Effect of melt holding on morphological evolution and sedimentation behavior of iron-rich intermetallic phases in Al-Si-Fe-Mn-Mg alloy

The effect of the melt holding temperature on the morphological evolution and sedimentation behavior of iron-rich intermetallics in Al-7.0 Si-1.0 Fe-1.2 Mn-0.25 Mg alloy was investigated using an optical microscope,scanning electron microscope and differential thermal analyzer.The results show that as the holding temperature decreases,the morphologies of the primary iron-rich phase in matrix change from star-like to polygonal,and the number of the primary phases gradually decreases and disappears at 615°C.Finally,the Chinese script phases with small size,high compact and uniform distribution are obtained.In contrast,the primary iron-rich phases in slag transform into a coarser polygonal shape with lower roundness,and some of them have hollow structures.Furthermore,the area fraction of intermetallics and Fe content in the matrix decrease gradually due to the formation and growth of sludge and subsequent natural sedimentation during melt holding.With the decrease of holding temperature,the main factors hindering the settlement of the primary phases are morphology,size,and density in turn.

Ultrafine ordered L1_(2)-Pt-Co-Mn ternary intermetallic nanoparticles as high-performance oxygen-reduction electrocatalysts for practical fuel cells

The long-range periodically ordered atomic structures in intermetallic nanoparticles(INPs)can significantly enhance both the electrocatalytic activity and electrochemical stability toward the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)compared to the disordered atomic structures in ordinary solid-solution alloy NPs.Accordingly,through a facile and scalable synthetic method,a series of carbon-supported ultrafine Pt_3Co_(x)Mn_(1-x)ternary INPs are prepared in this work,which possess the"skin-like"ultrathin Pt shells,the ordered L1_(2) atomic structure,and the high-even dispersion on supports(L1_(2)-Pt_3Co_(x)Mn_(1-x)/~SPt INPs/C).Electrochemical results present that the composition-optimized L1_(2)-Pt_3Co_(0.7)Mn_(0.3)/~SPt INPs/C exhibits the highest electrocata lytic activity among the series,which are also much better than those of the pristine ultrafine Pt/C.Besides,it also has a greatly enhanced electrochemical stability.In addition,the effects of annealing temperature and time are further investigated.More importantly,such superior ORR electrocatalytic performance of L1_(2)-Pt_3Co_(0.7)Mn_(0.3)/~SPt INPs/C are also well demonstrated in practical fuel cells.Physicochemical characterization analyses further reveal the major origins of the greatly enhanced ORR electrocata lytic performance:the Pt-Co-Mn alloy-induced geometric and ligand effects as well as the extremely high L1_(2) atomic-ordering degree.This work not only successfully develops a highly active and stable ordered ternary intermetallic ORR electrocatalyst,but also elucidates the corresponding"structure-function"relationship,which can be further applied in designing other intermetallic(electro)catalysts.

Accelerated intermetallic phase amorphization in a Mg-based high-entropy alloy powder

We describe a novel mechanism for the synthesis of a stable high-entropy alloy powder from an otherwise immiscible Mg-Ti rich metallic mixture by employing high-energy mechanical milling.The presented methodology expedites the synthesis of amorphous alloy powder by strategically injecting entropic disorder through the inclusion of multi-principal elements in the alloy composition.Predictions from first principles and materials theory corroborate the results from microscopic characterizations that reveal a transition of the amorphous phase from a precursor intermetallic structure.This transformation,characterized by the emergence of antisite disorder,lattice expansion,and the presence of nanograin boundaries,signifies a departure from the precursor intermetallic structure.Additionally,this phase transformation is accelerated by the presence of multiple principal elements that induce severe lattice distortion and a higher configurational entropy.The atomic size mismatch of the dissimilar elements present in the alloy produces a stable amorphous phase that resists reverting to an ordered lattice even on annealing.

Tin-mediated carbon-confined Pt_(3)Co ordered intermetallic nanoparticles as highly efficient and durable oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

