Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of ZrC_(x)-NbC_(y)-Cu Composites by Reactive Infiltration at 1300℃

ZrC_(x)-NbC_(y)-Cu composites were fabricated by pressure-less reactive infiltration of Zr-Cu binary melts into porous NbC preforms at 1300℃.The effect of Zr content in the infiltrator on microstructure of the as-synthesized composites was studied.Mechanical properties of the composites were reported.A partial displacement of Nb atoms in NbC by Zr atoms from Zr-Cu melt occurs during the reaction between Zr-Cu melt and porous NbC preform.The formation of a core-shell structure suggests the reaction is mainly a dissolutionprecipitation type.NbC dissolves into Zr-Cu melt,from which the(Nb,Zr)C_(z)phase precipitates and grows.With increasing Zr content in the Zr-Cu infiltrator,the reaction is enhanced and the infiltration is easily chocked.ZrC_(x)-NbC_(y)-Cu composite is synthesized using Zr_(14)Cu_(51)infiltrator.The flexural strength and fracture toughness of ZrC_(x)-NbC_(y)-Cu composite reach 637 MPa and 12.7 MPa·m^(1/2),respectively.And the improved toughness is probably attributed to residual Cu phase and plate-like Nb_(x)C_(y)phases.

Effect of Y addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Mn alloy

The effects of Y on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-lMn alloy were investigated. The results show that the addition of Y has significant effect on the phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-lMn alloy. Varied phases compositions, including Mg7Zn3, I-phase （Mg3YZn6）, W-phase （Mg3Y2Zn3） and X-phase （MgI2YZn）, are obtained by adjusting the Zn to Y mass ratio. Mn element exists as the fine Mn particles, which are well distributed in the alloy. Thermal analysis and microstructure observation reveal that the phase stability follows the trend of X〉W〉/〉MgTZn3. In addition, Y can improve the mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Mn alloy significantly, and the alloy with Y content of 6.09% has the best mechanical properties. The high strength is mainly due to the strengthening by the grain size refinement, dispersion strengthening by fine Mn particles, and introduction of the Mg-Zn-Y ternary phases.

Effect of zirconium addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg_(97)Y_2Zn_1 alloy

The effects of zirconium addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg97Y2Zn1 alloy were investigated.The microstructure of as-cast Mg97Y2Zn1 alloy is refined by the addition of zirconium.During the extrusion,the initial nucleation sites of the alloy are mainly original grain boundaries and secondary phase.The addition of zirconium could stimulate the DRX process because more grain boundaries are formed,which increases the dynamic recrystallization rate.Both the strength and elongation of the alloy are increased by the addition of zirconium.

Coercivity mechanism of La-Nd-Fe-B films with Y spacer layer

The effect of the Y spacer layer on the phase composition,coercivity,and magnetization reversal processes of La-Nd-Fe-B films has been investigated.The addition of a 10 nm Y spacer layer increases the coercivity of the film to 1.36 T at 300 K and remains 0.938 T at 380 K.As the thickness of the Y spacer layer increases,Y participates in the formation of the main phase in the film,and further regulates the formation of La-B phases.The results of the first-order reversal curve(FORC)and micromagnetic fitting show that the coercivity of all the films is dominated by nucleation mechanism.The c-axis preferred orientation,good magnetic microstructure parameters and the largest dipole interaction enhance the coercivity.Therefore,the introduction of the Y spacer layer can be an effective way to improve the coercivity of La-Nd-Fe-B film over a wide temperature range of 150 K-380 K.

