Strengthening-softening transition and maximum strength in Schwarz nanocrystals

Recently,a Schwarz crystal structure with curved grain boundaries(GBs)constrained by twin-boundary(TB)networks was discovered in nanocrystalline Cu through experiments and atomistic simulations.Nanocrystalline Cu with nanosized Schwarz crystals exhibited high strength and excellent thermal stability.However,the grainsize effect and associated deformation mechanisms of Schwarz nanocrystals remain unknown.Here,we performed large-scale atomistic simulations to investigate the deformation behaviors and grain-size effect of nanocrystalline Cu with Schwarz crystals.Our simulations showed that similar to regular nanocrystals,Schwarz nanocrystals exhibit a strengthening-softening transition with decreasing grain size.The critical grain size in Schwarz nanocrystals is smaller than that in regular nanocrystals,leading to a maximum strength higher than that of regular nanocrystals.Our simulations revealed that the softening in Schwarz nanocrystals mainly originates from TB migration(or detwinning)and annihilation of GBs,rather than GB-mediated processes(including GB migration,sliding and diffusion)dominating the softening in regular nanocrystals.Quantitative analyses of simulation data further showed that compared with those in regular nanocrystals,the GB-mediated processes in Schwarz nanocrystals are suppressed,which is related to the low volume fraction of amorphous-like GBs and constraints of TB networks.The smaller critical grain size arises from the suppression of GB-mediated processes.

Effect of Effective Grain Size and Grain Boundary of Large Misorientation on Upper Shelf Energy in Pipeline Steels

X65, X70, and X80 belong to high grade pipeline steels. Toughness is one of the most important properties of pipeline steels when the pipeline transports the gas or oil, and the means to control toughness is very important for exploring even higher grade pipeline steels. We established the relationship between toughness and crystallographic parameters of high grade pipeline steels by studying the crystallographic parameters of X65, X70, and X80 using EBSD and analyzing Charpy CVN of X65, X70 and X80. The results show that the effective grain size, the frequency distribution of grain boundary misorientation and the ratio of high angle grain boundary to small angle grain boundary are important parameters. The finer the effective grain size, and the higher the frequency distribution of grain boundaries （〉 50~）, the more excellent toughness of high grade pipeline steels will be.

A rate-dependent constitutive model for saturated frozen soil considering local breakage mechanism

A rate-dependent constitutive model for saturated frozen soil is vital in frozen soil mechanics,especially when simultaneously describing the nonlinearity,dilatancy and strain-softening characteristics.The distribution of the non-uniform strain rate of saturated frozen soil at the meso-scale due to the local icecementation breakage is described by a newly binary-medium-based homogenization equation.Based on the field-equation-based approach of the meso-mechanics theory,the interaction expression of the strain rate at macro-and meso-scale is derived,which can give the strain rate concentration tensor at different crushed degrees.With the thermodynamics and empirical assumption,a breakage ratio in the rate-dependent form is determined.This overcomes the limitations of the existing binary-medium-based models that are difficult to simulate rate-dependent mechanical response.Based on these assumptions,a newly binary-medium-based rate-dependent model is proposed considering both the ice bond breakage and material composition characteristics of saturated frozen soil.The proposed constitutive model has been validated by the test results on frozen soils with different temperatures and strain rates.

Microstructure Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of X80 Pipeline Steels

The relation between microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of X80 pipeline steels was investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, etc. It is shown that the structure consists of polygonal ferrite （PF）, quasi-polygonal ferrite （QPF）, acicular ferrite （AF）, and granular bainitic ferrite （GF）. With increasing volume fraction of M-A islands （below 3%）, the yield strength increases. With increasing content of higher angle grain boundaries（HAGBs）, the yield strength, elongation, and DWTT properties at -15 ℃ increase, and the volume fraction of M-A islands reaches its highest point in the steel containing the most volume fraction of GF.

