Microstructure characteristics of as-surface nanocrystallized 1420 aluminum alloy by high-energy shot peening

A nanostructured surface layer was fabricated on 1420 aluminum alloy by high-energy shot peening.Microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution electron microscope(HRTEM), and microhardness measurement was conducted along the depth from top surface layer to matrix of the sample peened for 30 min. The results show that a nanocrystalline layer about 20 μm in thickness is formed on the surface of the sample after high-energy shot peening, in which the grain size is changed from about 20 nm to 100 nm. In the surface layer of 20 -50 μm in depth, the microstructure consists of submicron grains. The surface nanocrystallization is accomplished by dislocation slip. The microhardness of the top surface nanostructured layer is enhanced obviously after high-energy shot peening(HESP) compared with that of the coarse-grained matrix.

Surface nanocrystallization of 7A04 aluminium alloy induced by circulation rolling plastic deformation

The surface nanocrystalline microstructures of 7A04 aluminium alloy was obtained by means of circulation rolling plastic deformation(CRPD), the grain refinement behavior and the hardness variation were examined. X-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) were applied to characterize the microstracture of the surface layer. The experimental evidences show that, after the CRPD treatment, the mean grain size in the surface layer is about 50 nm. The microhardness of the nanostructured surface layers is enhanced significantly after CRPD compared with that of the matrix, which can be attributed primarily to the grain refinement. The microhardness at the top surface can reach about HV0.05335, while the value of the matrix is HV0.05160 or so. The surface hardening effect is obtained obviously. Besides, the thermal stability of nanocrystalline layer was investigated. The results of the XRD analysis and the microhardness measurement show that the nanocrystalline layer has better thermal-stability than the matrix. And the DSC measurement shows that the synthesis of nanostructured surface layer has influence on the phase transformation of 7A04 aluminum alloy.

Microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of magnesium alloy bone plate treated by high-energy shot peening

To enhance the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys,high-energy shot peening(HESP)was used.According to the results,the in-situ surface nanocrystallization(ISNC)microstructure was fabricated on the magnesium alloy surface,and its formation mechanism was the coordination among twins,dislocations,subgrain boundary formation and dynamic recrystallization.Under the released surface stress of sample,the residual compressive stress and microhardness rose,thus enhancing compactness of the surface passivation film Mg(OH)2.Besides,the corrosion rate dropped by 29.2% in maximum.In the polarization curve,the maximum positive shift of the corrosion potential of sample was 203 mV, and the corrosion current density decreased by 31.25% in maximum.Moreover,the compression resistance and bending resistance of the bone plate were enhanced,and the maximum improvement rates were 18.2% and 23.1%,respectively.Accordingly,HESP significantly enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys.

Shape-controlled syntheses of rhodium nanocrystals for the enhancement of their catalytic properties

Rhodium （Rh） is a critical component of many catalysts for a variety of chemical transformation processes. Controlling the shape of Rh nanocrystals offers an effective route to the optimization of their catalytic performance owing to a close correlation between the catalytic activity/selectivity and the surface atomic structure. It also helps to substantially reduce the loading amount and thus achieve a sustainable use of this scarce and precious metal. In this review article, we focus on recent progress in the shape-controlled synthesis of Rh nanocrystals with the goal of enhandng their catalytic properties. Both traditional and newly- developed synthetic strategies and growth mechanisms will be discussed, including those based on the use of surface capping agents, manipulation of reduction kinetics, control of surface diffusion rate, management of oxidation etching, and electrochemical alteration. We also use two examples to highlight the unique opportunities offered by shape-controlled synthesis for enhancing the use of this metal in catalytic applications. The strategies can also be extended to other precious metals in an effort to advance the production of cost-effective catalysts.

Uniform wurtzite MnSe nanocrystals with surface-dependent magnetic behavior

Manganese selenide （MnSe） possesses unique magnetic properties as an important magnetic semiconductor, but the synthesis and properties of MnSe nanocrystals are less developed compared to other semiconductor nanocrystals because of the inability to obtain high-quality MnSe, especially in the metastable wurtzite structure. Here, we have successfully fabricated wurtzite MnSe nanocrystals via a colloidal approach which affords uniform crystal sizes and tailored shapes. The selective binding strength of the amine surfactant is the determining factor in shape-control and shape-evolution. Bullet-shapes could be transformed into shuttle-shapes if part of the oleylamine in the reaction solution was replaced by trioctylamine, and tetrapod-shaped nanocrystals could be formed in trioctylamine systems. The three-dimensional （3D） structure of the bullet-shaped nanorods has been demonstrated by the advanced transmission electron microscope （TEM） 3D-tomography technology. High-resolution TEM （HRTEM） and electron energy-loss spectroscopy （EELS） show that planar-defect structures such as stacking faults and twinning along the [001] direction arise during the growth of bullet-shapes. On the basis of careful HRTEM observations, we propose a ＂quadra-twin core＂ growth mechanism for the formation of wurtzite MnSe nanotetrapods. Furthermore, the wurtzite MnSe nanocrystals show low- temperature surface spin-glass behavior due to their noncompensated surface spins and the blocking temperatures increase from 8.4 K to 18.5 K with increasing surface area/volume ratio of the nanocrystals. Our results provide a systematic study of wurtzite MnSe nanocrystals.