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.

Dependence of microstructure and mechanical properties on solidification condition of directionally solidified Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys

In this study,directional solidification was utilized to explore the relationship between microstructure,mechanical properties,and withdrawal speeds of Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys.In order to assess the characteristics of Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys,both the microstructure and mechanical properties were thoroughly analyzed.This involved conducting room temperature tensile tests on samples with different withdrawal speeds(5,10,100,200,and 400μm·s^(-1)).The results reveal that both the as-cast alloy and samples after directional solidification are composed of zinc,aluminum,and silicon phases.As the withdrawal speed increases,an evident decrease in the size of the primary dendrites is observed.The results of tensile experiments show that Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys after directional solidification exhibit brittle fracture characteristics,both the tensile strength and elongation of the alloys increase with withdrawal speed.

Effects of Ce addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-1Mn alloy

The effects of Ce addition on the microstructure of Mg-6Zn-1Mn alloy during casting, homogenization, hot extrusion, T4, T6 and T4＋two-step aging were investigated. The mechanical properties of alloys with and without Ce were compared. The results showed that Ce had an obvious effect on the microstructure of ZM61-0.5Ce alloy by restricting the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization and restraining the grain growth during extrusion and heat treatment subsequently. A new binary phase Mg 12 Ce was identified in ZM61-0.5Ce alloy, which distributed at grain boundaries and was broken to small particles distributed at grain boundaries along extrusion direction during extrusion. The mechanical properties of as-extruded ZM61-0.5Ce alloy were improved with the addition of Ce. The improved tensile properties of as-extruded ZM61-0.5Ce alloy were due to the finer grain sizes as compared to ZM61 alloy. However, the UTS and YS decreased severely and the elongation increased when ZM61-0.5Ce was treated by T6 and T4＋two-step aging. Brittle Mg 12 Ce phase, which was distributed at the grain boundary areas and cannot dissolve into the Mg matrix after solution treatment, became crack source under tensile stress.

Effects of ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Y-2Sn alloy

The effects of the ultrasonic treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Y-2Sn alloy were investigated. The results show that the ultrasonic treatment has significant effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Y-2Sn alloy. The phases in Mg-6Zn-0.5Y-2Sn alloy are α-Mg, MgZn2, MgSnY, Mg2Sn, and a small amount of I-phase. With the application of ultrasonic treatment, I-phase nearly disappears, and with increasing the ultrasonic treatment power, the coarse dendrites gradually change into roundish equiaxed grains. The second phases at the α-Mg boundaries transform from coarse, semicontinuous and non-uniform to fine, discontinuous, uniform and dispersive. When the ultrasonic treatment power is 700 W, the best comprehensive mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-0.5Y-2Sn alloy are obtained. Compared with the untreated alloy, the 0.2%tensile yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation are improved by 28%, 30%and 67%, respectively.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of as-extruded and heat treated Mg-6Zn-1Mn-4Sn-1.5Nd alloy

The microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-1Mn-4Sn-1.5Nd alloy subjected to extrusion and T5 treatment were investigated using optical microscopy（OM）, X-ray diffractometer（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, electron back scattered diffraction（EBSD）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, hardness tests and uniaxial tensile tests. The results showed that the as-cast alloy consisted of α（Mg）, Mn, Mg7Zn3, Mg2 Sn and Mg Sn Nd phases. Dynamic recrystallization has completed during the extrusion process and the average grain size was 7.2 μm. After T5 treatment, the strength increased obviously, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of as-extruded alloy were increased by 94 and 34 MPa, respectively. Microstructure characterization revealed that the improvement of strength was determined by the high number density of β′1 rods.

Effects of cooling rate on bio-corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of Mg-1Zn-0.5Ca casting alloy

Mg?1Zn?0.5Ca alloys were prepared by traditional steel mould casting and water-cooled copper mould injection casting at higher cooling rate. Microstructure, mechanical properties and bio-corrosion resistance of two alloys were contrastively investigated. Grain size reduces remarkably and microstructure becomes homogenous when raising cooling rate. The bio-corrosion behaviour in 3.5% sodium chloride solution (3.5% NaCl) and Hank’s solution at 37°C was investigated using electrochemical polarization measurement and the results indicate that the alloy prepared at higher cooling rates has better corrosion resistance in both types of solution. Further mass loss immersion test in Hank’s solution reveals the same result. The reason of corrosion resistance improvement is that raising cooling rate brings about homogeneous microstructure, which leads to micro-galvanic corrosion alleviation. The tensile test results show that yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation are improved by raising cooling rate and the improvement is mainly due to grain refinement.