Effects of microrolling parameters on the microstructure and deformation behavior of pure copper

Microrolling experiments and uniaxial tensile tests of pure copper under different annealing conditions were carried out in this paper. The effects of grain size and reduction on non-uniform deformation, edge cracking, and microstructure were studied. The experimen- tal results showed that the side deformation became more non-uniform, resulting in substantial edge bulge, and the uneven spread increased with increasing grain size and reduction level. When the reduction level reached 80% and the grain size was 65 μm, slight edge cracks occurred. When the grain size was 200 μm, the edge cracks became wider and deeper. No edge cracks occurred when the grain size was 200 μm and the reduction level was less than 60%; edge cracks occurred when the reduction level was increased to 80%. As the reduction level increased, the grains were gradually elongated and appeared as a sheet-like structure along the rolling direction; a fine lamellar structure was obtained when the grain size was 20 lam and the reduction level was less than 60%.

Effects of aging treatment on the microstructure and superelasticity of columnar-grained Cu71Al18Mn11 shape memory alloy

The effect of aging treatment on the superelasticity and martensitic transformation critical stress in columnar-grained Cu_（71）Al_（18）Mn_（11） shape memory alloy（SMA） at the temperature ranging from 250°C to 400°C was investigated. The microstructure evolution during the aging treatment was characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the plate-like bainite precipitates distribute homogeneously within austenitic grains and at grain boundaries. The volume fraction of bainite increases with the increase in aging temperature and aging time, which substantially improves the martensitic transformation critical stress of the alloy, whereas the bainite only slightly affects the superelasticity. This behavior is attributed to a coherent relationship between the bainite and the austenite, as well as to the bainite and the martensite exhibiting the same crystal structure. The variations of the martensitic transformation critical stress and the superelasticity of columnar-grained Cu_（71）Al_（18）Mn_（11） SMA with aging-temperature and aging time are described by the Austin-Rickett equation, where the activation energy of bainite precipitation is 77.2 kJ ·mol1. Finally, a columnar-grained Cu_（71）Al_（18）Mn_（11） SMA with both excellent superelasticity（5%-9%） and high martensitic transformation critical stress（443-677 MPa） is obtained through the application of the appropriate aging treatments.

Interfacial Characteristics of Nanocrystalline FeMoSiB Alloys

By using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and transmission Mssbauer spectroseopy (TMES), the formation, structure and properties including microhardness and electrical resistivity of nanocrystalline FeMoSiB alloys have been investigated. By annealing the as-quenched FeMoSiB sample at 833-1023K for 1 h, nanocrystalline materials with grain sizes of 15 to 200 nm were obtained. Mssbauer spectroscopy results reveal a quasi-continuous distribution feature of P(H)-H curves for 15 nm-and 20 nm-grained samples. Also, it was found that resistivity and microhardness of nanocrystalline Fe-Mo-Si-B alloys exhibit strong grain size effect.

Effect of P impurity on NiAlΣ5 grain boundary from first-principles study

First-principles calculations based on the density functional theory（DFT） and ultra-soft pseudopotential are employed to study the atomic configuration and charge density of impurity P in Ni Al Σ5 grain boundary（GB）. The negative segregation energy of a P atom proves that a P atom can easily segregate in the Ni Al GB. The atomic configuration and formation energy of the P atom in the Ni Al GB demonstrate that the P atom tends to occupy an interstitial site or substitute a Al atom depending on the Ni/Al atoms ratio. The P atom is preferable to staying in the Ni-rich environment in the Ni Al GB forming P–Ni bonds. Both of the charge density and the deformation charge imply that a P atom is more likely to bond with Ni atoms rather than with Al atoms. The density of states further exhibits the interactions between P atom and Ni atom, and the orbital electrons of P, Ni and Al atoms all contribute to P–Ni bonds in the Ni Al GB. It is worth noting that the P–Ni covalent bonds might embrittle the Ni Al GB and weakens the plasticity of the Ni Al intermetallics.

