Microstructure and texture evolution of Ti-Nb-Si based alloys for biomedical applications

Microstructure and texture of Ti-Nb-Si based alloys, prepared by water quenching from β-phase field, cold rolling and recrystallization heat treatment followed by water quenching, were investigated in terms of optical microstructure and analysis of X-ray pole figure result. In as-quenched sample, relatively random distribution of pole figure was detected without showing a specific texture component. In as-cold rolled sample, however, it is found well-developed several texture components consisting of rotated cube, α-fiber and γ-fiber texture components which are frequently observed in bcc-structured metals and alloys were found. Therefore, texture components developed in the present alloys are closely related to the deformation of β-phase even though small amount of α″ phase co-exist in the microstructure. In recrystallized sample, α-fiber texture component is weakly detected while the other texture components, rotated cube and γ-fiber components, appears to be relatively unchanged. No additional texture components were detected besides those texture components observed in the cold rolled samples.

Morphological Heredity of Intermetallic Nb_(5)Si_(3)Dendrites in Hypereutectic Nb-Si Based Alloys via Non-Equilibrium Solidification

For hypereutectic Nb-Si based alloys,primary Nb_(5)Si_(3)phases typically grow in a faceted mode during equilibrium or near-equilibrium solidification,which damages the ductility and toughness.To address this issue,here we artificially manipulate the growth morphology of Nb_(5)Si_(3)using electron beam surface melting(EBSM)and subsequent annealing treatments.Results show that such a non-equilibrium solidification pathway enables the transition from faceted growth to non-faceted dendritic growth of Nb_(5)Si_(3),along with evident microstructure refinement,generation of metastableβ-Nb_(5)Si_(3)phases and elimination of chemical segregation.The transformation fromβ-Nb_(5)Si_(3)toα-Nb_(5)Si_(3)and Nb solid solution(Nbss)particles is triggered by the annealing treatment at 1450°C for 5 h.Also,we find the annealing-mediated formation of inherited Nb_(5)Si_(3)dendrites that maintain the dendritic morphology of the original as-solidifiedβ-Nb_(5)Si_(3)dendrites.This work thus provides a feasible routine to obtain thermally stable and refinedα-Nb_(5)Si_(3)dendrites in hypereutectic Nb-Si based alloys.

Effect of Si content on mechanical properties of Nb-Si based alloys with Nb_(ss)/ Nb_5Si_3 structure

In Nb-Si based alloys with a two-phase Nbss/ intermetallic Nb5Si3 structure, the Nb5Si3 provides high-temperature strength, while the Nb solid-solution phase, Nbss, contributes to room-temperature ductility and toughness. The results show that in Nb-15W-10Hf-xSi alloys (x= 0.5, 5 and 18, mole fraction, %), the volume fraction of the Nb5Si3 is 0 for the 0.5% Si sample, 15% for the 5% Si sample and the 50% for 18% Si sample. With increasing Si content, i.e., the Nb5Si3 fraction, the high-temperature strength is improved considerably, but room-temperature ductility and toughness are degraded. For the sample Nb-15W-10Hf-18Si with 50% Nb5Si3, the compressive strength at 1 500℃and the room-temperature fracture toughness are 500 MPa and 6.8 MPa·m1/2, respectively, those for the Nb5Si3 free sample, Nb-15W-10Hf-0.5Si, are 190 MPa and 13.6 MPa·m1/2.

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.

Properties of Ti-Based Hydrogen Storage Alloy

An efficient and safe hydrogen storage method is one of the important links for the large-scale development of hydrogen in the future. Because of its low price and simple design, Ti-based hydrogen storage alloys are considered to be suitable for practical applications. In this paper, we review the latest research on Ti-based hydrogen storage alloys. Firstly, the machine learning and density functional theory are introduced to provide theoretical guidance for the optimization of Ti-based hydrogen storage alloys. Then, in order to improve the hydrogen storage performance, we briefly introduce the research of AB type and AB2 type Ti-based alloys, focusing on doping elements and adaptive after treatment. Finally, suggestions for the future research and development of Ti-based hydrogen storage alloys are proposed. .