Effect of ultrasonic melt treatment on degassing of Mg-6Zn-1Ca alloy

The effect of ultrasonic power and treatment time on degassing of Mg-6Zn-1Ca alloy was studied in this paper. The degassing effect was characterized by measuring densities of ingots. The results show that proper ultrasonic treatment can remove hydrogen from the melt of the Mg-6Zn-1Ca alloy. The ultrasonic degassing effect is closely related to the ultrasonic power density and treatment time. The degassing efficiency increases with an increase in ultrasonic power density when the melt is treated at 690 °C for 120 s, reaching its highest value at 1.2 W·cm-3. When the power density is 1.2 W·cm-3, with an increase in ultrasonic treatment time, the degassing efficiency increases at first, reaches its peak value at 120 s, then decreases as the ultrasonic treatment is further prolonged. In this experiment, the optimum degassing effect with an efficiency of 67.5 % is obtained by ultrasonic treatment with the power density of 1.2 W·cm-3 for 120 s. The maximum density of ingot can be increased from 1.8069 g·cm-3 to 1.8146 g·cm-3(increased by 0.43%).

Effects of Si addition on microstructure, mechanical and thermal fatigue properties of Zn-38Al-2.5Cu alloys

The influence of Si addition on microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal fatigue behavior of Zn-38Al-2.5Cu alloys was investigated. The results show that constitutional supercooling of ZA38 alloys is formed because of the Si addition. Zn-38Al-2.5Cu-0.55Si alloy shows the dramatically refined microstructure and the best mechanical properties. When the Si addition exceeds 0.55%,αdendrites develop and Si phases become larger and aggregate along the dendrites boundaries, decreasing the mechanical properties. Oxides and pits formed by the plastic deformation are the main factors of cracks initiation. During the early stage of crack propagation, the cracks grow at a high speed well described by Paris law because of the porous and loose oxide, and mainly propagate along the dendrites boundaries. During the slow-growth stage, secondary cracks share the energy of crack growth, delaying the propagation of cracks, and the cracks propagate and fracture by the mixture of intergranular and transgranular modes.

Effects of calcium addition on as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloy

The effects of Ca addition on the as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of the Mg-5Zn-5Sn (mass fraction,%) alloy were investigated.The results indicate that an addition of 0.5%-1.5% (mass fraction) Ca to the Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloy not only refines the as-cast microstructure of the alloy but also causes the formation of the primary and/or eutectic CaMgSn phases with high thermal stability;an increase in Ca amount from 0.5% to 1.5% (mass fraction) increases the amount and size of the CaMgSn phase.In addition,Ca addition to the Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloy improves not only the tensile properties at room temperature and 150 ℃ but also the creep properties.Among the Ca-containing Mg-5Zn-5Sn alloys,the one added 0.5% (mass fraction) Ca obtains the optimum ultimate tensile strength and elongation at room temperature and 150 ℃,however,the alloy added 1.5% (mass fraction) Ca exhibits the optimum yield strength and creep properties.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of as-homogenized and as-extruded Mg-xLi-3Al-2Zn-0.5Y alloys(x=4,8,12)

The microstructure and corrosion behavior of the as-homogenized and as-extruded Mg-xLi-3Al-2Zn-0.5Y alloys(x=4,8,12,wt.%)were studied.The results show that as the Li content increases from 4%to 12%,the matrix transfers from singleα-Mg phase,(α-Mg+β-Li)dual phase to singleβ-Li phase.A mixed corrosion feature of intergranular corrosion and pitting corrosion occurs in the Mg-4Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Y and Mg-12Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Y alloys.The former is related to the precipitated AlLi phase along the grain boundaries,and the latter is related to the high potential difference between the second phase and the matrix.The corrosion resistance of the as-extruded alloys is better than that of the as-homogenized alloys.The superior corrosion resistance of the as-extruded Mg-8Li-3Al-2Zn-0.5Y alloy with the lowest corrosion rate(P_(W)=(0.63±0.26)mm/a)is attributed to the more uniform distribution of second phases,the protectiveα-Mg phase via sacrificing theβ-Li phase and the relatively integrated oxide film.