Effects of Grain Boundary Characteristics on Its Capability to Trap Point Defects in Tungsten

Acoustic one-way manipulations have recently attracted significant attention due to the deep implications in many diverse fields such as biomedical imaging and treatment.However,the previous mechanisms of asymmetric manipulation of airborne sound need to use elaborate heavyweight structures and only work in certain frequency ranges.We propose a mechanism for designing an ultra-lightweight and optically transparent structure with asymmetric transmission property for normally incident plane waves.Instead of fabricating solids into complicated artificial structures with limited bandwidth and heavy weight,we simply use xenon to fill a spatial region of asymmetric shape which allows the incident plane wave to pass along one direction while reflecting the reversed wave regardless of frequency.We demonstrate both analytically and numerically its effectiveness of producing highly-asymmetric transmission within an ultra-broad band.Our design offers new possibility for the design of one-way devices and may have far-reaching impact on various scenarios such as noise control.

The heterotic effects on dry matter production and grain yield formation in hybrid rice

We studied the characteristics of dry matterproduction and matter partitioning in hybridrice and the relationships of them with heterot-ic effect in 1993. Two popular indica hybrids, Shanyou 63(Zhenshan 97A/Minhui 63 ) and Teyou 63(Longtepu A/Minhui 63), as well as theircommon restorer line, Minhui 63 (elite cultivar

Effect of phytate on the amylosynthetase activity and rice grain quality

Phytate of three concentrations was sprayed on the leaves of an indica rice Yuanfengzao in heading stage, full heading stage, filling stage and wax ripeness stage respectively. The effects of phytate on the enzyme activity in endosperm and rice grain quality were determinated. Plants sprayed with distilled water were used as control. It was showed that spraying solutions in full heading stage had the most manifest effect. The activity of amylosynthetase between the 100mg/kg and 150mg/kg phytate treatment was identical, which was 7.4% higher than that of 50mg/kg treatment. On the other hand, amylase activity on the 50mg/kg treatment was 12.5% and 8.7% lower than those

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of brazing joint for ultra-thin-walled Inconel 718 considering grain size effect and brazing temperature

The systematic investigation of the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution process of ultra-thin-walled Inconel 718 capillary brazing joints is of great significance because of the exceptionally high demands on its application.To achieve this objective,this study investigates the impact of three distinct brazing temperatures and five typical grain sizes on the brazed joints’mechanical properties and microstructure evolution process.Microstructural evolution analysis was conducted based on Electron Back Scatter Diffraction(EBSD),Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM),X-Ray Diffraction(XRD),High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy(HRTEM),and Focused Ion Beam(FIB).Besides,the mechanical properties and fracture behavior were studied based on the uniaxial tension tests and in-situ tension tests.The findings reveal that the brazing joint’s strength is higher for the fine-grain capillary than the coarse-grain one,primarily due to the formation of a dense branch structure composed of G-phase in the brazing seam.The effects of grain size,such as pinning and splitting,are amplified at higher brazing temperatures.Additionally,micro-cracks initiate around brittle intermetallic compounds and propagate through the eutectic zone,leading to a cleavage fracture mode.The fracture stress of fine-grain specimens is higher than that of coarse-grain due to the complex micro-crack path.Therefore,this study contributes significantly to the literature by highlighting the crucial impact of grain size on the brazing properties of ultra-thin-walled Inconel 718 structures.

Strength criterion for crystalline rocks considering grain size effect and tensile-compressive strength ratio

The macroscopic mechanical properties of rocks are significantly influenced by their microstructure.As a material bonded by mineral grains,the grain morphology of crystalline rock is the primary factor influencing the strength.However,most strength criteria neglect the strength variations caused by different grain characteristics in rocks.Furthermore,the traditional linear criteria tend to overestimate tensile strength and exhibit apex singularity.To address these shortcomings,a piecewise strength criterion that considers the grain size effect has been proposed.A part of an ellipse was employed to construct the envelope of the tensive-shear region on the meridian plane,to accurately reproduce the low tensile-compressive strength ratio.Based on the analysis of experimental data,both linear and exponential modification functions that account for grain size effects were integrated into the proposed criterion.The corresponding finite element algorithm has been implemented.The accuracy and applicability of the proposed criterion were validated by comparing with the experimental data.

