Design of low-alloying and high-performance solid solution-strengthened copper alloys with element substitution for sustainable development

Solid solution-strengthened copper alloys have the advantages of a simple composition and manufacturing process,high mechanical and electrical comprehensive performances,and low cost;thus,they are widely used in high-speed rail contact wires,electronic component connectors,and other devices.Overcoming the contradiction between low alloying and high performance is an important challenge in the development of solid solution-strengthened copper alloys.Taking the typical solid solution-strengthened alloy Cu-4Zn-1Sn as the research object,we proposed using the element In to replace Zn and Sn to achieve low alloying in this work.Two new alloys,Cu-1.5Zn-1Sn-0.4In and Cu-1.5Zn-0.9Sn-0.6In,were designed and prepared.The total weight percentage content of alloying elements decreased by 43%and 41%,respectively,while the product of ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and electrical conductivity(EC)of the annealed state increased by 14%and 15%.After cold rolling with a 90%reduction,the UTS of the two new alloys reached 576 and 627MPa,respectively,the EC was 44.9%IACS and 42.0%IACS,and the product of UTS and EC(UTS×EC)was 97%and 99%higher than that of the annealed state alloy.The dislocations proliferated greatly in cold-rolled alloys,and the strengthening effects of dislocations reached 332 and 356 MPa,respectively,which is the main reason for the considerable improvement in mechanical properties.

Design of high-temperature superconductors at moderate pressures by alloying AlH3 or GaH3

Since the discovery of hydride superconductors,a significant challenge has been to reduce the pressure required for their stabilization.In this context,we propose that alloying could be an effective strategy to achieve this.We focus on a series of alloyed hydrides with the AMH_(6)composition,which can be made via alloying A15 AH_(3)(A=Al or Ga)with M(M=a group IIIB or IVB metal),and study their behavior under pressure.Seven of them are predicted to maintain the A15-type structure,similar to AH_(3)under pressure,providing a platform for studying the effects of alloying on the stability and superconductivity of AH_(3).Among these,the A15-type phases of AlZrH_(6)and AlHfH_(6)are found to be thermodynamically stable in the pressure ranges of 40–150 and 30–181 GPa,respectively.Furthermore,they remain dynamically stable at even lower pressures,as low as 13 GPa for AlZrH_(6)and 6 GPa for AlHfH_(6).These pressures are significantly lower than that required for stabilizing A15 AlH3.Additionally,the introduction of Zr or Hf increases the electronic density of states at the Fermi level compared with AlH3.This enhancement leads to higher critical temperatures(Tc)of 75 and 76 K for AlZrH_(6)and AlHfH_(6)at 20 and 10 GPa,respectively.In the case of GaMH_(6)alloys,where M represents Sc,Ti,Zr,or Hf,these metals reinforce the stability of the A15-type structure and reduce the lowest thermodynamically stable pressure for GaH_(3) from 160 GPa to 116,95,80,and 85 GPa,respectively.Particularly noteworthy are the A15-type GaMH_(6)alloys,which remain dynamically stable at low pressures of 97,28,5,and 6 GPa,simultaneously exhibiting high Tc of 88,39,70,and 49 K at 100,35,10,and 10 GPa,respectively.Overall,these findings enrich the family of A15-type superconductors and provide insights for the future exploration of high-temperature hydride superconductors that can be stabilized at lower pressures.

Magnesium alloys as alternative anode materials for rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries:Review on the alloying phase and reaction mechanisms

Magnesium-ion batteries(MIBs)are promising candidates for lithium-ion batteries because of their abundance,non-toxicity,and favorable electrochemical properties.This review explores the reaction mechanisms and electrochemical characteristics of Mg-alloy anode materials.While Mg metal anodes provide high volumetric capacity and dendrite-free electrodeposition,their practical application is hindered by challenges such as sluggish Mg^(2+)ion diffusion and electrolyte compatibility.Alloy-type anodes that incorporate groups XIII,XIV,and XV elements have the potential to overcome these limitations.We review various Mg alloys,emphasizing their alloying/dealloying reaction mechanisms,their theoretical capacities,and the practical aspects of MIBs.Furthermore,we discuss the influence of the electrolyte composition on the reversibility and efficiency of these alloy anodes.Emphasis is placed on overcoming current limitations through innovative materials and structural engineering.This review concludes with perspectives on future research directions aimed at enhancing the performance and commercial viability of Mg alloy anodes and contributing to the development of high-capacity,safe,and cost-effective energy storage systems.

