Simulation of formation and evolution of nano-clusters during rapid solidification of liquid Ca_(70)Mg_(30) alloy

A molecular dynamics simulation study was performed to investigate the formation and evolution mechanisms of nano-clusters during the rapid solidification of liquid CaToMg30 alloy. The cluster-type index method （CTIM） was adopted to describe microstructure evolutions of nano-clusters during solidification. Results indicate that amorphous structure is mainly formed with three bond-types of 1551, 1541 and 1431 at the cooling rate of 5~1011 K/S, and glass transition temperature Tg is about 530 K; the icosahedron cluster of （12 0 12 0） plays a key role in formation of amorphous structure, and smaller Mg atoms are much more probable to be central atoms of icosahedron clusters; and nano-clusters are mainly formed by combining medium-size clusters. Interestingly, it was also found that formation and evolution processes of the nano-cluster display a three-stage feature which is analogous to crystallization process of amorphous alloy.

Dislocation mechanism of Ni_(47)Co_(53) alloy during rapid solidification

Dislocations and other atomic-level defects play a crucial role in determining the macroscopic properties of crystalline materials,but it is extremely difficult to observe the evolution of dislocations due to the limitations of the most advanced experimental techniques.Therefore,in this work,the rapid solidification processes of Ni_(47)Co_(53) alloy at five cooling rates are studied by molecular dynamics simulation,and the evolutions of their microstructures and dislocations are investigated as well.The results show that face-centered cubic(FCC) structures are formed at the low cooling rate,and the crystalline and amorphous mixture appear at the critical cooling rate,and the amorphous are generated at the high cooling rate.The crystallization temperature and crystallinity decrease with cooling rate increasing.Dislocations are few at the cooling rates of 1×10^(11) K/s,5×10^(12) K/s,and 1×10^(13) K/s,and they are most abundant at the cooling rates of 5×10^(11) K/s and1 × 10^(12) K/s,in which their dislocation line lengths are both almost identical.There appear a large number of dislocation reactions at both cooling rates,in which the interconversion between perfect and partial dislocations is primary.The dislocation reactions are more intense at the cooling rate of 5×10^(11) K/s,and the slip of some dislocations leads to the interconversion between FCC structure and hexagonal close packed(HCP) structure,which causes the twin boundaries(TBs) to disappear.The FCC and HCP are in the same atomic layer,and dislocations are formed at the junction due to the existence of TBs at the cooling rate of 1 ×10^(12) K/s.The present research is important in understanding the dislocation mechanism and its influence on crystal structure at atomic scales.

Formation of Supersaturated Solid Solutions Bi-Ag and Bi-Zn by Rapid Solidification Using Melt Spinning Technique

Two eutectic alloys Bi-Ag and Bi-Zn were rapidly solidified using melt-spinning technique. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and temperature dependence of resistivity (TDR) were performed. The solid solubility of both Ag and Zn was extended to the eutectic concentration due to rapid solidification by melt spinning technique and both alloys are single-phase solid solutions. The addition of Ag extended the unit cell in both a and c directions keeping the axial ratio c/a without change, and in case of Zn addition, the unit cell was increased in a direction and decreased in c direction leading to the decrease in the axial ratio c/a. The Bi-Ag eutectic alloy exhibited a semiconducting behavior with energy gap of 280 meV, while Bi-Zn eutectic alloy exhibited metallic behavior.

Cooling rate dependence of polymorph selection during rapid solidification of liquid metal zinc

The polymorph selection during rapid solidification of zinc melt was investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. Several methods including g（r）, energy, CNS, basic cluster and visualization were used to analyze the results. The results reveal that the cooling rate has no observable effect on the microstructure as TTc（Tc is the onset temperature of crystallization）; and at the first stage of crystallization, although microstructures are different, the morphologies of nucleus are similar, which are composed of HCP and FCC layers; the polymorph selection of cooling rate finally takes place at the second stage of crystallization： at a high cooling rate, the rapid increase of FCC atoms leads to a FCC crystal mixed with less HCP structures; while at a low cooling rate, HCP atoms grow at the expense of FCC atoms, resulting in an almost perfect HCP phase. The results reveal that the cooling rate is one of the important factors for polymorph selection.