Effect of Cooling Rate on Microstructure and Effective Grain Size for a Ni–Cr–Mo–B High-Strength Steel

The effect of cooling rate on microstructure and effective grain size(EGS)of a Ni-Cr-Mo-B high-strength steel has been studied by dilatometer,field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD).The results show that the microstructure of the Ni-Cr-Mo-B steel is dependent on cooling rate in the following sequence:lath martensite(LM),mixed LM and lath bainite(LB),mixed LB and granular bainite(GB)and GB.The critical cooling rates for appearance of LB and GB are about 10℃/s and 0.5℃/s,respectively.The LM(>10℃/s)consists of few blocky regions with a width of several micros.Compared with the lath regions,the blocky regions in LM form at higher actual transformation temperatures during cooling.The blocky region area percentage in LM keeps almost constant about 8%at different cooling rates(>10℃/s)due to similar martensite transformation starting temperature(M_(s)).The LB percentage in mixed LM/LB increases gradually with decreasing cooling rate(10-0.5℃/s).The EBSD results show that different microstructures have different EGS.The mixed LM/LB exhibits the smallest EGS due to the separation of the prior austenite grains by the pre-formed LB and the refinement of the LM.Meanwhile,the mixed LM/LB at different cooling rates(10-0.5℃/s)exhibits almost the same EGS because the LB and LM in the mixed LM/LB have a similar high-angle grain boundary density and similar EGS.Because the blocky regions contain few high-angle grain boundaries and have similar area percentages in the LM,the LM at different cooling rates(>10℃/s)exhibits almost the same EGS.The ferrite in GB exhibits as a whole with few high-angle grain boundaries;thus,the mixed LB/GB exhibits the largest EGS.

Microscopic origin and relevant grain size effect of discontinuous grain growth in BaTiO_(3)-based ferroelectric ceramics

Barium titanate[BaTiO_(3)(BT)]-based ceramics are typical ferroelectric materials.Here,the discontinuous grain growth(DGG)and relevant grain size effect are deeply studied.An obvious DGG phenomenon is observed in a paradigmatic Zr^(4+)-doped BT-based ceramic,with grains growing from∼2.2–6.6 to∼121.8–198.4μm discontinuously near 1320℃.It is found that fine grains can get together and grow into large ones with liquid phase surrounding them above eutectic temperature.Then the grain boundary density(D g)is quantitatively studied and shows a first-order reciprocal relationship with grain size,and the grain size effect is dependent on D g.Fine grains lead to high D g,and then cause fine domains and pseudocubic-like phase structure because of the interrupted long-range ferroelectric orders by grain boundary.High D g also causes the diffusion phase transition and low Curie dielectric peak due to the distribution of phase transition temperature induced by internal stress.Local domain switching experiments reveal that the polarization orientation is more difficult near the grain boundary,implying that the grain boundary inhibition dominates the process of polarization orientation in fine-grain ceramics,which leads to low polarization but a high coercive field.However,large-grain ceramics exhibit easy domain switching and high&similar ferroelectricity.This work reveals that the grain boundary effect dominates the grain size effect in fine-grain ceramics,and expands current knowledge on DGG and grain size effect in polycrystalline materials.

Environmental significance of biogenic elements in surface sediments of the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent areas

Biogenic elements and six phosphorus （P） fractions in surface sediments from the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent waters were determined to investigate the governing factors of these elements, and further to discuss their potential uses as paleo-environment proxies and risks of P release from sediment. Total organic carbon （TOC） and leachable organic P （Lea-OP） showed high concentrations in the estuary, Zhejiang coast and offshore upwelling area. They came from both the Changjiang River and marine biological input. Biogenic silicon （BSi） exhibited a high concentration band between 123 and 124°E. BSi mainly came from diatom production and its concentration in the inshore area was diluted by river sediment. Total nitrogen （TN） was primarily of marine biogenic origin. Seaward decreasing trends of Fe-bound P and Al-bound P revealed their terrestrial origins. Influenced by old Huanghe sediment delivered by the Jiangsu coastal current, the maximum concentration of detrital P （Det-P） was observed in the area north of the estuary. Similar high concentrations of carbonate fluorapatite （CFA-P） and CaCO3in the southern study area suggested marine calcium-organism sources of CFA-P. TOC, TN and non-apatite P were enriched in fine sediment, and Det-P partially exhibited coarse-grain enrichment, but BSi had no correlation with sediment grain size. Different sources and governing factors made biogenic elements and P species have distinct potential uses in indicating environmental conditions. Transferable P accounted for 14%-46% of total P. In an aerobic environment, there was low risk of P release from sediment, attributed to excess Fe oxides in sediments.