Cooperative effects of Mo,V and Zr additions on the microstructure and properties of multi-elemental Nb-Si based alloys

Eight multi-elemental Nb-Si-based alloys with various Mo,V and Zr contents were prepared by vacuum non-consumable arc melting.The cooperative alloying effects of Mo,V and Zr on the arc-melted and heat-treated microstructure,mechanical properties as well as oxidation resistance at 1250°C of the alloys were evaluated systematically.The results show that except for adding Mo solely,additions of Mo,V and Zr change the microstructure from eutectic to hypereutectic.The additions of Mo,V and Zr suppress the formation ofα(Nb,X)5 Si 3(“X”represents the alloying elements that substitute for Nb in the lattices),whilst promoting the formation ofγ(Nb,X)5 Si 3.The heat treatment at 1450°C for 50 h promotes the formation of(Nb,X)3 Si phase in the Zr-containing alloys.Alloying with either Mo or Zr improves,and their composite additions more obviously improve the compressive yield strength at 1250°C as well as the microhardness ofγ(Nb,X)5 Si 3.The room temperature fracture toughness of the alloys is enhanced by sole and composite additions of V and Zr,while it is deteriorated by the addition of Mo.The sole addition of Mo,V or Zr improves the oxidation resistance at 1250°C,the composite additions of V with Mo/Zr(especially V-Mo-Zr)degrade the oxidation resistance at 1250°C.

Microstructure of cast γ-TiAl based alloy solidified from β phase region

The microstructures and phase transformation of Ti-43Al-4Nb alloy in as-cast and heat-treated states were investigated by using optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy as well as differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that a fine microstructure of the as-cast alloy can be obtained by solidifying through the β phase. γ grains can nucleate directly from the β phase. The coexistence of β phase and γ phase along primary α grain boundaries contributes to the decrease in the grain size of the as-cast alloy. The phase transformation sequence during solidification of the Ti-43Al-4Nb alloy is suggested as L→L＋β→β→α＋β→α＋βr→α＋γ＋βr→lamellae（α2＋γ）＋γ＋βr. The microstructure of the alloy after heat treatment at 1 250 ℃ for 16 h exhibits a certain coarsening compared with that of the as-cast state. The remnant β phase can be removed by the heat treatment process due to the diffusion of Nb and the non-equilibrium state of β phase.

Hot corrosion behavior of Ni-xCr-6.8Al based alloys

The hot corrosion behaviors of as-cast and preoxidized Ni-xCr-6.8Al based alloys in the mixture of Na2SO4＋25% NaCl at 873 K were studied. The results show that the mass loss of Ni-xCr-6.8Al based alloys decreases with the increase of Cr content. Preoxidation improves the resistance to corrosion regardless of the concentration of Cr. The kinetics of as-cast Ni-12Cr-6.8Al and Ni-16Cr-6.8Al based alloys fits the parabolic law well, while that of the as-cast Ni-20Cr-6.8Al based alloy fits the power law. The kinetics of all the preoxidized samples obey the logarithmic law. The mechanism of the as-cast alloys can be well explained by the acid-base melting model. The behavior of the preoxidized alloys is found to be mainly determined by the properties of the oxide layer formed during the preoxidation to a large extend.

Effects of second phases on mechanical properties and martensitic transformations of ECAPed TiNi and Ti-Mo based shape memory alloys

TiNi and Ti-based shape memory alloys were processed by equal channel angular pressing （ECAP） at 673-773 K along Bc route to obtain ultrafine grains for increasing the strength of parent phase and improving the functional properties. The effects of both thermodynamically stable and metastable second phases on the mechanical properties and martensitic transformations of these alloys were investigated. It is found that thermodynamically stable Ti2Ni phase has no effect on martensitic transformation and superelasticity of Ti-rich TiNi alloy, thermodynamically stable α phase is harmful for ductility of Ti-Mo-Nb-V-Al alloy, but metastable Ti3Ni4 phase is effective for R phase transformation, martensitic transformation and superelasticity of Ni-rich TiNi alloy. The mechanisms of the second phases on the martensitic transformations and mechanical properties were discussed.

Friction and wear behaviors of Nb-Ti-Si-Cr based ultrahigh temperature alloy and its Zr-Y jointly modified silicide coatings

Zr-Y jointly modified silicide coatings were prepared on an Nb-Ti-Si-Cr based ultrahigh temperature alloy by pack cementation process. The wear behaviors of both the base alloy and coatings were comparatively studied at room temperature and 800 ℃ using SiC balls as the counterpart. The Zr-Y jointly modified silicide coating is mainly composed of a thick （Nb,X）Si2 outer layer and a thin （Ti,Nb）5Si4 inner layer. The coatings possess much higher microhardness than the base alloy. The wear rates of both the base alloy and coatings increase with increasing the sliding loads. However, the coatings have much lower wear rates than the base alloy under the same sliding conditions. The coatings have superior anti-friction property, and can provide effective protection for the base alloy at both room temperature and 800 ℃ in air.

