TEM Specimen Preparation for Al-based Amorphous Alloys

Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） is usually used to identify the amorphicity. However, some artifacts may be introduced due to improper TEM foil preparation. In this paper, three Al-rich metallic glasses with and without a glass transition were selected for characterizing the effect of the electropolishing condition on the as-quenched structure during TEM specimen preparation. It is shown that the occurrence of the modulated bright-dark structure under TEM observation is closely sensitive to the electropolishing condition, which suggests us being careful about the possible artifacts induced by specimen preparation when examining amorphous alloys under TEM.

Evolution of V-containing phases during preparation of Al-based Al−V master alloys

Al-based Al−V master alloys were prepared by both the stepwise heating melting experiment and stepwise melting cooling experiment with rapid solidification to investigate the transformation of V-containing phases which gave different effects on microstructures and properties of commercial Al alloys and Ti alloys,as both melting and solidification processes affect the evolution of V-containing phases largely.The results showed that the raw Al−50wt.%V alloy consisted of needle-like Al_(3)V phase and Al8V5 phase(matrix),while petal-like Al_(3)V,needle-like Al_(7)V and plate-like Al_(10)V phase were present in the Al−V master alloys.The metastable Al_(7)V phase was evolved from Al_(3)V phase and then evolved into Al_(10)V phase during melting process.The number of Al_(10)V phase increased with the decrease of temperature in the range of 800−1000℃.Petal-like Al_(3)V phases could be transformed from Al_(8)V_(5) phase,pre-precipitated from Al−V molten liquid during melting process and precipitated directly during rapid solidification,respectively.

EFFECT OF ELONGATED GRAIN STRUCTURE ON THEMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AN Fe_3Al-BASEDALLOY

The effect of hot-rolling processing on microstructure as well as the relationship between the elongated grain structure and tensile properties are investigated. The results indicate that the elongated grain structure influences the tensile properties and creep rupture life of Fe3Al alloy significantly. For the better strength and ductility at RT,a thinner elongated grain structure is desirable. When the elongated grain size is increased, the tensile properties will be decreased. On the other hand, the creeP rupture life at 600℃ is increased with the increase of elongated grain size.

The Kinetics of Hydrogen Diffusion in Ti_3Al-Based Alloy

The Proccss of gascous hydrogcn charging into a Ti_3Al- based alloy in the temperature range of 500-650℃isinvcstigatcd. The rcsnlls snoxvc that in rclatiollshil, between the average hydrogen concentration at constant tempreature and charging time reveals a parabolie rate law Applying the theory of lattice constant tcnlpcralurc and hrgillg tin rcvcals a parabolic riltc laiv. Applyillg tbcthcoly oftatticc dillbsio to allalyzc the hydrogcll diethesioll they andthat cncrgy of hydrogcn diffusion is 90.40 kJ/mol. and the equilibrium hydrogen content in the alloy depends on the temperature of the gaseous hydrogen charging process

Comparative studies on the hot corrosion behavior of air plasma spray and high velocity oxygen fuel coated Co-based L605 superalloys in a gas turbine environment

An improvement in the corrosion resistance of alloys at elevated temperature is a factor for their potential use in gas turbines. In this study, Co Ni Cr Al Y has been coated on the L605 alloy using air plasma spray(APS) and high-velocity oxygen fuel(HVOF) coating techniques to enhance its corrosion resistance. Hot corrosion studies were conducted on uncoated and coated samples in a molten salt environment at 850°C under cyclic conditions. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the corrosion kinetics. The samples were subjected to scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction for further investigation. In coated samples, the formation of Al2O3 and Cr2O3 in the coating acts as a diffusion barrier that could resists the inward movement of the corrosive species present in the molten salt. Coated samples showed very less spallation, lower weight gain, less porosity, and internal oxidation as compared to uncoated sample.HVOF-coated sample showed greater corrosion resistance and inferred that this is the best technique under these conditions.

AB_5-type Hydrogen Storage Alloy Modified with Ti/Zr Used as Anodic Materials in Borohydride Fuel Cell

Fuel cell using borohydride as the fuel has received much attention. AB5-type hydrogen storage alloy used as the anodic material instead of noble metals has been investigated. In order to restrain the generation of hydrogen and enhance the utilization of borohydride, Ti/Zr metal powders has been added into the parent LmNi4.78Mn0.22 （where Lm is La-richened mischmetal） alloy （LNM） by ball milling and heat treatment methods. It is found that the addition of Ti/Zr metal powders lowers the electrochemical catalytic activity of the electrodes, at the same time, restrains the generation of hydrogen and enhances the utilization of the fuel. All the results show that the hydrogen generation rate or the utilization of the fuel is directly relative to the electrochemical catalytic activity or the discharge capability of the electrodes. The utilization of the fuel increases with discharge current density. It is very important to find a balance between the discharge capability and the utilization of the fuel.