Evolution of secondary phase particles during deformation of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy and their effect on α-Al grain refinement

Addition of Al-5Ti-1B alloy to molten aluminum alloys can refine α-Al grains effectively and thereby improve their strength and toughness. TiAl;and TiB;in Al-5Ti-1B alloy are the main secondary-phase particles for refinement, while the understanding on the effect of their sizes on α-Al grain refinement continues to be fragmented. Therefore, Al-5Ti-1B alloys with various sizes and morphologies of the secondary-phase particles were prepared by equal channel angular pressing（ECAP）. Evolution of the secondary-phase particles during ECAP process and their impact on α-Al grain refinement were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope（SEM）. Results show that during the ECAP process, micro-cracks firstly appeared inside TiAl;particles and then gradually expanded, which resulted in continuous refinement of TiAl;particles. In addition, micro-distribution uniformity of TiB;particles was improved due to the impingement of TiAl;particles to TiB;clusters during deformation. Excessively large sizes of TiAl;particles would reduce the number of effective heterogeneous nucleus and thus resulted in poor grain refinement effectiveness. Moreover, excessively small TiAl;particles would reduce inhibitory factors for grain growth Q and weaken grain refinement effectiveness. Therefore, an optimal size range of 18-22 μm for TiAl;particles was suggested.

Unravelling the competitive effect of microstructural features on the fracture toughness and tensile properties of near beta titanium alloys

The competitive effect of microstructural features including primaryα(α_(p)),secondaryα(α_(s)),grain boundaryα(α_(GB)) and β grain size on mechanical properties of a near β Ti alloy were studied with two heat treatment processes.The relative effect of β grain size and STA(solution treatment and ageing)processing parameters on mechanical properties were quantitatively explored by the application of Taguchi method.These results were further explained via correlating microstructure with the fracture toughness and tensile properties.It was found that large numbers of fine as precipitates and continuous α_(s) played greater roles than other features,resulting in a high strength and very low ductility(<2%)of STA process samples.The β grain size had a negative correlation with fracture toughness.In the samples prepared by BASCA( β anneal slow cooling and ageing)process,improved ductility and fracture toughness were obtained due to a lower density ofα;precipitates,a basket-weave structure and zigzag morphology of α_(GB).For this heat treatment,an increase in prior β grain size had an observable positive effect on fracture toughness.The contradictory effect of β grain size on fracture toughness found in literature was for the first time explained.It was shown that the microstructure obtained from different processes after β solution has complex effect on mechanical properties.This complexity derived from the competition between microstructure features and the overall sum of their effect on fracture toughness and tensile properties.A novel table was proposed to quasi-quantitatively unravel these competitive effects.

Microstructural Evolution and Toughness in the HAZ of Submerged Arc Welded Low Welding Crack Susceptibility Steel

Microstructural characteristics of different sub-regions of heat affected zone （HAZ） of low welding crack susceptibility steel weldment were investigated by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with electron backscattered diffraction system. And the focus was put on the correlation between microstructural characteristics and HAZ toughness of the weldment. The results reveal that the toughness of fusion line zone （FLZ） specimens is much lower than that of fine grained HAZ （FGHAZ） specimens. The coarse inclusions in the weld metal and the large martensite-austenite constituents in the coarse grained HAZ （CGHAZ） have an obvious negative effect on the crack initiation energy of FLZ. Meanwhile, the coarse granular bainite with large effective grain decreases the crack propagation energy seriously. By contrast, fine crystallographic grains in the FGHAZ play a key role in increasing toughness, especially in improving crack propagation energy.