The development of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) that bears high selectivity,exceptional activity,and long-term stability is crucial for advancing various green energy technologies.Intermetallics composed of platinum and transition metals are considered to be promising candidates for this purpose.However,they typically face challenges such as unfavorable intrinsic activity and a propensity for particle aggregation,diminishing their ORR performance.Against this backdrop,we present our findings on a N-doped carbon confined Pt_(3)Co intermetallic doped with p-block metal tin(Pt_(3)Co_(x)Sn_(1-x)/NC).The introduction of Sn induces lattice strain due to its larger atomic size,which leads to the distortion of the Pt_(3)Co lattice structure,while the coupling of carbon polyhedra inhibits the particle aggregation.The optimized Pt_(3)Co_(0.8)Sn_(0.2)/NC catalyst demonstrates an impressive half-wave potential of 0.86 V versus RHE,surpassing both Pt_(3)Co/NC and Pt_(3)Sn/NC catalysts.Moreover,the Pt_(3)Co_(0.8)Sn_(0.2)/NC exhibits a mass-specific activity as high as 1.4 A mg_(Pt)^(-1),ranking it in the top level among the intermetallicsbased ORR electrocatalysts.When further employed as a cathode material in a self-assembled zinc-air battery,it shows stable operation for over 80 h.These results underscore the significant impact of lattice strain engineering through the strategic doping of p-block metal in the carbon-confined Pt_(3)Co intermetallic,thereby enhancing the catalytic efficiency for the ORR.

Porous TiFe_(2) intermetallic compound fabricated via elemental powder reactive synthesis

Porous intermetallics show potential in the field of filtration and separation as well as in the field of catalysis.Herein,porous Ti Fe2intermetallics were fabricated by the reactive synthesis of elemental powders.The phase transformation and pore formation of porous TiFe2intermetallics were investigated,and its corrosion behavior and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)performance in alkali solution were studied.Porous TiFe2intermetallics with porosity in the range of 34.4%-56.4%were synthesized by the diffusion reaction of Ti and Fe elements,and the pore formation of porous TiFe2intermetallic compound is the result of a combination of the bridging effect and the Kirkendall effect.The porous TiFe2samples exhibit better corrosion resistance compared with porous 316L stainless steel,which is related to the formation of uniform nanosheets on the surface that hinder further corrosion,and porous TiFe2electrode shows the overpotential of 220.6 and 295.6 mV at 10 and 100 mA·cm-2,suggesting a good catalytic performance.The synthesized porous Fe-based intermetallic has a controllable pore structure as well as excellent corrosion resistance,showing its potential in the field of filtration and separation.

Growth kinetics of interfacial intermetallic compounds formed in SnPbInBiSb high entropy alloy soldered joints on Cu substrates

The growth behavior of the complex intermetallic compounds(IMCs)formed at the interface of Cu/SnPbInBiSb high entropy alloy solder joints was explored.The growth inhibition mechanism of the IMCs at the Cu/SnPbInBiSb solid−liquid reaction interface was revealed.The results showed that the growth rate of the complex IMCs obviously decreased at the Cu/SnPbInBiSb solid−liquid reaction interface.The maximum average thickness of IMCs only reached up to 1.66μm after reflowing at 200℃for 10 min.The mechanism for the slow growth of the complex IMCs was analyzed into three aspects.Firstly,the high entropy of the liquid SnPbInBiSb alloy reduced the growth rate of the complex IMCs.Secondly,the distorted lattice of complex IMCs restrained the diffusion of Cu atoms.Lastly,the higher activation energy(40.9 kJ/mol)of Cu/SnPbInBiSb solid−liquid interfacial reaction essentially impeded the growth of the complex IMCs.

Optimization of chemistry and process parameters for control of intermetallic formation in Mg sludges

Intermetallic formation in sludge during magnesium(Mg)melting,holding and high pressure die casting practices is a very important issue.But,very often it is overlooked by academia,original equipment manufacturers(OEM),metal ingot producers and even die casters.The aim of this study was to minimize the intermetallic formation in Mg sludge via the optimization of the chemistry and process parameters.The Al8Mn5 intermetallic particles were identified by the microstructure analysis based on the Al and Mn ratio.The design of experiment(DOE)technique,Taguchi method,was employed to minimize the intermetallic formation in the sludge of Mg alloys with various chemical compositions of Al,Mn,Fe,and different process parameters,holding temperature and holding time.The sludge yield(SY)and intermetallic size(IS)was selected as two responses.The optimum combination of the levels in terms of minimizing the intermetallic formation were 9 wt.%Al,0.15 wt.%Mn,0.001 wt.%(10 ppm)Fe,690℃ for the holding temperature and holding at 30 mins for the holding time,respectively.The best combination for smallest intermetallic size were 9 wt.%Al,0.15 wt.%Mn,0.001 wt.%(10 ppm)Fe,630℃ for the holding temperature and holding at 60 mins for the holding time,respectively.Three groups of sludge factors,Chemical Sludge(CSF),Physical Sludge(PSF)and Comprehensive Sludge Factors(and CPSF)were established for prediction of sludge yields and intermetallic sizes in Al-containing Mg alloys.The CPSF with five independent variables including both chemical elements and process parameters gave high accuracy in prediction,as the prediction of the PSF with only the two processing parameters of the melt holding temperature and time showed a relatively large deviation from the experimental data.The Chemical Sludge Factor was primarily designed for small ingot producers and die casters with a limited melting and holding capacity,of which process parameters could be fixed easily.The Physical Sludge Factor could be used for mass production with a single type of Mg alloy,in which the chemistry fluctuation might be negligible.In large Mg casting suppliers with multiple melting and holding furnaces and a number of Mg alloys in production,the Comprehensive Sludge Factor should be implemented to diminish the sludge formation.