Role of alloying and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Al-Li alloys:A review

Due to the prominent advantages of low density,high elastic modulus,high specific strength and specific stiffness,cast Al-Li alloys are suitable metallic materials for manufacturing complex large-sized components and are ideal structural materials for aerospace,defense and military industries.On the basis of the microstructural characteristics of cast Al-Li alloys,exploring the role of alloying and micro-alloying can stabilize their dominant position and further expand their application scope.In this review,the development progress of cast Al-Li alloys was summarized comprehensively.According to the latest research highlights,the influence of alloying and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties was systematically analyzed.The potential methods to improve the alloy performance were concluded.In response to the practical engineering requirements of cast Al-Li alloys,the scientific challenges and future research directions were discussed and prospected.

Structure and corrosion behavior of FeCoCrNiMo high-entropy alloy coatings prepared by mechanical alloying and plasma spraying

FeCoCrNiMox composite powders were prepared using the mechanical alloying technique and made into high-entropy alloy(HEA)coatings with the face-centered cubic phase using plasma spraying to address the element segregation problem in HEAs and pre-pare uniform HEA coatings.Scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and X-ray diffractometry were employed to characterize these coatings’microstructure and phase composition.The hardness,elastic modulus,and fracture toughness of coatings were tested,and the corrosion resistance was analyzed in simulated seawater.Results show that the hardness of the coating is HV0.1606.15,the modulus of elasticity is 128.42 GPa,and the fracture toughness is 43.98 MPa·m^(1/2).The corrosion potential of the coating in 3.5wt%NaCl solution is-0.49 V,and the corrosion current density is 1.2×10^(−6)A/cm^(2).The electrochemical system comprises three parts:the electrolyte,the adsorption and metallic oxide films produced during immersion,and the FeCoNiCrMo HEA coating.Over in-creasingly long periods,the corrosion reaction rate increases first and then decreases,the corrosion product film comprising metal oxides reaches a dynamic balance between formation and dissolution,and the internal reaction of the coating declines.

Effect of solution treatment on the microstructure,phase transformation behavior and functional properties of NiTiNb ternary shape memory alloys fabricated via laser powder bed fusion in-situ alloying

Post-heat treatment is commonly employed to improve the microstructural homogeneity and enhance the mechanical performances of the additively manufactured metallic materials.In this work,a ternary(NiTi)91Nb9(at.%)shape memory alloy was produced by laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)using pre-alloyed NiTi and elemental Nb powders.The effect of solution treatment on the microstructure,phase transformation behavior and mechanical/functional performances was investigated.The in-situ alloyed(NiTi)91Nb9 alloy exhibits a submicron cellular-dendritic structure surrounding the supersaturated B2-NiTi matrix.Upon high-temperature(1273 K)solution treatment,Nb-rich precipitates were precipitated from the supersaturated matrix.The fragmentation and spheroidization of the NiTi/Nb eutectics occurred during solution treatment,leading to a morphological transition from mesh-like into rod-like and sphere-like.Coarsening of theβ-Nb phases occurred with increasing holding time.The martensite transformation temperature increases after solution treatment,mainly attributed to:(i)reduced lattice distortion due to the Nb expulsion from the supersaturated B2-NiTi,and(ii)the Ti expulsion from theβ-Nb phases that lowers the ratio Ni/Ti in the B2-NiTi matrix,which resulted from the microstructure changes from non-equilibrium to equilibrium state.The thermal hysteresis of the solutionized alloys is around 145 K after 20%pre-deformation,which is comparable to the conventional NiTiNb alloys.A short-term solution treatment(i.e.at 1273 K for 30 min)enhances the ductility and strength of the as-printed specimen,with the increase of fracture stress from(613±19)MPa to(781±20)MPa and the increase of fracture strain from(7.6±0.1)%to(9.5±0.4)%.Both the as-printed and solutionized samples exhibit good tensile shape memory effects with recovery rates>90%.This work suggests that post-process heat treatment is essential to optimize the microstructure and improve the mechanical performances of the L-PBF in-situ alloyed parts.

