Structure of the Intermetallic Compound Ni_3Al Synthesized under Compression of the Powder Mixture of Pure Elements Part Ⅰ: Phase Composition and Microstructure of Main Phase

It was shown by TEM and X-ray analysis that there are four types of grains of the main Ni3Al phase in the structure of the intermetallic obtained by the self-propagation high temperature method (SHS). Every type of grains has its own domain and dislocation structure. There are mono- and polydomains with and without dislocations. The grains of the main phase of monoand polydomains without dislocations and polydomains with dislocations were formed by diffusion in the solid phase. In these conditions NiAl3 phase is located on the grain boundary of the main phase. The Ni2Al3 phase is located at the triple joints of the main phase.

Microstructure of the Ductile Phase in Intermetallic Compound Ni_(50)Al_(20)Fe_(30)

The microstructure of the single hot extruded and annealed Ni50Al20Fe30Y0.003 intermetallic compound alloys has been examined by means of high resolution electron microscopy (HREM). In these extruded and annealed alloys. the ductile phase is of a mixture of the disordered fcc γ matrix and or dered γ' precipitates. This fact well interprets the reason why the degree of annealing treatment can influence the strength and ductility of these alloys. The HREM observation revealed directly that there was some strain concentration at γ'-γ interfaces, due to the presence of more iron atoms in these two phases. The fixed orientation relationship between the γ phase and γ' precipitates was identified to be {001}γ||{00 }γ' and <100 >γ|| < 100 > γ'

Effects of metal binder on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3-based micro-nanocomposite ceramic tool material

The Al_2O_3-（W,Ti）C composites with Ni and Mo additions varying from 0vol% to 12vol% were prepared via hot pressing sintering under 30 MPa. The microstructure was investigated via X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） equipped with energy dispersive spectrometry（EDS）. Mechanical properties such as flexural strength, fracture toughness, and Vickers hardness were also measured. Results show that the main phases A12O3 and（W,Ti）C were detected by XRD. Compound Mo Ni also existed in sintered nanocomposites. The fracture modes of the nanocomposites were both intergranular and transgranular fractures. The plastic deformation of metal particles and crack bridging were the main toughening mechanisms. The maximum flexural strength and fracture toughness were obtained for 9vol% and 12vol% additions of Ni and Mo, respectively. The hardness of the composites reduced gradually with increasing content of metals Ni and Mo.

Fabrication of solid-phase-sintered Si C-based composites with short carbon fibers

Solid-phase-sintered Si C-based composites with short carbon fibers（Csf/SSi C） in concentrations ranging from 0 to 10wt% were prepared by pressureless sintering at 2100°C. The phase composition, microstructure, density, and flexural strength of the composites with different Csf contents were investigated. SEM micrographs showed that the Csf distributed in the SSi C matrix homogeneously with some gaps at the fiber/matrix interfaces. The densities of the composites decreased with increasing Csf content. However, the bending strength first increased and then decreased with increasing Csf content, reaching a maximum value of 390 MPa at a Csf content of 5wt%, which was 60 MPa higher than that of SSi C because of the pull-out strengthening mechanism. Notably, Csf was graphitized and damaged during the sintering process because of the high temperature and reaction with boron derived from the sintering additive B4C; this graphitization degraded the fiber strengthening effect.

Formation of microstructural features in hot-dip aluminized AISI 321 stainless steel

Hot-dip aluminizing（HDA） is a proven surface coating technique for improving the oxidation and corrosion resistance of ferrous substrates. Although extensive studies on the HDA of plain carbon steels have been reported, studies on the HDA of stainless steels are limited. Because of the technological importance of stainless steels in high-temperature applications, studies of their microstructural development during HDA are needed. In the present investigation, the HDA of AISI 321 stainless steel was carried out in a pure Al bath. The microstructural features of the coating were studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. These studies revealed that the coating consists of two regions： an Al top coat and an aluminide layer at the interface between the steel and Al. The Al top coat was found to consist of intermetallic phases such as Al_7Cr and Al_3Fe dispersed in an Al matrix. Twinning was observed in both the Al_7Cr and the Al_3Fe phases. Furthermore, the aluminide layer comprised a mixture of nanocrystalline Fe_2Al_5, Al_7Cr, and Al. Details of the microstructural features are presented, and their formation mechanisms are discussed.

