Elucidating the evolution of long-period stacking ordered phase and its effect on deformation behavior in the as-cast Mg-6Gd-1Zn-0.6Zr alloy

Herein,the evolution of long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)phases in the as-cast Mg-6Gd-1Zn-0.6Zr(wt.%)alloy are investigated via transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and atom probe tomography(APT).The TEM results reveal that two types of LPSO phase(a bulky interdendritic phase and a plate-like matrix LPSO phase)are formed in the as-cast sample.Most of the LPSO phases are confirmed to be of the 14H type,with a smaller proportion being of the 18R LPSO.Further,the APT results reveal that the composition of the interdendritic LPSO phase is closer to that of the ideal 14H phase compared to the matrix LPSO phase,and both the interdendritic and matrix LPSO phases exhibit a Gd/Zn ratio of 2.5,thereby indicating a deficient Zn content compared to the ideal 14H phase(i.e.,1.3).In addition,the influence of the LPSO phases on the deformation behavior is investigated at different compressive plastic strains using electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)analysis to reveal twinning and slip behavior during deformation.The results indicate that the LPSO phase induces additional work hardening in the late stage of deformation via the suppression of{1011}compressive twinning and the activation of non-basal slip systems.

Effect of long-period stacking ordered structure on very high cycle fatigue properties of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloys

Magnesium alloys with a long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure usually possess excellent static strength,but their fatigue behaviors are poorly understood.This work presents the effect of the LPSO structure on the crack behaviors of Mg alloys in a very high cycle fatigue(VHCF)regime.The LPSO lamellas lead to a facet-like cracking process along the basal planes at the crack initiation site and strongly prohibit the early crack propagation by deflecting the growth direction.The stress intensity factor at the periphery of the faceted area is much higher than the conventional LPSO-free Mg alloys,contributing higher fatigue crack propagation threshold of LPSO-containing Mg alloys.Microstructure observation at the facets reveals a layer of ultrafine grains at the fracture surface due to the cyclic contact of the crack surface,which supports the numerous cyclic pressing model describing the VHCF crack initiation behavior.

Microstructure characterization and corrosion behavior of Mg-Y-Zn alloys with different long period stacking ordered structures

Mg-Y-Zn alloys with long period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure have received much attention recently and exhibit great potential in applications such as automotive,aerospace and in bio-medical fields.This paper aimed to investigate the effect of different phase constitution of LPSO structures on corrosion rate of bio-medical Mg-Y-Zn alloys.The results showed that as-cast Mg98.5Y1Zn0.5 alloys containing only 18R structure exhibited the highest corrosion resistance with the corrosion rate of 2.78 mm/year.The precipitation of 14H lamellas within a-Mg grains during solid solution treatment introduced the crystallographic orientation corrosion by accelerating micro-galvanic corrosion.The increase of 18R/14H interfaces deteriorated the corrosion resistance,and the grain boundaries also suffered from severe electrochemical dissolution.This work suggested that Mg-Y-Zn alloys with single LPSO structure(either 18R or 14H)exhibited better corrosion resistance than alloys with co-existence 18R and I4H LPSO structures.

Recent developments on corrosion behaviors of Mg alloys with stacking fault or long period stacking ordered structures

Corrosion is one of the most drawbacks which restricts the wide applications of Mg alloys.In the last decade,the corrosion behaviors of Mg alloys with stacking fault(SF)and/or long period stacking ordered(LPSO)structures have obtained increasing attention.However,the corrosion mechanism of the SF–or LPSO–containing Mg alloys has not been well illustrated and even reverse results have been reported.In this paper,we have reviewed recent reports on corrosion behaviors of SF–or LPSO–containing Mg alloys to better clarify and understand the significance and mechanism.Moreover,some deficiencies are presented and advises are proposed for the development of corrosion resistant Mg alloys with SF or LPSO structures.

Effect of Li on formation of long period stacking ordered phases and mechanical properties of Mg-Gd-Zn alloy

Alloys with composition of Mg_(96-x)Gd_3Zn_1Li_x(at.%)(x=0, 2, 4, and 6) were prepared by conventional casting. The microstructures of these alloys under as-cast and solid-solution conditions have been observed, and the mechanical properties were investigated. The results showed that Li is an effective element to refine the grains and break the eutectic networks in as-cast MgGd_3Zn_1 alloy. During solid solution treatment, these broken eutectic networks are spheroidized and highly dispersed. In addition, plentiful lamellar long period stacking ordered(LPSO) phases are precipitated in an α-Mg matrix when the Li addition is not more than 4%. Solid-solution treated Mg_(92)Gd_3Zn_1Li_4 alloy exhibits an optimal ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of 226 MPa and elongation of 5.8%. The strength of MgGd_3Zn_1 alloy is improved significantly, meanwhile, the toughness is apparently increased.

