Effect of annealing on the microstructures and Vickers hardness at room temperature of intermetallics in Mo-Si system

The microstructures and Vickers hardness at room temperature of arc-meltingprocessed intermetallics of Mo_5Si_3-MoSi_2 hypoeutectic alloy and hypereutectic alloy annealed at1200℃ for different time were investigated. Lamellar structure consisted of Mo_5Si_3 (D8m) phaseand MoSi_2 (C11_b) phase was observed in all the alloys. For Mo_5Si_3-MoSi_2 hypoeutectic alloy, thelamellar structure was found only after annealing and developed well with fine spacing on the orderof hundred nanometers after annealing at 1200℃ for 48 h. But when the annealing time was up to 96h, the well-developed lamellar structure was destroyed. For Mo_5Si_3-MoSi_2 hypereutectic alloy, thelamellar structure was found both before and after annealing. However the volume fraction andspacing of the lamellar structure did not change significantly before and after annealing. Theeffects of the formation, development and destruction of lamellar structure on Vickers hardness ofalloys were also investigated. When Mo_5Si_3-MoSi_2 hypoeutectic alloy annealed at 1200℃ for 48 h,the Vickers hardness was improved about 19% compared with that without annealing and formation oflamellar structure. The highest Vickers hardness of Mo5Si3-MoSi_2 hypereutectic was increasing about18% when annealing at 1200℃ for 48 h.

Homogeneity of microstructure and Vickers hardness in cold closed-die forged spur-bevel gear of 20Cr Mn Ti alloy

Cold closed-die forging is a suitable process to produce spur-bevel gears due to its advantages, such as saving materials and time, reducing costs, increasing die life and improving the quality of the product. The homogeneity of microstructure of cold closed-die forged gears can highly affect their service performance. The homogeneity of microstructure and Vickers hardness in cold closed-die forged gear of 20 Cr Mn Ti alloy is comprehensively studied by using optical microscopy and Vickers hardness tester. The results show that the distribution homogeneity of the aspect ratio of grain and Vickers hardness is the same. In the circumferential direction of the gear tooth, the distribution of the aspect ratio of grain and Vickers hardness is inhomogeneous and they gradually decrease from the surface to the center of the tooth. In the radial direction, the distribution of the aspect ratio of grain and Vickers hardness is inhomogeneous on the surface of the gear tooth; while it is relatively homogeneous in the center of the gear tooth. In the axial direction of the gear tooth, the distribution of the aspect ratio of grain and Vickers hardness is relatively homogeneous from the small-end to the large-end of the gear tooth.

Conversion between Vickers hardness and nanohardness by correcting projected area with sink-in and pile-up effects

The Vickers hardness test has been widely used for neutron-irradiated materials and nanoindentation for ion-irradiated materials.Comparing the Vickers hardness and nanohardness of the same materials quantitatively and establishing a correlation between them is meaningful.In this study,five representative materials—pure titanium(Ti),nickel(Ni),tungsten(W),304 coarse-grained stainless steel(CG-SS)and 304 nanocrystalline austenitic stainless steel(NG-SS)—are investigated for comparison.The results show that the relationship between Vickers hardness and nanohardness does not conform to a mathematical geometric relationship because of sink-in and pile-up effects confirmed by finite element analysis(FEA)and the results of optical microscopy.Finally,one new method was developed by excluding the effects of sink-in and pile-up in materials.With this improved correction in the projected area of the Vickers hardness and nanohardness,the two kinds of hardness become identical.

Relationship between Hardness and Deformation during Cold Rolling Process of Complex Profles

The hardening on surface of complex profles such as thread and spline manufactured by cold rolling can efectively improve the mechanical properties and surface quality of rolled parts. The distribution of hardness in superfcial layer is closely related to the deformation by rolling. To establish the suitable correlation model for describing the relationship between strain and hardness during cold rolling forming process of complex profles is helpful to the optimization of rolling parameters and improvement of rolling process. In this study, a physical analog experiment refecting the uneven deformation during complex-profle rolling process has been extracted and designed, and then the large date set (more than 400 data points) of training samples refecting the local deformation characteristics of complexprofle rolling have been obtained. Several types of polynomials and power functions were adopted in regression analysis, and the regression correlation models of 45# steel were evaluated by the single-pass and multi-pass physical analog experiments and the complex-profle rolling experiment. The results indicated that the predicting accuracy of polynomial regression model is better in the strain range (i.e., ε < 1.2) of training samples, and the correlation relationship between strain and hardness out strain range (i.e., ε > 1.2) of training samples can be well described by power regression model;so the correlation relationship between strain and hardness during complex-profle rolling process of 45# steel can be characterized by a segmented function such as third-order polynomial in the range ε < 1.2 and power function with a ftting constant in the range ε > 1.2;and the predicting error of the regression model by segmented function is less than 10%.

