Effects of various rare earth oxides on morphology and size of oxide dispersion strengthening(ODS)-W and ODS-Mo alloy powders

Ultrafine oxide dispersion strengthening(ODS)-Mo and ODS-W alloy powders containing different types of oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by spraying method(solid−liquid mixing method)combined with the reductions with carbon black and hydrogen in sequence.It is concluded that the solution concentration and type of rare earth oxide have no effect on the grain size of ODS-Mo alloy powder,but have obvious effect on that of ODS-W alloy powder.The higher the concentration of rare earth solution is,the smaller the average grain size of ODS-W alloy powder is.Furthermore,compared with doping with CeO_(2),the grain sizes of reduction products of La_(2)O_(3) and Y_(2)O_(3) doped WO_(3) are relatively larger.Compared with the undoped case,there is almost no change for grain size of ODS-Mo alloy powder,while the grain size of ODS-W alloy powder becomes much larger.This is probably due to the appearance of the composite oxide(such as La_(2)WO_(6))formed by the reaction between tungsten oxide and rare earth oxides,which promotes the heterogeneous nucleation and growth of tungsten grains during the reduction process of ODS-W,while there is no complex oxide composed of molybdenum and rare earth oxides in the reduction process of ODS-Mo.

Nanocrystallization of Al_(80) Ni_6Y_8Co_4Cu_2 amorphous alloy

Nanoscale α (Al) phase with a size of 15 nm was precipitated from Al 80 Ni 6Y 8Co 4Cu 2 amorphous ribbons after annealing. The microhardness increases with increasing the crystallization volume fraction of nanoscale α (Al) phase. The combination effect of alloy strengthening and dispersion strengthening is main reason for the increase of microhardness. The formation of intermetallic compound (Al 3Ni) with a small volume fraction leads to the decrease of microhardness resulting from the depletion of the solute elements in the residual amorphous matrix and the weakening of alloy strengthening. With increasing the volume fraction of intermetallic compound, microhardness increases again due to dispersion strengthening of nanoscale intermetallic compound. [

High temperature mechanical behavior of alumina dispersion strengthened copper alloy with high content of alumina

The microstructure and its effects on the high temperature mechanical behavior of Cu-2.7%Al_2O_3 （volume fraction） dispersion strengthened copper （ADSC） alloy were investigated. The results indicate that fine alumina particles are uniformly distributed in the copper matrix, while a few coarse ones are distributed on the grain boundaries. Tensile tests results show that Hall-Petch mechanism is the main contribution to the yield strength of ADSC alloy at room temperature. Its high temperature strength is attributed to the strong pinning effects of alumina particles on the grain and sub-grain boundaries with dislocations. The ultimate tensile strength can reach 237 MPa and the corresponding yield strength reaches 226 MPa at 700℃. Tensile fracture morphology indicates that the ADSC alloy shows brittleness at elevated temperatures. Creep tests results demonstrate that the steady state creep rates at 400 ℃ are lower than those at 700 ℃. The stress exponents at 400 ℃ and 700℃ are 7 and 5, respectively, and the creep strain rates of the ADSC alloy are controlled by dislocation core diffusion and lattice diffusion.

Microstructure evolution of alumina dispersion strengthened copper alloy deformed under different conditions

Microstructure and texture evolution of Cu-0.23%Al2O3 dispersion strengthened copper alloy, deformed at room temperature or cryogenic temperature, were investigated. The main textures in hot-extruded specimen were Brass {011} 〈211〉 and Cube {100} 〈100〉. Textures of Brass {011} 〈211〉 and Goss {011} 〈100〉 were observed in specimen after deformation at room temperature; while textures of Brass {011} 〈211〉, Goss {011} 〈100〉 and S {123} 〈634〉 were detected after deformation at cryogenic temperature. It is believed that the additional Al2O3 nanoparticles can result in dislocation pinning effect, which can further lead to the suppression of dislocations cross-slip. While in the specimen deformed at cryogenic temperature, both pinning effect and cryogenic temperature are responsible for the formation of Brass, Goss and S textures.