Microstructural evolution during ultra-rapid annealing of severely deformed low-carbon steel: strain, temperature, and heating rate effects

An interaction between ferrite recrystallization and austenite transformation in low-carbon steel occurs when recrystallization is delayed until the intercritical temperature range by employing high heating rate. The kinetics of recrystallization and transformation is affected by high heating rate and such an interaction. In this study, different levels of strain are applied to low-carbon steel using a severe plastic deformation method. Then, ultra-rapid annealing is performed at different heating rates of 200–1100°C/s and peak temperatures of near critical temperature. Five regimes are proposed to investigate the effects of heating rate, strain, and temperature on the interaction between recrystallization and transformation. The microstructural evolution of severely deformed low-carbon steel after ultra-rapid annealing is investigated based on the proposed regimes. Regarding the intensity and start temperature of the interaction, different microstructures consisting of ferrite and pearlite/martensite are formed. It is found that when the interaction is strong, the microstructure is refined because of the high kinetics of transformation and recrystallization. Moreover, strain shifts an interaction zone to a relatively higher heating rate. Therefore, severely deformed steel should be heated at relatively higher heating rates for it to undergo a strong interaction.

Microstructural Characterizations and Mechanical Properties of Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xCu Alloys

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xCu（x=0wt%, 1wt%, 1.5wt% and 2.0wt%） alloys were studied by OM, Pandat software, XRD, SEM, DSC and a standard universal testing machine. The experimental results indicate that adding Cu to TAZ811 alloy leads to the formation of the AlMgCu and Cu3 Sn phases. Tensile tests indicate that yield strength increases fi rstly and then decreases with increasing Cu content. The alloy with the addition of 1.5wt% Cu exhibits optimal mechanical properties among the studied alloys. The improved mechanical properties can be ascribed to the second phase strengthening and fi ne-grain strengthening mechanisms resulting from the more dispersed second phases and smaller grain size, respectively. The decrease in ultimate tensile strength and elongation of TAZ811-2.0wt% Cu alloy at room temperature is ascribed to the formation of continuous AlMgCu and coarse Mg2 Sn phases in the liquid state.

Phase and Microstructure Selection During Directional Solidification of Peritectic Alloy Under Convection Condition

A phase and microstructure selection map used for peritectic alloy directionally solidified under convection condition was presented,which is based on the nucleation,constitutional undercooling criterion（NCU criterion）,and the highest interface temperature criterion.This selection map shows the relationships between the phase/microstructure,the G/V ratio（G is the temperature gradient,V is the growth velocity）,and the alloy composition under different convection intensities and nucleation undercoolings.Comparing with the results from directional solidification experiments of Sn–Cd peritectic alloys,this selection map was generally in agreement with the experimental results.

Study on T700/Cyanate/PS/Epoxy Composites with ex-situ Toughening Technique

Composites were prepared with polysulfone through ex-situ toughening technique. The dynamic parameters of cyanate/epoxy resin were studied by differential scanning calorimetric（DSC） analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis（DMA）. Microstructual toughening mechanism was studied through scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. The particle microstructure in interlaminar region of composites toughened through ex-situ toughening technique revealed that a reaction induced phase decomposition and phase inversion happened in the interlaminar region. The thermosetting particles were surrounded by the PS phase, which could signifi cantly improve the delamination resistance of composites. The compression after impact（CAI） can be signifi cantly improved from 180 MPa to 260 MPa by using ex-situ toughening while the mechanical properties are not affected.