CONSTITUTION OF Al-BASE MULTI-COMPONENT QUASI-CRYSTALLINE ALLOYS

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Analysis of beryllium poisoning effect on liquid metal reactor with U–Be alloy fuel

A liquid metal reactor(LMR) loaded with a fuel compound of uranium and beryllium(U-Be alloy fuel),which was cooled by a lead-bismuth eutectic alloy(PbBi),has been applied in Russian Alfa-class nuclear submarines.Because of the large amount of beryllium in the core, the reaction between the beryllium atoms and neutrons could result in the accumulation of 3 He and 6 Li, which are called the "poisoned elements" owing to their large thermal neutron capture cross section. The accumulation of neutron absorber can affect the performance of a reactor. In this study, the Super Multi-functional Calculation Program(SuperMC) code, which was developed by Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(INEST, CAS), was adopted to illustrate the influence of beryllium on an LMR.

Phase Transformation and Deformation Mechanism of Ti_3Al-base Alloy

The phase transformation and deformation mechanism of the alloy based on composition Ti_3Al with addition of Nb,V,Mo have been studied by use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM).It has been shown that the orientation relationship of α_2 phase transformed from β phase is:(0001)α_2// (l10)β,[1210]α_2//[111]β.The present dislocation slip systems in α_2 phase are (1100)[0001] and (1100)<1120>.There also exist α_2 twins which have new twin relationship and the twin plane is (2021).

Microstructure and Properties of Ti_3Al-base Alloys

In the present paper, the relations between the microstructure and the properties of Ti-14Al-21Nb and Ti-14Al-20Nb-3.5V-2Mo alloys at different temperatures and different cooling rates of heat treatment were re-vealed by X-ray , optical microscope , HVTEM , auto-graphical-analyser and mechanical properties test at roomand high temperature. The experimental results show as follows: at 1040～1120℃ 14h WQ, the microstruc-ture of Ti-14Al-21Nb bar is primary phaseα_2+B2. With temperature increasing, the primary α_2 phase de-crease and the mechanical properties ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and elongation(EL) at room temperature increase. When it has reduced the α_2 phase by 50% (at 1080℃/4h WQ) , the me-chanical properties at room temperature are excellent , EL being 10. 5%. Following the α_2 phase reduces contin-uously , UTS, YS are going up, but EL is going down. After heated at two phases range and cooled down tothe room temperature with furnace, the microstructure of Ti-14Al-20Nb-3.5V-2Mo alloy is the equiaxed α_2+needle-like α_2+βphase. The mechanical properties at room temperature and 700℃ are fairly good.

Relation between Gamma Decomposition and Powder Formation of <i>γ</i>-U8Mo Nuclear Fuel Alloys via Hydrogen Embrittlement and Thermal Shock

Gamma uranium-molybdenum alloys have been considered as the fuel phase in plate type fuel elements for material and test reactors (MTR), due to their acceptable performance under irradiation. Regarding their usage as a dispersion phase in aluminum matrix, it is necessary to convert the as cast structure into powder, and one of the techniques considered for this purpose is the hydration-dehydration (HDH). This paper shows that, under specific conditions of heating and cooling, γ-UMo fragmentation occurs in a non-reactive predominant mechanism, as shown by the curves of hydrogen absorption/desorption as a function of time and temperature. Our focus was on the experimental results presented by the addition of 8% weight molybdenum. Following the production by induction melting, samples of the alloys were thermally treated under a constant flow of hydrogen for temperatures varying from 500°C to 600°C and for times of 0.5 to 4 h. It was observed that, even without a massive hydration-dehydration process, the alloys fragmented under specific conditions of thermal treatment during the thermal shock phase of the experiments. Also, it was observed that there was a relation between absorption and the rate of gamma decomposition or the gamma phase stability of the alloy.

Possibility of Using Ni-Co Alloy As Catalyst for Oxygen Electrode of Fuel Cell

In recent years, the scale of use of fuel cells （FCs） has been increasing continuously. One of the essential elements that affect their work is a catalyst. Precious metals （mainly platinum） are known for their high efficiency as FC catalysts. However, their high cost holds back the FCs from application on a large scale. Therefore, catalysts that do not contain precious metals are sought. Studies are focused mainly on the search for fuel electrode catalysts, but for the efficiency of FCs also the oxygen electrode catalyst is of great significance. The paper presents an analysis of the possibilitiesof using Ni-Co alloy as a catalyst for the oxygen electrode of the FC.

