Recycling of metals from waste Sn-based alloys by vacuum separation

In order to recycle waste Sn-based alloys, the vapor-liquid phase equilibrium composition diagrams of Sn-Pb, Sn-Sb and Sn-Zn binary systems were calculated. The calculated results indicate that Pb, Sb and Zn can be separated from Sn effectively. Based on the above calculation, the industrial experiments of vacuum distillation of Sn-Pb alloy, Sn-Pb-Sb alloy, Sn-Pb-Sb-As alloy, crude Sn and Sn-Zn alloy with different contents were carried out. The experimental results show that Pb(>99% Pb) and Sn(≤0.003% Pb) were obtained simultaneously while Sn-Pb alloy was subjected to vacuum distillation; the crude Sn(>90% Sn, ≤ 2% Pb, ≤6% Sb) and crude Pb(≤2% Sn) were obtained simultaneously while a single vacuum distillation was carried out for Sn-Pb-Sb alloy; the Pb and Bi contents in the Sn ingot(99.99% Sn) achieve the grade A of GB/T 728—2010 standard, more than 50% of As and Sb was removed after vacuum distillation of crude Sn; Zn(<0.002% Sn) and Sn(about 3% Zn) were obtained while vacuum distillation of Sn-Zn alloy was conducted at 1173 K, 20-30 Pa for 8-10 h.

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.

Corrosion and leaching behaviors of Sn-based alloy in simulated soil solutions

The corrosion and leaching behaviors of Sn-0.75Cu solders and joints in NaCl-Na2SO4 and NaCl-Na2SO4-Na2CO3 simulated soil solutions were investigated compared with those in NaCl solution, aiming to assess the potential risk from the electronic-waste disposed in soil. The leaching kinetics of Sn reveals that the leaching amount of Sn increases with increasing the time. The amount of Sn leached from the joint is the largest in NaCl solution.SO4^2- and CO3^2- inhibit the leaching of Sn from the joints, but accelerate that from the solders. Meanwhile, the corrosion layer of the joint in NaCl solution is more porous, and those immersed in NaCl-Na2SO4 and NaCl-Na2SO4-Na2CO3 solutions are compact. The XRD results indicate that the main corrosion products on the solders and joints surfaces are comprised of tin oxide, tin chloride and tin chloride hydroxide. The potentiodynamic polarization measurements for the solders were discussed in the simulated soil solutions.

Superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant siloxane-modified MgAl-LDHs coatings on magnesium alloy prepared under mild conditions

We have developed a superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant LDH-W/PFDTMS composite coating on the surface of Mg alloy.This composite comprised a tungstate-intercalated(LDH-W)underlayer that was grown at low temperature(relative to hydrothermal reaction conditions)under atmospheric pressure and an outer polysiloxane layer created from a solution containing perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane(PFDTMS)using a simple immersion method.The successful intercalation of tungstate into the LDH phase and the following formation of the polysiloxane layer were confirmed through X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The corrosion resistance of the LDH-W film,both before and after the PFDTMS modification,was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),Tafel curves,and immersion experiments.The results showed that Mg coated with LDH-W/PFDTMS exhibited significantly enhanced corrosion protection compared to the unmodified LDHW film,with no apparent signs of corrosion after exposure to 3.5wt%NaCl solution for 15 d.Furthermore,the LDH-W/PFDTMS coating demonstrated superior superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties against water and several common beverages,as confirmed by static contact angle and water-repellency tests.These results offer valuable insights into preparing superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant LDH-based composite coatings on Mg alloy surfaces under relatively mild reaction conditions.

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.

Multi-layer multi-pass friction rolling additive manufacturing of Al alloy:Toward complex large-scale high-performance components

At present,the emerging solid-phase friction-based additive manufacturing technology,including friction rolling additive man-ufacturing(FRAM),can only manufacture simple single-pass components.In this study,multi-layer multi-pass FRAM-deposited alumin-um alloy samples were successfully prepared using a non-shoulder tool head.The material flow behavior and microstructure of the over-lapped zone between adjacent layers and passes during multi-layer multi-pass FRAM deposition were studied using the hybrid 6061 and 5052 aluminum alloys.The results showed that a mechanical interlocking structure was formed between the adjacent layers and the adja-cent passes in the overlapped center area.Repeated friction and rolling of the tool head led to different degrees of lateral flow and plastic deformation of the materials in the overlapped zone,which made the recrystallization degree in the left and right edge zones of the over-lapped zone the highest,followed by the overlapped center zone and the non-overlapped zone.The tensile strength of the overlapped zone exceeded 90%of that of the single-pass deposition sample.It is proved that although there are uneven grooves on the surface of the over-lapping area during multi-layer and multi-pass deposition,they can be filled by the flow of materials during the deposition of the next lay-er,thus ensuring the dense microstructure and excellent mechanical properties of the overlapping area.The multi-layer multi-pass FRAM deposition overcomes the limitation of deposition width and lays the foundation for the future deposition of large-scale high-performance components.