Influence of rapid solidification on Sn-8Zn-3Bi alloy characteristics and microstructural evolution of solder/Cu joints during elevated temperature aging

The effects of rapid solidification on the microstructure and melting behavior of the Sn-8Zn-3Bi alloy were studied. The evolution of the microstructuraI characteristics of the solder/Cu joint after an isothermal aging at 150 ℃ was also analyzed to evaluate the interconnect reliability. Results showed that the Bi in Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder alloy completely dissolved in the Sn matrix with a dendritic structure after rapid solidification. Compared with as-solidified Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder alloy, the melting temperature of the rapid solidified alloy rose to close to that of the Sn-Zn eutectic alloy due to the extreme dissolution of Bi in Sn matrix. Meanwhile, the adverse effect on melting behavior due to Bi addition was decreased significantly. The interfacial intermetallic compound （IMC） layer of the solder/Cu joint was more compact and uniform. Rapid solidification process obviously depressed the formation and growth of the interfacial IMC during the high-temperature aging and improved the high-temperature stability of the Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder/Cu joint.

Damping capacity of high strength-damping aluminum alloys prepared by rapid solidification and powder metallurgy process

Two kinds of high strength-damping aluminum alloys （LZ7） were fabricated by rapid solidification and powder metallurgy （RS-PM） process. One material was extruded to profile aluminum directly and the other was extruded to bar and then rolled to sheet. The damping capacity over a temperature range of 25-300 ℃was studied with damping mechanical thermal analyzer （DMTA） and the microstructures were investigated by optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results show that the damping capacity increases with the test temperature elevating. Internal friction value of rolled sheet aluminum is up to 11.5×10^-2 and that of profile aluminum is as high as 6.0×10^-2 and 7.5×10^-2 at 300 ℃, respectively. Microstructure analysis shows the shape of precipitation phase of rolled alloy is more regular and the distribution is more homogeneous than that of profile alloy. Meanwhile, the interface between particulate and matrix of rolled sheet alloy is looser than that of profile alloy. Maybe the differences at interface can explain why damping capacity of rolled sheet alloy is higher than that of profile alloys at high temperature （above 120 ℃）.

Rapid solidification of Cu_(60)Co_(30)Cr_(10) alloy under different conditions

Metastable liquid phase separation and rapid solidification in a metastable miscibility gap were investigated on the Cu60Co30Cr10 alloy by using the electromagnetic levitation and splat-quenching.It is found that the alloy generally has a microstructure consisting of a（Co,Cr）-rich phase embedded in a Cu-rich matrix,and the morphology and size of the（Co,Cr）-rich phase vary drastically with cooling rate.During the electromagnetic levitation solidification processing the cooling rate is lower,resulting in an obvious coalescence tendency of the（Co,Cr）-rich spheroids.The（Co,Cr）-rich phase shows dendrites and coarse spheroids at lower cooling rates.In the splat quenched samples the（Co,Cr）-rich phase spheres were refined significantly and no dendrites were observed.This is probably due to the higher cooling rate,undercooling and interface tension.

Comparison of dendrite and dispersive structure in rapidly solidified Cu-Co immiscible alloy with different heat flow modes

Rapid solidification of Cu-Co immiscible alloy was investigated by glass-fluxing, spray casting and melt-spinning techniques. Both the transition from dendrite to dispersive structure and corresponding scale evolution were revealed and further elucidated in terms of the heat flow mode, nucleation and growth processes under different solidification conditions. With the increase of undercooling, columnar dendrite is replaced by dispersive structure due to the immiscible effect. In contrast, equiaxed dendrite forms in spray cast alloy due to multiple nucleation events and becomes thinner for the case of higher cooling rate. Ascribed to the enhanced non-equilibrium effect and insufficient period for collision and coagulation processes between separated droplets, fine globular dispersion appears upon the diameter of spray casting reaching 4 mm. As for the melt-spun ribbon with the highest cooling rate, a single-phase solid solution microstructure with refined grain of cellular morphology can be obtained, which is attributed to the suppression of liquid phase separation by instant solidification.