Analysis of fixation method of fuel assembly for lead-alloy cooled reactor

As a potential candidate for generation IV reactors, lead-alloy cooled reactor has attracted much attentions in recent years. The China LEAd-based research Reactor(CLEAR) is proposed as the primary choice for the accelerator driven subcritical system project launched by Chinese Academy of Sciences. Lead-bismuth eutectic(LBE) is selected as the coolant of CLEAR owing to its efficient heat conductivity properties and high production rate of neutrons. In order to compensate the buoyancy due to the high density of lead-alloy, fixation methods of fuel assembly(FA) have become a research hotspot worldwide. In this paper, we report an integrated system of ballast and fuel element for CLEAR FA. It guarantees the correct positioning of each FA in normal and refueling operations. Force calculation and temperature analysis prove that the FA will be stable and safe under CLEAR operation conditions.

Harnessing dimethyl ether and methyl formate fuels for direct electrochemical energy conversion

In this work,the oxidation of a mixture of dimethyl ether(DME) and methyl formate(MF) was studied in both an aqueous electrochemical cell and a vapor-fed polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC)utilizing a multi-metallic alloy catalyst,Pt_(3)Pd_(3)Sn_(2)/C,discovered earlier by us.The current obtained during the bulk oxidation of a DME-saturated 1 M MF was higher than the summation of the currents provided by the two fuels separately,suggesting the cooperative effect of mixing these fuels.A significant increase in the anodic charge was realized during oxidative stripping of a pre-adsorbed DME+MF mixture as compared to DME or MF individually.This is ascribed to greater utilization of specific catalytic sites on account of the relatively lower adsorption energy of the dual-molecules than of the sum of the individual molecules as confirmed by the density fu nctional theory(DFT) calculations.Fuel cell polarization was also conducted using a Pt_(3)Pd_(3)Sn_(2)/C(anode) and Pt/C(cathode) catalysts-coated membrane(CCM).The enhanced surface coverage and active site utilization resulted in providing a higher peak power density by the DME+MF mixture-fed fuel cell(123 mW cm^(-2)at 0.45 V) than with DME(84mW cm^(-2)at 0.35 V) or MF(28 mW cm^(-2)at 0.2 V) at the same total anode hydrocarbon flow rate,temperature,and ambient pressure.

Preliminary Developments of Miniplate-Type Fuel of U-2.5Zr-7.5Nb Alloy Dispersed and Cladded in Zircaloy

Nuclear fuel based on uranium metal alloys is utilized in research and test reactors. For the purpose of the reduction of fuel enrichment, high densities of uranium-235 in this kind of fuel are needed. This can be achieved when uranium alloys are used containing elements such as Zr, Mo and Nb. The construction of fuel element with high-uranium density requires materials with low cross sections for neutron absorption, stability under irradiation and absence of the chemical interactions between the fuel and cladding elements. In case of U-Zr-Nb alloys, Zry （zircaloy） cladding is a better option due to the fact that they have a higher chemical compatibility when compared with the use of aluminum alloys. This study aims to develop plate type nuclear fuel using the U-2.5Zr-7.5Nb alloy dispersed in Zry. Powders of this uranium based alloy and Zry were obtained by hydriding-dehydriding process. These powders were homogenized, compacted in pellet that was sandwiched in plates and frame of Zry. This assembly was hot rolled forming the dispersion fuel miniplate.

Pt-Te alloy nanowires towards formic acid electrooxidation reaction

The high-performance anodic electrocatalysts is pivotal for realizing the commercial application of the direct formic acid fuel cells.In this work,a simple polyethyleneimine-assisted galvanic replacement reaction is applied to synthesize the high-quality PtTe alloy nanowires(PtTe NW)by using Te NW as an efficient sacrificial template.The existence of Te atoms separates the continuous Pt atoms,triggering a direct reaction pathway of formic acid electrooxidation reaction(FAEOR)at PtTe NW.The one-dimensional architecture and highly active sites have enabled PtTe NW to reveal outstanding electrocatalytic activity towards FAEOR with the mass/specific activities of 1091.25 mA mg^(-1)/45.34 A m^(-2)at 0.643 V potential,which are 44.72/23.16 and 20.26/11.75 times bigger than those of the commercial Pt and Pd nanoparticles,respectively.Density functional theory calculations reveal that Te atoms optimize the electronic structure of Pt atoms,which decreases the adsorption capacity of CO intermediate and simultaneously improves the durability of PtTe NW towards FAEOR.This work provides the valuable insights into the synthesis and design of efficient Pt-based alloy FAEOR electrocatalysts.