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.

A novel solution treatment and aging for powder bed fusion-laser beam Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo alloy:Microstructural and mechanical characterization

Ti-6Al-4Zr-2Sn-6Mo alloy is one of the most recent titanium alloys processed using powder bed fusion-laser beam(PBF-LB)technology.This alloy has the potential to replace Ti-6Al-4V in automotive and aerospace applications,given its superior mechanical properties,which are approximately 10%higher in terms of ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength after appropriate heat treatment.In as-built conditions,the alloy is characterized by the presence of soft orthorhombicα″martensite,necessitating a postprocessing heat treatment to decompose this phase and enhance the mechanical properties of the alloy.Usually,PBFed Ti6246 components undergo an annealing process that transforms theα″martensite into anα-βlamellar microstructure.The primary objective of this research was to develop a solution treatment and aging(STA)heat treatment tailored to the unique microstructure produced by the additive manufacturing process to achieve an ultrafine bilamellar microstructure reinforced by precipitation hardening.This study investigated the effects of various solution temperatures in theα-βfield(ranging from 800 to 875℃),cooling media(air and water),and aging time to determine the optimal heat treatment parameters for achieving the desired bilamellar microstructure.For each heat treatment condition,differentα-βmicrostructures were found,varying in terms of theα/βratio and the size of the primaryα-phase lamellae.Particular attention was given to how these factors were influenced by increases in solution temperature and how microhardness correlated with the percentage of the metastableβphase present after quenching.Tensile tests were performed on samples subjected to the most promising heat treatment parameters.A comparison with literature data revealed that the optimized STA treatment enhanced hardness and UTS by13%and 23%,respectively,compared with those of the annealed alloy.Fracture surface analyses were conducted to investigate fracture mechanisms.

Study on the hydrogen absorption properties of a YGdTbDyHo rare-earth high-entropy alloy

This study investigated the microstructure and hydrogen absorption properties of a rare-earth high-entropy alloy(HEA),YGdTbDyHo.Results indicated that the YGdTbDyHo alloy had a microstructure of equiaxed grains,with the alloy elements distributed homogeneously.Upon hydrogen absorption,the phase structure of the HEA changed from a solid solution with an hexagonal-close-packed(HCP)structure to a high-entropy hydride with an faced-centered-cubic(FCC)structure without any secondary phase precipitated.The alloy demonstrated a maximum hydrogen storage capacity of 2.33 H/M(hydrogen atom/metal atom)at 723 K,with an enthalpy change(ΔH)of-141.09 kJ·mol^(-1)and an entropy change(ΔS)of-119.14 J·mol^(-1)·K^(-1).The kinetic mechanism of hydrogen absorption was hydride nucleation and growth,with an apparent activation energy(E_(a))of 20.90 kJ·mol^(-1).Without any activation,the YGdTbDyHo alloy could absorb hydrogen quickly(180 s at 923 K)with nearly no incubation period observed.The reason for the obtained value of 2.33 H/M was that the hydrogen atoms occupied both tetrahedral and octahedral interstices.These results demonstrate the potential application of HEAs as a high-capacity hydrogen storage material with a large H/M ratio,which can be used in the deuterium storage field.

Understanding the local structure and thermophysical behavior of Mg-La liquid alloys via machine learning potential

The local structure and thermophysical behavior of Mg-La liquid alloys were in-depth understood using deep potential molecular dynamic(DPMD) simulation driven via machine learning to promote the development of Mg-La alloys. The robustness of the trained deep potential(DP) model was thoroughly evaluated through several aspects, including root-mean-square errors(RMSEs), energy and force data, and structural information comparison results;the results indicate the carefully trained DP model is reliable. The component and temperature dependence of the local structure in the Mg-La liquid alloy was analyzed. The effect of Mg content in the system on the first coordination shell of the atomic pairs is the same as that of temperature. The pre-peak demonstrated in the structure factor indicates the presence of a medium-range ordered structure in the Mg-La liquid alloy, which is particularly pronounced in the 80at% Mg system and disappears at elevated temperatures. The density, self-diffusion coefficient, and shear viscosity for the Mg-La liquid alloy were predicted via DPMD simulation, the evolution patterns with Mg content and temperature were subsequently discussed, and a database was established accordingly. Finally, the mixing enthalpy and elemental activity of the Mg-La liquid alloy at 1200 K were reliably evaluated,which provides new guidance for related studies.