Stacking stability of MoS_2 bilayer: An ab initio study

The study of the stacking stability of bilayer MoS2 is essential since a bilayer has exhibited advantages over single layer MoS2 in many aspects for nanoelectronic applications. We explored the relative stability, optimal sliding path between different stacking orders of bilayer MoS2, and （especially） the effect of inter-layer stress, by combining first-principles density functional total energy calculations and the climbing-image nudge-elastic-band （CI-NEB） method. Among five typical stacking orders, which can be categorized into two kinds （I： AA＇, AB and II： AA＇, AB＇, A＇B）, we found that stacking orders with Mo and S superposing from both layers, such as AA＇ and AB, is more stable than the others. With smaller computational efforts than potential energy profile searching, we can study the effect of inter-layer stress on the stacking stability. Under isobaric condition, the sliding barrier increases by a few eV/（uc.GPa） from AA＇ to ABt, compared to 0.1 eV/（uc.GPa） from AB to [AB]. Moreover, we found that interlayer compressive stress can help enhance the transport properties of AA＇. This study can help understand why inter-layer stress by dielectric gating materials can be an effective means to improving MoS2 on nanoelectronic applications.

Dilute long period stacking/order(LPSO)-variant phases along the composition gradient in a Mg-Ho-Cu alloy

We have systematically investigated the microstructures of as-cast Mg_(97.49)Ho_(1.99)Cu_(0.43)Zr_(0.09)alloy by atomic resolution high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM), revealing the coexistence of 18R, 14H and 24R long period stacking/order(LPSO) phases with fully coherent interfaces along step-like composition gradient in a blocky intermetallic compound distributed at grain boundary. The short-range order(SRO) L1_(2)-type Cu_(6)Ho_(8)clusters embedded across AB’C’A-stacking fault layers are directly revealed at atomic scale. Importantly, the order degree of SRO clusters in the present dilute alloy is significant lower than previous 6M and 7M in-plane order reported in ternary Mg-TM(transition metal)-RE(rare earth) alloys, which can be well matched by 9M in-plane order. This directly demonstrates that SRO in-plane L1_(2)-type clusters can be expanded into more dilute composition regions bounded along the definite TM/RE ratio of 3/4. In addition, the estimated chemical compositions of solute enriched stacking fault(SESF) in all LPSO variants are almost identical with the ideal SESF composition of 9M in-plane order, regardless of the type of LPSO phases. The results further support the viewpoint that robust L1_(2)-type TM_(6)RE_(8)clusters play an important role in governing LPSO phase formation.

Achieving high-strain-rate and low-temperature superplasticity in an ECAP-processed Mg-Y-Er-Zn alloy via Ag addition

The effect of adding a small amount of Ag on the microstructure evolution and superplastic properties of Mg-Y-Er-Zn(WEZ612) alloys was systematically studied.The basal texture of the refined WEZ612 alloy produced by equal channel angular pressing was altered to a non-basal structure upon the addition of Ag.Ag addition also refined the grain size and promoted the formation of a large number of nano-14H-long period stacking ordered phases.Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy,many nano-precipitated phases were detected on the basal plane of the Mg-Y-Er-Zn-1Ag(WEZ612-1Ag) alloy,The nano-precipitated phases on the basal plane improved the thermal stability of the alloy,lowered the deformation activation energy(Q),and improved the stress sensitivity index(m).At 523 K with a strain rate of 10^(-2) s^(-1),the Q value of WEZ612 was higher than that of WEZ612-1Ag(299.14 and 128.5 kJ mol^(-1),respectively).In contrast,the m value of the WEZ612 alloy(0.16) was lower than that of the WEZ612-1Ag alloy(0.46).At 623 K with a tensile rate of 10^(-2) s^(-1),the WEZ612 and WEZ612-1Ag alloys were elongated by 182% and 495%,respectively,with the latter exhibiting high-strain-rate and low-temperature superplasticity.The improved superplasticity of the WEZ612-1Ag alloy is attributed to the nano-precipitated phases,which effectively limit the cavity extension during superplastic deformation.