In situ fabrication and properties of Al N dispersion strengthened 2024 aluminum alloy

Nanoscaled aluminum nitride （AlN） dispersion strengthened 2024 aluminum alloy was fabricated using a novel approach in which Al-Mg-Cu compacts were partially nitrided in flowing nitrogen gas. The compacts were subsequently consolidated by sintering and hot extrusion. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the material were preliminarily investigated. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction results revealed that AlN particles were generated by the nitridation of Al-Mg-Cu compacts. The material exhibited excellent mechanical properties after hot extrusion and heat treatment. The ultimate tensile and yield strengths of the extruded samples containing 8.92vol% AlN with the T6 heat treatment were 675 and 573 MPa, respectively.

First-principles Calculations of Strengthening Compounds in Magnesium Alloy： A General Review

First-principles computation methods play an important role in developing and designing new magnesium alloys.In this article,we present an overview of the first-principles modeling techniques used in recent years to simulate ideal models of the structure of strengthening compounds in Mg alloys.For typical Mg compounds,structural stability,mechanical properties,electronic structure and thermodynamic properties have been discussed.Specifically,the elastic anisotropies of these compounds are examined,which is highly correlated with the possibility of inducing micro-cracks.Furthermore,some heterogeneous nucleation interfaces investigated by first-principles method are reviewed.Some of the theoretical results are compared with available experimental observations.We hope to illustrate that the first-principles computation can help to accelerate the design of new Mg-based materials and the development of materials genome initiative.Remaining problems and future directions in this research field are considered.

Effect of lattice distortion on solid solution strengthening of BCC high-entropy alloys

An analytical model is established to study the influence of lattice distortion and fraction of Hf on the yield strength of the BCC TiNbTaZrHfx multi-component high entropy alloys （HEAs）. Meanwhile, the mechanism of solid solution strengthening caused by lattice distortion is also discussed in the HEA. The distorted unit cell is introduced to indicate the lattice distortion effects induced by the differences of the atomic size and shear modulus by doping other elements in Ti-based metal. The results show that the calculated values of the alloying yield strength considering the path of least resistance are obtained with regard to various grain sizes for the equiatomic TiNbTaZrHf HEA, which is well in line with the experimental results. Furthermore, it is predicted that the alloying yield strength is the largest value in the case of the same grain size for the Hf atomic fraction of 0.122. The meaningful modeling could provide a theoretical method to investigate the yield strength and alloying design of other BCC HEAs in the future.

Stress-rupture measurements of cast magnesium strengthened by in-situ production of ceramic particles

We have introduced a polymer precursor into molten magnesium and then in-situ pyrolyzed to produce castings of metal matrix composites(P-MMCs)containing silicon-carbonitride(SiCNO)ceramic particles.Stress-rupture measurements of as-cast P-MMCs was performed at 350 ℃(0.69TM)to 450 ℃(0.78TM)under dead load condition corresponding to tensile stress of 2.5 MPa to 20 MPa.The time-to-fracture data were analyzed using the classical Monkman–Grant equation.The time-to-fracture is thermally activated and follows a power-law stress exponent exhibiting dislocation creep.Fractography analysis revealed that while pure magnesium appears to fracture by dislocation slip,the P-MMCs fail from the nucleation and growth of voids at the grain boundaries.