Deactivation mechanism of acetone to isobutene conversion over Y/Beta catalyst

The conversion of acetone derived from biomass to isobutene has attracted extensive attentions.In comparison with Brønsted acidic catalyst,Lewis acidic catalyst could exhibit a better catalytic performance with a higher isobutene selectivity.However,the catalyst stability remains a key problem for the long-running acetone conversion and the reasons for catalyst deactivation are poorly understood up to now.Herein,the deactivation mechanism of Lewis acidic Y/Beta catalyst during the acetone to isobutene conversion was investigated by various characterization techniques,including acetone-temperature-programmed surface reaction,gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,in situ ultraviolet-visible,and ^(13)C cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.A successive aldol condensation and cyclization were observed as the main side-reactions during the acetone conversion at Lewis acidic Y sites.In comparison with the low reaction temperature,a rapid formation and accumulation of the larger cyclic unsaturated aldehydes/ketones and aromatics could be observed,and which could strongly adsorb on the Lewis acidic sites,and thus cause the catalyst deactivation eventually.After a simple calcination,the coke deposits could be easily removed and the catalytic activity could be well restored.

Effect of Y and Gd content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Y-RE alloys

In the application of WE43,it is found that Y_(2)O_(3)inclusion formed in the process of casting seriously reduced the mechanical properties of the products.The reduction of the mechanical properties is even more distinct when it comes to the application in the thin walled complex-precision castings.In order to decrease the Y_(2)O_(3)inclusions,Gd element was used to replace part of the Y element in Mg-Y-RE series alloys.The effect of Y content(Mg-x Y-1Gd-2Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr)and Y/Gd ratio(Mg-x Y-(5-x)Gd-2Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr)on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Y-RE alloys were investigated in this paper.With decreasing Y content,the grain size of the alloys increased,both ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(YS)of alloys decreased monotonically.Replacing part of Y content with Gd and keeping the total rare earth content unchanged,the low Y content Mg-2Y-3Gd-2Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy showed the same mechanical properties as the high Y content Mg-4Y-1Gd-2Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy at both room and elevated temperatures.After solution treatment at 525°C for 8 h and aging treatment at 225°C for 10 h,the UTS,YS and elongation(ε)of Mg-2Y-3Gd-2Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy reached 281.7 MPa,198 MPa and 11.1%at room temperature,and 216.7 MPa,171.6 MPa and 16.1%at 250°C.The new low Y content Mg-2Y-2Nd-3Gd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy is expected to replace the high Y content WE43 alloys,which can be used in the complex thin-walled parts of aviation products.

Effects of titanium on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZnAl4Y alloy

The effect of Ti on the microstructure and mechanical properties of zinc-aluminum ZnAl4Y alloy has been investigated in this work. Small amount of Ti was added into ZnAl4Y alloy in the form of Al-10wt.%Ti alloy. The results show that Ti addition into ZnAl4Y alloy refines the primary η-Zn phase and increases the amount of η-Zn + α-Al eutectic structure. There exists a ternary T phase in Zn-Al-Ti alloy. Fine TiAl3 particles and Ti-Zn compounds can serve as the nucleation sites of the α-Al and η-Zn phase, respectively, resulting in the refining of the microstructure of ZnAl4Y alloy. Ti addition changes the fracture characteristics of ZnAl4Y alloy. With 0.05wt%Ti, the fracture surface of the alloy shows a lot of dimples and tearing ridges connecting the microscopic dimples, which is mainly ductile fracture morphology. Ti addition into ZnAl4Y alloy also increases the mechanical properties of the alloy. When the content of Ti is 0.05wt.%, the ZnAl4Y alloy possesses the best comprehensive mechanical properties.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Al magnesium alloy with yttrium and neodymium

The effects of rare earth(RE) elements Y and Nd on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Al magnesium alloy were investigated.The results show that a proper level of RE elements can obviously ref ine the microstructure of Mg-6Al magnesium alloys,reduce the quantity of β-Mg17Al12 phase and form Al2Y and Al2Nd phases.The combined addition of Y and Nd dramatically enhances the tensile strength of the alloys in the temperature range of 20-175℃.When the content of RE elements is up to 1.8%,the values of tensile strength at room temperature and at 150℃ simultaneously reach their maximum of 253 MPa and 196 MPa,respectively.The main mechanisms of enhancement in the mechanical properties of Mg-6Al alloy with Y and Nd are the grain ref ining strengthening and the dispersion strengthening.