The role of melt cooling rate on the interface between 18R and Mg matrix in Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2) alloys

The role of melt cooling rate on the interface morphology and dislocation configuration between 18R long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure and Mg matrix in Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)(at.%)alloys was investigated by atomic-scale HAADF-STEM imaging.The 18R/Mg interface is step-like both in the near-equilibrium alloy and non-equilibrium alloy.Lower cooling rate makes the step size more regular and larger.Only 54R structure can be observed at the interface in the near-equilibrium alloy,and the dislocations are highly ordered.54R and 54R′structure sandwiched by b1 and b2+b3 dislocation arrays,and new dislocation configuration can be detected at the interface in the non-equilibrium alloy,but the dislocations are less ordered.18R/Mg interface containing 54R or 54R′in equilibrium width,parallel to the(010)plane,should be most stable based on elastic calculation.The segregation of solute atoms and its strong interaction with dislocations dominate the LPSO/Mg interface via diffusion-displacive transformation.

Pressure-triggered stacking dependence of interlayer coupling in bilayer WS_(2)

Tungsten disulfide(WS_(2))has been reported to show negligible stacking dependence under ambient conditions,impeding its further explorations on physical properties and potential applications.Here,we realize efficient modulation of interlayer coupling in bilayer WS_(2)with 3R and 2H stackings by high pressure,and find that the pressure-triggered interlayer coupling and pressure-induced resonant-to-nonresonant transition exhibit prominent stacking dependence,which are experimentally observed for the first time in WS2.Our work may unleash the stacking degree of freedom in designing WS_(2)devices with tailored properties correlated to interlayer coupling.

Transformation of long-period stacking ordered structures in Mg-Gd-Y-Zn alloys upon synergistic characterization of first-principles calculation and experiment and its effects on mechanical properties

Based on experiments and first-principles calculations,the microstructures and mechanical properties of as-cast and solution treated Mg-10Gd-4Y-xZn-0.6Zr(x=0,1,2,wt.%)alloys are investigated.The transformation process of long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure during solidification and heat treatment and its effect on the mechanical properties of experimental alloys are discussed.Results reveal that the stacking faults and 18R LPSO phases appear in the as-cast Mg-10Gd-4Y-1Zn-0.6Zr and Mg-10Gd-4Y-2Zn-0.6Zr alloys,respectively.After solution treatment,the stacking faults and 18R LPSO phase transform into 14H LPSO phase.The Enthalpies of formation and reaction energy of 14H and 18R LPSO are calculated based on first-principles.Results show that the alloying ability of 18R is stronger than that of 14H.The reaction energies show that the 14H LPSO phase is more stable than the 18R LPSO.The elastic properties of the 14H and 18R LPSO phases are also evaluated by first-principles calculations,and the results are in good agreement with the experimental results.The precipitation of LPSO phase improves the tensile strength,yield strength and elongation of the alloy.After solution treatment,the Mg-10Gd-4Y-2Zn-0.6Zr alloy has the best mechanical properties,and its ultimate tensile strength and yield strength are 278.7 MPa and 196.4 MPa,respectively.The elongation of Mg-10Gd-4Y-2Zn-0.6Zr reaches 15.1,which is higher than that of Mg-10Gd-4Y0.6Zr alloy.The improving mechanism of elastic modulus by the LPSO phases and the influence on the alloy mechanical properties are also analyzed.

Cooling rate controlled basal precipitates and age hardening response of solid-soluted Mg-Gd-Er-Zn-Zr alloy

The precipitation and age hardening response of the solid-soluted Mg–10Gd–1Er–1Zn–0.6Zr(wt.%)alloy performed by water-quenching(QC),air-cooling(AC)and furnace-cooling(FC)in terms of the volume fraction of precipitates and tensile properties were investigated in present paper.Results indicated the solid-soluted alloy contained stacking faults(SFs)and long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase on the basal planes regardless of the cooling rate,but a larger volume fraction of the LPSO phase was formed with decreasing in the cooling rate.After aging,βandβ1 phases precipitated on the prismatic planes,and their number density decreased but mean particle size increased with decreasing in the cooling rate.The solid-soluted alloys(QC,AC and FC samples)showed no apparent difference in yield strength(YS),but their correspondent peak-aged alloys exhibited sharp difference in hardening response.The strongest hardening response took place in the QC sample and showed 82MPa enhancement in YS,which was much larger than that of AC(+26MPa)and FC samples(+5MPa).The reason lies in that the higher cooling rate promotes the precipitation and reduces the average size ofβprecipitate.A novel cooling-rate controlled precipitation model with respect to the correlation of precipitates on basal and prismatic planes was established.From this model,the basal precipitates showed a restrictive effect on the growth and/or coarsening ofβprecipitate,and composite precipitates containing theβphase with fine size as well as high area-number density and lower volume fraction of the LPSO phase are preferred to strengthen the Mg–10Gd–1Er–1Zn–0.6Zr alloy.