Energy-storage Welding Connection Characteristics of Rapid Solidification AZ91D Mg Alloy Ribbons

Energy-storage welding connection characteristics of rapidly solidified AZ91D Mg alloy ribbons with 40-70 μm thickness are investigated using a microtype energy-storage welding machine. The microstructure and performance of the connection joints are analyzed and studied. The research results indicate that energy-storage welding is able to realize the spot welding connection of AZ9ID Mg alloy ribbons. The welding nugget consists of developed α-Mg equiaxed grains with the sizes of 1.2-2.7 μm and intergranular distributed β-Mg17Al12 compounds. The thickness of bond zone is about 4 μm and the solidification microstructure is characterized by the fine equiaxed grains with the sizes of 0.8-1.2μm and grain boundary has become coarsening. The columnar crystal in HAZ also becomes slightly coarsening and the grain boundary has broadened, however, there is no obvious change in its primitive morphology and crystallographic direction. When welding energy is about 2.0 J, the welding joints with higher shear strength and smaller electrical resistivity are obtained.

MICROSTRUCTURE OF Mg-6.4Zn-1.1Y ALLOY FABRICATED BY RAPID SOLIDIFICATION AND RECIPROCATING EXTRUSION

In order to explore the methods to prepare high-strength quasicrystal-reinforced magnesium alloys, the flakes of rapidly solidified Mg-6.4Zn-1.1 Y magnesium alloy with a thickness of 50-60μm were obtained by a melt spinning single-roller device, and the flakes were then processed into rods by reciprocating extrusion and direct extrusion. The microstructure of the alloy was analyzed by optical microscope and SEM, and the constituent phases were identified by XRD. Phase transformation and its onset temperature were determined by differential thermal analyzer （DTA）. The analysis result shows that rapid solidification for Mg-6.4Zn-I.IY alloy can inhibit the eutectic reactions, broaden the solid solubility of Zn in α-Mg solute solution, and impede the formation of Mg3 Y2Zn3 and MgZn2 compounds, and thus help the icosahedral Mg3 YZn6 quasicrystal formed directly from the melt. The microstructure of the flakes consists of the α-Mg solid solution and icosahedral Mg3 YZn6 quasicrystal. Dense rods can be made from the flakes by two-pass reciprocating extrusion and direct extrusion. The interfaces between flakes in the rods can be welded and jointed perfectly. During the reciprocating extrusion and direct extrusion process, more Mg3 YZn6 compounds are precipitated and distributed uniformly, whereas the rods possess fine microstructures inherited from rapidly solidified flakes. The rods contain only two phases： α- magnesium solid solution as matrix and fine icosahedral Mg3 YZn6 quasicrystal which disperses uniformly in the matrix.

Texture Evolutions in Fe-6.5%Si Produced by Rapid Solidification and Chemical Vapor Deposition

Fe-Si ribbons and thin sheets with 6.5%Si content were prepared by means of the single roller rapid solidification and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), respectively. The initial textures of rapidly solidified Fe-6.5%Si ribbons were characteristic of the {100} fiber-type, which became weakened during primary recrystallization in various atmospheres. At the stage of secondary recrystallization, the {100} texture formed in Ar and the {110} texture in hydrogen, while there occurred a texture transformation from the {100} type to the {110} type in vacuum with the increase of annealing temperature. For Fe-6.5%Si sheets prepared by Si deposition in cold-rolled Fe-3%Si matrix sheets, their textures were dominated by the η-fiber (<001>//RD) with the maximum density at the {120}<001> orientations. After homogenization annealing, the η-fiber could evolve into the {130}<001> type or become more concentrated on the {120}<001> orientations, depending on the cold rolling modes of Fe-3%Si matrix sheets.