Cooling rate effects on the structure and transformation behavior of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloys

Different fragments of a hot-rolled and homogenized Cu–Zn–Al shape memory alloy（SMA） were subjected to thermal cycling by means of a differential scanning calorimetric（DSC） device. During thermal cycling, heating was performed at the same constant rate of increasing temperature while cooling was carried out at different rates of decreasing temperature. For each cooling rate, the temperature decreased in the same thermal interval. During each cooling stage, an exothermic peak（maximum） was observed on the DSC thermogram. This peak was associated with forward martensitic transformation. The DSC thermograms were analyzed with PROTEUS software： the critical martensitic transformation start（Ms） and finish（Mf） temperatures were determined by means of integral and tangent methods, and the dissipated heat was evaluated by the area between the corresponding maximum plot and a sigmoid baseline. The effects of the increase in cooling rate, assessed from a calorimetric viewpoint, consisted in the augmentation of the exothermic peak and the delay of direct martensitic transformation. The latter had the tendency to move to lower critical transformation temperatures. The martensite plates changed in morphology by becoming more oriented and by an augmenting in surface relief, which corresponded with the increase in cooling rate as observed by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and atomic force microscopy（AFM）.

Microstructure and secondary phases in epitaxial LaBaCo_2O_(5.5 + δ) thin films

Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy was employed to investigate the microstructures and secondary phases in LaBaCo2O5.5＋δ（LBCO） thin films grown on SrTiO3 （STO） substrates. The as-grown films showed an epitaxial growth on the substrates with atomically sharp interfaces and orientation relationships of [100]LBCO//[100]STO and （001）LBCO//（001）STO. Secondary phases were observed in the films, which strongly depended on the sample fabrication conditions. In the film prepared at a temperature of 900 ℃, nano-scale CoO pillars nucleated on the substrate, and grew along the [001] direction of the film. In the film grown at a temperature of 1000 ℃, isolated nano-scale C0304 particles appeared, which promoted the growth of {111 } twinning structures in the film. The orientation relationships and the interfaces between the secondary phases and the films were illustrated, and the growth mechanism of the film was discussed.

Dielectric analysis on phase transition and micelle shape of polyoxyethylene trisiloxane surfactant in dilute aqueous solution

The cloudy Silwet L-77 aqueous solution on the concentration range from 0.5%to 50%was investigated by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy.The concentration dependence of phase microstructure was confirmed by means of analyzing the dielectric parameters of bulk solution.The relaxation behavior was assigned to the interfacial polarization between the micelle and the medium,and the relaxation distribution parameter was used to figure the shape transition from sphere to ellipsoid with the concentration increasing.The synchronous reduction of permittivity and conductivity indicated the formation of the lamellar phase. As compensation,the quantity of the surfactant liquid phase gradually decreased,whose shape constantly kept ellipsoidal.

Effect of Multi-Pass Equal Channel Angular Pressing on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Heterogeneous Mg_(88)Y_8Zn_4 Alloy

The microstructure evolutions and mechanical properties of a heterogeneous Mg88Y8Zn4（in at.%） alloy during multi-pass equal channel angular pressing（ECAP） were systematically investigated in this work.The results show that four phases,i.e.α-Mg,18 R long period stacking ordered（LPSO） phase,Mg24Y5 and Y-rich phase,are present in cast alloy.During ECAP,dynamic recrystallization（DRX） occurs and the diameter of DRXedα-Mg grains decreases to 0.8 μm.Moreover,precipitation of lamellar 14 H LPSO structure is developed withinα-Mg phase.Both the refinement of α-Mg grains and precipitation of 14 H LPSO contribute to the increase in micro-hardness from 98 HV to 135 HV for α-Mg.In addition,a simplified model describing the evolution of 18 R LPSO phase is established,which illustrates that 18 R undergoes a four-step morphological evolution with increasing strains during ECAP,i.e.original lath → bent lath → cracked lath → smaller particles.Compression test results indicate that the alloy has been markedly strengthened after multi-pass ECAP,and the main reason for the significantly enhanced mechanical properties could be ascribed to the DRXed α-Mg grains,newly precipitated 14 H lamellas,18 R kinking and refined 18 R particles.

