Thermodynamic analysis of the simple microstructure of AlCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy with multi-principal elements

AlCrFeNiCu high-entropy alloy （THA） was synthesized by the arc melting and casting method. The alloy exhibits simple FCC and BCC solid solution phases rather than intermetallic compounds. The reason is that the Gibbs free energy of mixing of the equimolar A1CrFeNiCu alloy is smaller than that of inter-metallic compounds by calculation according to the Miedema model .

Design of low-alloying and high-performance solid solution-strengthened copper alloys with element substitution for sustainable development

Solid solution-strengthened copper alloys have the advantages of a simple composition and manufacturing process,high mechanical and electrical comprehensive performances,and low cost;thus,they are widely used in high-speed rail contact wires,electronic component connectors,and other devices.Overcoming the contradiction between low alloying and high performance is an important challenge in the development of solid solution-strengthened copper alloys.Taking the typical solid solution-strengthened alloy Cu-4Zn-1Sn as the research object,we proposed using the element In to replace Zn and Sn to achieve low alloying in this work.Two new alloys,Cu-1.5Zn-1Sn-0.4In and Cu-1.5Zn-0.9Sn-0.6In,were designed and prepared.The total weight percentage content of alloying elements decreased by 43%and 41%,respectively,while the product of ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and electrical conductivity(EC)of the annealed state increased by 14%and 15%.After cold rolling with a 90%reduction,the UTS of the two new alloys reached 576 and 627MPa,respectively,the EC was 44.9%IACS and 42.0%IACS,and the product of UTS and EC(UTS×EC)was 97%and 99%higher than that of the annealed state alloy.The dislocations proliferated greatly in cold-rolled alloys,and the strengthening effects of dislocations reached 332 and 356 MPa,respectively,which is the main reason for the considerable improvement in mechanical properties.

Study on hot deformation behavior of homogenized Mg-8.5Gd-4.5Y-0.8Zn-0.4Zr alloy using a combination of strain-compensated Arrhenius constitutive model and finite element simulation method

Isothermal hot compression experiments were conducted on homogenized Mg-8.5Gd-4.5Y-0.8Zn-0.4Zr alloy to investigate hot deformation behavior at the temperature range of 673-773 K and the strain rate range of 0.001-1 s^(-1)by using a Gleeble-1500D thermo mechanical simulator.Metallographic characterization on samples deformed to true strain of 0.70 illustrates the occurrence of flow localization and/or microcrack at deformation conditions of 673 K/0.01 s^(-1),673 K/1 s^(-1)and 698 K/1 s^(-1),indicating that these three deformation conditions should be excluded during hot working of homogenized Mg-8.5Gd-4.5Y-0.8Zn-0.4Zr alloy.Based on the measured true stress-strain data,the strain-compensated Arrhenius constitutive model was constructed and then incorporated into UHARD subroutine of ABAQUS software to study hot deformation process of homogenized Mg-8.5Gd-4.5Y-0.8Zn-0.4Zr alloy.By comparison with measured force-displacement curves,the predicted results can describe well the rheological behavior of homogenized Mg-8.5Gd-4.5Y-0.8Zn-0.4Zr alloy,verifying the validity of finite element simulation of hot compression process with this complicated constitutive model.Numerical results demonstrate that the distribution of values of material parameters(α,n,Q and ln A)within deformed sample is inhomogeneous.This issue is directly correlated to the uneven distribution of equivalent plastic strain due to the friction effect.Moreover,at a given temperature the increase of strain rate would result in the decrease of equivalent plastic strain within the central region of deformed sample,which hinders the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization(DRX).

Effect of rare earth elements addition on thermal fatigue behaviors of AZ91 magnesium alloy

Influences of rare earth （RE） elements addition on thermal fatigue behaviors of AZ91 alloy were studied. Repeated heating and cooling cycles were applied on the samples at 170 and 210℃ to develop thermal fatigue cracks. Crack growth mechanisms and microstructural influences were investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）. Thermal fatigue behaviors were observed to improve successively by addition of the RE up to 2wt.%. This improvement was attributed to the consummation of aluminum in melt by precipitation of the needle shaped AII1RE3 phases. This process was attributed to the reduction of MglTAl12 phase volume fraction and consequent decrease of the brittle Mg/MglTAl12 interface which was the main reason for weak thermal properties of the alloy at rather high temperatures. Further additions of RE, however, reduced the thermal shock resistance of the samples by increasing the mean length of the brittle needle shaped phases.