乏燃料棒M5锆合金包壳的透射电镜分析

压水堆燃料元件的锆合金包壳,在服役期间会经受高中子注量辐照,其微观组织将发生很大变化,从而影响其宏观性能,因此锆合金包壳的中子辐照行为研究一直是核领域的研究重点。但由于材料经中子辐照后具有较强的放射性,相关的实验必须在热室内进行,因此针对辐照后燃料包壳微观组织的研究也一直是工作的难点。本文在中国原子能科学研究院热室设施上,通过透射电镜分析手段,研究了M5锆合金包壳材料中子辐照后的微观组织。样品来源于国内商业压水堆AFA3G型乏燃料棒,其燃耗分别为14 GW·d/tU和41 GW·d/tU。从燃料棒上截取长度约10 mm的包壳样品,在热室内完成去芯块与化学清洗,获得空包壳样品,然后通过机械制样方法,制备出?3 mm薄片状包壳基体样品,最后采用电解双喷减薄方法,制备出包壳透射电镜观察分析样品。另外,为对比锆包壳辐照后的组织变化,采用同样方法制备了相同材料的冷态观察分析样品。冷态样品与辐照样品的观察分析结果表明:冷态Zr合金包壳基体组织内部存在原生的第二相粒子,基体内部整体较为干净,纳米析出相稀少,未观察到明显的位错结构;辐照后,基体内原生的第二相粒子尺寸和分布与冷态样品差异不明显,但出现了明显的纳米析出相和高密度位错组织;随着燃耗的增加,纳米析出相尺寸有增加的现象;低燃耗与高燃耗样品位错组织具有相似性,表明在14 GW·d/tU燃耗下,锆合金包壳内由辐照产生的位错组织已基本趋于饱和状态;电子选取衍射结果表明,辐照后,基体内原生的第二相粒子虽存在一些非晶组织,但仍以bcc晶体结构为主,表明在41 GW·d/tU燃耗下,第二相粒子保持了一定的辐照稳定性;另外,第二相的EDS结果表明,随着燃耗的增加,Nb元素的含量有贫化趋势;分析认为,Zr合金经中子辐照,第二相粒子中的Nb原子扩展至Zr基体内,将促进Nb元素以纳米富Nb相形式在Zr基体中析出。

Pt-Pd-Ni体系相图与热力学研究进展

铂基催化剂具有活性高、选择性好、电化学稳定性佳等优点,在工业催化和燃料电池领域具有非常重要的地位。然而,由于成本较高、可用性较低限制了其实际发展。因此,有必要优化铂基催化剂的利用率,设计低成本和高稳定性的铂基催化剂。本研究首先介绍了在燃料电池催化剂领域具有应用前景的Pt-Pd-Ni系合金电催化剂的发展和研究现状,然后详细介绍了Pt-Pd-Ni体系的三个二元系相图与热力学评估数据和研究进展,并对Pt-Pd-Ni三元系的一些实验研究进展和今后的研究工作提出展望,对不同相结构对催化性能的影响进行了分析和讨论。通过Pt-Pd-Ni系相图和相结构等的研究将为燃料电池用新型贵金属合金催化材料的设计及工业应用奠定理论和实验基础。

超声速火焰喷涂WC-10Co4Cr涂层对TC11钛合金耐磨性和耐蚀性的影响

采用超声速火焰喷涂(HVOF)工艺,在随钻仪器零件常用材料TC11钛合金表面制备金属陶瓷涂层WC-10Co4Cr,利用冲击试验机测量喷涂前后钛合金的冲击韧性,使用磨粒磨损试验机测定涂层的耐磨性,采用电化学测试分析涂层的耐蚀性。结果表明:HVOF工艺对TC11钛合金的组织和性能影响较小,与未喷涂的钛合金相比,界面处基体的显微组织和显微硬度没有明显变化,冲击韧性稍有提高;HVOF工艺稳定可靠,涂层呈片层结构,致密度高,涂层的孔隙率为2.55%,硬度达到1400 HV,涂层主要由WC和W2C相组成,其与基体结合良好,为机械结合;金属陶瓷涂层能够显著改善钛合金的耐磨性和耐蚀性,喷涂涂层钛合金的磨损量是未喷涂钛合金的1.56%,喷涂涂层钛合金的磨损机制是磨粒磨损,未喷涂涂层钛合金磨损机制是磨粒磨损+黏着磨损。

Al⁃W合金燃料的氧化过程及性能提升机理

为阐明Al‐W合金燃料氧化性能的提升机理,结合铝热还原与超高温气雾化法制备Al‐20W与Al‐30W合金燃料,并通过热重/差热热分析、X射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜/能量色散谱仪对其氧化过程进行研究。结果表明,Al‐20W与Al‐30W合金燃料均含有亚稳态Al/W合金相,随温度升高Al/W合金相的种类与形态发生转变。2种合金燃料具有优于单质Al燃料的氧化性能,分别在1300℃与1500℃完全氧化,氧化产物WO_(3)全部挥发。W的存在提升了Al‐W合金燃料的氧化性能,机理为WO_(3)的挥发提供O_(2)扩散进入颗粒内部的通道;WO_(3)作为“氧运输船”向单质Al传输O,促进单质Al的氧化;WO_(3)发生进一步的化学反应,最终以气态形式挥发,促进含W相的氧化。