Growth Kinetics of Laves Phase and Its Effect on Creep Rupture Behavior in 9Cr Heat Resistant Steel

The effects of Laves phase formation and growth on creep rupture behaviors of P92 steel at 883 K were studied.The microstructural evolution was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Kinetic modeling was carried out using the software DICTRA.The results indicated Fe_2（W,Mo）Laves phase has formed during creep with 200 MPa applied stress at 883 Kfor 243 h.The experimental results showed a good agreement with thermodynamic calculations.The plastic deformation of laths is the main reason of creep rupture under the applied stress beyond 160 MPa,whereas,creep voids initiated by coarser Laves phase play an effective role in creep rupture under the applied stress lower than 160 MPa.Laves phase particles with the mean size of 243 nm lead to the change of creep rupture feature.Microstructures at the vicinity of fracture surface,the gage portion and the threaded ends of creep rupture specimens were also observed,indicating that creep tensile stress enhances the coarsening of Laves phase.

Effect of Ageing at 700℃ on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of S31042 Heat Resistant Steel

To investigate the effect of high temperature ageing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of S31042steel,solid solution treatment at 700℃ was carried out for various time from 10to 6 000h.Experimental results showed that the change of mechanical properties is closely related to the amount of precipitated phases.During ageing from 10to 300h,precipitation in the tested steel increases rapidly,and correspondingly,the high temperature yield strength and room temperature hardness of tested steel increase rapidly.Meanwhile,the thickness of the secondary phase on grain boundaries widens sharply and the room temperature Charpy impact absorb energy decreases.Ageing beyond 300h,the precipitation in the steel increases gradually and the precipitates coarsen to a certain extent.The high temperature yield strength of the steel keeps stable,and the room temperature Charpy impact energy and hardness decrease slowly.Ageing beyond 3 000h,the mechanical properties of the steel tend to be stable.The main precipitates are M23C6,NbCrN and NbC in the tested steel.

Microstructure and properties in dissimilar/similar weld joints between DP780 and DP980 steels processed by fiber laser welding

The microstructure and mechanical properties（strength, fatigue and formability） of dissimilar/similar weld joints between DP780 and DP980 steels were studied. The microstructure in fusion zone（FZ） was lath martensite（LM）, and alloying elements in the FZ were uniformly distributed. The hardness in the FZ of dissimilar weld joint was similar to the average value（375 HV） of the two similar weld joints. The microstructural evolution in heat affected zone（HAZ） of dissimilar/similar weld joints was as follows：LM（coarse-grained HAZ） →finer LM（fine-grained HAZ） →M-A constituent and ferrite（intercritically HAZ） →tempered martensite（TM） and ferrite（sub-critical HAZ）. Lower hardness in intercritically HAZ and sub-critical HAZ（softening zones） was observed compared to base metal（BM） in dissimilar/similar weld joints. The size of softening zone was 0.2-0.3 mm and reduction in hardness was ~7.6%-12.7% of BM in all the weld joints, which did not influence the tensile properties of weld joints such that fracture location was in BM. Formability of dissimilar weld joints was inferior compared to similar weld joints because of the softening zone, non-uniform microstructure and hardness on the two sides of FZ. The effect of microstructure on fatigue life was not influenced due to the presence of welding concavity.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Fiber Laser Welded GH3535 Superalloy