Grain refinement impact on the mechanical properties and wear behavior of Mg-9Gd-3Y-2Zn-0.5Zr alloy after decreasing temperature reciprocating upsetting-extrusion

Based on the deforming technique of severe plastic deformation(SPD), the grain refinement of a Mg-9Gd-3Y-2Zn-0.5Zr alloy treated with decreasing temperature reciprocating upsetting-extrusion(RUE) and its influence on the mechanical properties and wear behavior of the alloy were studied. The RUE process was carried out for 4 passes in total, starting at 0 ℃ and decreasing by 10 ℃ for each pass. The results showed that as the number of RUE passes increased, the grain refinement effect was obvious, and the second phase in the alloy was evenly distributed. Room temperature tensile properties of the alloy and the deepening of the RUE degree showed a positive correlation trend, which was due to the grain refinement, uniform distribution of the second phase and texture weakening. And the microhardness of the alloy showed that the microhardness of RUE is the largest in 2 passes. The change in microhardness was the result of dynamic competition between the softening effect of DRX and the work hardening effect. In addition, the wear resistance of the alloy showed a positive correlation with the degree of RUE under low load conditions. When the applied load was higher, the wear resistance of the alloy treated with RUE decreased compared to the initial state alloy. This phenomenon was mainly due to the presence of oxidative wear on the surface of the alloy, which could balance the positive contribution of severe plastic deformation to wear resistance to a certain extent.

Laser powder bed fusion of a Ni3Al-based intermetallic alloy with tailored microstructure and superior mechanical performance

Ni3Al-based alloys are excellent candidates for the structural materials used for turbine engines due to their excellent high-temperature properties.This study aims at laser powder bed fusion and post-hot isostatic pressing(HIP)treatment of Ni3Al-based IC^(-2)21 M alloy with a highγ0 volume fraction.The as-built samples exhibits unavoidable solidification cracking and ductility dip cracking,and the laser parameter optimization can reduce the crack density to 1.34 mm/mm^(2).Transmission electron microscope(TEM)analysis reveals ultra-fine nanoscaleγ0 phases in the as-built samples due to the high cooling rate during rapid solidification.After HIP treatment,a fully dense structure without cracking defects is achieved,which exhibits an equiaxed structure with grain size~120-180μm and irregularly shapedγ0 precipitates~1-3μm with a prominently high fraction of 86%.The room-temperature tensile test of as-built samples shows a high ultimate tensile strength(σUTS)of 1039.7 MPa and low fracture elongation of 6.4%.After HIP treatment,a significant improvement in ductility(15.7%)and a slight loss of strength(σUTS of 831.7 MPa)are obtained by eliminating the crack defects.Both the as-built and HIP samples exhibit retained highσUTS values of 589.8 MPa and 786.2 MPa,respectively,at 900C.The HIP samples exhibita slight decrease in ductility to~12.9%,indicating excellent high-temperature mechanical performance.Moreover,the abnormal increase in strength and decrease in ductility suggest the critical role of a highγ0 fraction in cracking formation.The intrinsic heat treatment during repeating thermal cycles can induce brittleness and trigger cracking initiation in the heat-affected zone with notable deteriorating ductility.The results indicate that the combination of LPBF and HIP can effectively reduce the crack density and enhance the mechanical properties of Ni_(3)Al-based alloy,making it a promising material for high-temperature applications.

Role of Ni content in improvement of corrosion resistance of Zn-Ni alloy in 3.5% Na Cl solution. Part I: Polarization and impedance studies

Zn plays an important role in the protection of iron and steel from corrosion in sea water, and the alloying of Zn and Ni can improve its corrosion resistance. The corrosion behavior of Zn？Ni alloys in synthetic sea water （3.5% NaCl, mass fraction） was studied using Tafel plot and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） techniques. The corrosion resistance of the investigated alloys with various Ni contents （0.5%？10%, mass fraction） was compared with that of Zn. The results show that the corrosion resistance of Zn？Ni alloys （except 0.5% Ni） is superior to that of Zn. The 10% Ni gives the highest corrosion resistance due to the formation ofγ-Zn3Ni withγ-ZnNi phases in the alloy. In the case of alloy I （0.5% Ni）, it exhibits a higher corrosion rate （less corrosion resistance） than Zn.

