Spark Plasma Sintering of Mg-based Alloys:Microstructure,Mechanical Properties,Corrosion Behavior,and Tribological Performance

Within the past ten years,spark plasma sintering(SPS)has become an increasingly popular process for Mg manufacturing.In the SPS process,interparticle diffusion of compressed particles is rapidly achieved due to the concept of Joule heating.Compared to traditional and additive manufacturing(AM)techniques,SPS gives unique control of the structural and microstructural features of Mg components.By doing so,their mechanical,tribological,and corrosion properties can be tailored.Although great advancements in this field have been made,these pieces of knowledge are scattered and have not been contextualized into a single work.The motivation of this work is to address this scientific gap and to provide a groundwork for understanding the basics of SPS manufacturing for Mg.To do so,the existing body of SPS Mg literature was first surveyed,with a focus on their structural formation and degradation mechanisms.It was found that successful Mg SPS fabrication highly depended on the processing temperature,particle size,and particle crystallinity.The addition of metal and ceramic composites also affected their microstructural features due to the Zener pinning effect.In degradative environments,their performance depends on their structural features and whether they have secondary phased composites.In industrial applications,SPS'd Mg was found to have great potential in biomedical,hydrogen storage,battery,automotive,and recycling sectors.The prospects to advance the field include using Mg as a doping agent for crystallite size refinement and using bulk metallic Mg-based glass powders for amorphous SPS components.Despite these findings,the interactions of multi-composites on the processing-structure-property relationships of SPS Mg is not well understood.In total,this work will provide a useful direction in the SPS field and serve as a milestone for future Mg-based SPS manufacturing.

Physical,mechanical and thermal properties of vacuum sintered HUST-1 lunar regolith simulant

Establishing a base on the Moon is one of the new goals of human lunar exploration in recent years.Sintered lunar regolith is one of the most potential building materials for lunar bases.The physical,mechanical and thermal properties of sintered lunar regolith are vital performance indices for the structural design of a lunar base and analysis of many critical mechanical and thermal issues.In this study,the HUST-1 lunar regolith simulant(HLRS)was sintered at 1030,1040,1050,1060,1070,and 1080℃.The effect of sintering temperature on the compressive strength was investigated,and the exact value of the optimum vacuum sintering temperature was determined between 1040 and 1060℃.Then,the microstructure and material composition of vacuum sintered HLRS at different temperatures were characterized.It was found that the sintering temperature has no significant effect on the mineral composition in the temperature range of 1030-1080℃.Besides,the heat capacity,thermal conductivity,and coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)of vacuum sintered HLRS at different temperatures were investigated.Specific heat capacity of sintered samples increases with the increase of test temperature within the temperature range from-75 to 145℃.Besides,the thermal conductivity of the sintered sample is proportional to density.Finally,the two temperatures of 1040 and 1050℃were selected for a more detailed study of mechanical properties.The results showed that compressive strength of sintered sample is much higher than tensile strength.This study reveals the effects of sintering temperature on the physical,mechanical and thermal properties of vacuum sintered HLRS,and these material parameters will provide support for the construction of future lunar bases.

Impact Analysis of Microscopic Defect Types on the Macroscopic Crack Propagation in Sintered Silver Nanoparticles

Sintered silver nanoparticles(AgNPs)arewidely used in high-power electronics due to their exceptional properties.However,the material reliability is significantly affected by various microscopic defects.In this work,the three primary micro-defect types at potential stress concentrations in sintered AgNPs are identified,categorized,and quantified.Molecular dynamics(MD)simulations are employed to observe the failure evolution of different microscopic defects.The dominant mechanisms responsible for this evolution are dislocation nucleation and dislocation motion.At the same time,this paper clarifies the quantitative relationship between the tensile strain amount and the failure mechanism transitions of the three defect types by defining key strain points.The impact of defect types on the failure process is also discussed.Furthermore,traction-separation curves extracted from microscopic defect evolutions serve as a bridge to connect the macro-scale model.The validity of the crack propagation model is confirmed through tensile tests.Finally,we thoroughly analyze how micro-defect types influence macro-crack propagation and attempt to find supporting evidence from the MD model.Our findings provide a multi-perspective reference for the reliability analysis of sintered AgNPs.