Effect of residual structural strain caused by the addition of Co3O4 nanoparticles on the structural, hardness and magnetic properties of an Al/Co3O4 nanocomposite produced by powder metallurgy

Al composites are of interest due to their appropriate ratio of strength to weight.In our research,an Al/Co3O4 nanocomposite was generated using a sintering technique.The powders of Al with various Co3O4 nanoparticle contents(0 wt%,0.5 wt%,1.0 wt%,1.5 wt%,2.0 wt%,and2.5 wt%)were first blended using planetary milling for 30 min,and compressed in a cylindrical steel mold with a diameter of 1 cm and a height of5 cm at a pressure of 80 MPa.The samples were evaluated with X-ray diffractometry(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Vickers hardness,and a vibrating sample magnetometer(VSM).Although the crystallite size of the Al particles remained constant at 7–10 nm,the accumulation of nanoparticles in the Al particle interspace increased the structural tensile strain from 0.0045 to 0.0063,the hardness from HV 28 to HV 52 and the magnetic saturation from 0.044 to 0.404 emu/g with an increase in Co3O4 nanoparticle content from 0 wt%to 2.5 wt%.

Theoretical investigation on the electronic structure,elastic properties, and intrinsic hardness of Si2N20

According to the density functional theory we systematically study the electronic structure, the mechanical prop- erties and the intrinsic hardness of Si2N2O polymorphs using the first-principles method. The elastic constants of four Si2N2O structures are obtained using the stress-strain method. The mechanical moduli （bulk modulus, Young’s mod-ulus, and shear modulus） are evaluated using the Voigt-Reuss-Hill approach. It is found that the tetragonal Si2N2O exhibits a larger mechanical modulus than the other phases. Some empirical methods are used to calculate the Vickers hardnesses of the Si2N2O structures. We further estimate the Vickers hardnesses of the four Si2N2O crystal structures, suggesting all Si2N2O phases are not the superhard compounds. The results imply that the tetragonal Si2N2O is the hardest phase. The hardness of tetragonal Si2N2O is 31.52 GPa which is close to values of β-Si3N4 and γ-Si3N4.

Electrochemical Corrosion Study in H2SO4 of NiAl with Cu Additions, Microstructure and Micro-Hardness at Room Temperature

For many years, intermetallic materials promise applications in a wide variety of technology areas. NiAl intermetallic compound is material that exhibits important characteristics such as high corrosion resistance and low density besides its ability to retain strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures. However NiAl intermetallic is too hard, brittle and exhibits very low ductility at room temperature being the reason because this material is not yet available for structural applications. In order to increase the ductility of the NiAl intermetallic compound, the addition of a third alloying element has been proved, nevertheless it is important to determine if such additions decrease or increase the hardness and the corrosion resistance of the alloy. So, the present investigation reports the corrosion performance of the NiAl intermetallic compound modified with Cu, emphasizing the EIS analysis and the relation between physical parameters and the modelling equations used in the Equivalent Electric Circuit. It was found that the addition of Cu promotes the formation of the γ’-Ni3Al phase in Cu contents greater than 15 at. %, in addition to a decrease in micro hardness and an increment in the Icorr values. In this way, the electrochemical characterization evidenced a high corrosion resistance of these intermetallic alloys.