Modulation of microstructure and properties of Cu−Ni−Sn alloy by addition of trace Ti

The segregation of Sn and discontinuous precipitation at grain boundaries are detrimental to the strength,ductility,and machinability of the Cu−Ni−Sn alloy.A strategy to solve the above problems is multi-component composition design by introducing strong enthalpic interaction element.In this work,a series of Cu_(80)Ni_(15)Sn_(5−x)Ti_(x)(at.%)alloys were designed by cluster-plus-glue-atom model,and the effects of Ti content on the microstructure and properties of the alloys were systematically investigated using TEM and other analysis methods.The results demonstrate that Ti can effectively inhibit the segregation and discontinuous precipitation while promoting continuous precipitation to improve the high-temperature stability of the alloys.As the Ti content increases,the distribution of Ti changes from uniform distribution to predominant precipitation.The hardness and conductivity of the alloy exceed those of the C72900(Cu−15Ni−8Sn(wt.%))commercial alloy and the Cu_(80)Ni_(15)Sn_(5)(at.%)reference alloy when Ti is in the solution state.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-3.0Nd-0.4Zn-0.4Zr magnesium alloy

Mg-3.0Nd-0.4Zn-0.4Zr magnesium alloy were prepared by cast-extruding and chip-extruding.Microstructure,tensile and creep properties of the alloy were investigated.The results show that the alloy exhibit particle dynamic recrystallization during extrusion.The cast extruded-T6 rods at room temperature have a highest tensile strength of 258.5 MPa and a highest yield strength of 135.7 MPa.With the increase of test temperature,the strength of the alloy declines and the elongation increases.At 473 K,creep strain in the primary creep stage increases with increasing the creep stresses.Under 110 MPa,time spent during primary creep decreases with increasing the test temperatures.Stress exponent and creep activation energy of the alloy are 4.4 and 104 kJ/mol,respectively.Creep of the alloy can be controlled by dislocation climb mechanism.The morphology of the fracture surfaces was examined by employing scanning electron microscope.

Surface Modification With Zinc and Zn-Ni Alloy Compositionally Modulated Multilayer Coatings

Zinc and Zn-Ni alloy compositionally modulated multilayer （CMM） coatings were electrodeposited on to a steel substrate by the successive deposition of zinc and Zn-Ni alloy sublayers from dual baths. The coated samples were evaluated in terms of the surface appearance, surface and cross-sectional morphologies, as well as corrosion resistance. The microstructural characteristics that were examined using the field emission gun scanning electron microscopy （FEGSEM） confirmed the layered structure, grain refinement of the zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM coatings, and revealed the existence of microcracks caused by the internal stress in the thick Zn-Ni alloy sublayers. The corrosion resistance that was evaluated by means of the salt spray test shows that the zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM coatings were more corrosion-resistant than the monolithic coatings of zinc or Zn-Ni alloy of the same thickness. The possible reasons for the better protective performance of Zn-Ni/Zn CMM coatings were given on the basis of the analysis on the micrographic features of zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM eoatings after the corrosion test. A probable corrosion mechanism of zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM coatings was also proposed.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xNi alloys

Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xNi(x=0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, mass fraction) alloys were designed and prepared. The microstructures and the mechanical properties were studied by using optical microscope, scanning electronic microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, X-ray diffraction and a standard universal testing machine. The results show that the microstructure of Ni-containing alloys consist of α-Mg, Mg2 Sn, β-Mg-Ni-Al and γ-AlNi phases. No β-Mg-Ni-Al phase was observed in TAZ811-2.0Ni alloy due to its 1:1 atomic ratio of Ni/Al. The addition of Ni refines the α-Mg dendrites and suppresses the formation of coarse Mg2 Sn phase. The tensile properties results show that the TAZ811-0.5Ni alloy presented the best mechanical properties, which is due to the rod-like β-Mg-Ni-Al phase, refined α-Mg dendrites and Mg2 Sn phase, as well as γ-AlNi phase. The tensile fracture mechanism transits from cleavage to quasi-cleavage fracture with the increasing Ni addition.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-4Sm-0.4Zr alloy