Hot corrosion behavior of Ni–16Cr–xAl based alloys in mixture of Na_2SO_4-NaCl at 600 ℃

The hot corrosion behaviors of Ni–16Cr–xAl（x=4.5%, 6.8%, 9.0%, mass fraction） based alloys in Na2SO4–25% NaCl molten salts at 600 °C were investigated. The effects of pre-oxidation and Al content on the resistance to hot corrosion were examined. The hot corrosion resistance of Ni–16Cr–xAl based alloy with Al addition from 4.5% to 9.0% increases with increasing Al content. The alloy with Al content of 9.0% shows the highest hot corrosion resistance among the examined alloys because more β–NiAl phases are obtained to sustain the Al2O3 scale repaired during hot corrosion. Pre-oxidized specimens have a superior hot corrosion resistance compared with the as-cast specimens, due to a protective oxide scale formed after pre-treatment.

Microstructure and microhardness of directionally solidified and heat-treated Nb-Ti-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy

Directionally solidified （DS） specimens of Nb-Ti-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy were heat-treated at （1 500 ℃, 50 h） and （1 500 ℃, 50 h） ＋ （1 100 ℃, 50 h）, respectively. The results show that the microstructures become uniform, the long and big primary （Nb,X）sSi3 （X represents Ti and Hf elements） plates in the DS specimens are broken into small ones, and the eutectic cells lose their lamellar morphology and their interfaces become blurry after heat-treatment. Meanwhile, the （Nb,X）sSi3 slices in the eutectic cells of the DS specimens coarsen obviously after heat-treatment. Homogenizing and aging treatments could effectively eliminate elemental microsegregation, and the segregation ratios of all elements in niobium solid solution （Nbss） in different regions tend to 1. After heat-treatment, the microhardness of retained eutectic cells increases evidently, and the maximum value reaches HV1 404.57 for the specimen directionally solidified with a withdrawing rate of 100 μm/s and then heat-treated at （1 500 ℃, 50 h） ＋ （1 100 ℃, 50 h）, which is 72.8 % higher than that under DS condition.

Effect of high temperature treatments on microstructure of Nb-Ti-Cr-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy

To investigate the effects of homogenizing and aging treatments on the microstructure of an Nb-Ti-Cr-Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy,coupons were homogenized at 1 200-1 500 °C for 24 h,and then aged at 1 000 °C for 24 h.The results show that the heat-treated alloy is composed of Nb solid solution（Nbss）,（Nb,X）5Si3 and Cr2Nb phases.With the increase of heat-treatment temperature,previous Nbss dendrites transformed into equiaxed grains,and petal-like Nbss/（Nb,X）5Si3 eutectic colonies gradually changed into small（Nb,X）5Si3 particles distributed in Nbss matrix.A drastic change occurred in the morphology of the Laves phase after homogenizing treatment.Previously coarse Cr2Nb blocks dissolved during homogenizing at temperature above 1 300 °C,and then much finer and crowded Cr2Nb flakes precipitated in the Nbss matrix in cooling.Aging treatment at 1 000 °C for 24 h led to further precipitation of fine particles of Laves phase in Nbss matrix and made the difference in concentrations of Ti,Hf and Al in Nbss,（Nb,X）5Si3 and Cr2Nb phases reduced.

Effect of Re element on oxidation resistance of Ni_3Al-Mo based alloys at 1150 ℃

The isothermal oxidation behaviors of three kinds of Ni3Al-Mo based alloys at 1150 ℃ were studied.The morphology,structure and element distribution of oxide scales of the alloys were researched by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis.The research results show that there are three oxide layers,an outer layer of NiO,an intermediate layer mainly composed of NiO,NiAl2O4 and a small amount of NiMoO4,and an inner layer of NiAl2O4 and Al2O3.Re element was mainly distributed in the intermediate layer,which plays a role as ＂diffusion barrier＂ in the process of oxidation,and effectively reduces the diffusion rate of Al and Mo elements outward and diffusion rate of O element inward.As a result,a Al-rich oxide layer formed in the inner layer inhibits the growth of oxide layer and improves the oxidation resistance of the alloy.