Co/Co_(7)Fe_(3)heterostructures with controllable alloying degree on carbon spheres as bifunctional electrocatalyst forrechargeable zinc-air batteries

Exploring efficient and nonprecious metal electrocatalysts of oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)is crucial for developing rechargeable zinc-air batteries(ZABs).Herein,an alloying-degree control strategy was employed to fabricate nitrogen-doped carbon sphere(NCS)decorated with dual-phase Co/Co_(7)Fe_(3)heterojunctions(CoFe@NCS).The phase composition of materials has been adjusted by controlling the alloying degree.The optimal CoFe_(0.08)@NCS electrocatalyst displays a half-wave potential of 0.80 V for ORR and an overpotential of 283 mV at 10 mA·cm^(-2)for OER in an alkaline electrolyte.The intriguing bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and durability is attributed to the hierarchically porous structure and interfacial electron coupling of highly-active Co_(7)Fe_(3)alloy and metallic Co species.When the CoFe_(0.08)@NCS material is used as air-cathode catalyst of rechargeable liquid-state zinc-air battery(ZAB),the device shows a high peak power-density(157 mW·cm^(-2))and maintains a stable voltage gap over 150 h,outperforming those of the benchmark(Pt/C+RuO_(2))-based device.In particular,the as-fabricated solid-state flexible ZAB delivers a reliable compatibility under different bending conditions.Our work provides a promising strategy to develop metal/alloy-based electrocatalysts for the application in renewable energy conversion technologies.

Flow behavior and dynamic softening mechanism of Pt−10Ir precious alloy

The hot deformation behavior of Pt−10Ir alloy was studied under a wide range of deformation parameters.At a low deformation temperature(950−1150℃),the softening mechanism is primarily dynamic recovery.In addition,dynamic recrystallization by progressive lattice rotation near grain boundaries(DRX by LRGBs)and microshear bands assisted dynamic recrystallization(MSBs assisted DRX)coordinate the deformation.However,it is difficult for the dynamic softening to offset the stain hardening due to a limited amount of DRXed grains.At a high deformation temperature(1250−1350℃),three main DRX mechanisms associated with strain rates occur:DRX by LRGBs,DRX by a homogeneous increase in misorientation(HIM)and geometric DRX(GDRX).With increasing strain,DRX by LRGBs is enhanced gradually under high strain rates;the“pinch-off”effect is enhanced at low strain rates,which was conducive to the formation of a uniform and fine microstructure.

Influence of symmetric and asymmetric rolling on texture evolution of work-hardened AA 5xxx aluminium alloy

The textures and microstructures of hot-and cold-rolled sheets of an AA 5454 aluminium alloy were studied,with special attention paid to comparing the texture development for the symmetric and asymmetric cold rolling.Scanning electron microscopy with electron-backscatter diffraction was used to monitor the development of the microstructure in the differently deformed and additionally annealed samples.Details of the formations and transformations of individual texture components occurring during the rolling processes were observed and discussed.The average grain sizes,textures and mechanical properties were correlated and explained for the symmetric and asymmetric cold-rolled samples.The asymmetric rolling is beneficial in terms of deep drawability because it reduces the planar anisotropy of the annealed material due to the decrease of the Cube,Goss,rotated-Cube and η-fibre texture components and at the same time strengthens X1-and X2-fibre texture components which are shear texture components and improve deep drawability.During the asymmetric cold rolling,the temperature increases due to friction,triggering recrystallisation processes and leading to larger grains.It is also confirmed that asymmetric cold rolling uses less rolling force and consequently less energy to produce a final material with better formability,particularly earing.

Mechanism of cryorolling and aging treatment for enhancing corrosion properties of 2195 Al−Li alloy

The impact of cryorolling(CR)and room temperature rolling(RTR)followed by artificial aging on the corrosion characteristics of 2195 Al−Li alloy(AA2195)was studied.Transmission electron microscope,scanning electron microscope,optical microscope,intergranular corrosion experiment,and electrochemical experiment were used.Throughout different stages of aging treatment,the corrosion behavior of both CR and RTR samples exhibited a sequential progression of pitting corrosion,followed by intergranular corrosion,and then pitting corrosion again.The corrosion rates of both samples initially showed an increase,followed by a gradual stabilization over time.The size and density of T1 phase significantly influenced the corrosion performance of the alloy.During the peak aging and over-aging stages,the CR sample exhibited superior corrosion resistance to the RTR sample,attributed to its finer T1 phase.