Effects of directional solidification parameters and crystal selector on microstructure of single crystal of Ni-base superalloys

The single crystal of nickel-base super alloy is widely used for making turbine blades.The microstructure of the alloy,especially the deviation of preferred orientation of single crystal,possesses the most important effects on the mechanical properties of the blades.In this study,the single crystal ingot and blade of DZ417G alloy are prepared by means of the spiral crystal selector as well as the directional solidification method,and the effect of the parameters(i.e.,the shape of samples,the withdrawal rate)and the structure of the spiral crystal selector on the formation of single crystal and the crystal orientation are investigated.This method can prepare not only the single crystal ingot with simple shape but also the single crystal blades with the complex shape,the simple with rod-shape can form the single crystal easily with a relatively fast withdrawal rate,but the blade with complex shape requires much slower withdrawal rate to form single crystal.The length of the crystal selector almost has no effect on the crystal orientation.However,the angle of selector plays an obvious role on the orientation;the selector with a smaller angle can effectively reduce the deviation of preferred orientation;the appropriate angle of selector to obtain optimal orientation is found to be around30°and the deviation of preferred orientation is about30°for this selector.

Effects of rapid solidification process and 0.1%Pr/Nd addition on characteristics of Sn-9Zn solder alloy and interfacial properties of Cu/solder/Cu joints

Rapidly solidified Sn-9Zn-0.1Pr(/Nd) alloy foils were prepared by melt-spinning method. Through comparison, the effects of rapid solidification process and 0.1%Pr/Nd(mass fraction) addition on the microstructure, thermodynamic characteristic of Sn-9Zn solder alloy were analyzed. The tensile-shear tests were used to evaluate the mechanical properties of solder/Cu joints. The results show that the rapid solidification process can greatly refine the microstructure of Sn-9Zn-0.1Pr(/Nd) alloys. After rapid solidification, the effects of Pr/Nd addition on microstructure are depressed. The pasty range of the rapidly solidified Sn-Zn-RE solders is also reduced significantly. The mechanical properties of solder/Cu joints are obviously improved using the rapidly solidified Sn-9Zn-0.1Pr(/Nd) solder alloy, which results in the formation of uniform interface. The promotion effect of Nd addition in Sn-9Zn alloy on the interfacial reaction of solder/Cu joint is more remarkable than that of Pr.

Effects of rapid solidification on the microstructure and microhardness of a lead-free Sn-3.5Ag solder

A lead-free Sn-3.5Ag solder was prepared by rapid solidification technology. The high solidification rate, obtained by rapid cooling, promotes nucleation, and suppresses the growth of Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds （IMCs） in Ag-rich zone, yielding fine Ag3Sn nanoparticulates with spherical morphology in the matrix of the solder. The large amount of tough homogeneously-dispersed IMCs helps to improve the surface area per unit volume and obstructs the dislocation lines passing through the solder, which fits with the dispersion-strengthening theory. Hence, the rapidly-solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder exhibits a higher rnicrohardness when compared with a slowly-solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder.

Metastable phase separation and rapid solidification of undercooled Co_(40)Fe_(40)Cu_(20) alloy

The metastable liquid phase separation and rapid solidification behaviors of Co_（40） Fe_（40） Cu_（20） alloy were investigated by using differential thermal analysis（DTA） in combination with glass fluxing and electromagnetic levitation（EML） techniques. The critical liquid phase separation undercooling for this alloy was determined by DTA to be 174 K. Macrosegregation morphologies are formed in the bulk samples processed by both DTA and EML. It is revealed that undercooling level, cooling rate, convection, and surface tension difference between the two separated phases play a dominant role in the coalescence and segregation of the separated phases. The growth velocity of the（Fe,Co） dendrite has been measured as a function of undercooling up to 275 K. The temperature rise resulting from recalescence increases linearly with the increase of undercooling because of the enhancement of recalescence. The slope change of the recalescence temperature rise versus undercooling at the critical undercooling also implies the occurrence of liquid demixing.