Effect of Silicon and Aluminum Addition on Corrosion Behavior of ODS Iron-Based Alloys in Liquid Lead–Bismuth Eutectic

The long-term corrosion behaviors of four variants of oxide dispersion strengthened(ODS)iron-based alloys in the stagnant oxygen-saturated lead–bismuth eutectic(LBE)at 550℃ were studied herein.The effects of silicon and aluminum content on the thickness,morphology and composition of the oxide scale were explored with the aid of X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron probe micro-analyzer(EPMA)and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The addition of 1.5 wt%silicon is not able to contribute to forming a protective external silicon oxide film on the surface of aluminum-free ODS iron-based alloy,while the addition of aluminum promotes the formation of a thin and continuous alumina oxide scale.In the meantime,an appropriate amount of silicon becomes the heterogeneous nucleation site for alumina during the initial stage of oxidation,giving rise to the rapid formation of a protective alumina scale.However,excessive silicon has a negative impact on the formation of continuous alumina scale,because it may compete with aluminum to absorb more oxygen.The result of oxidation kinetics in ODS iron-based alloy shows that the parabolic rate constant of the alumina oxide scale is 3–4 orders of magnitude lower than that of the scale mainly composed of iron and chromium oxide.

What is going on in magnesium alloys？

China has been developed into one of the most active regions in terms of both fundamental and applied research on magnesium （Mg） and its alloys in the world from a solid base laid by its prominent metallurgist and materials scientists over the past decades. Nowadays, a large number of young-generation researchers have been inspired by their predecessors and become the key participants in the fields of Mg alloys, which consequently led to the establishment of China Youth Scholar Society for Magnesium Alloys Research in 2015. Since then, the first two China Youth Scholars Symposiums on Mg Alloys Research had been held at Harbin （2015） and Chongqing （2016） China, respectively. A number of crucial research inter- ests related to fundamental and applied Mg research were discussed at the conferences and summarized in this short perspective, aiming to boost far-reaching initiatives for development of new Mg-based materials to satisfy the requirements for a broad range of industrial employments. Herein, four main aspects are included as follows： i） Plastic deformation mechanism and strengthening strategy, ii） Design and development of new Mg-based materials, iii） Key service properties, and iv） New processing technologies.

Microstructure and properties of aging Cu–Cr–Zr alloy

The crystallography and morphology of precipitate particles in a Cu matrix were studied using an aged Cu–Cr–Zr alloy by transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy（HRTEM）. The tensile strength and electrical conductivity of this alloy after various aging processes were tested. The results show that two kinds of crystallographic structure associated with chromium-rich phases, fcc and bcc structure, exist in the peak-aging of the alloy. The orientation relationship between bcc Cr precipitate and the matrix exhibits Nishiyama–Wasserman orientation relationship. Two kinds of Zr-rich phases（Cu4Zr and Cu5Zr）can be identified and the habit plane is parallel to {111}Cu plane during the aging. The increase in strength is ascribed to the precipitation of Cr- and Zr-rich phase.

The effects of Y pre-alloying on the in-situ dispersoids of ODS Co Cr Fe Mn Ni high-entropy alloy

Oxide dispersion strengthened CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys(ODS-HEAs)were prepared using two different powder preparation methods classified by yttrium addition strategy to investigate the effects of in-situ and ex-situ oxide dispersoid formation on the microstructure and mechanical properties.Systematic micro structural analysis was carried out by X-ray diffraction(XRD),electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),atom probe tomography(APT),and small-angle neutron scattering(SANS).Cryo-milled powder analysis,grain structure evolution after spark plasma sintering,dispersoid characteristics,and matrix/dispersoid interface structure analysis of the insitu and ex-situ dispersoids within the high-entropy alloy(HEA)matrix were performed.The in-situ dispersoid formation was dominantly observed in the Y-alloyed ODS-HEA through the construction of a coherent interface relationship with complex chemical composition,leading to an increase in the Zener pinning forces on the grain boundary movement.ODS-HEA with in-situ oxide dispersoids enhanced the formation of ultrafine-grained structures with an average diameter of 330 nm at a sintering temperature of 1173 K.This study shows that the Y pre-alloying method is efficient in achieving fine coherent dispersoids with an ultra fine-grained structure,resulting in an enhancement of the tensile strength of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA.