Towards high strength cast Mg-RE based alloys:Phase diagrams and strengthening mechanisms

Mg-rare earth(RE)based systems provide several important commercial alloys and many alloy development opportunities for high strength applications,especially in aerospace and defense industries.The phase diagrams,microstructure,and strengthening mechanisms of these multicomponent systems are very complex and often not well understood in literature.We have calculated phase diagrams of important binary,ternary,and multicomponent RE-containing alloy systems,using CALPHAD(CALculation of PHAse Diagrams).Based on these phase diagrams,this paper offers a critical overview on phase equilibria and strengthening mechanisms in these alloy systems,including precipitation,long period stacking order(LPSO),and other intermetallic phases.This review also summarized several promising Mg-RE based cast alloys in comparison with commercial WE54 and WE43 alloys;and explored new strategies for future alloy development for high strength applications.It is pointed out that the combination of precipitation and LPSO phases can lead to superior strength and ductility in Mg-RE based cast alloys.The precipitates and LPSO phases can form a complex three-dimensional network that effectively impedes dislocation motion on the basal and non-basal planes.The LPSO phases can also prevent the coarsening of precipitates when they interact,thus providing good thermal stability at elevated temperatures.Future research is needed to determine how the combination of these two types of phases can be used in alloy design and industrial scale applications.

Friction and wear behavior of Mg–11Y–5Gd–2Zn–0.5Zr(wt%)alloy with oil lubricant

The sliding friction and wear behaviors of Mg-11Y-5Gd-2Zn-0.5Zr （wt%） alloy were investigated under oil lubricant condition by pin-on-disk configuration with a constant sliding distance of 1,000 m in the temperature range of 25-200℃. Results indicate that the volumetric wear rates and average friction coefficients decrease with the increase of sliding speeds, and increase with the increase of test temperature below 150℃. The hard and thermally stable Mg12（Y,Gd）Zn phase with long-period stacking order structure in the alloy presents significant wear resistance, The wear mechanism below 100℃ is abrasive wear as a result of plastic extrusion deformation. The corporate effects of severe abrasive, oxidative, and delaminating wear result in the tribological mechanism above 100℃.

The effect of the 18R-LPSO phase on the fatigue behavior of extruded Mg/LPSO two-phase alloy through a comparative experimental-numerical study

The fatigue behavior of four extruded Mg-Y-Zn alloys containing different volume fractions of long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)grains was investigated through a comparative study combining experiments and crystal plasticity finite element simulations.Strain controlled low-cycle fatigue experiments were conducted at different strain amplitudes and revealed a limited cyclic hardening in Mg_(89)Zn_(4)Y_(7)alloy or softening in Mg_(99.2)Zn_(0.2)Y_(0.6)and Mg_(97)Zn_(1)Y_(2)alloys.A decrease in the fatigue life against the plastic strain with the increase in LPSO phase volume fraction was observed and was related the limited ductility of extruded LPSO grains.Stress-strain hysteresis curves were used to calibrate and validate a crystal plasticity model taking into account twinning and detwinning.The interaction of the different phases on the distribution of local micro-mechanical fields at the grain scale was then analyzed on synthetic microstructures under strain-controlled conditions.Deformation twinning activity was predicted in coarse unrecrystallized grains and tended to disappear with the increase in the LPSO phase volume fraction.Cleavage-like facets observed in LPSO grains were related to high tensile stress,especially at the Mg/LPSO interface,due to the limited number of deformation mechanisms in LPSO crystal to accommodate out-of-basal plane strain.The increase of the fatigue limit with the increase in LPSO phase volume fraction was finally associated with the decreasing presence of coarse unrecrystallizedα-Mg grains due to a higher dynamic recrystallization activity during the extrusion process.