Instrumented and Vickers Indentation for the Characterization of Stiffness,Hardness and Toughness of Zirconia Toughened Al_2O_3 and SiC Armor

Instrumented and Vickers indentation testing and microstructure analysis were used to investigate zirconia toughened alumina （ZTA） and silicon carbide （SIC）. Several equations were studied to relate the Vickers indentation hardness, Young＇s modulus and crack behavior to the fracture toughness. The frac- ture in SiC is unstable and occurs primarily by cleavage leading to a relatively low toughness of 3 MPa m1/2, which may be inappropriate for multi-hit capability. ZTA absorbs energy by plastic deformation, pore collapse, crack deviation and crack bridging and exhibits time dependent creep. With a relatively high toughness around 6.6 MPa m1/2, ZTA is promising for multi-hit capability. The higher accuracy of median equations in calculating the indentation fracture toughness and the relatively high c/a ratios above 2.5 suggest median type cracking for both SiC and ZTA. The Young＇s modulus of both ceramics was most accurately measured at lower indentation loads of about 0.5 kgf, while more accurate hardness and fracture toughness values were obtained at intermediate and at higher indentation loads beyond 5 kgf, respectively. A strong indentation size effect （ISE） was observed in both materials. The load independent hardness of SiC is 2563 HV, putting it far above the standard armor hardness requirement of 1500 HV that is barely met by ZTA.

Effect of Ti content on microstructure and mechanical properties of CuCoFeNi high-entropy alloys

We prepared(CuCoFeNi)Tix(x=0,0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,and 1.0)high-entropy alloys(HEAs)by vacuum arc melting and then investigated the effects of Ti on their microstructure and mechanical properties.When x was inreased to 0.6,the structure of the alloy transformed from their initial single face-centered cubic(fcc)structure into fcc+Laves mixed structure.The Laves phase was found to comprise Fe2Ti and be mainly distributed in the dendrite region.With increasing Ti content,both the Laves phase and the hardness of the alloy increased,whereas its yield and fracture strengths first increased and then decreased,reaching their highest value when x was 0.8.The(CuCoFeNi)Ti0.8 alloy exhibited the best overall mechanical properties,with yield and fracture strengths of 949.7 and 1723.4 MPa,respectively,a fracture strain of 27.92%,and a hardness of HV 461.6.

Preparation of Al_(72)Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 amorphous powders and bulk materials

Amorphous Al_（72）Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 powders were successfully fabricated by mechanical alloying. The microstructure, glass-forming ability, and crystallization behavior of amorphous Al_（72）Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, and differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）. The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed by the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami equation. In the results, the supercooled liquid region of the amorphous alloy is as high as 81 K, as determined by-non-isothermal DSC curves. The activation energy for crystallization is as high as 312.6 kJ ·mol1 obtained by Kissinger and Ozawa analyses. The values of Avrami exponent（n） imply that the crystallization is dominated by interface-controlled three-dimensional growth in the early stage and the end stage and by diffusion-controlled two- or three-dimensional growth in the middle stage. In addition, the amorphous Al_（72）Ni_8Ti_8Zr_6Nb_3Y_3 powders were sintered under 2 GPa at temperatures of 673 K and 723 K. The results show that the Vickers hardness of the compacted powders is as high as Hv 1215.

Forming of magnesium alloy by underwater shock wave

Magnesium alloys are best known for their light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio.In the forging process of magnesium alloys,hot working of has been often carried out.However,the strength of the material is reduced because the material temperature reaches the recrystallization temperature during hot working.Therefore,the cold method working is required to maintain or increase the strength of a material.In this study,we have designed experimental equipment to examine whether the forming of magnesium alloy is possible in the cold working by utilizing underwater shock wave,and the hardness of the material changes by receiving the underwater shock wave.Experimental results revealed increase in coefficient of extension and hardness of materials after receiving a shock wave.

New ordered MAX phase Mo_2 TiAlC_2: Elastic and electronic properties from first-principles

First-principles computation on the basis of density functional theory(DFT) is executed with the CASTEP code to explore the structural, elastic, and electronic properties along with Debye temperature and theoretical Vickers’ hardness of newly discovered ordered MAX phase carbide Mo2TiAlC2. The computed structural parameters are very reasonable compared with the experimental results. The mechanical stability is verified by using the computed elastic constants. The brittleness of the compound is indicated by both the Poisson’s and Pugh’s ratios. The new MAX phase is capable of resisting the pressure and tension and also has the clear directional bonding between atoms. The compound shows significant elastic anisotropy. The Debye temperature estimated from elastic moduli(B, G) is found to be 413.6 K. The electronic structure indicates that the bonding nature of Mo2TiAlC2is a mixture of covalent and metallic with few ionic characters. The electron charge density map shows a strong directional Mo–C–Mo covalent bonding associated with a relatively weak Ti–C bond.The calculated Fermi surface is due to the low-dispersive Mo 4d-like bands, which makes the compound a conductive one.The hardness of the compound is also evaluated and a high value of 9.01 GPa is an indication of its strong covalent bonding.