Microstructure and properties of Al_(0.3)CrFe_(1.5)MnNi_(0.5)Ti_x and Al_(0.3)CrFe_(1.5)MnNi_(0.5)Si_x high-entropy alloys

In this article, the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance of the Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5Tixand Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5Six（x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0） high-entropy alloys were investigated via X-ray diffraction（XRD）scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, digital display Vickers hardness tester, and electrochemical technique These alloys are mainly composed of BCC solid-solution structure. When adding high content of Ti or Si elemen（x C 0.5）, some intermetallic compounds are found in the microstructure, which makes the alloys have a high hardness, high brittleness, and easy cracking. While the alloys with low content of Ti or Si（x = 0.2） have a hardness of HV 420–HV 430, and its hardness increases about 14 %compared with that of Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5. Electrochemical results in 3.5 % NaCl solution show that the alloying elements Ti and Si have a negative influence on the corrosion resistance of the Al0.3CrFe1.5MnNi0.5alloys.

Dissimilar-metal bonding of a carbide-dispersion strengthened vanadium alloy for V/Li fusion blanket application

Carbide-dispersion strengthened(CDS)vanadium alloy is a kind of advanced structural material for V/Li fusion blanket.The welding technology for the alloy is very important for its application in fusion reactors.In the present study,preliminary investigation on dissimilar-metal bonding by hot isostatic pressing(HIP)was carried out for the CDS V alloy by joining with the conventional V-4Cr-4Ti alloy.Microstructural characterization for the bonding interfaces and mechanical tests for bonding property evaluation were analyzed for the HIP joint.The results show that after the HIP,the grain size of the V-4Cr-4Ti base metal(BM)obviously increases,while the grain size near the interface is much smaller than that in the V-4Cr-4Ti BM.This is the reason why the hardness near the interface is larger than that of the V-4Cr-4Ti BM.By shear test evaluation,the HIP joint possesses good bonding property with sound strength and ductility.Because there is no phase transformation during HIP,no post-bond heat treatment(PBHT)is necessary for the dissimilar-metal joint.

Thermal stability of additively manufactured austenitic 304L ODS alloy

Thermal stability and high-temperature mechanical properties of a 304 L austenitic oxide dispersion strengthened(ODS)alloy manufactured via laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)are examined in this work.Additively manufactured 304 L ODS alloy samples were aged at temperatures of 1000,1100,and 1200℃for 100 h in an argon atmosphere.Microstructure characterization of LPBF 304 L ODS alloy before and after the thermal stability experiments revealed that despite the annihilation of dislocations,induced cellular substructure by the LPBF process was partially retained in the ODS alloy even after aging at1200℃.The size of Y-Si-O nanoparticles after aging at 1200℃increased from 25 to 50 nm.EBSD analysis revealed that nanoparticles retained the microstructure of LPBF 304 L ODS and hindered recrystallization and further grain growth.At 600℃and 800℃,the yield stress of the 290 and 145 MPa were measured,respectively,which are substantially higher than 113 MPa,and 68 MPa for 304 L at the same temperatures.Furthermore,the creep properties of LPBF 304 L ODS alloy were evaluated at a temperature of 700℃under three applied stresses of 70,85,and 100 MPa yielding a stress exponent(n)of 7.7;the minimum creep rate at 100 MPa was found to be about two orders of magnitude lower than found in the literature for wrought 304 L stainless steel.

Charting the ‘composition–strength’ space for novel austenitic,martensitic and ferritic creep resistant steels

We report results of a large computational ＇alloy by design＇ study, in which the ＇chemical composition-mechanical strength＇ space is explored for austenitic, ferritic and martensitic creep resistant steels. The approach used allows simultaneously optimization of alloy composition and processing parameters based on the integration of thermodynamic, thermo-kinetics and a genetic algorithm optimization route. The nature of the optimisation depends on both the intended matrix（ferritic, martensitic or austenitic） and the desired precipitation family. The models are validated by analysing reported strengths of existing steels. All newly designed alloys are predicted to outperform existing high end reference grades.