Crystal Nucleation and Growth of Al-based Alloys Produced by Electrolysis

The nucleation and growth of grains in a series of Al-based alloys produced by electrolysis are observed under SEM. The atomic Ti/AI ratios of the nuclei and the distribution of Ti at certain points are analyzed by point EDS. The particles in different atomic Ti/AI ratios might act as the nuclei of α-Al. At the early stage of growth, the spherical Ti-enriched regions might form around these particles within very limited temperature ranges in which the reactions such as the peritectic reactions etc occur. At the latter stage of growth, the dendrites freely develop in the radial orientations, and the concentration of Ti decreases linearly along the dendrite arm and becomes negligible in the region near the periphery of the dendrite. It is believed that the nucleation is closely related with the number and dispersion of primary spherical areas in the melts, and the segregation of Ti leads to the free growth of dendrite, which is necessary for the formation of equiaxial grains.

Tribological behavior of different films on Ti-6Al-4V alloy prepared by plasma-based ion implantation

The tribological behaviors of TiN coating and TiN+TiC+Ti(C, N)/diamond like carbon (DLC), TiN/DLC, TiC/DLC multilayers on Ti 6Al 4V alloy prepared by plasma based ion implantation (PBII) were compared. Under the test conditions of counterbody AISI 52100, load 1 N and speed 0.05 m/s, the tribological properties of the alloy are improved by these films in the order of TiN, TiC/DLC, TiN/DLC and TiN+TiC+Ti(C,N)/DLC. Tribological behavior is affected by the conditions of surface modification and triboexperiments. The appearance of “peaks” in the wear dynamic resistance profiles may be due or correspond to the process of formation and breaking apart of transition films. The breakthrough of the DLC coated samples may start from partially wearing out, and end with joining piece dilamination. There are transition films on all counterbodies AISI 52100. When AISI 52100 counterbody is changed to Ti 6Al 4V, the wear of most modified samples is changed from only disc to both disc and ball abrasive dominated.

MICROSTRUCTURES OF TiAl BASED ALLOYS PREPARED BY HOT PRESSING ELEMENTAL POWDERS

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The microscopic mechanical performance for nonuniform welded joint of nickel-based alloy with nanoindentation

To quantify the nonuniform micromechanical performance of welded joint,the load-displacement curves by nanoindentation test were introduced to examine different zones including base metal,coarse grained heat affected zone,partially melted zone,weld metal near the fusion boundary and weld metal center.The results showed that the strengthening effect of weld metal was more obvious than that of heat affected zone for nickel based welded joint and especially in coarse grained heat affected zone,the hardening resulted from overheating was not apparent.Nickel based weld metal with high content of alloying elements which were often segregated at interdendritic regions or precipitated in grain interior under nonequilibrium solidification contributed to the characteristics that differ from conventional low alloy steel welded joint.

Tensile properties and fracture behavior of Ti_2AlNb based alloys at room temperature

The tensile mechanical properties and fracture behaviors of Ti 22Al 20Nb 7Ta alloys were studied at room temperature. Three typical microstructures of Ti 2AlNb based alloys were obtained by combination of thermal mechanical processing and heat treat ment. They are: 1) lath mixture of O + B 2 with remaining β grain boundaries and α 2 phase; 2) equiaxed O phase in B 2 matrix; 3) fine lath mixture of O + B 2 without remaining β grain boundaries. It is shown that the microstructure obviously affects the tensile properties of Ti 2AlNb based alloys. The microstructure of fine lath mixture of O + B 2 without remaining β grain boundaries has good combination of yield stress and ductility, while the microstructure with lath mixture of O + B 2 with remaining β grain boundaries and α 2 phase has low yield stress and elongation. The fracture mode was also controlled by the microstructure of Ti 2AlNb based alloys. By means of SEM, it was found that the dominated fracture mode of microstructure with lath mixture of O + B 2 with remained β grain boundary and α 2 phase was intergranular, and the fracture mode of the other two microstructures was mainly transgranular.

Effect of Nb additions on microstructure and properties of γ-TiAl based alloys fabricated by selective laser melting

The γ-TiAl based Ti.Al.Mn.Nb alloys with different Nb additions were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) on the TC4 substrate. The effects of Nb content on microstructure and properties of the alloys were investigated. The results reveal that the alloys consist of γ-TiAl phase with tetragonal lattice structure and α2-Ti3Al phase with hcp lattice structure, and show a sequential structure change from near full dendrite to near lamellar structure with the increase of Nb addition. Owing to the higher Nb content in γ-TiAl phase and the formation of near lamellar structure, the alloy with 7.0 at.% Nb addition has the best combination of properties among the studied alloys, namely, not only a high hardness of HV 2000, a high strength of 1390 MPa and a plastic deformation of about 24.5%, but also good tribological properties and high-temperature oxidation resistance.