveguide unit was optimized when the length of the ultrasound radiator was 135 mm.The performance of the T-shaped waveguide unit was investigated in ultrasonic casting experiments,and the effect of ultrasound on the microstructure of 35 CrMo steel was examined.The experimental results showed that the T-shaped waveguide was able to successfully introduce ultrasound into the 35 CrMo melt.In addition,the use of a silicon nitride ceramic radiator avoided high-temperature corrosion in the molten metal.The microstructure of the treated area was significantly refined and equiaxed grains were obtained.The results represented a novel method for ultrasonic casting of steel.