Transforming Cu into Cu_(2)O/RuAl intermetallic heterojunction for lowering the thermodynamic energy barrier of the CO_(2) reduction and evolution reactions in Li-CO_(2) battery

The Li-CO_(2) battery has been under the spotlight of future battery technologies since it can achieve CO_(2)utilization and energy conversion simultaneously.However,its advancement is hampered by poor energy efficiency and limited reversibility due to the sluggish kinetics of the CO_(2) reduction and evolution reactions.Herein,a multiscale nanoporous interpenetrating phase nanohybrid of RuAl intermetallic and Cu_(2)O(MP-Cu_(2)O/RuAl) was carved by driving synchronous phase and microstructure evolutions through dealloying of one RuCuAl master alloy.The built-in RuAl intermetallic and Cu_(2)O closely stack to form abundant nano-interfaces with revolutionized electronic structure,The theoretical simulations reveal that the Cu_(2)O/RuAl interface can distinctly reduce the energy barrier of the Li_(2)CO_(3) decomposition reaction,The interconnected pore channels with large surface area can enhance catalytic site accessibility,mass transfer,and uniform deposition of the discharge products.In situ differential electrochemical mass spectrometry discloses that the CO_(2)-to-electron ratio during charging coincides with the theoretical value of 3/4,demonstrating the high efficacy of MP-Cu_(2)O/RuAl in achieving the recycling of CO_(2).The dealloying protocol provides an affordable platform to empower transition metal oxides into high-efficiency electrocatalysts by hybridizing with metallic nano-sponge for advancing the application of Li-CO_(2)batteries.

Microstructure and wear resistance of laser clad TiB-TiC/TiNi-Ti_2Ni intermetallic coating on titanium alloy

A wear resistant TiB-TiC reinforced TiNi-Ti2Ni intermetallic matrix composite coating（TiB-TiC/TiNi-Ti2Ni） was prepared on Ti-6.5Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V titanium alloy by the laser cladding process using Ti＋Ni＋B4C powder blends as the precursor materials.Microstructure and worn surface morphologies of the coating were characterized by optical microscopy（OM）,scan electron microscopy（SEM）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,energy dispersive X-ray analysis（EDS） and atomic force microscopy（AFM）.Wear resistance of the coating was evaluated under dry sliding wear test condition at room temperature.The results indicate that the laser clad coating has a unique microstructure composed of flower-like TiB-TiC eutectic ceramics uniformly distributed in the TiNi-Ti2Ni dual-phase intermetallic matrix.The coating exhibits an excellent wear resistance because of combined action of hard TiB-TiC eutectic ceramic reinforcements and ductile TiNi-Ti2Ni dual-phase intermetallic matrix.

Effect of ultrasonic vibration on Fe-containing intermetallic compounds of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys with high Fe content

The Fe-containing intermetallic compounds with high melting point in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys can improve the heat resistance and wear resistance at elevated temperatures. However, the long needle-like Fe-containing compounds in the alloys produced by conventional casting process are detrimental to the strength of matrix. The effect of ultrasonic vibration （USV） on the morphology change of Fe-containing intermetallic compounds in the hypereutectic Al-17Si-xFe （x=2, 3, 4, 5） alloys was systematically studied. The results show that, the Fe-containing intermetallic compounds are mainly composed of long needle-like β-Al5FeSi phase with a small amount of plate-like δ-Al4FeSi2 phase in Al-17Si-2Fe alloy produced by conventional casting process. With the increase of Fe content from 2% to 5% in the alloys, the amount of plate-like or coarse needle-like δ-Al4FeSi2 phase increases while the amount of long needle-like β-Al5FeSi phases decreases. In Al-17Si-5Fe alloy, the Fe-containing intermetallic compounds exist mainly as coarse needle-like δ-Al4FeSi2 phase. After USV treatment, the Fe-containing compounds in the Al-17Si-xFe alloys are refined and exist mainly as δ-Al4FeSi2 particles, with average grain size ranging from 26 μm to 37 μm, and only a small amount of β-Al5FeSi phases remain. The mechanism of USV on the morphology of Fe-containing intermetallic compounds was also discussed.