Review of Sc microalloying effects in Al-Cu alloys

Artificially controlling the solid-state precipitation in aluminum (Al) alloys is an efficient way to achieve well-performed properties,and the microalloying strategy is the most frequently adopted method for such a purpose.In this paper,recent advances in lengthscale-dependent scandium (Sc) microalloying effects in Al-Cu model alloys are reviewed.In coarse-grained Al-Cu alloys,the Sc-aided Cu/Sc/vacancies complexes that act as heterogeneous nuclei and Sc segregation at the θ′-Al_(2)Cu/matrix interface that reduces interfacial energy contribute significantly to θ′precipitation.By grain size refinement to the fine/ultrafine-grained scale,the strongly bonded Cu/Sc/vacancies complexes inhibit Cu and vacancy diffusing toward grain boundaries,promoting the desired intragranular θ′precipitation.At nanocrystalline scale,the applied high strain producing high-density vacancies results in the formation of a large quantity of (Cu Sc,vacancy)-rich atomic complexes with high thermal stability,outstandingly improving the strength/ductility synergy and preventing the intractable low-temperature precipitation.This review recommends the use of microalloying technology to modify the precipitation behaviors toward better combined mechanical properties and thermal stability in Al alloys.

Role of micro-Ca/In alloying in tailoring the microstructural characteristics and discharge performance of dilute Mg-Bi-Sn-based alloys as anodes for Mg-air batteries

The influence of micro-Ca/In alloying on the microstructural charac teristics,electrochemical behaviors and discharge properties of extruded dilute Mg-0.5Bi-0.5Sn-based(wt.%)alloys as anodes for Mg-air batteries are evaluated.The grain size and texture intensity of the Mg-Bi-Sn-based alloys are significantly decreased after the Ca/In alloying,particularly for the In-containing alloy.Note that,in addition to nanoscale Mg_(3)Bi_(2)phase,a new microscale Mg_(2)Bi_(2)Ca phase forms in the Ca-containing alloy.The electrochemical test results demonstrate that Ca/In micro-alloying can enhance the electrochemical activity.Using In to alloy the Mg-Bi-Sn-based alloy is effective in restricting the cathodic hydrogen evolution(CHE)kinetics,leading to a low self-corrosion rate,while severe CHE occurred after Ca alloying.The micro-alloying of Ca/In to Mg-Bi-Sn-based alloy strongly deteriorates the compactness of discharge products film and mitigates the"chunk effect"(CE),hence the cell voltage,anodic efficiency as well as discharge capacity are greatly improved.The In-containing alloy exhibits outstanding discharge performance under the combined effect of the modified microstructure and discharge products,thus making it a potential anode material for primary Mg-air battery.

