Effect of forging on the microstructure and texture of a high Nb containing γ-TiAl alloy

The effect of forging on the microstructure and texture evolution of a high Nb containing Ti-45Al-7Nb-0.3W(at.%)alloy was investigated by X-ray diffractometer(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The results show that the as-cast alloy is mainly composed of α_(2)/γ lamellar colonies with a mean size of 70μm,but the hot-forged pancake displays a near duplex microstructure(DP).Kinking and bending of lamellar colonies,deformation twinning and dynamic recrystallization(DRX)occur during hot forging.Meanwhile,dense dislocations in theβphase after forging suggest that the high-temperature β phase with a disordered structure is favorable for improving the hot-workability of the alloy.Unlike the common TiAl casting texture,the solidification process of the investigated as-cast alloy with high Nb content is completely via the β phase region,resulting in the formation of a<110>γ fiber texture where the<110>γ aligns parallel to the heat-flow direction.In comparison,the relatively strong<001>and weak<302>texture components in the as-forged alloy are attributed to the deformation twinning.After annealing,static recrystallization occurs at the twin boundary and intersections,which weakens the deformation texture.

Ultrahigh strength and improved electrical conductivity in an aging strengthened copper alloy processed by combination of equal channel angular pressing and thermomechanical treatment

In this paper,equal channel angular pressing and thermomechanical treatment was employed to improve the strength and electrical conductivity of an aging strengthened Cu-Ti-Cr-Mg alloy,and the microstructure and properties of the alloy were investigated in detail.The results showed that the samples deformed by the combination of cryogenic equal channel angular pressing(ECAP)and rolling had good comprehensive properties after aging at 400℃.The tensile strength of the peak-aged and over-aged samples was 1120 MPa and 940 MPa,with their corresponding electrical conductivity of 14.7%IACS and 22.1%IACS,respectively.ECAP and cryogenic rolling introduced high density dislocations,leading to the inhibition of the softening effects and refinement of the grains.After a long time aging at 400℃,the alloy exhibited ultra-high strength with obvious increasing electrical conductivity.The high strength was attributed to the synergistic effect of work hardening,grain refinement strengthening and precipitation strengthening.The precipitation of a large amount of Ti atoms from the matrix led to the high electrical conductivity of the over-aged sample.

A critical review on solid-state welding of high entropy alloys-processing,microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of joints

The high entropy alloys(HEAs)are the newly developed high-performance materials that have gained significant importance in defence,nuclear and aerospace sector due to their superior mechanical properties,heat resistance,high temperature strength and corrosion resistance.These alloys are manufactured by the equal mixing or larger proportions of five or more alloying elements.HEAs exhibit superior mechanical performance compared to traditional engineering alloys because of the extensive alloying composition and higher entropy of mixing.Solid state welding(SSW)techniques such as friction stir welding(FSW),rotary friction welding(RFW),diffusion bonding(DB)and explosive welding(EW)have been efficiently deployed for improving the microstructural integrity and mechanical properties of welded HEA joints.The HEA interlayers revealed greater potential in supressing the formation of deleterious intermetallic phases and maximizing the mechanical properties of HEAs joints.The similar and dissimilar joining of HEAs has been manifested to be viable for HEA systems which further expands their industrial applications.Thus,the main objective of this review paper is to present a critical review of current state of research,challenges and opportunities and main directions in SSW of HEAs mainly CoCrFeNiMn and Al_xCoCrFeNi alloys.The state of the art of problems,progress and future outlook in SSW of HEAs are critically reviewed by considering the formation of phases,microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of HEAs joints.

Characterization of local chemical ordering and deformation behavior in high entropy alloys by transmission electron microscopy

Short-range ordering(SRO)is one of the most important structural features of high entropy alloys(HEAs).However,the chemical and structural analyses of SROs are very difficult due to their small size,complexed compositions,and varied locations.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)as well as its aberration correction techniques are powerful for characterizing SROs in these compositionally complex alloys.In this short communication,we summarized recent progresses regarding characterization of SROs using TEM in the field of HEAs.By using advanced TEM techniques,not only the existence of SROs was confirmed,but also the effect of SROs on the deformation mechanism was clarified.Moreover,the perspective related to application of TEM techniques in HEAs are also discussed.