Effect of Gd content on microstructure and dynamic mechanical properties of solution-treated Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloy

The effect of Gd content ranging from 6.5 wt.%to 8.5 wt.%on microstructure evolution and dynamic mechanical behavior of Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys was investigated by optical microscopy,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and split Hopkinson pressure bar.The microstructure of as-cast Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys indicates that the addition of Gd can promote grain refinement in the casting.Due to the rapid cooling rate during solidification,a large amount of non-equilibrium eutectic phase Mg_(24)(Gd,Y)_(5) appears at the grain boundary of as-cast Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys.After solution treatment at 520℃ for 6 h,the Mg_(24)(Gd,Y)_(5) phase dissolves into the matrix,and the rare earth hydrides(REH)phase appears.The stress−strain curves validate that the solution-treated Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys with optimal Gd contents maintain excellent dynamic properties at different strain rates.It was concluded that the variation of Gd content and the agglomeration of residual REH particles and dynamically precipitated fine particles are key factors affecting dynamic mechanical properties of Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-20wt% Co/ZrO_2(3Y)cermet composites

The cermet composites WC-20wt%Co/ZrO2（E6）with four different comtents of ZrO2（3Y）were prepared by normal vacuum sinter processing;the optical microscope and SEMwere used to characterize their microstructures.The hardness.bending strength and impact toughness of the specimens were determined.The experimental results show that ZrO2（3Y） particles in WC-20wt%Co matrix are sphcrical particles in different sizes which are distributed uniformly in Co phases and WC phases,the bending strength and impact toughness of the WC-20wt%Co cermet composites added ZrO2（3Y）improve remarkably.but the hardness values have little change.

Effect of ZRB 2-modified on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y-Mn alloy

The ZrB 2 particles firstly modified Mg_(94)Zn_(2.5)Y_(2.5)Mn 1 alloy.And the microstructures and mechanical performances of the modified alloys were studied systematically.The results showed that the moderate addition of ZrB 2 accelerated the development of long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure and refined the grain size.The grains in ZrB 2-modified alloys were nearly equiaxed with a homogeneous size.When 0.0075 wt%ZrB 2 was added,the as-cast alloy with the finest grains(24.87μm)presented desirable mechanical properties(especially ductility)with maximum tensile strength and ductility of 225 MPa and 17.5%,respectively.

Effect of trace yttrium on the microstructure,mechanical property and corrosion behavior of homogenized Mg-2Zn-0.1Mn-0.3Ca-xY biological magnesium alloy

The effects of trace yttrium(Y)element on the microstructure,mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of Mg-2Zn-0.1Mn-0.3Ca-xY(x=0,0.1,0.2,0.3)biological magnesium alloys are investigated.Results show that grain size decreases from 310 to 144µm when Y content increases from 0wt%to 0.3wt%.At the same time,volume fraction of the second phase increases from 0.4%to 6.0%,yield strength of the alloy continues to increase,and ultimate tensile strength and elongation decrease initially and then increase.When the Y content increases to 0.3wt%,Mg_(3)Zn_(6)Y phase begins to precipitate in the alloy;thus,the alloy exhibits the most excellent mechanical property.At this time,its ultimate tensile strength,yield strength,and elongation are 119 MPa,69 MPa,and 9.1%,respectively.In addition,when the Y content is 0.3wt%,the alloy shows the best corrosion resistance in the simulated body fluid(SBF).This investigation has revealed that the improvement of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance is mainly attributed to the grain refinement and the precipitated Mg_(3)Zn_(6)Y phase.