A new rare earth magnesium alloy(Mg-6 Zn-4 Sm-0.4 Zr, wt.%) was prepared by permanent mould casting. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy sample in as-cast and various heat treatment situations were characterized with an optical microscope(OM), X-ray diffractometer(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscope(EDS), transmission electron microscope(TEM) and mechanical tests at room temperature, respectively. The experimental results show that the as-cast alloy mainly consists of α-Mg, eutectic Mg_2Zn_3, MgZnSm and Mg_(41)Sm_5. These eutectic phases with continuous or semicontinuous morphology principally distribute along grain boundaries. Almost all the eutectic compounds dissolve in α-Mg and the grains have no obvious growth trend after optimum solution treatment at 490 °C for 18 h. Meanwhile, the ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of 229 MPa and elongation(EL) to rupture of 9.78% can be achieved through the optimal solution treatment, which increase by 37 MPa and 57.74%, respectively, compared with that of the as-cast alloy. Further aging treatments at 200 °C for different durations lead to the conspicuous increment of mechanical properties and prominent age-hardening response. Peak-aged alloy(treated at 200 °C for 12 h) reveals better mechanical properties(UTS 258 MPa, EL 9.42%, hardness 73.4 HV) compared with the same alloy treated in other aging conditions, which is mainly ascribed to precipitated Mg_2Zn_3 and MgZn_2 phases. Fracture analysis demonstrates that the as-cast alloy belongs to inter-granular and cleavage fracture patterns, while the solutionized alloy(treated at 490 °C for 18 h) reveals trans-granular and quasi-cleavage fracture modes. For the peak-aged alloy, the fracture pattern obeys the mixture of trans-granular and cleavage modes.

Effects of Mg content on microstructure and mechanical properties of low Zn-containing Al-xMg-3Zn-1Cu cast alloys

Effects of Mg content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of low Zn-containing Al−xMg−3Zn−1Cu cast alloys(x=3−5,wt.%)were investigated.As Mg content increased in the as-cast alloys,the grains were refined due to enhanced growth restriction,and the formation ofη-Mg(AlZnCu)_(2) and S-Al_(2)CuMg phases was inhibited while the formation of T-Mg_(32)(AlZnCu)_(49 )phase was promoted when Mg content exceeded 4 wt.%.The increase of Mg content encumbered the solution kinetics by increasing the size of eutectic phase but accelerated and enhanced the age-hardening through expediting precipitation kinetics and elevating the number density of the precipitates.As Mg content increased,the yield strength and tensile strength of the as-cast,solution-treated and peak-aged alloys were severally improved,while the elongation of the alloys decreased.The tensile strength and elongation of the peak-aged Al−5Mg−3Zn−1Cu alloy exceed 500 MPa and 5%,respectively.Precipitation strengthening implemented by T′precipitates is the predominant strengthening mechanism in the peak-aged alloys and is enhanced by increasing Mg content.

Experimental Investigation on Microstructure and Segregation of Ultrahigh Strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Zr-Sc-Ni Alloy during Homogenization

Ultrahigh strength Al-12Zn-2.4Mg-1.1Cu-0.20Zr-0.30Sc-0.30Ni alloy billets were fabricated by spray deposition method(the Osprey process). The effect of homogenization treatment on the microstructures and tensile properties were investigated by OM, SEM and EDS. The results show that adding small amount of Sc and Zr can greatly refine the grain size of the billet, with the average grain size of 10 μm. Grain-boundary becomes coarser firstly and then thinner under different homogenizing condition and grain coarsening were observed. The solute elements content of Zn inside grains has a peak at 490 ℃ /2 h, and Cu element, which was solved into matrix, can enhance the matrix hardness obviously during homogenization. The suitable homogenizing treatment is 460～490 °C/2 h for the hot extrusion of the studied alloy; after the optimized solid solution and T6 aging, the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) is 858 MPa with a ductility of 4.8%.