Spark plasma sintering of tungsten-based WTaVCr refractory high entropy alloys for nuclear fusion applications

W-based WTaVCr refractory high entropy alloys (RHEA) may be novel and promising candidate materials for plasma facing components in the first wall and diverter in fusion reactors. This alloy has been developed by a powder metallurgy process combining mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The SPSed samples contained two phases, in which the matrix is RHEA with a body-centered cubic structure, while the oxide phase was most likely Ta2VO6through a combined analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD),energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The higher oxygen affinity of Ta and V may explain the preferential formation of their oxide phases based on thermodynamic calculations. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) revealed an average grain size of 6.2μm. WTaVCr RHEA showed a peak compressive strength of 2997 MPa at room temperature and much higher micro-and nano-hardness than W and other W-based RHEAs in the literature. Their high Rockwell hardness can be retained to at least 1000°C.

Effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal,porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy

The effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal(ESC),porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy was investigated by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and laboratory computed tomography(CT).Results showed that the newly developed AlSi9MnMoV alloy exhibited improved mechanical properties when compared to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.The AlSi9MnMoV alloy,which was designed with trace multicomponent additions,displays a notable grain refining effect in comparison to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.Refining elements Ti,Zr,V,Nb,B promote heterogeneous nucleation and reduce the grain size of primaryα-Al.At a lower slow shot speed,the large ESCs are easier to form and gather,developing into the dendrite net and net-shrinkage.With an increase in slow shot speed,the size and number of ESCs and porosities significantly reduce.In addition,the distribution of ESCs is more dispersed and the net-shrinkage disappears.The tensile property is greatly improved by adopting a higher slow shot speed.The ultimate tensile strength is enhanced from 260.31 MPa to 290.31 MPa(increased by 11.52%),and the elongation is enhanced from 3.72%to 6.34%(increased by 70.52%).

Improving corrosion resistance of additively manufactured WE43 magnesium alloy by high temperature oxidation for biodegradable applications

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)has been employed to additively manufacture WE43 magnesium(Mg)alloy biodegradable implants,but WE43 L-PBF samples exhibit excessively rapid corrosion.In this work,dense WE43 L-PBF samples were built with the relativity density reaching 99.9%.High temperature oxidation was performed on the L-PBF samples in circulating air via various heating temperatures and holding durations.The oxidation and diffusion at the elevated temperature generated a gradient structure composed of an oxide layer at the surface,a transition layer in the middle and the matrix.The oxide layer consisted of rare earth(RE)oxides,and became dense and thick with increasing the holding duration.The matrix was composed ofα-Mg,RE oxides and Mg_(24)RE_(5) precipitates.The precipitates almost disappeared in the transition layer.Enhanced passivation effect was observed in the samples treated by a suitable high temperature oxidation.The original L-PBF samples lost 40%weight after 3-day immersion in Hank’s solution,and broke into fragments after 7-day immersion.The casted and solution treated samples lost roughly half of the weight after 28-day immersion.The high temperature oxidation samples,which were heated at 525℃ for 8 h,kept the structural integrity,and lost only 6.88%weight after 28-day immersion.The substantially improved corrosion resistance was contributed to the gradient structure at the surface.On one hand,the outmost dense layer of RE oxides isolated the corrosive medium;on the other hand,the transition layer considerably inhibited the corrosion owing to the lack of precipitates.Overall,high temperature oxidation provides an efficient,economic and safe approach to inhibit the corrosion of WE43 L-PBF samples,and has promising prospects for future clinical applications.

Microstructure and Properties of AlCoCrFeNiTi High-Entropy Alloy Coatings Prepared by Laser Cladding

21-4N(5Cr21Mn9Ni4N)is extensively employed in the production of engine valves,operating under severe conditions.Apart from withstanding high-temperature gas corrosion,it must also endure the impact of cylinder explosion pressure.The predominant failure mode of 21-4N valves is abrasive wear.Surface coatings serve as an effective approach to prevent such failures.In this investigation,Laser cladding technology was utilized to fabricate AlCoCrFeNiTi high entropy alloy coatings onto the surfaces of 21-4N valves.According to the findings,the cladding zone has a normal dendritic microstructure,a good substrate-to-cladding layer interaction,and no obvious flaws.In terms of hardness,the cladding demonstrates an average hardness of 620 HV.The hardness has increased by 140%compared to the substrate.The average hardness of the cladding remains at approximately 520 HV even at elevated temperatures.Regarding frictional wear performance,between 400℃and 800℃,the cladding layer exhibits an average friction coefficient of 0.4,with the primary wear mechanisms being abrasive wear,adhesive wear,and a minor degree of plastic deformation.