Phase-Field Simulation of Sintering Process:A Review

Sintering,a well-established technique in powder metallurgy,plays a critical role in the processing of high melting point materials.A comprehensive understanding of structural changes during the sintering process is essential for effective product assessment.The phase-field method stands out for its unique ability to simulate these structural transformations.Despite its widespread application,there is a notable absence of literature reviews focused on its usage in sintering simulations.Therefore,this paper addresses this gap by reviewing the latest advancements in phase-field sintering models,covering approaches based on energy,grand potential,and entropy increase.The characteristics of various models are extensively discussed,with a specific emphasis on energy-based models incorporating considerations such as interface energy anisotropy,tensor-form diffusion mechanisms,and various forms of rigid particle motion during sintering.Furthermore,the paper offers a concise summary of phase-field sintering models that integrate with other physical fields,including stress/strain fields,viscous flow,temperature field,and external electric fields.In conclusion,the paper provides a succinct overview of the entire content and delineates potential avenues for future research.

Effect of sintering temperature and holding time on structure and properties of Li_(1.5)Ga_(0.5)Ti_(1.5)(PO_4)_(3)electrolyte with fast ionic conductivity

Li_(1.5)Ga_(0.5)Ti_(1.5)PO_(4))_(3)(LGTP)is recognized as a promising solid electrolyte material for lithium ions.In this work,LGTP solid electrolyte materials were prepared under different process conditions to explore the effects of sintering temperature and holding time on relative density,phase composition,microstructure,bulk conductivity,and total conductivity.In the impedance test under frequency of 1-10^(6) Hz,the bulk conductivity of the samples increased with increasing sintering temperature,and the total conductivity first increased and then decreased.SEM results showed that the average grain size in the ceramics was controlled by the sintering temperature,which increased from(0.54±0.01)μm to(1.21±0.01)μm when the temperature changed from 750 to 950°C.The relative density of the ceramics increased and then decreased with increasing temperature as the porosity increased.The holding time had little effect on the grain size growth or sample density,but an extended holding time resulted in crack generation that served to reduce the conductivity of the solid electrolyte.

Spark Plasma Sintering of Boron Carbide Using Ti_(3)SiC_(2) as a Sintering Additive

Boron carbide has unique properties for wide application possibilities;however,poor sinterability limits its applications.One approach to overcome this limitation is the addition of secondary phases into boron carbide.Boron carbide based composite ceramics are produced by the direct addition of secondary phases into the structure or via reactive sintering using a sintering additive.The present study investigated the effect of Ti_(3)SiC_(2) addition to boron carbide by reactive spark plasma sintering in the range of 1700-1900℃.Ti_(3)SiC_(2) phase decomposed at high temperatures and reacted with B4C to form secondary phases of TiB2 and SiC.The results demonstrated that the increase of Ti_(3)SiC_(2) addition(up to 15 vol%)effectively promoted the densification of B4C and yielded higher hardness.However,as the amount of Ti_(3)SiC_(2) increased further,the formation of microstructural inhomogeneity and agglomeration of secondary phases caused a decrease in hardness.

Boosting thermoelectric efficiency of Ag_(2)Se through cold sintering process with Ag nano-precipitate formation

Silver selenide(Ag_(2)Se)stands out as a promising thermoelectric(TE)material,particularly for applications near room temper-atures.This research presents a novel approach for the fabrication of bulk Ag_(2)Se samples at a relatively low temperature(170℃)using the cold sintering process(CSP)with AgNO_(3)solution as a transient liquid agent.The effect of AgNO_(3)addition during CSP on the micro-structure and TE properties was investigated.The results from phase,composition and microstructure analyses showed that the introduc-tion of AgNO_(3)solution induced the formation of Ag nano-precipitates within the Ag_(2)Se matrix.Although the nano-precipitates do not af-fect the phase and crystal structure of orthorhombicβ-Ag_(2)Se,they suppressed crystal growth,leading to reduced crystallite sizes.The samples containing Ag nano-precipitates also exhibited high porosity and low bulk density.Consequently,these effects contributed to sig-nificantly enhanced electrical conductivity and a slight decrease in the Seebeck coefficient when small Ag concentrations were incorpor-ated.This resulted in an improved average power factor from~1540μW·m^(−1)·K^(−2)for pure Ag_(2)Se to~1670μW·m^(−1)·K^(−2)for Ag_(2)Se with additional Ag precipitates.However,excessive Ag addition had a detrimental effect on the power factor.Furthermore,thermal conductiv-ity was effectively suppressed in Ag_(2)Se fabricated using AgNO_(3)-assisted CSP,attributed to enhanced phonon scattering at crystal inter-faces,pores,and Ag nano-precipitates.The highest figure-of-merit(zT)of 0.92 at 300 K was achieved for the Ag_(2)Se with 0.5wt%Ag dur-ing CSP fabrication,equivalent to>20%improvement compared to the controlled Ag_(2)Se without extra Ag solution.Thus,the process outlined in this study presents an effective strategy to tailor the microstructure of bulk Ag_(2)Se and enhance its TE performance at room temperature.

Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Cemented Carbide

WC-Co nanocrystalline nitrogen-containing cemented carbides were prepared by vacuum sintering and low pressure sintering.The sintering processes of Cr_(2)(C,N)doped nano WC-Co powders were studied by using thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC).The effect of sintering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline cemented carbide was studied by scanning electron microscope(SEM),high resolution transmission electron microscope(HRTEM)and mechanical property test.The results showed that the nano WC grains began to grow in the solid phase sintering stage.A high-performance nano-nitrogen-containing cemented carbide with uniform microstructure and good interfacial bonding can be obtained by increasing the sintering temperature to 1380℃.It has a transverse rupture strength(TRS)of 5057 MPa and a hardness of 1956 HV30.

Fabrication of YAG:Ce^(3+) and YAG:Ce^(3+),Sc^(3+) Phosphors by Spark Plasma Sintering Technique

In this study,a single-doped phosphors yttrium aluminum garnet(Y_(3)Al_(5)O_(12),YAG):Ce^(3+),single-doped YAG:Sc^(3+),and double-doped phosphors YAG:Ce^(3+),Sc^(3+) were prepared by spark plasma sintering(SPS)(lower than 1 200℃).The characteristics of synthesized phosphors were determined using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and fluorescence spectroscopy.During SPS,the lattice structure of YAG was maintained by the added Ce^(3+) and Sc^(3+).The emission wavelength of YAG:Ce^(3+) prepared from SPS(425-700 nm) was wider compared to that of YAG:Ce^(3+) prepared from high-temperature solid-state reaction(HSSR)(500-700 nm).The incorporation of low-dose Sc^(3+) in YAG:Ce^(3+) moved the emission peak towards the short wavelength.

Mechanical and corrosion properties of full liquid phase sintered WE43 magnesium alloy specimens fabricated via binder jetting additive manufacturing

This study investigates full liquid phase sintering as a process of fabrication parts from WE43(Mg-4wt.%Y-3wt.%RE-0.7wt.%Zr)alloy using binder jetting additive manufacturing(BJAM).This fabrication process is being developed for use in producing structural or biomedical devices.Specifically,this study focused on achieving a near-dense microstructure with WE43 Mg alloy while substantially reducing the duration of sintering post-processing after BJAM part rendering.The optimal process resulted in microstructure with 2.5%porosity and significantly reduced sintering time.The improved sintering can be explained by the presence of Y_(2)O_(3)and Nd_(2)O_(3)oxide layers,which form spontaneously on the surface of WE43 powder used in BJAM.These layers appear to be crucial in preventing shape distortion of the resulting samples and in enabling the development of sintering necks,particularly under sintering conditions exceeding the liquidus temperature of WE43 alloy.Sintered WE43 specimens rendered by BJAM achieved significant improvement in both corrosion resistance and mechanical properties through reduced porosity levels related to the sintering time.

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.

Effects of Diamond on the Mechanical Properties and Thermal Conductivity of Si_(3)N_(4)Composites Fabricated Using Spark Plasma Sintering

Micrometer-sized diamonds were incorporated into silicon nitride(Si_(3)N_(4))matrix to manufacture high-performance Si_(3)N_(4)-based composites using spark plasma sintering at 1500℃under 50 MPa.The effects of the diamond content on the phase composition,microstructure,mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of the composites were investigated.The results showed that the addition of diamond could effectively improve the hardness of the material.The thermal conductivity of Si_(3)N_(4)increased to 52.97 W/m·k at the maximum with the addition of 15 wt%diamond,which was 27.5%higher than that of the monolithic Si_(3)N_(4).At this point,the fracture toughness was 7.54 MPa·m^(1/2).Due to the addition of diamond,the composite material generated a new substance,MgSiN2,which effectively combined Si_(3)N_(4)with diamond.MgSiN2 might improve the hardness and thermal conductivity of the materials.