Effects of heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-15Gd-5Y-0.5Zr alloy

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-15wt.%Gd-5 wt.%Y-0.5wt.% Zr alloy were investigated in a series of conditions. The eutectic was dissolved into the matrix and there was no evident grain growth after solntionized at 525 ℃ for 12 h. The evolution of the phase constituents from as-cast to cast-T4 was as follows： α-Mg solid solution＋Mg5（Gd,Y） entectic compound→α-Mg solid solution＋ spheroidized Mg5（Gd, Y） phase→α-Mg supersaturated solid solution＋cuboid-shaped compound （Mg2Y3Gd2）. And the precipitation sequences of Mg-15Gd-5Y-0.5Zr alloy were observed, according to the hardness response to isothermal ageing at 225-300 ℃ for 0-128 h.

Effect of Gd content on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Y-RE-Zr alloys

Four kinds of Mg-Y-RE-Zr alloys with different Gd contents were prepared,and the effect of Gd content on microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloys was researched.Based on the experimental investigation,the compounds at the grain boundaries are mainly Mg_(24)Y_5,Mg_(41)Nd_5,and Mg_5Gd phases.The average grain size of as-cast alloys is 50-60μm.After T4(535℃, 24 h)treatment,Mg_5Gd phases mostly decompose and dissolve into the matrix,and the disperse spotted phases are mainly Mg_(24)Y_5 and Mg_(41)Nd_5 phases.After extruding and ageing(250℃,5 h),the grain size is refined and some grains abnormally grow up to about 40μm.With Gd content increasing,the ultimate tensile strength,yield strength of as-cast alloys and the extruded bars after ageing are improved,but the elongation is decreased.

Effects of Y content on microstructures and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-Zn-Nd alloys

The effects of Y addition amount on the microstructures and mechanical properties of as-cast MgZn-Nd alloy have been investigated by using an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope, backscattered electronic imaging technique, an X-ray diffractometer, a differential thermal analyzer and a universal testing machine. There are three kinds of ternary phases in the Mg-Zn-Y system alloys, such as I phase(Mg3Zn6Y), W phase(Mg3Zn3Y2) and Z or X phase(Mg12Zn Y). The experimental results in the present study indicate that the Mg-Zn-RE(RE includes Y and Nd) ternary phases change from the I + W phases in turn to unique W, W + Z and unique Z as the Y content increases from 0% to 3%. Simultaneously, their distribution gradually changes from small particle-like form to continuous network form. The grain size first decreases as the Y content increases from 0% to 1% Y, then increases when the Y content exceeds 1% and finally decreases again when the content exceeds 3% due to the variation of growth restriction factor caused by the increased Y element and the change of the ternary phases. The hardness continuously increases because of the increased ternary phase amount. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation first increase within the range of 0-1% Y, also due to the increased ternary phase amount and grain refinement, and then decreases because of the grain coarsening, porosity formation and continuous network distribution of the ternary phases. The grain bonding strength of the W phase-containing alloys is quite strong and the W phase is an ideal strengthening phase if a given amount of it distributes in discontinuous and small-sized form. The alloy with 1% Y only has one ternary phase of W, but has the best combination of mechanical properties. The fracture regimes of these alloys always present a transgranular mode.

MICROSTRUCTURE FORMATION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTY INVOLVING ICOSAHEDRAL QUASICRYSTAL PHASE OF Y RICH Mg-Zn-Y QUASICRYSTAL ALLOY

The microstructure formation and mechanical property involving icosahedral quasicrystal （I-phase） in the Y-rich Mg-Zn-Y alloy have been studied. The equilibrium formation of I-phase from the Y-rich Mg-Zn-Y melt is through a peritectic reaction between the Y-rich melt and the primary W-phase, which is discussed in detail. The independent nucleation and coupling growth mechanism between the W-phase and the I-phase, from the melt, are revealed, which is significant for understanding the peritectic reaction process involving icosahedral quasicrystal in the Mg-Zn-Y alloy. The mechanism of the quasicrystal phase strengthened magnesium alloys is also discussed here.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of rolled Mg-12Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy sheets