Simultaneously improving thermal conductivity,mechanical properties and metal fluidity through Cu alloying in Mg-Zn-based alloys

Mg-Zn-based alloys have been widely used in computer,communication,and consumer(3C)products due to excellent thermal conductivity.However,it is still a challenge to balance their mechanical performance and thermal conductivity.Here,we investigate microstructure,mechanical performance,thermal conductivity and metal fluidity of Mg-5Zn(wt.%)alloy after Cu alloying by experimental and simulation methods.First,Mg-5Zn alloy consist ofα-Mg matrix and interdendritic MgZn phases.As the Cu content increases,however,MgZn phases disappear but intragranular Mg_(2)Cu and interdendritic MgZnCu phases appear in Mg-5Zn-Cu alloys.Besides,the grain size ofα-Mg phase is refined and the volume fraction of MgZnCu phase increases as the Cu content increases.Second,Cu addition is found to improve thermal conductivity of Mg-5Zn alloy remarkably.Especially,Mg-5Zn-4Cu alloy exhibits the best thermal conductivity of 124 W/(m·K),which is mainly due to the significant reduction in both solid solubility of Zn in theα-Mg matrix and lattice distortion ofα-Mg matrix.Moreover,a stable crystal structure of MgZnCu phase also contributes to an increased thermal conductivity based on first principles and molecular dynamics simulations.Third,Cu addition simultaneously enhances strength and ductility of Mg-5Zn alloy.Tensile yield strength and elongation of Mg-5Zn-6Cu alloy reach 117 MPa and 18.0%,respectively,which is a combined result of refinement,solution,second phase,and dislocation strengthening.Finally,combined with a phase field simulation,we found that Cu addition enhances metal fluidity of Mg-5Zn alloy.On the one hand,Cu alloying not only delays dendrite growth but also prolongs solidification time.On the other hand,MgZnCu phase stabilizes the dendrite growth of theα-Mg phases by reducing energy consumption during solidification of liquid metal.This work demonstrates that Cu alloying is an ideal strategy for synergistically improving the thermal conductivity,mechanical performance and metal fluidity of Mg-based alloys.

Mitigated reaction kinetics between lithium metal anodes and electrolytes by alloying lithium metal with low-content magnesium

Lithium(Li)metal is regarded as a promising anode candidate for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries.Nevertheless,Li metal is highly reactive against electrolytes,leading to rapid decay of active Li metal reservoir.Here,alloying Li metal with low-content magnesium(Mg)is proposed to mitigate the reaction kinetics between Li metal anodes and electrolytes.Mg atoms enter the lattice of Li atoms,forming solid solution due to the low amount(5 wt%)of Mg.Mg atoms mainly concentrate near the surface of Mg-alloyed Li metal anodes.The reactivity of Mg-alloyed Li metal is mitigated kinetically,which results from the electron transfer from Li to Mg atoms due to the electronegativity difference.Based on quantitative experimental analysis,the consumption rate of active Li and electrolytes is decreased by using Mgalloyed Li metal anodes,which increases the cycle life of Li metal batteries under demanding conditions.Further,a pouch cell(1.25 Ah)with Mg-alloyed Li metal anodes delivers an energy density of 340 Wh kg^(-1)and a cycle life of 100 cycles.This work inspires the strategy of modifying Li metal anodes to kinetically mitigate the side reactions with electrolytes.

基于热处理工艺的拖拉机发动机铝合金组织性能研究

采用不同时长的热处理工艺,对拖拉机发动机铝合金组织性能进行了对比分析。结果表明:热处理后,铝合金性能得到了较大程度的提高,若优先考虑材料性能,则应该采用180℃×4 h的单级热处理时效;若优先考虑工艺效率和成本,则可以采用150℃×1 h+170℃×1 h的双级热处理时效。

Effects of alloying and deformation on microstructures and properties of Cu-Mg-Te-Y alloys

New copper alloys with high mechanical properties and high electrical conductivity were prepared, and the effects of addition of minor Mg and Y elements on microstructures and properties were studied. The high tensile strength of above 510 MPa, high elongation of 11%and high electrical conductivity of over 63%IACS can be simultaneously obtained in Cu-0.47Mg-0.20Te-0.04Y alloy after deforming and annealing treatment. Effects of purification together with the grain refining by Y and solid-solution strengthening by Mg are appropriate for enhancing mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the copper alloys.