Effects of Alloying Elements on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Heavy Section Ductile Cast Iron

The effects of alloying elements on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties of heavy section ductile cast iron were investigated to develop press die material having high strength and high ductility. Measurements of ultimate tensile strength, 0.2% proof strength, elongation and unnotched Charpy impact energy are presented as a function of alloy amounts within 0.25 to 0.75 wt pct range. Hardness is measured on the broken tensile specimens. The small additions of Mo, Cu, Ni and Cr changed the as-cast mechanical properties owing to the different as-cast matrix microstructures. The ferrite matrix of Mo and Ni alloyed cast iron exhibits low strength and hardness as well as high elongation and impact energy. The increase in Mo and Ni contents developed some fractions of pearlite structures near the austenite eutectic cell boundaries, which caused the elongation and impact energy to drop in a small range. Adding Cu and Cr elements rapidly changed the ferrite matrix into pearlite matrix, so strength and hardness were significantly increased. As more Mo and Cr were added, the size and fraction of primary carbides in the eutectic cell boundaries increased through the segregation of these elements into the intercellular boundaries.

Effect of rare earth and alloying elements on the thermal conductivity of austenitic medium manganese steel

The influence of different contents of Cr, Mo, and rare earth element(RE) additives on the thermal conductivity of austenitic medium manganese steel was studied and discussed. The results show that the addition of Cr in medium manganese steel can improved the ordering of C–Mn atomic clusters, so as to improve the steel's thermal conductivity. However, Cr will lead to precipitation of a great deal of carbides in medium manganese steel when its content is greater than 4wt%. These carbides would aggregate around the grain boundary, and as a result, the thermal conductivity is decreased. By the addition of Mo whose content is about 2wt%, spherical carbides will be formed, thus improving the thermal conductivity of the medium manganese steel. The interaction between rare earth elements and alloying elements will raise both the thermal conductivity and the wear-resisting property of medium manganese steel.

Effect of Alloying Elements on Thermal Wear of Cast Hot-Forging Die Steels

The effect of main alloying elements on thermal wear of cast hot-forging die steels was studied. The wear mechanism was discussed. The results show that alloying elements have significant influences on the thermal wear of cast hot-forging die steels. The wear rates decrease with an increase in chromium content from 3% to 4% and molybdenum content from 2% to 3%, respectively. With further increase of chromium and molybdenum contents, chromium slightly reduces the wear resistance and molybdenum severely deteriorates the wear resistance with high wear rate. Lower vanadium/carbon ratio （1.5-2.5） leads to a lower wear resistance with higher wear rate. With an increase in vanadium/carbon ratio, the wear resistance of the cast steel substantially increases. When vanadium/carbon ratio is 3, the wear rate reaches the lowest value. The predominant mechanism of thermal wear of cast hot-forging die steels are oxidation wear and fatigue delamination. The Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 or lumps of brittle wear debris are formed on the wear surface.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Anisotropy and Microstructure of Al-Li Alloy 2195 Sheets

For the purpose of decreasing the applied limitation resulting from the anisotropic mechanical property of Al-Li alloy 2195, this study employed a complex heat treatment process, involving the pre-tension, thermo-infiltration of the rare earth element Ce, solution treatment, and artificial aging technology. The results indicate that the infiltration of rare earth element Ce benefits the abatement of anisotropy of Al-Li alloy 2195 sheet, in contrast with that of the normal heat treatment process. The gradient of the Vickers-hardness decreases at least 50% through the thickness, and the tensile strength in the rolling direction also increases significantly. If Ce was infiltrated into the alloy under the optimum pre-deformation, the yield strength （σ0.2） increased by 30 MPa while the tensile strength （σb） enhanced by 25 MPa compared to the rare earth free samples. Meanwhile, the fractography illustrated that the fracture surface of the sample became more desirable.

Role of multi-microalloying by rare earth elements in ductilization of magnesium alloys

The present work investigates the influences of microalloying with rare earths on the mechanical properties of magnesium alloys.The amount of each rare earth element is controlled below 0.4 wt.%in order not to increase the cost of alloy largely.The synergic effects from the multi-microalloying with rare earths on the mechanical properties are explored.The obtained results show that the as-cast magnesium alloys multi-microalloying with rare earths possesses a quite high ductility with a tensile strain up to 25-30%at room temperature.Moreover,these alloys exhibit much better corrosion resistance than AZ31 alloy.The preliminary in situ neutron diffractions on the deformation of these alloys indicate that the multi-microalloying with rare earths seems to be beneficial for the activation of more slip systems.The deformation becomes more homogeneous and the resultant textures after deformation are weakened.

Effects of rare earth elements on the microstructure and properties of magnesium alloy AZ91D

The effects of rare earth elements on the microstructure andproperties of magnesium alloy AZ91D alloy were studied. The differentproportion of rare earth elements was added to the AZ91D and thetensile tests were carried out at different temperatures. Theexperimental results show that at room temperature or at 120 deg. Cthe AZ91D's strength decrease with the increasing amount of the rareearth elements. However, the ductility is improved. The influence of0.14/100Sb(mass fraction)on the AZ91D's strength is like that of rareearth elements(0.2/100-0.4/100)(mass fraction). Microstructure graphsdemonstrate that appropriate amount of rare earth elements(0.1/100-0.2/100)can fine AZ91D's grain and improve its ductility.