As a primary material of the thorium molten salt reactor（TMSR） that is a suitable candidate reactor of the Generation IV nuclear reactors, GH3535 superalloy was successfully welded. The effect of laser beam welding（LBW） on microstructure evolution of fusion zone（FZ） and heat affected zone（HAZ）, such as element segregation, precipitate behavior and grain evolution, was investigated. The microhardness and tensile properties were tested and discussed. The results of microstructure evolution showed that a number of fine M6C-y eutectic phases precipitated at solidification grain boundaries and interdendritic region in FZ. Compared to base metal zone（BMZ）, the grain size of HAZ has no obvious change. While a few of M6C-y eutectic phases were observed in partially melted zone（PMZ） of HAZ. The results of microhardness indicated that the hardness of FZ was higher than that of HAZ and BMZ. The results of tensile test showed that the ultimate tensile strength of joints at room temperature, 650 and 700？C were98%, 97% and 99% of that of BM, respectively. All the tensile specimens of joints failed in BMZ rather than in PMZ where M6 C carbides had been transformed into M6C-y eutectic phases.

Effect ofαphase on fatigue crack growth of Ti-6242 alloy

Fatigue crack growth as a function ofαphase volume fraction in Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo（Ti-6242）alloy was investigated using fatigue testing,optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and transmission electron microscopy.Theα＋βannealing treatments with different solid solution temperatures and cooling rates were conducted in order to tailor microstructure with differentαphase features in the Ti-6242 alloy,and fatigue crack growth mechanism was discussed after detailed microstructure characterization.The results showed that fatigue crack growth rate of Ti-6242 alloy decreased with the decrease in volume fraction of the primaryαphase（αp）.Samples with a large-sizedαgrain microstructure treated at high solid solution temperature and slow cooling rate have lower fatigue crack growth rate.The appearance of secondaryαphase（αs）with the increase of solid solution temperature led to crack deflection.Moreover,a fatigue crack growth transition phenomenon was observed in the Paris regime of Ti-6242 alloy with 29.8% αp（typical bi-modal microstructure）and large-sizedαgrain microstructure,owing to the change of fatigue crack growth mechanism.

Stable icosahedral phase in Mg_(44)Zn_(44)Gd_(12) alloy

The microstructure of the as-cast Mg 44 Zn 44 Gd 12 alloy was investigated by using X-ray diffraction（XRD）,differentical scanning（DSC）,scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and a detailed transmission electron microscope.The XRD,DSC and SEM results indicated that the as-cast Mg 44 Zn 44 Gd 12 alloy were mainly composed of three types of phases：the primary solidification phase,the dendritic phase and the eutectic phase.The primary solidification phase had an icosahedral structure.The dendritic phase was the W-phase,and eutectic structure phase was the Mg 7 Zn 3 phase.Microstructures of icosahedral phase（I-phase）,W-phase and Mg 7 Zn 3 phase in Mg 44 Zn 44 Gd 12 alloy were investigated.The results indicated that the I-phase in Mg 44 Zn 44 Gd 12 alloy was a face-centered icosahedral quasicrystal with stoichiometric composition of Mg 42 Zn 50 Gd 8 which had an excellent thermal stability up to 420 °C.The solid solution of the Gd gradually decreased during solidification,which played an important role in activating the formation of Mg 7 Zn 3 phase and W-phase from icosahedral phases.

Influence of Zn Addition on Microstructures and Martensitic Transformation in CuZr-based Alloys

Compositional dependences on microstructures and martensitic transformation behaviors in（Cu_（0.5）Zr_（0.5））_（100-x）Zn_x（x=1.5,2.5,4.5,7.0,10.0,and 14.0at.%）alloys were investigated.It was found that CuZr martensites were present in the present alloys.With increasing Zn content,the volume fractions of CuZr martensitic crystals and B2 CuZr phase gradually decrease and increase,respectively.With the addition of high Zn contents（i.e.,7.0,10.0,and 14.0at.%）,the matrix proves to be eutectic.Thermal analysis results show that the initial martensitic transformation temperature（M_s）decreases from（412±5）K to（329±5）K as the Zn content increases from 1.5at.% to14.0at.%.The values of Msof Cu-Zr-Zn shape memory alloys are inversely proportional to the number and concentrations of valence electrons（i.e.,e_v/a and c_v）,respectively,implying that the martensitic transformation in CuZrZn alloys could be of electronic nature.