The extruded Mg-12Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy sheets were rolled from 30 mm to 2.3 mm at 723 K by electric heated rollers,and then different heat treatments were performed to improve their properties.The microstructures and tensile properties of the alloy sheets were investigated,including as-rolled,annealed and T5 treated.The experimental results show that the grains are effectively refined by the rolling process,and the strength of the rolled alloy is greatly enhanced.The annealed alloy exhibits lower strength and higher elongation than the rolled one,while the aged alloy shows higher strength and lower elongation.After being aged at 498 K for 17 h,the alloys get the highest strength,namely,the ultimate tensile strength is 456.8 MPa,yield strength is 348.9 MPa,and elongation is 3.8%.

Influence of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10Gd-3Y-1.2Zn-0.4Zr alloy

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-1.2Zn-0.4Zr(mass fraction,%) alloy during annealing at 798 K for different time were investigated.In the as-cast state,the microstructure consists ofα-Mg,Mg_5(Gd,Y,Zn) eutectic compounds and stacking faults(SF) of basal plane distributed from grain boundary to inner grain.During heat treatment at 798 K,the SF and parts of eutectic compounds dissolve into the matrix gradually,simultaneously,a new straight lamellar phase with 14H type of long period stacking ordered(LPSO) structure comes into being.Microstructure observation indicates that the lamellar phase is transformed from the un-dissolved eutectic compounds and shows a coarsening and disappearing process with annealing time prolonging.Three alloy specimens with typical microstructure after being annealed for 6,36 and 72 h were selected to age at 498 K to peak hardness.Room and elevated temperature tensile tests show that the LPSO structured phase contributes to the change of high temperature tensile properties.

Influence of t-ZrO_2 addition on mechanical property and electrical conductivity of YSZ electrolyte

8YSZ material that has high electrical conductivity is widely used as electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). But its low strength and low fracture toughness hampered the development of SOFCs. In order to find a best method to improve the capability of YSZ electrolyte, the effects of 3Y-TZP additive on the density, strength, conductivity and microstructure were studied by means of X-ray diffraction and Vicker′s hardness apparatus. The strength and conductivity of YSZ electrolyte doped with different amounts of 3Y-TZP were determined. It is shown that the samples sintered at 1450 ℃ for 2 h are the best in properties. When 3Y-TZP powders are added to the YSZ system, the results demonstrate that strength of the electrolyte increases remarkably, and the fracture toughness is improved. The electrical conductivity is lowered only slightly. The results display that the flexural strength and the fracture toughness of ceramics with 30wt.% TZP reach 300 MPa and 3.7 MPa·m1/2, respectively, and the conductivity at 1000 ℃ reaches 0.11 S·cm-1.

Effects of Pb on microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of as-cast Mg97Zn1Y2 alloys

In this present work, Pb was applied in the Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy to improve its microstructure and properties, using conventional casting methods. The microstructure and properties of the Mg97 Zn1 Y2 alloy and Mg97Zn1Y2-x Pb(x=0.6 wt.%, 1.2 wt.% and 1.8 wt.%) alloys were observed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy method and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, hardness and strength measurement and electrochemical testing. After adding Pb to the Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy, a new particle phase Mg_2 Pb was identified along the grain boundaries, and dendrites were refined. In addtion, the hardness of Mg97Zn1Y2-xPb(x=0.6 wt.%, 1.2 wt.% and 1.8 wt.%) alloys was higher than that of the Mg97 Zn1Y2 alloy; with the increase of Pb content, the hardness of the alloy increased first and then decreased, followed by a final slight increase, and reached a maximum of 89.1 HV when the Pb content was 0.6 wt.%. The strength of the alloy increased first and then decreased as the Pb content increased. Moreover, adding a small amount of Pb to the alloy can effectively inhibit corrosion, and Mg97Zn1Y2-0.6 wt.%Pb exhibits the best corrosion resistance ability.