Designing new low alloyed Mg-RE alloys with high strength and ductility via high-speed extrusion

Two new low-alloyed Mg-2RE-0.8Mn-0.6Ca-0.5Zn(wt%,RE=Sm or Y)alloys are developed,which can be produced on an in-dustrial scale via relatively high-speed extrusion.These two alloys are not only comparable to commercial AZ31 alloy in extrudability,but also have superior mechanical properties,especially in terms of yield strength(YS).The excellent extrudability is related to less coarse second-phase particles and high initial melting point of the two as-cast alloys.The high strength-ductility mainly comes from the formation of fine grains,nano-spaced submicron/nano precipitates,and weak texture.Moreover,it is worth noting that the YS of the two alloys can maintain above 160 MPa at elevated temperature of 250°C,significantly higher than that of AZ31 alloy(YS:45 MPa).The Zn/Ca solute segregation at grain boundaries,the improved heat resistance of matrix due to addition of RE,and the high melting points of strengthening particles(Mn,MgZn_(2),and Mg-Zn-RE/Mg-Zn-RE-Ca)are mainly responsible for the excellent high-temperature strength.

Progress in weldability research of high entropy alloys

High entropy alloys usually show good weldability.The weldability problems of high entropy alloys are segregation,cracks,and hardening or softening of weld,etc.When an Al_(x)CoCrFeNi alloy is welded,Al and Ni will segregate to the interdendritic region in the weld,but the degree of segregation is less than that of the base metal.When an Al_(x)CoCrCu_(x)FeNi alloy or a CoCrCu_(x)FeNi alloy is welded,Cu tends to segregate to the interdendritic region in the weld.Increasing the cooling rate of the welding process,such as with laser welding,is conducive to reducing the segregation in the weld.The segregation in the weld and the heat affected zone,especially the segregation of Cu,will lead to the generation of hot cracks.Hot cracking is the main form of cracking in high entropy alloys joints.Welding will lead to changes in the hardness of the weld.The main factors affecting the hardness change are the grain sizes and the precipitations.With laser welding,if the base metal is cold rolled,the hardness of the weld will decrease.If the base metal is hot rolled and annealed or cast,the hardness of the weld will increase.With TIG welding,the hardness of the weld is usually lower than that of the base metal,unless the grain of the base metal is particularly coarse before welding.With friction stir welding,recrystallization and grain refinement occur in the stir zone,and the hardness of the stir zone will be significantly improved no matter the original base metal is cold rolled or cast.

Recent research and development on forming for large magnesium alloy components with high mechanical properties

The lightweight of high-end equipment relies on high mechanical properties magnesium(Mg) alloy structural components, because it is the best way to improve equipment service performance and reduce energy consumption. This article summarizes the current progress and characteristics of large-scale high-performance Mg alloy components by analyzing the strengthening-toughening mechanisms, characteristics of plastic forming, and the preparation of large high mechanical properties forging blanks. Due to the lack of breakthroughs in the key technologies for forming large-scale Mg alloy components, their uniformity of mechanical properties and consistency are poor, the forming accuracy of components is low, and the production cost is high, which limit their engineering application and restrict the lightweight level of high-end equipment. In view of the above problems, the forming trends and research directions of large-scale and high mechanical properties Mg alloy components are proposed in this paper. It can provide help for the breakthrough of the key technology of large-scale Mg alloy components with high mechanical properties and expand the application of Mg alloy in high-end products.