Influence of alloying elements on microstructure and microhardness of Mg-Sn-Zn-based alloys

The phase evolution in （88%-91%）Mg-8%Sn-l%Zn-X （X=A1, Mn and/or Ce） system was analyzed via CALPHAD method and simulations were used in precise selection of the chemical composition. The influence of the addition of different alloying elements such as A1, Mn and Ce on the microstructure and microhardness of Mg-8%Sn-l%Zn-based alloys was investigated. Combined addition of A1 and Mn shows features distinct from separate addition of A1 or Mn. Additions of l%AI and l%Mn to base alloy result in the formation of massive A1-Mn phase in a-Mg matrix grains. Addition of Ce element can refme the second eutectic precipitates and form intermetallic compounds with Sn. Fine rod-like Sn-Ce phase presents mainly on the grain boundaries and plays a role in inhibiting grain growth. The effects of alloying elements on Vickers microhardness and indentation size effect of base alloy were examined.

Effects of alloy elements on microstructure and crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer

Effects of alloy elements on the microstructure and crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer were investigated. The results show that microstructures of the layer mainly consist of carbides and austenite matrix. Increasing C and Cr contents impair the crack resistance of the layer due to increased amount of brittle carbides. The addition of Ni, Nb or Mo improves the crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer by increasing the amount of austenite and forming fine NbC or M 7C 3 carbides in the layer. But, the excessive Nb (>2.50wt%) or Mo (>1.88wt%) impairs the crack resistance of the layer, which has relation with increased carbides or carbide coarsening and austenite matrix solid solution strengthening. The proper combination of C, Cr, Ni, Nb and Mo can further improve not only the crack resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer but also the erosion resistance as a result of fine NbC and M 7C 3 carbides distributing uniformly in austenite matrix. The optimal layer compositions are 3.05wt%C, 20.58wt%Cr, 1.75wt%Ni, 2.00wt%Nb and 1.88wt%Mo.

Effect of alloying elements and processing parameters on the Portevin–Le Chatelier effect of Al–Mg alloys

The effects of alloying elements and processing parameters on the mechanical properties and Portevin-Le Chatelier effect of A1-Mg alloys developed for inner auto body sheets were investigated in detail. Tensile testing was performed in various Zn and Mg contents under different annealing and cold-rolling conditions. In the results, the stress drop and reloading time of serrations increase with increasing plastic strain and exhibit a common linear relationship. The increase rates of stress drop and reloading time increase with increasing Mg or Zn content. The alloys with a greater intensity of serrated yielding generally exhibit a greater elongation. The stress drop and reloading time of serrations decrease with increasing grain size in the case of the annealed samples. The cold-rolled sample exhibits the most severe serra- tion because it initially contains a large number of grain boundaries and dislocations.

Effects of Alloying Elements on Microstructure and Erosion Resistance of Fe-C-Cr Weld Surfacing Layer

Effects of alloying elements on microstructure and erosion resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer have been studied. The experimental results show that increasing C and Cr content favors improving the erosion resistance of the layer, and the excessive C and Cr result in decreasing the erosion resistance at 90 deg. erosion. That Mo, Nb or Ti improves the erosion resistance of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer is mainly attributed to increasing the amount of M7C3 and forming fine NbC or TiC in austenite matrix, but the excessive Mo, Nb or Ti is unfavorable. The addition of Mo, Nb and Ti in proper combination possesses stronger effect on improving the erosion resistance and the erosion resistance (εA) of Fe-C-Cr weld surfacing layer with fine NbC, TiC and M7C3 distributing uniformly in austenite matrix obviously increases to 2.81 at 15 deg. erosion and 2.88 at 90 deg. erosion when the layer composition is 3.05C, 20.58Cr, 1.88Mo, 2.00Nb and 1.05Ti (in wt pct).

Alloying elements characterization in a Ti-5.6Al-4.8Sn-2Zr-1Mo-0.35Si-1Nd titanium alloy by carbon addition

The effects of carbon addition (0.01wt%-0.43wt%) on a Ti-5.6Al-4.8Sn-2Zr-1Mo-0.35Si-1Nd (wt%) alloy with a bimodal microstructure were investigated. Electron probe microanalysis was carried out to examine the partitioning behavior of carbon and the relation of carbon content to the distributions of Al and Mo in the primary αp phase (α p) and β transformed structure (β). It was found that interstitial carbon is enriched in the α p phase and its content slightly reduces with the increase of the volume fraction of α p. The measurements of carbon content in the present alloy with an α p of 15vol% showed that the carbon content in the α p phase increases with the increment of carbon addition until a maximum but keeps almost constant in the β phase. The addition of carbon reduces the solubility of Al and Mo in the α p phase and leads to the increment of Mo partitioning to the β phase. When the carbon content is over 0.17wt% (0.67at%), carbide precipitation occurs in the matrix and its volume fraction is related to the volume fraction of α p which can be explained in term of the difference of carbon solubility in the α p and β phases.