Is the hardness of material harder than diamond reliable?

With the development of new synthesis methods and chemistries,a number of new superhard materials have been reported to be harder than diamond.While such materials are highly desirable due to their wide-ranging applications,there are some inherent uncertainties in the methods utilized to determine and define the hardness of such materials.In this paper,we employed the standard Vickers diamond indenter and substitute indenters with the same shape to measure the hardness of nine ceramics and superhard materials within well-defined criteria and methodology,for the assessment of consistency in the hardness testing.The findings and the developed testing method in the current study have broad implications in characterizing new and emerging superhard materials,leading to new discoveries.

Relation Between Strength and Hardness of High-Entropy Alloys

High-entropy alloys(HEAs)are composed of multiple principal elements and exhibit not only remarkable mechanical properties,but also promising potentials for developing numerous new compositions.To fully realize such potentials,highthroughput preparation and characterization technologies are especially useful;thereby,the fast evaluations of mechanical properties will be urgently required.Revealing the relation between strength and hardness is of significance for quickly predicting the strength of materials through simple hardness testing.However,up to now the strength-hardness relation for HEAs is still a puzzle.In this work,the relations between tensile or compressive strength and Vickers hardness of various HEAs with hundreds of compositions at room temperature are investigated,and finally,the solution for estimating the strengths of HEAs from their hardness values is achieved.Data for hundreds of different HEAs were extracted from studies reported in the period from 2010 to 2020.The results suggested that the well-known three-time relation(i.e.,hardness equals to three times the magnitude of strength)works for nearly all HEAs,except for a few brittle HEAs which show quite high hardness but low strength due to early fracture.However,for HEAs with different phase structures,different strengths should be applied in using the 3-time relation,i.e.,yield strength for low ductility body-centered cubic(BCC)HEAs and ultimate strength for highly plastic and work-hardenable face-centered cubic(FCC)HEAs.As for dual-phase or multi-phase HEAs,similar 3-time relations can be also found.The present approach sheds light on the mechanisms of hardness and also provides useful guidelines for quick estimation of strength from hardness for various HEAs.

Hardness of resin cement cured under different thickness of lithium disilicate-based ceramic

Background The lithium disilicate-based ceramic is a newly developed all-ceramic material, which is lithium disilicate-based and could be used for fabricating almost all kinds of restorations. The extent of light attenuation by ceramic material was material-dependent. Ceramic materials with different crystal composition or crystalline content would exhibit distinct light-absorbing characteristics. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of ceramic thickness and light-curing time on the polymerization of a dual-curing resin luting material with a lithium disilicate-based ceramic. Methods A lithium disilicate-based ceramic was used in this study. The light attenuation caused by ceramic with different thickness was determined using a spectral radiometer. The commercial dual-cured resin cement was light-cured directly or through ceramic discs with different thickness （1, 2 and 3 mm, respectively） for different times （10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 seconds, respectively）. The polymerization efficiency of resin cement was expressed in terms as Vickers hardness （VHN） measured after 24 hours storage. Two-way analysis of variance （ANOVA） and Tukey＇s HSD tests were used to determine differences. Results Intensity of polymerizing light transmitted through ceramic discs was reduced from 584 mW/cm2 to about 216 mW/cm2, 80 mW/cm2 and 52 mW/cm2 at thicknesses of 1 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm, respectively. Resin cement specimens self-cured alone showed significantly lower hardness values. When resin cement was light-cured through ceramic discs with a thickness of 1 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm, no further increasing in hardness values was observed when light-curing time was more than 30 seconds, 40 seconds and 60 seconds, respectively. Conclusions Within the limitation of the present study, ceramic thickness and light-curing time had remarkable influence on the polymerization of dual-cured resin cement. When resin cement is light-cured beneath a lithium disilicate ceramic with different thickness, prolonging light-curing time accordingly may still be necessary to insure complete polymerization.

Effects of Mineral Admixtures and Superplasticizers on Micro Hardness of Aggregate-Paste Interface in Cement Concrete

This paper presents quantitatively the results of an experimental investigation on influence of mineral admixtures and superplasticizers on Vickers micro hardness(HV) of aggregate-paste interface in cement concrete. The HV was measured by Vickers hardness testing equipment.The results indicate that addition of fly ash decreases HV of the concrete.Although it decreases with the increase of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) replacement,the HV is higher than that of concrete containing fly ash at all replacements.The flying ash and GGBS composition increases HV in later curing ages,but does not improve it in early curing ages.Aminosulfonic acid based superplasticizer and aliphatic hydroxy sulphonate condensate superplasticizer can enhance HV in early curing ages.The HV of concrete with polycarboxylic acid superplasticizer is higher in later curing ages.