FeCoNiCrMo high entropy alloy nanosheets catalyzed magnesium hydride for solid-state hydrogen storage

The catalytic effect of FeCoNiCrMo high entropy alloy nanosheets on the hydrogen storage performance of magnesium hydride(MgH_(2))was investigated for the first time in this paper.Experimental results demonstrated that 9wt%FeCoNiCrMo doped MgH_(2)started to dehydrogenate at 200℃and discharged up to 5.89wt%hydrogen within 60 min at 325℃.The fully dehydrogenated composite could absorb3.23wt%hydrogen in 50 min at a temperature as low as 100℃.The calculated de/hydrogenation activation energy values decreased by44.21%/55.22%compared with MgH_(2),respectively.Moreover,the composite’s hydrogen capacity dropped only 0.28wt%after 20 cycles,demonstrating remarkable cycling stability.The microstructure analysis verified that the five elements,Fe,Co,Ni,Cr,and Mo,remained stable in the form of high entropy alloy during the cycling process,and synergistically serving as a catalytic union to boost the de/hydrogenation reactions of MgH_(2).Besides,the FeCoNiCrMo nanosheets had close contact with MgH_(2),providing numerous non-homogeneous activation sites and diffusion channels for the rapid transfer of hydrogen,thus obtaining a superior catalytic effect.

A Nitride-Reinforced NbMoTaWHfN Refractory High-Entropy Alloy with Potential Ultra-High-Temperature Engineering Applications

Refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)have promising applications as the new generation of hightemperature alloys in hypersonic vehicles,aero-engines,gas turbines,and nuclear power plants.This study focuses on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the NbMoTaW(HfN)_(x)(x=0,0.3,0.7,and 1.0)RHEAs.The alloys consist of multiple phases of body-centered cubic(BCC),hafnium nitride(HfN),or multicomponent nitride(MN)phases.As the x contents increase,the grain size becomes smaller,and the strength gradually increases.The compressive yield strengths of the NbMoTaWHfN RHEA at ambient temperature,1000,1400,and 1800℃ were found to be 1682,1192,792,and 288 MPa,respectively.The high-temperature strength of this alloy is an inspiring result that exceeds the high temperature and strength of most known alloys,including high-entropy alloys,refractory metals,and superalloys.The HfN phase has a significant effect on strengthening due to its high structural stability and sluggish grain coarsening,even at ultra-high temperatures.Its superior properties endow the NbMoTaWHfN RHEA with potential for a wide range of engineering applications at ultra-high temperatures.This work offers a strategy for the design of high-temperature alloys and proposes an ultra-high-temperature alloy with potential for future engineering applications.

Influences of Milling Time and NbC on Microstructure of AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)High Entropy Alloy by Mechanical Alloying

AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)eutectic high entropy alloy(EHEA)and AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)-x NbC(x=2.5wt%,5.0wt%,7.5wt%,and 10wt%)high entropy alloy(HEAs)were prepared by mechanical alloying(MA).The effects of milling time and NbC content on the alloying behavior and grain size of the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)EHEA were investigated.The experimental results show that the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)EHEA primarily consists of order BCC(B2)and face-centered-cubic(FCC)phases,while the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)-x NbC(x=2.5wt%,5.0wt%,7.5wt%,and 10wt%)HEAs are composed of B2,FCC,and NbC phases.With the increase of milling time,the powder goes through three stages,irregularity,cold welding fracture and spheroidization.The particle size of AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)EHEA powder shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.Therein,the particle size presents a normal distribution during 0-50 h alloying.With the addition of NbC,the AlCoCrFeNi_(2.1)-x NbC HEAs powders are significantly refined.And the degree of grain refinement gradually increases with the increase of NbC content.

Development of high-strength magnesium alloys with excellent ignition-proof performance based on the oxidation and ignition mechanisms: A review

High reactivity and ease of ignition are the major obstacles for the application of Mg alloys in aerospace.Thus,the ignition mechanisms of Mg alloys should be investigated systematically,which can guide the ignition-proof alloy design.This article concludes the factors influencing the ignition resistance of Mg alloys from oxide film and substrate microstructure,and also the mechanisms of alloying elements improving the ignition resistance.The low strength is another reason restricting the development of Mg alloys.Therefore,at the last section,Mg alloys with the combination of high strength and good ignition-proof performance are summarized,including Mg-Al-Ca based alloys,SEN(Mg-Al-Zn-Ca-Y)alloys as well as Mg-Y and Mg-Gd based alloys.Besides,the shortages and the future focus of theses alloys are also reviewed.The aim of this article is to promote the understanding of oxidation and ignition mechanisms of Mg alloys and to provide reference for the development of Mg alloys with high strength and excellent ignition-proof performance at the same time.