Inherited multimodal microstructure evolution of high-fracture-toughness Mg-Zn-Y-Al alloys during extrusion for the consolidation of rapidly solidified ribbons

The mechanisms of multimodal microstructure evolution and the effects of microstructural factors on mechanical properties must be elucidated to design new alloys with superior properties.In this study,high-fracture-toughness and ductile Mg_(96.75)Zn_(0.85)Y_(2.05)Al_(0.35) alloys were developed using rapidly solidified(RS)ribbon-consolidation technique,and the inherited multimodal microstructure evolution during plastic flow consolidation of the RS ribbons was investigated.The use of extrusion for plastic flow consolidation of the heat-treated RS ribbons produced a multimodal microstructure consisting of the worked grains with high Kernel average misorientation(KAM)angles(Group1),the ultrafine dynamically recrystallized(DRXed)grains with intermediate KAM angles(Group 2),and the fine DRXed grains with low KAM angles(Group 3).Groups 1 and 2 contribute to the alloy strengthening,while Group 3 contributes to improving ductility with strainhardening,resulting in enhancement of the fracture toughness.To form the multimodal microstructure,it was necessary to apply plastic flow with equivalent strains of>2.3 to the heat-treated RS ribbons possessing duplex microstructures with different dispersions of the long-period stacking ordered phase.

Formation of β' phase in LPSO structures in an Mg88Co5Y7 alloy

Formation of β’ phase in long-period stacking ordered(LPSO) structures in an Mg;Co;Y;(at.%) alloy after aging at 200 °C for 24 h or electron beam(EB) irradiation has been studied by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADFSTEM). β’ phase was precipitated only in the Mg matrix but not in LPSO structures after aging at 200 °C for 24 h. LPSO structure containing stacking defects transforms into the β’-long phase during EB irradiation, which plays a key role in accelerating solute atoms’ diffusion. New complex β’(LPSO) structures formed in the alloy after EB irradiation, such as β’(12 H) structure with an orthorhombic lattice(Mg;Y, Cmcm,a = 2 _(a0)= 0.642 nm, b=4√3_(a0), c = 6 _(c0)= 3.12 nm).

Moir patterns and step edges on few-layer graphene grown on nickel films

Few-layer graphene grown on Ni thin films has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. In most areas on the surfaces, moir6 patterns resulted from rotational stacking faults were observed. At a bias lower than 200 mV, only one sublattice shows up in regions without moir6 patterns while both sublattices are seen in regions with moir6 pattens. This phenomenon can be used to identify AB stacked regions. The scattering characteristics at various types of step edges are different from those of monolayer graphene edges, either armchair or zigzag.

Phase equilibria and microstructure investigation of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn alloy system

In order to develop high strength Mg-Gd-Y-Zn alloys,key experiments coupled with CALPHAD(CALculation of PHAse Diagrams)calculations were carried out in the current work to provide critical understanding of this important alloy system.Three Mg-10 Gd-xY-yZn(x=4 or 5,y=3 or 5,wt.%) were mapped on Mg-Gd-Y-Zn phase diagrams for phase equilibria and microstructure investigation.Electron microscopy was performed for phase identification and phase fraction determination in as-cast and solution treated conditions.In all three alloys,the major phases were Mg-matrix and long period stacking order(LPSO) 14 H phase.With ST at 400 and 500℃,the phase fraction of LPSO 14 H increased,particularly the fine lamellar morphology in the Mg matrix.The as-cast and 400℃ Mg10 Gd5 Y3 Zn samples had Mg(Gd,Y) present.At 500℃,Mg(Gd,Y) is not stable and transforms into LPSO 14 H.The Mg 10 Gd5 Y5 Zn alloy included the WPhase,which showed a reduction in phase fraction with solution treatment.These experimental results were used to validate and improve the thermodynamic database of the Mg-Gd-Y-Zn system.Thermodynamic calculations using the improved database can well describe the available experimental results and make accurate predictions to guide the development of promising high-strength Mg-Gd-Y-Zn alloys.

Effect of Precipitated Phases on Corrosion of Mg95.8Gd3Zn1Zr0.2 Alloy with Long-Period Stacking Ordered Structure

The microstructure of the precipitated phases of Mg95.sGd3Zn1Zro.2 alloys with long-period stacking ordered structure before and after heat treatment is discussed. The corrosion properties of the as-cast （F）, solid-solution （T4） and aging-treated （T6） alloys in 1% NaC1 solution are studied. The hydrogen evolution and electrochemical measurements display that the as-cast Mg95.sGd3Zn1Zro.2 alloy with the continuous network eutectic phase exhibits the greatest corrosion resistance, while T6 sample with some needle-like phases and the particle phases is the worst among the three alloys. It is proposed to be mainly related to the amount, composition, microstructure and distribution of the precipitated phases.