Effect of Si on growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds during reaction between solid iron and molten aluminum

The effect of Si on the growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds during the reaction of solid iron and molten aluminum was investigated with a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, and hot-dip aluminized experiments. The results show that the intermetallic layer is composed of major Fe2Al5 and minor FeAl3. The Al-Fe-Si ternary phase, rl/rg, is formed in the Fe2Al5 layer. The tongue-like morphology of the Fe2Als layer becomes less distinct and disappears finally as the content of Si in aluminum bath increases. Si in the bath improves the prohibiting ability to the growth of Fe2Als and FeAl3. When the contents of Si are 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 3.0%, the activation energies of Fe2Al5 are evaluated to be 207, 186, 169, 168, 167 and 172 kJ/mol, respectively. The reduction of the activation energy might result from the lattice distortion caused by Si atom penetrating into the Fe2Al5 phase. When Si atom occupies the vacancy site, it blocks easy diffusion path and results in the disappearance of tongue-like morphology.

Effect of Fe and Mo additions on microstructure and mechanical properties of TiAl intermetallics

The ductility of TiAl intermetallics can be improved through stabilizing the ductile β phase.New β-stabilized Ti-45Al-xFe-yMo（x,y=1,2,3,4） alloys were designed through adding the β stabilizing elements Fe and Mo.The microstructural evolution and deformation behavior of the Ti-45Al-xFe-yMo alloys were investigated.The results show that the amount of β（B2） phase is increased with the increase of alloying elements.Mo shows a higher capability for stabilizing the β phase than Fe.In the optimized Ti-45Al-3Fe-2Mo alloy,the grains are significantly refined to about 12 μm,and this alloy shows a very good hot ductility at the elevated temperature.

Intermetallic phase evolution of 5059 aluminum alloy during homogenization

Intermetallic phase evolution of 5059 aluminum alloy during homogenization was investigated by means of optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, energy dispersive spectrometry （EDS）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD）. The results show that severe dendritic segregation exists in as-cast alloy. The dissolvable intermetallic phases in as-cast alloy consist of Zn-and Cu-rich non-equilibriumβ（Al3Mg2） phase, Fe-rich eutectic Al6Mn phase and equilibrium Mg2Si phase. During the homogenization, Zn- and Cu-rich non-equilibrium β （Al3Mg2） phase, Fe-rich eutectic Al6Mn phase and equilibrium Mg2Si gradually dissolve into matrix. Fine dispersed β（Al3Mg2） particles and rod-shaped Al6Mn particles form in the Al matrix after homogenization. The proper homogenization processing is at 450 °C for 24 h, which is consistent with the results of homogenizing kinetic analysis.

Tortuosity factor for porous FeAl intermetallics fabricated by reactive synthesis

The tortuosity factor is the most critical parameter for the pore characteristic of porous materials. The tortuosity factor for porous FeAl intermetallics was studied based on the Darcy law and Hagen-Poiseuille equation. Porous stainless steel with the same pore structure parameter as porous FeAl was fabricated by powder metallurgy method for comparison. The results show that the tortuosity factor of porous FeAl intermetallics is smaller than that of porous stainless steel when their pore structure parameters are the same. The average tortuosity factor is 2.26 for the porous FeAl material and 2.92 for the porous stainless steel, calculated by Hagen-Poiseuille equation. The reason of the different tortuosity factors for porous FeAl and porous stainless steel was also explored through studying the pore formation mechanisms of the two types of porous materials.

Effect of pore structures on corrosion resistance of porous Ni_3Al intermetallics

Porous Ni3Al intermetallics were fabricated by elemental powder reactive synthesis method, using carbamide powders as space holders. Corrosion behavior of porous Ni3Al intermetallics was investigated in a 6 mol/L KOH solution using electrochemical methods and immersion test. Effect of porous structures on the corrosion behavior of the porous Ni3Al intermetallics was studied. The results indicate that the porous Ni3Al intermetallics with higher porosities suffer more serious corrosion than the ones with lower porosities because the complicated interconnected porous structures and the large true surface areas exist in the samples with a higher porosity. But the corrosion rates of the porous Ni3Al intermetallics are not proportional to the true surface areas. The reason is that the pore size, pore size distribution and pore shape of the porous Ni3Al intermetallics change with the increasing porosity. All the porous Ni3Al intermetallics with different porosities exhibit excellent corrosion resistance in a strong alkali solution.