Fabrication,microstructure and properties of advanced ceramic-reinforced composites for dental implants:a review

The growing field of dental implant research and development has emerged to rectify the problems associated with human dental health issues. Bio-ceramics are widely used in the medical field, particularly in dental implants, ortho implants, and medical and surgical tools. Various materials have been used in those applications to overcome the limitations and problems associated with their performance and its impact on dental implants. In this article we review and describe the fabrication methods employed for ceramic composites, the microstructure analyses used to identify significant effects on fracture behaviour, and various methods of enhancing mechanical properties. Further, the collective data show that the sintering technique improves the density, hardness, fracture toughness, and flexural strength of alumina- and zirconia-based composites compared with other methods. Future research aspects and suggestions are discussed systematically.

Wear Properties of Spark Plasma‑Sintered AlCoCrFeNi2.1 Eutectic High Entropy Alloy with NbC Additions

AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1-x)NbC(x=0,2.5,7.5,and 10 wt%,denoted as NbC0,NbC2.5,NbC7.5,and NbC10)high-entropy alloy(HEA)matrix composites were fabricated by mechanical alloying(MA)and spark plasma sintering(SPS)methods.The effect of NbC content on the microstructures,Vickers hardness,and wear properties of AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1) eutectic high entropy alloy(EHEA)was systematically investigated.The results indicate that the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1) alloy consisted of FCC,B2,Al_(2)O_(3),and Cr_(7)C_(3) phases,while the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1-x)NbC(x>0)alloys consisted of FCC,NbC,Al_(2)O_(3),and Cr_(7)C_(3) phases.The AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1-x)NbC alloys exhibit excellent Vickers hardness with 679 HV,664 HV,677 HV,and 695 HV,respectively.In addition,with the addition of NbC,the average friction coefficient and wear rate of the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)-xNbC alloys decrease from 0.59 to 0.42 and from 1.5.10–5 mm^(3) N^(−1) m^(−1) to 2.4.10–6 mm^(3) N^(−1) m^(−1),respectively.Wherein,NbC10 alloy shows the smallest average friction coefficient of 0.42 and lowest wear rate of 2.4.10–6 mm^(3) N^(−1) m^(−1),indicating that the NbC10 alloy displays the best wear resistance.And the wear mechanism of the NbC10 alloy was oxidation wear accompanied by slight adhesive wear.

Microstructure Evolution during Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum Alloy AA2219

The characterization of microstructure evolution in friction stir welded aluminum alloy was carried out by optical microscopy （OM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD）. The weld nugget consisted of very fine equiaxed grains and experienced dissolution of nearly half of metastable precipitates into the matrix during welding. Thermomechanically affected zone （TMAZ） also experienced dissolution of precipitates but to a lesser extent whereas coarsening of precipitates was observed in heat affected zone （HAZ）. Grain boundary misorientation measurements using EBSD indicated continuous dynamic recrystallization as the underlying mechanism for the fine equiaxed nugget grains. The yield and tensile strength of the weld decreased with comparison to base material. But due to the decrease of grain size and the dissolution of second phase precipitates, an increased Charpy energy value was observed in the weld n u gget.

Enhanced mechanical properties in die-upset Nd-Fe-B magnets via die-upsetting process

The mechanical properties of die-upset Nd-Fe-B magnets produced at different die-upset processes were investigated. The results showed that the optimum comprehensive mechanical properties of die-upset Nd-Fe-B magnets were obtained at the deformation temperature of 680 ℃. The anisotropy of Vickers hardness was more obvious at the die-upset level of 55%, and the Vickers hardness measured parallel to the c-axis was significantly lower than that perpendicular to the c-axis. The fracture toughness measured parallel to the c-axis first increased, and then decreased with increase in die-upset level. The maximum fracture toughness of Nd-Fe-B magnets was obtained at the die-upset level of 60%. The microstmcture showed that the width of defect layers and the average size of large grains increased, and the layered structure of die-upset Nd-Fe-B magnets was obviously different with increase in the die-upset level.