Computational Analysis of Selective Laser Sintering of Inconel 625

A two-dimensional multi-physics finite element model is developed to simulate the Selective Laser Sintering(SLS)process using Inconel 625 powders.The validity of the developed model is first assessed by comparing its results with experimental data.Various factors such as phase transition,recoil pressure,surface tension,and theMarangoni force are considered.The study’s findings underscore that the morphology and thermal-fluid dynamics of the molten pool in the SLS process are predominantly shaped by the influence of the Marangoni force and recoil pressure acting on its surface.The recoil pressure at the front of the laser spot rises exponentially with temperature,making the liquid metal move downward,and creating a depression at the pool’s head.It also causes particles to splash from the pool’s rear edge.The study explores the influence of the backward Marangoni force,where hightemperature liquid flows from the front to the rear of the molten pool,creating a vortex and moving the pool in the rear.Process parameters like laser intensity,scan speed,and spot size were analyzed.The findings indicate that higher laser power lower scanning speed and laser beam spot size lead to increased width and depth of the molten pool.

Feasibility Analysis of the Sintering Flue Gas Oxidation Method for Denitrification Technology Route

With the vigorous development of China’s iron and steel industry and the introduction of ultra-low emission policies, the emission of pollutants such as SO2 and NOx has received unprecedented attention. At present, the commonly used denitrification methods include selective catalytic reduction (SCR), active coke, etc. As a newly developed denitrification technology, oxidation denitrification is not widely used, and the technical level is mixed, and there might be problems such as yellow smoke, secondary pollution and ozone escape in the practical application. In this paper, problems existing in the denitrification process of sintering flue gas oxidation are analyzed, and a 320 m2 sintering machine is taken as an example. Comparing the denitrification technology of sintering industry, it could be seen that the denitrification technology route of oxidation method has low pollution, low cost and high comprehensive environmental benefits, and has greatly potential development.

Anti-sintering behavior and combustion process of aluminum nano particles coated with PTFE:A molecular dynamics study

The characteristic of easy sintering of aluminum nanoparticle(ANP)limits its application in solid propellants.Coating ANP with fluoropolymer could effectively improve its combustion performance.To find out how the coating layer inhibits sintering and promotes complete combustion of particles from an atomic view,a comparative study has been done for bare ANP and PTFE coated ANP by using reactive molecular dynamics simulations.The sintering process is quantified by shrinkage ratio and gyration radius.Our results show that,at the same heating rate and combustion temperatures,bare ANPs are sintered together after the temperature exceeds the melting point of aluminum but the decomposition of PTFE coating layer pushes particles away and increases reaction surface area by producing small Al-F clusters.The sintering of ANPs which are heated in PTFE is alleviated compared with particles heated in oxygen,but particles still sinter together due to the lack of intimate contact between PTFE and alumina surface.The effect of temperature on the combustion of PTFE coated ANPs is also studied from 1000 to3500 K.The number density analysis shows the particles will not be sintered at any temperature.Aluminum fluoride prefers diffusing to the external space and the remained particles are mainly composed of Al,C and O.Fast ignition simulations are performed by adopting micro canonical ensemble.With the expansion of aluminum core and the melting of alumina shell,bare ANPs are sintered into a liquid particle directly.For PTFE coated ANPs,the volatilization of gaseous aluminum fluoride products continually endows particles opposite momentum.

Fabrication of a sinter-resistant Fe-MFI zeolite dragonfruit-like catalyst for syngas to aromatics conversion

Direct conversion of syngas to aromatics has great potential to decrease fossil fuel dependence.Here,a unique structured hybrid catalyst composed of Fe_(3)O_(4) nanoparticles intimately dispersed inside an acidic zeolite is developed.1 to 4 nm sized Fe_(3)O_(4) nanoparticles end up evenly dispersed in an acidic and slightly mesoporous Al-ZSM-5 based on Fe_(3)O_(4) restructuring during co-hydro thermal synthesis using organosilane modification.A very high aromatic productivity of 214 mmolaromatics h^(-1) gFe^(-1) can be obtained with a remarkable 62%aromatic selectivity in hydrocarbons.This catalyst has excellent sintering resistance ability and maintains stable aromatics production over 570 h.The synthetic insights that postulate a mechanism for the metastable oxide-zeolite reorganization during hydrothermal synthesis could serve as a generic route to sinter-resistant oxide-zeolite composite materials with uniform,well-dispersed oxide nanoparticles in close intimacy with-and partially confined in-a zeolite matrix.