Multilayered Ti-Al intermetallic sheets fabricated by cold rolling and annealing of titanium and aluminum foils

Multilayered Ti-Al based intermetallic sheets were fabricated by sintering alternately layered titanium and aluminum foils.The microstructure and phase formation of the obtained sheets under different sintering conditions were evaluated by various techniques.The results reveal that when the sintering temperature is above the melting point of aluminum,the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis reaction occurs between Ti and Al,and forms various phases of Ti-based solid solutions including α-Ti Ti3Al,TiAl,TiAl2 and α-Ti including TiAl3,etc.When the sintering time increased,Ti-based solid solution,TiAl2 and TiAl3 disappeared gradually,and the sheet containing Ti3Al and TiAl phases in a multilayered structure formed finally.A lot of voids were also observed in the sintered structures,which were caused by the melting Al,Kirkendall effect and the difference of molar volumes between reactants and products.The voids were eliminated and a dense sample was obtained by the following hot press.

Intermetallics and phase relations of Mg-Zn-Ce alloys at 400 ℃

The crystal structures,compositions and phase relations of the intermetallics of Mg-Zn-Ce system in the Mg-rich corner at 400 ℃ were identified through equilibrium alloy method.For Mg-Zn-Ce system,there is a linear ternary compound（T phase）,whose chemical formula is（Mg1-xZnx）11Ce.The range of Zn content in T phase is from 9.6% to 43.6%（molar fraction）.The crystal structure of T phase is C-centered orthorhombic lattice with lattice parameters of a=0.96-1.029 nm,b=1.115-1.204 nm,c=0.940-1.015 nm.And the lattice parameters of T phase are decreasing a little with increasing Zn content.According to the results of composition and crystal structure,the maximal solubility of Zn in Mg12Ce is about 7.8%（molar fraction）,and the chemical formula of the solid solution can be identified as（Mg1-xZnx）12Ce.The isothermal section of Mg-Zn-Ce system in Mg-rich corner at 400 ℃ was constructed.

Effects of Fe-Al intermetallic compounds on interfacial bonding of clad materials

The growth of intermetallic compounds at the interface between solid Al and Fe and the effects of intermetallic compound layers on the interfacial bonding of clad materials were investigated. The results showed that the interface between the solid Fe and Al formed by heat-treatment consisted of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 intermetallic compound layers, which deteriorated the interfacial bonding strength. Fractures occurred in the intermetallic compound layer during the shear testing. The location of the fracture depended on the defects of microcracks or voids in the intermetallic compound layers. The microcracks in the intermetallic compound layer were caused by the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients of materials during cooling, and the voids were consistent with the Kirkendall effect. The work will lay an important foundation for welding and joining of aluminum and steel, especially for fabrication of Al-Fe clad materials.

Effect of uniform magnetic field on crystallization of intermetallic compound layers between Cu and liquid SnZn alloys

Crystallization of intermetallic compound layer between Cu and SnZn alloy under uniform magnetic field was studied. The effect of magnetic field density on the growth behavior of the intermetallic layer such as microstructure, crystal orientation and composition was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron-probe microanalysis, respectively. Compared with the intermetallic layer without magnetic field, 0.1 T of magnetic flux density decreases the layer thickness. However, further increasing magnetic flux density promotes the layer growth. Application of magnetic field also changes the crystal orientation of intermetallic layer, but has no obvious influence on the layer composition. This phenomenon can be attributed to the role of thermo-electromagnetic convection and Lorentz force on the Cu dissolution as well as the accumulation of Cu solute at the interface front.

Dynamic behavior and fracture mode of TiAl intermetallics with different microstructures at elevated temperatures

Experimental studies were conducted on the tensile behaviors and fracture modes of TiAl（Ti-46.5Al-2Nb-2Cr） alloys with near gamma（NG） equiaxed and near lamellar（NL） microstructures over a temperature range from room temperature to 840 ℃ and a strain rate range of 0.001-1 350 s-1.The results indicate that the alloys are both temperature and strain rate dependent and they have a similar dependence.The dynamic strength is higher than the quasi-static strength but almost insensitive to high strain rate range of 320-1 350 s-1.The brittle-to-ductile transition temperature（BDTT） increases with increasing strain rates.NG TiAl yields obviously,while NL TiAl does not.Below BDTT,as the temperature increases,the fracture modes of the two alloys change from planar cleavage fracture to a mixture of transgranular and intergranular fractures,and finally to totally intergranular fracture.