Exceptional thermal stability and enhanced hardness in a nanostructured Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy processed by high pressure torsion

A Mg-8.2Gd-3.8Y-1.0Zn-0.4Zr(wt.%) alloy is processed by solution treatment and high pressure torsion(HPT) at room temperature to produce a nanostructured light material with high hardness. The stability of this alloy is subsequently tested through isochronal annealing for 0.5 h at 373 K to 673 K. The results reveal a thermal stability that is vastly superior to that of conventional Mg-based alloys processed by severe plastic deformation: the grain size remains at around 50 nm on heating to 573 K, and as the temperature is increased to 673 K,grain growth is restricted to within 500 nm. The stability of grain refinement of the present alloy/processing combination allowing grain size to be limited to 55 nm after exposure at 573 K, appears to be nearly one order of magnitude better than for the other SPD processed Mg-RE type alloys, and 2 orders of magnitude better than those of SPD processed RE-free Mg alloys. This superior thermal stability is attributed to formation of co-clusters near and segregation at grain boundaries, which cause a thermodynamic stabilization of grain size, as well as formation of β-Mg_(5)RE equilibrium phase at grain boundaries, which impede grain growth by the Zener pinning effect. The hardness of the nanostructured Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy increases with increasing annealing temperature up to 573 K, which is quite different from the other SPD-processed Mg-based alloys. The high hardness of 136 HV after annealing at 573 K is mainly due to solute segregation and solute clustering at or near grain boundaries.

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.

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering for the Development and Design of High Modulus Al Alloys

Integrated computational materials engineering(ICME)is to integrate multi-scale computational simulations and key experimental methods such as macroscopic,mesoscopic,and microscopic into the whole process of Al alloys design and development,which enables the design and development of Al alloys to upgrade from traditional empirical to the integration of compositionprocess-structure-mechanical property,thus greatly accelerating its development speed and reducing its development cost.This study combines calculation of phase diagram(CALPHAD),Finite element calculations,first principle calculations,and microstructure characterization methods to predict and regulate the formation and structure of composite precipitates from the design of highmodulus Al alloy compositions and optimize the casting process parameters to inhibit the formation of micropore defects in the casting process,and the final tensile strength of Al alloys reaches420 MPa and Young's modulus reaches more than 88 GPa,which achieves the design goal of the high strength and modulus Al alloys,and establishes a new mode of the design and development of the strength/modulus Al alloys.

Fatigue Life Estimation of High Strength 2090-T83 Aluminum Alloy under Pure Torsion Loading Using Various Machine Learning Techniques

The ongoing effort to create methods for detecting and quantifying fatigue damage is motivated by the high levels of uncertainty in present fatigue-life prediction approaches and the frequently catastrophic nature of fatigue failure.The fatigue life of high strength aluminum alloy 2090-T83 is predicted in this study using a variety of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for constant amplitude and negative stress ratios(R?1).Artificial neural networks(ANN),adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems(ANFIS),support-vector machines(SVM),a random forest model(RF),and an extreme-gradient tree-boosting model(XGB)are trained using numerical and experimental input data obtained from fatigue tests based on a relatively low number of stress measurements.In particular,the coefficients of the traditional force law formula are found using relevant numerical methods.It is shown that,in comparison to traditional approaches,the neural network and neuro-fuzzy models produce better results,with the neural network models trained using the boosting iterations technique providing the best performances.Building strong models from weak models,XGB helps to predict fatigue life by reducing model partiality and variation in supervised learning.Fuzzy neural models can be used to predict the fatigue life of alloys more accurately than neural networks and traditional methods.

Effect of Plastic Deformation on Microstructure and Properties of Cu-(1 wt%-6 wt%) Ag Alloy

In the present study,the Cu-(1 wt%-6 wt%)Ag alloys were prepared by melting,forging and wire drawing.The effects of plastic deformation on microstructure evolution and properties of the alloys were investigated.The results show that non-equilibrium eutectic colonies exist in the Cu-(3 wt%-6 wt%)Ag alloy and no eutectic colonies in the 1 wt%-2 wt%Ag containing alloys.These eutectic colonies are aligned along the drawing direction and refined with the increase of draw ratio.Attributed to the refinement of eutectic colonies,the Cu-Ag alloy exhibits higher strength with the increase of draw ratio.The Cu-6Ag alloy exhibits excellent comprehensive properties with a strength of 930 MPa and a conductivity of 82%IACS when the draw ratio reaches 5.7.