Effect of TbF_(3)diffusion on the demagnetization behavior and domain evolution of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets by electrophoretic deposition

We studied the magnetic properties and domain evolution of annealed and TbF3-diffused sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets using the electrophoretic deposition method.After TbF_(3)diffusion,the coercivity increased significantly by 9.9 kOe and microstructural analysis suggested that Tb favored the formation of the(Nd,Tb)_(2)Fe_(14)B shell phase in the outer region of the matrix grains.The first magnetization reversal and the dynamic successive domain propagation process were detected with a magneto-optical Kerr microscope.For the TbF_(3)-diffused magnet,the magnetization reversal appeared at a larger applied field and the degree of simultaneous magnetization reversal decreased compared with an annealed magnet.During demagnetization after full magnetization,the occurrence of domain wall motion(DWM)in the reproduced multi-domain regions was observed by the step method.The maximum polarization change resulting from the reproduced DWM was inversely related to the coercivity.The increased coercivity for the diffused magnet was mainly attributed to the more difficult nucleation of the magnetic reversed region owing to the improved magneto-crystalline anisotropy field as a result of Tb diffusion.

Evaluation of the Air Leakage Flowrate in Sintering Processes

Iron ore sintering is a pre-treatment technology by which orefines are converted into porous and permeable sin-ters,which are the used in blast furnaces.This process can be adversely affected by air leakage phenomena of various types.As experimental measurements are relatively difficult and often scarcely reliable,here a theoretical model based on typicalfluid-dynamic concepts and relationships is elaborated.Through the analysis of two extreme cases,namely,those in which leakage is due to a small hole or a full rupture,a generalized hole-bed mod-el is introduced,which for thefirst time also includes a complete bed permeability equation and can deal with different leakage position conditions.The results show that the model can evaluate the influence of leakage on the system at one time and be used to calculate theflowrate and pressure drop.Notably,the obtained results are within a 15%deviation with respect to available experiment values,used for comparison.

Effect of sintering temperature on microstructure and properties of 3D printing polysilazane reinforced Al_(2)O_(3)core

Ceramic cores are the key intermediate components of hollow blades for aero-engine.Conventional processes,such as hot-press molding and gel film casting,face difficulties in fabricating complex-structured ceramic cores due to the complexity of moulds and long process cycles.Stereolithography 3D printing provides a new idea for the fabrication of complex-structured ceramic cores.The effect of sintering temperature on open porosity,bulk density,weight loss rate,shrinkage rate,flexural strength and microstructure of the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic core doped with 10vol.%polysilazane(PSZ)was studied.The sintering mechanism of PSZ-reinforced ceramic cores was analyzed.Results show that the optimum sintering temperature of PSZ-reinforced ceramic cores is 1,450°C.At this temperature,the open porosity of the ceramic core is 36.60%,bulk density is 2.33 g·cm^(-3),weight loss rate is 22.11%,shrinkage rate along the X,Y,Z directions is 5.72%,5.01%,9.61%,respectively;the flexural strength is 28.794 MPa at 25°C and 13.649 MPa at 1,500°C.Properties of 3D printing PSZ-reinforced ceramic cores can meet the casting requirement of superalloy hollow blades,which is expected to promote the industrial application of 3D printing complex structure ceramic cores.

Influences of oxide content and sintering temperature on microstructures and mechanical properties of intragranular-oxide strengthened iron alloys prepared by spark plasma sintering

How to increase strength without sacrificing ductility has been developed as a key goal in the manufacture of high-performance metals or alloys. Herein, the double-nanophase intragranular yttrium oxide dispersion strengthened iron alloy with high strength and appreciable ductility was fabricated by solution combustion route and subsequent spark plasma sintering, and the influences of yttrium oxide content and sintering temperature on microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show at the same sintering temperature,with the increase of yttrium oxide content, the relative density of the sintered alloy decreases and the strength increases. For Fe–2wt%Y_(2)O_(3)alloy, as the sintering temperature increases gradually, the compressive strength decreases, while the strain-to-failure increases. The Fe–2wt%Y_(2)O_(3)alloy with 15.5 nm Y_(2)O_(3)particles uniformly distributed into the 147.5 nm iron grain interior sintered at 650℃ presents a high ultimate compressive strength of 1.86 GPa and large strain-to-failure of 29%. The grain boundary strengthening and intragranular second-phase particle dispersion strengthening are the main dominant mechanisms to enhance the mechanical properties of the alloy.