Formation and Mechanical Properties of Zr-Nb-Cu-Ni-Al-Lu Bulk Glassy Alloys with Superior Glass-Forming Ability

Glass-forming ability（GFA） and mechanical properties of（Zr_（0.58）Nb_（0.03）Cu_（0.16）Ni_（0.13）Al_（0.10））_（100-x）Lu_x（x= 0-3 at%） alloys have been investigated.The GFA of Zr_（58）Nb_3Cu_（16）Ni_（13）Al_（10） alloy is dramatically enhanced by adding Lu.The（Zr_（0.58）Nb_（0.03）Cu_（0.16）Ni_（0.13）Al_（0.10））_（98）Lu_2 alloy possesses the highest GFA in the studied Zr-Nb-Cu-Ni-Al-Lu alloys,with its critical diameter for glass formation reaching 20 mm by copper-mould casting method,while that of the Lu-free Zr_（58）Nb_3Cu_（16）Ni_（13）Al_（10） alloy is 7 mm.The critical diameters of（Zr_（0.58）Nb_（0.03）Cu_（0.16）Ni_（0.13）Al_（0.10））_（100-x）Lu_x（x =1 at%and 3 at%） alloys are 15 mm and 12 mm,respectively.The Lu addition to Zr_（58）Nb_3Cu_（16）Ni_（13）Al_（10） alloy induces the change of initial crystallization phases from face-centred-cubic Zr_2Ni and tetragonal Zr_2Ni phases for the Lu-free Zr_（58）Nb_3Cu_（16）Ni_（13）Al_（10） alloy to an icosahedral quasi-crystalline phase for the Lu-doped alloys,which may be the origin for the enhanced GFA of the Lu-doped alloys.The compressive fracture strength and plastic strain of the bulk glassy（Zr_（0.58）Nb_（0.03）Cu_（0.16）Ni_（0.13）Al_（0.10））_（98）Lu_2 alloy are1 610 MPa and 1.5%,respectively.

Interactive Training Model of TRIZ for Mechanical Engineers in China

Abstract： Innovation is a process of taking an original idea and converting it into a business value, in which the engineers face some inventive problems which can be solved hardly by experience. TRIZ, as a new theory for companies in China, provides both conceptual and procedural knowledge for finding and solving inventive problems. Because the government plays a leading role in the diffusion of TRIZ, too many companies from different industries are waiting to be trained, but the quantity of the trainers mastering TRIZ is incompatible with that requirement. In this context, to improve the training effect, an interactive training model of TRIZ for the mechanical engineers in China is developed and the implementation in the form of training classes is carried out. The training process is divided into 6 phases as follows： selecting engineers, training stage-l, finding problems, training stage-2, finding solutions and summing up. The government, TRIZ institutions and companies to join the programs interact during the process. The government initiates and monitors a project in form of a training class of TRIZ and selects companies to join the programs. Each selected companies choose a few engineers to join the class and supervises the training result. The TRIZ institutions design the training courses and carry out training curriculum. With the beginning of the class, an effective communication channel is established by means of interview, discussion face to face, E-mail, QQ and so on. After two years training practices, the results show that innovative abilities of the engineers to join and pass the final examinations increased distinctly, and most of companies joined the training class have taken congnizance of the power of TRIZ for product innovation. This research proposes an interactive training model of TRIZ for mechanical engineers in China to expedite the knowledge diffusion of TRIZ.

Effect of Rare Earth and Transition Metal Elements on the Glass Forming Ability of Mechanical Alloyed Al–TM–RE Based Amorphous Alloys

The present work aims to compare the amorphous phase forming ability of ternary and quaternary Al based alloys （Al86Ni8Y6, Al86GNi6Y6Co2, Al86NigLa6 and Al86Ni8Y45La15） synthesized via mechanical alloying by varying the composition, i.e. fully or partially replacing rare earth （RE） and transition metal （TM） elements based on similar atomic radii and coordination number. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy study revealed that the amorphization process occurred through formation of various intermetallic phases and nanocrystalline FCC Al. Fully amorphous phase was obtained for the alloys not containing lanthanum, whereas the other alloys containing La showed partial amorphization with reappearance of intermetallic phases attributed to mechanical crystallization. Differential scanning calorimetry study confirmed better thermal stability with wider transformation temperature for the alloys without La.

Mechanical and Magnetic Properties of New(Fe,Co,Ni)–B–Si–Ta Bulk Glassy Alloys

The alloying effects of the like-atom substitution of Ni and Co for Fe on the various properties of Fe_（70）B_（16.7）Si_（8.3）Ta_5 metallic glass are investigated in this present work. New Fe-based bulk glassy alloys, namely Fe_（60–x）Co_xNi_（10）B_（16.7）Si_（8.3）Ta_5（at.%;x = 10, 20 and 30） with critical diameters up to 1.5 mm, were made by means of copper mold casting.A new glass-forming ability indicator, viz., the enthalpy of supercooled liquid, has been introduced for assessment of the glass-forming abilities（GFAs） of these Fe-based multi-component alloys. Nano-indentation results indicate that the calculated elastic modulus and hardness of the bulk glassy alloys are lower than those of the Fe_（70）B_（16.7）Si_（8.3）Ta_5 alloy.Among these bulk glassy alloys, Fe_（70）B_（16.7）Si_（8.3）Ta_5 exhibits the large elastic modulus and hardness with values of 178 ± 1GPa and 12.9 ± 0.1 GPa, respectively. All the bulk glassy alloys exhibit good soft magnetic properties with high saturation magnetization Bs^0.75–1.04 T but low coercive force Hc^0.2–5.2 A/m.