Effect of surface diffusion alloying on erosion wear property of ZM5 magnesium alloy

Specimens of ZM5 magnesium alloy were dipped into the mixed powder of Al and Zn at （390±5） ℃ for 8 h in argon gas protective environment and subjected to surface diffusion alloying processing （SDAP）. The erosion wear behaviors of ZM5 magnesium alloy before and after SDAP were investigated in two different erosion wear environments： oil and quartz environment; tap water and quartz environment. The surfaces of erosion wear specimens exhibited cutting scratch grooves in the oil and quartz environment. Corrosive attack was weak and cutting wear mechanism was responsible for the mass loss. When the erosion wear medium was changed to tap water and quartz environment, corrosion pits and cracks were obviously observed after erosion wear test. The corrosion from tap water and the scour from quartz intensified mass losses. Compared with the untreated specimens, the application of SDAP improved the erosion wear resistance in the same environment.

Mn-Sb合金化对大断面高强度球铁组织性能的影响

利用金相显微镜、拉力试验机、硬度计等检测手段研究了Mn-Sb合金化对大断面高强度球墨铸铁显微组织和力学性能的影响,并对其影响机理进行了探讨。结果表明,Mn-Sb合金化可以提高石墨球化率,增加球墨数量、减小石墨球径,改善了石墨形态,增加珠光体数量,从而提高了铸件的抗拉强度、伸长率和硬度。Mn的质量分数为0.4%、Sb的质量分数为0.02%时,试样的抗拉强度不低于700 MPa,伸长率不低于5%,硬度可达258 HB。

Microstructure and properties of alloying coating on AZ31B magnesium alloy

Vacuum thermal diffusion technique was applied to preparing alloying coating on AZ31 B magnesium alloy. The microstructure and phase composition of the coatings prepared at different holding time were investigated in detail using optical microscopy（OM）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy dispersive spectrometer（EDS） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）, and so on. The microhardness tester and electrochemical workstation（PS-168a） were used to measure the microhardness and corrosion resistance of the alloying coating. The results showed that the alloying coatings gradually generated with the extension of holding time under constant temperature. And the obvious bonding interface between the coating and substrate was observed, and the bonding interface was changed from smooth to zigzag. EDS and XRD analyses showed that the microstructure of alloying coating mainly consisted of eutectic α-Mg phase and continuous network β-Al（12）Mg（17） phase. The average microhardness of the coatings increased by 113% in comparison to the substrate, and the self-corrosion potential increased from-1.389 to-1.268 V at the same time.

Mechanical alloying and subsequent annealing effects on evolution of microstructure and morphology of TiH_2-Ni powders

Mechanical alloying and subsequent annealing treatment were carried out to investigate the evolution of the microstructure and morphology of the TiH2-Ni system. The Ni（Ti） solid solution was formed in the initial milling process. When the milling time was 60 h, the alloy with uniform elemental distribution showed an amorphous structure containing a small amount of TiH2 nanocrystalline phase. The annealing treatment at 693 K contributed to a completion of amorphization for the alloy milled for 60 h. For the treatment at 1 073 K, a crystallization reaction for the amorphous phase occurred, leading to the formation of Ti2Ni, TiNi, and TiNi3 compounds by a short time treatment. Moreover, a separation of Ni-rich phases from the matrix and a phase transition among these three compounds occur by a long time treatment.

Effect of element fitting on composition optimization of Al-Cu-Ti amorphous alloy by mechanical alloying

In order to minimize the crystal phase in Al-Cu-Ti amorphous powder,Al65Cu35-xTix amorphous powders were optimized via ball milling through adjusting the amount of Cu and Ti elements and the ball milling time.The results show that increasing the mole fraction of Ti can decrease the amount of Al Cu2Ti,Cu9Al4,and Al2Cu intermetallics formed during the process of ball milling;and prolonging the ball milling time can reduce the element crystalline phase to almost none.The optimal composition is determined to be Al65Cu16.5Ti18.5.TiH2 forms in all selected Al65Cu35-xTix amorphous powders during the process of optimization.H atom is decomposed from toluene and reacts with Ti during ball milling,leading to the formation of TiH2.The volume fraction of TiH2 in Al65Cu16.5Ti18.5 amorphous powder is measured to be 4.30%.