Effect of homogenization treatment on microstructure evolution and the distributions of RE and Zr elements in various MgeLieREeZr alloys

Mge3Lie0.4Zr alloys containing RE elements(Gd,La,Nd)(Mge3LieREe0.4Zr alloys)are investigated to reveal the influence of homogenization treatment on microstructures and distributions of RE,Zr elements.It is found that 300
C24 h homogenization treatment shows better improvement on the microstructure including the refinement of grain size,the dispersion of cellular dendrite and low melting point particles.Before treatment,La and Nd segregate effectively at grain boundary and Zr segregates in the form of precipitates.Homogenization treatment induces the reduction of RE segregation.However,the segregation of Zr in precipitates cannot be abated due to the relatively low diffusion rate compared with RE elements.

EFFECTS OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS ON CREEP OF TiAl ALLOYS WITH FINELAMELLAR STRUCTURES

Creep experiments have been conducted on five powder metallurgy TiAl alloys with fine grains (65～80 μm), fine lamellar spacings (0.1～0.16 μm), and different compositions [Ti 47Al(+Cr, Nb, Ta, W, Si)] at temperatures of 760 ℃ and 815 ℃ and stresses from 35 to 723 MPa. Results show that at a given lamellar spacing 1% Nb(mole fraction) with 1% Ta and replacing 0.2% Ta with 0.2% W induced little effect, but addition of 0.3% Si decreased the creep resistance by a factor of 3～4 under otherwise identical conditions. These different effects of different alloying elements are interpreted in terms of the interaction of alloy segregants with misfit and/or misorientaion dislocations at the lamellar interface. That is, the interaction retards or facilitates the climb of interfacial dislocations, which is rate controlling during creep, depending on the size of the segregants relative to the host atoms.

Effect of alloying elements on austempered ductile iron(ADI) properties and its process:Review

Austempered ductile iron(ADI) parts have a unique combination of high strength and toughness with excellent design flexibility and low cost. These excellent properties are directly related to its microstructure called "ausferrite" that is the result of austempering heat treatment applied to ductile irons. Alloying elements increase ADI austemperability and change speeds of austempering reactions. Thus, they can affect ADI resultant microstructure and mechanical properties. In this paper, the effects of alloying elements on ADI mechanical properties, microstructural changes, two-stage austempering reactions, processing windows, austemperability, and other aspects are reviewed.

INFLUENCE OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS（Nb，Mo，V） ON MICROSTRUCTURE OF Ti_3Al BASE ALLOYS

The microstructures of Ti-14Al-21Nb and Ti-14Al-20Nb-2Mo-3.2V(wt%) alloys have been investikated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The phase constitution and the orientation relationship between α2and βwere identified by means of the selected area diffraction and the micro-diffraction techniques.Results show that,compared to Ti-14Al-21Nb,the alloying elements Mo and V can greatly increase the fraction of β phase and improve significantly the microstructures of Ti-14Al-20Nb-2Mo-3.2V.The ordered B2 structure is also evident in the residual βgrains of the latter alloy.

Effect of RE elements on the microstructural and mechanical properties of as-cast and age hardening processed Mg-4Al-2Sn alloy

In the present article,the effect of Rare Earth elements on the microstructural development and mechanical properties of as cast and age treated Mg-4Al-2Sn(AT42)alloy is studied.Investigation has been conducted by optical and scanning electron microscope,XRD and tensile tests.Analysis of the data showed that alloy’s dendrites turn into larger dendritic structure with sharp and narrow arms from equiaxed rosette type by addition of RE elements.In contrast to the base alloy,aging treatment shows a positive effect on the mechanical properties(yield strength,tensile strength and elongation)of AT42+1RE alloy mainly because of retention of the thermally stable RE containing intermetallics as strong barriers to grain growth.Also,increase of solute aluminum due to the decomposition of Mg 17 Al 12 along with saturated RE elements led to formation of blocky shape Al 2 RE in the microstructure during aging which enhanced the mechanical properties.It was found that the best result(yield of 70 MPa,tensile strength of 168 MPa and elongation of 14%)could be achieved by aging the AT42+1RE alloy at 443 K(170℃)for 8 h.However,mechanical properties of AT42+1RE alloy starts to decrease after exceeding its optimum aging conditions due to the coarsening of intermetallics.