Predictor−corrector inverse design scheme for property−composition prediction of amorphous alloys

In order to develop a generic framework capable of designing novel amorphous alloys with selected target properties,a predictor−corrector inverse design scheme(PCIDS)consisting of a predictor module and a corrector module was presented.A high-precision forward prediction model based on deep neural networks was developed to implement these two parts.Of utmost importance,domain knowledge-guided inverse design networks(DKIDNs)and regular inverse design networks(RIDNs)were also developed.The forward prediction model possesses a coefficient of determination(R^(2))of 0.990 for the shear modulus and 0.986 for the bulk modulus on the testing set.Furthermore,the DKIDNs model exhibits superior performance compared to the RIDNs model.It is finally demonstrated that PCIDS can efficiently predict amorphous alloy compositions with the required target properties.

Influence of laser shock peening on microstructure and high-temperature oxidation resistance of Ti45Al8Nb alloy fabricated via laser melting deposition

Laser shock peening(LSP)was used to enhance the high-temperature oxidation resistance of laser melting deposited Ti45Al8Nb alloy.The microstructure and high-temperature oxidation behavior of the as-deposited Ti45Al8Nb alloy before and after LSP were investigated by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and electron backscatter diffraction.The results indicated that the rate of mass gain in the as-deposited sample after LSP exhibited a decrease when exposed to an oxidation temperature of 900℃,implying that LSP-treated samples exhibited superior oxidation resistance at high temperatures.A gradient structure with a fine-grain layer,a deformed-grain layer,and a coarse-grain layer was formed in the LSP-treated sample,which facilitated the diffusion of the Al atom during oxidation,leading to the formation of a dense Al_(2)O_(3)layer on the surface.The mechanism of improvement in the oxidation resistance of the as-deposited Ti45Al8Nb alloy via LSP was discussed.

Microstructure characteristics and corrosion behavior of metal inert gas welded dissimilar joints of 6005A modified by Sc and 5083 alloys

The corrosion behavior and microstructure characteristics of metal inert gas(MIG)welded dissimilar joints of the 6005A alloy modified with Sc(designated as 6005A+Sc)and the 5083 alloy were investigated using corrosion tests and microscopy techniques.Results show that the dissimilar joints exhibit strong stress corrosion cracking(SCC)resistance,maintaining substantial strength during slow strain rate tensile tests.Notably,the heat-affected zone(HAZ)and base metal(BM)on the 6005A+Sc side show superior performance in terms of inter-granular corrosion(IGC)and exfoliation corrosion(EXCO)compared to the corresponding zones on the 5083 side.The lower corrosion resistance of the 5083-BM and the 5083-HAZ can be attributed to the presence of numerous Al_(2)Mg_(3)phases and micro-scaled Al_(6)(Mn,Fe)intermetallics,mainly distributed along the rolling direction.Conversely,the enhanced corrosion resistance of the 6005A+Sc-BM and the 6005A+Sc-HAZ can be attributed to the discontinuously distributed grain boundary precipitates(β-Mg_(2)Si),the smaller grain size,and the reduced corrosive current density.

Processing,microstructure,and mechanical properties of wire arc additively-manufactured AZ91 magnesium alloy using cold arc process

Thin walls of an AZ91 magnesium alloy with fine equiaxed grains were fabricated via cold arc-based wire arc additive manufacturing(CA-WAAM),and the droplet transfer behaviours,microstructures,and mechanical properties were investigated.The results showed that the cold arc process reduced splashing at the moment of liquid bridge breakage and effectively shortened the droplet transfer period.The microstructures of the deposited samples exhibited layered characteristics with alternating distributions of coarse and fine grains.During layer-by-layer deposition,the β-phase precipitated and grew preferentially along grain boundaries,while the fineη-Al_(8)Mn_(5)phase was dispersed in the α-Mg matrix.The mechanical properties of the CA-WAAM deposited sample showed isotropic characteristics.The ultimate tensile strength and elongation in the building direction(BD)were 282.7 MPa and 14.2%,respectively.The microhardness values of the deposited parts were relatively uniform,with an average value of HV 69.6.

Influence of Al,Cu and Mn additions on diffusion behaviors in CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys

The interdiffusion coefficients in Al_(0.2)CoCrFeNi,CoCrCu_(0.2)FeNi,and CoCrFeMn_(0.2)Ni high-entropy alloys were efficiently determined by combining diffusion couple experiments and high-throughput determination of interdiffusion coefficients(HitDIC)software at 1273−1373 K.The results show that the addition of Al,Cu,and Mn to CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys promotes the diffusion of Co,Cr,and Fe atoms.The comparison of tracer diffusion coefficients indicates that there is no sluggish diffusion in tracer diffusion on the thermodynamic temperature scale for the present Al_(0.2)CoCrFeNi,CoCrCu_(0.2)FeNi,and CoCrFeMn_(0.2)Ni high-entropy alloys.The linear relationship between diffusion entropy and activation energy reveals that the diffusion process of atoms is unaffected by an increase in the number of components as long as the crystal structure remains unchanged.