Preparation of FeCoNi medium entropy alloy from Fe^(3+)-Co^(2+)-Ni^(2+)solution system

In recent years,medium entropy alloys have become a research hotspot due to their excellent physical and chemical performances.By controlling reasonable elemental composition and processing parameters,the medium entropy alloys can exhibit similar properties to high entropy alloys and have lower costs.In this paper,a FeCoNi medium entropy alloy precursor was prepared via sol-gel and coprecipitation methods,respectively,and FeCoNi medium entropy alloys were prepared by carbothermal and hydrogen reduction.The phases and magnetic properties of FeCoNi medium entropy alloy were investigated.Results showed that FeCoNi medium entropy alloy was produced by carbothermal and hydrogen reduction at 1500℃.Some carbon was detected in the FeCoNi medium entropy alloy prepared by carbothermal reduction.The alloy prepared by hydrogen reduction was uniform and showed a relatively high purity.Moreover,the hydrogen reduction product exhibited better saturation magnetization and lower coercivity.

Influence of introducing Zr,Ti,Nb and Ce elements on externally solidified crystals and mechanical properties of high-pressure die-casting Al–Si alloy

High pressure die casting(HPDC)AlSi10Mn Mg alloy castings are widely used in the automobile industry.Mg can optimize the mechanical properties of castings through heat treatment,while the release of thermal stress arouses the deformation of large integrated die-castings.Herein,the development of non-heat treatment Al alloys is becoming the hot topic.In addition,HPDC contains externally solidified crystals(ESCs),which are detrimental to the mechanical properties of castings.To achieve high strength and toughness of non-heat treatment die-casting Al-Si alloy,we used AlSi9Mn alloy as matrix with the introduction of Zr,Ti,Nb,and Ce.Their influences on ESCs and mechanical properties were systematically investigated through three-dimensional reconstruction and thermodynamic simulation.Our results reveal that the addition of Ti increased ESCs'size and porosity,while the introduction of Nb refined ESCs and decreased porosity.Meanwhile,large-sized Al_3(Zr,Ti)phases formed and degraded the mechanical properties.Subsequent introduction of Ce resulted in the poisoning effect and reduced mechanical properties.

Effects of the extrusion parameters on microstructure,texture and room temperature mechanical properties of extruded Mg-2.49Nd-1.82Gd-0.2Zn-0.2Zr alloy

Microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of the extruded Mg-2.49Nd-1.82Gd-0.2Zn-0.2Zr alloy were investigated at different extrusion temperatures(260 and 320℃),extrusion ratios(10:1,15:1,and 30:1),and extrusion speeds(3 and 6 mm/s).The experimental results exhibited that the grain sizes after extrusion were much finer than that of the homogenized alloy,and the second phase showed streamline distribution along the extrusion direction(ED).With extrusion temperature increased from 260 to 320℃,the microstructure,texture,and mechanical properties of alloys changed slightly.The dynamic recrystallization(DRX)degree and grain sizes enhanced as the extrusion ratio increased from 10:1 to 30:1,and the strength gradually decreased but elongation(EL)increased.With the extrusion speed increased from 3 to 6 mm/s,the grain sizes and DRX degree increased significantly,and the samples presented the typical<2111>-<1123>rare-earth(RE)textures.The alloy extruded at 260℃ with extrusion ratio of 10:1 and extrusion speed of 3 mm/s showed the tensile yield strength(TYS)of 213 MPa and EL of 30.6%.After quantitatively analyzing the contribution of strengthening mechanisms,it was found that the grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening played major roles among strengthening contributions.These results provide some guidelines for enlarging the industrial application of extruded Mg-RE alloy.