Microstructural evolution of Al-20Si-5Fe alloy during rapid solidification and hot consolidation

Al-20Si-5Fe melt was rapidly solidified into particles and ribbons and then consolidated to near full density by hot pressing at 400℃/250 MPa/1 h. According to the eutectic-growth and dendritic-growth velocity models, the solidification front velocity and the amount of undercooling were estimated for the particles with different sizes. Values of 0.43-1.2 cm/s and 15-28 K were obtained. The secondary dendrite arm spacing revealed a cooling rate of 6 × 10^5 K/s for the particles with an average size of 20 μm. Solidification models for the ribbons yielded a cooling rate of 5 × 10^7 K/s. As a result of the higher cooling rate, the melt-spun ribbons exhibited considerable microstructural refinement and modification. The size of the primary silicon decreased from approximately 1μm to 30 nm while the formation of iron-containing intermetallic compounds was suppressed. Supersaturation of the aluminum matrix in an amount of-7 at.% Si was noticed from the XRD patterns During the hot consolidation process, coarsening of the primary silicon particles and precipitation of β-Al5FeSi phase were observed. Evaluation of the compressive strength and hardness of the alloy indicated an improvement in mechanical properties due to the microstructural modification.

NEAR RAPID DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION AND ITS SUPERFINE MICROSTRUCTURE

This paper briefly reviews the recent research on the near rapid directional solidification and microstructure superfining. The morphology transitions and the corresponding mechanical properties are presented. The critical velocities relevant to the morphology transitions are comprehensively given. Meanwhile the solidification characteristics near absolute stability limit are studied.It can be clearly seen that the superfine microstructures possess extremely better properties compared with the conventional microstructures.

Primary cellular/dendritic spacing selection of Al 4.95%Zn alloy under near rapid directional solidification condition

Al 4.95%Zn alloy is directionally solidified in a modified Bridgman apparatus with higher temperature gradient to investigate response of cellular/dendritic microstructures and primary spacing to the variation of growth velocity under near rapid directional solidification condition. The results show that, with increasing growth rate, there exists a transition from dendrite to fine cell and a wide distribution range in primary cellular/dendritic spacing at the given temperature gradient. The maximum, λ max , minimum, λ min , and average primary spacing, λ , as functions of growth velocity, v , can be given by λ max =12 340 v -0.835 3 , λ min =2 953.7 v -0.771 7 , λ =7 820.3 v -0.833 3 , respectively. , as functions of growth velocity, v , can be given by λ max =12 340 v -0.835 3 , λ min =2 953.7 v -0.771 7 , λ =7 820.3 v -0.833 3 , respectively.

Investigation of Intermetallic Compound Formed from Rapid Solidification of Al-Ti-RE Alloy

Al-Ti alloy containing rare earth elements can produce fine, uniform dispersion intermetallic phase through rapid solidification (RS) technology. RS Al-Ti-RE alloy can be designed for applications at elevated-temperature since the intermetallic compound has good thermal stability. A transmission electron microscopy investigation shows the intermetallic phase has a diamond cubic structure (a=1.47736 nm), with space group Fd3m. The chemical stoichiometry is Al_(20)Ti_2La. The particle is formed from the melting directly, prior to other phases, and the nucleus is formed from icosahedrons composed with twenty tetrahedrons. Twin crystal structure plays an important role in the nucleation stage.

An analytical model for local-nonequilibrium solute trapping during rapid solidification

Updated version of local non-equilibrium diffusion model （LNDM） for rapid solidification of binary alloys was considered. The LNDM takes into account deviation from local equilibrium of solute concentration and solute flux fields in bulk liquid. The exact solutions for solute concentration and flux in bulk liquid were obtained using hyperbolic diffusion equations. The results show the transition from diffusion-limited to purely thermally controlled solidification with effective diffusion coefficient →0 and complete solute trapping KLNDM（v）→1 at v→vDb for any kind of solid-liquid interface kinetics. Critical parameter for diffusionless solidification and complete solute trapping is the diffusion speed in bulk liquid vDb. Different models for solute trapping at the interface with different interface kinetic approaches were considered.