Strength and ductility optimization of HPDC AlSi8MgCuZn2 alloys by modifying pre-aging treatment

Considering the components produced by high pressure die casting(HPDC)process usually with ultra-large sizes and complex morphologies,high temperature solid solution treatment is not a suitable method to further improve their mechanical properties.In this study,two-stage aging treatment with different pre-aging times was designed and employed to further improve the mechanical properties of HPDC Al8SiMgCuZn alloy.The characteristics of precipitates were evaluated by a transmission electron microscope(TEM),and the precipitation strengthening mechanism was discussed.The results reveal that the strengthening is mainly contributed by the precipitation ofβ″phase after two-stage aging,and the number density and size of the precipitates are significantly depended on the pre-aging time.The number density of precipitates is increased with the pre-aging time prolonged from 0 h to 4 h,and then decreases with the further increase of pre-aging time from 4 h to 6 h.The precipitates with the highest density and smallest size are observed after pre-aging for 4 h.After pre-aged at 100℃for 4 h and then artificial aged at 200℃for 30 min,the yield strength of 207 MPa,ultimate tensile strength of 325 MPa and elongation of 7.6%are achieved.

A novel immiscible high entropy alloy strengthened via L1_(2)-nanoprecipitate

The low-cost Fe-Cu,Fe-Ni,and Cu-based high-entropy alloys exhibit a widespread utilization prospect.However,these potential applications have been limited by their low strength.In this study,a novel Fe_(31)Cu_(31)Ni_(28)Al_(4)Ti_(3)Co_(3) immiscible high-entropy alloy(HEA)was developed.After vacuum arc melting and copper mold suction casting,this HEA exhibits a unique phase separation microstructure,which consists of striped Cu-rich regions and Fe-rich region.Further magnification of the striped Cu-rich region reveals that it is composed of a Cu-rich dot-like phase and a Fe-rich region.The aging alloy is further strengthened by a L1_(2)-Ni_(3)(AlTi)nanoprecipitates,achieving excellent yield strength(1185 MPa)and uniform ductility(~8.8%).The differential distribution of the L1_(2) nanoprecipitate in the striped Cu-rich region and the external Fe-rich region increased the strength difference between these two regions,which increased the strain gradient and thus improved hetero-deformation induced(HDI)hardening.This work provides a new route to improve the HDI hardening of Fe-Cu alloys.

Determining role of heterogeneous microstructure in lowering yield ratio and enhancing impact toughness in high-strength low-alloy steel

Here we present a novel approach of intercritical heat treatment for microstructure tailoring,in which intercritical annealing is introduced between conventional quenching and tempering.This induced a heterogeneous microstructure consisting of soft intercritical ferrite and hard tempered martensite,resulting in a low yield ratio(YR)and high impact toughness in a high-strength low-alloy steel.The initial yielding and subsequent work hardening behavior of the steel during tensile deformation were modified by the presence of soft intercritical ferrite after intercritical annealing,in comparison to the steel with full martensitic microstructure.The increase in YR was related to the reduction in hardness difference between the soft and hard phases due to the precipitation of nano-carbides and the recovery of dislocations during tempering.The excellent low-temperature toughness was ascribed not only to the decrease in probability of microcrack initiation for the reduction of hardness difference between two phases,but also to the increase in resistance of microcrack propagation caused by the high density of high angle grain boundaries.

Superior strength-plasticity synergy in a heterogeneous lamellar Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composite with unique interfacial microstructure

Improving the plasticity of TiAl alloys at room temperature has been a longstanding challenge for the de-velopment of next-generation aerospace engines.By adopting the nacre-like architecture design strategy,we have obtained a novel heterogeneous lamellar Ti_(2)AlC/TiAl composite with superior strength-plasticity synergy,i.e.,compressive strength of∼2065 MPa and fracture strain of∼27%.A combination of micropil-lar compression and large-scale atomistic simulation has revealed that the superior strength-plasticity synergy is attributed to the collaboration of Ti_(2)AlC reinforcement,lamellar architecture and heteroge-neous interface.More specifically,multiple deformation modes in Ti_(2)AlC,i.e.,basal-plane dislocations,atomic-scale ripples and kink bands,could be activated during the compression,thus promoting the plas-tic deformation capability of composite.Meanwhile,the lamellar architecture could not only induce sig-nificant stress redistribution and crack deflection between Ti_(2)AlC and TiAl,but also generate high-density SFs and DTs interactions in TiAl,leading to an improved strength and strain hardening ability.In addi-tion,profuse unique Ti_(2)AlC(1¯10¯3)/TiAl(111)interfaces in the composite could dramatically contribute to the strength and plasticity due to the interface-mediated dislocation nucleation and obstruction mecha-nisms.These findings offer a promising paradigm for tailoring microstructure of TiAl matrix composites with extraordinary strength and plasticity at ambient temperature.

Selective laser melting of bulk immiscible alloy with enhanced strength:Heterogeneous microstructure and deformation mechanisms

To overcome the dimension limits of immiscible alloys produced by traditional techniques and enhance their mechanical properties,bulk Cu-Fe-based immiscible alloy with abundant nanotwins and stacking faults was successfully produced by selective laser melting(SLM).The SLM-produced bulk immiscible alloy displays a heterogeneous microstructure characterized by micro-scaledγ-Fe particles dispersed in fineε-Cu matrix with a high fraction(~92%)of high-angle grain boundaries.Interestingly,abundant nanotwins and stacking faults are generated in the interior of nano-scaledγ-Fe particles embedded withinε-Cu matrix.The heterogeneous interface of soft domains(ε-Cu)and hard domains(γ-Fe)not only induces the geometrically necessary dislocations(GNDs)but also affects the dislocation propagation during plastic deformation.Therefore,the bimodal heterogeneous interface,and the resistance of nanotwins and stacking faults to the propagation of partial dislocation make the bulk immiscible alloy exhibit an enhanced strength of~590 MPa and a good ductility of~8.9%.

Laser powder bed fusion of high-strength Sc/Zr-modified Al–Mg alloy:phase selection,microstructural/mechanical heterogeneity,and tensile deformation behavior

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)of Sc/Zr-modified Al-based alloys has recently become a promising method for developing a new generation of high-performance Al alloys.To clarify the modification roles of Sc/Zr elements,an Al–4.66Mg–0.48Mn–0.72Sc–0.33Zr(wt.%)alloy was processed using L-PBF.The effect of the local solidification condition of the molten pool on the precipitation behavior of primary Al_(3)(Sc,Zr)was analyzed based on time-dependent nucleation theory.It was found that primary Al_(3)(Sc,Zr)inevitably precipitated at the fusion boundary,while its precipitation could be effectively suppressed in the inner region of the molten pool.This subsequently induced the formation of a heterogeneousα-Al matrix.After direct aging,the heredity of solidification microstructure introduced heterogeneous secondary Al_(3)(Sc,Zr)precipitates withinα-Al matrix.Owing to the inverse relationship between grain boundary strengthening and precipitation strengthening,the direct-aged sample with dual heterogeneous structures exhibited reduced mechanical heterogeneity,resulting in lowered hetero-deformation-induced hardening.The low strain-hardening capability in the direct-aged sample promoted necking instability while inducing a large Lüders elongation,which effectively improved the tensile ductility.

Heterogeneous Microstructure-Induced Mechanical Responses in Various Sub-Zones of EH420 Shipbuilding Steel Welded Joint Under High Heat Input Electro-Gas Welding

Heterogeneous microstructure-induced mechanical responses in EH420 shipbuilding steel welded joint by electro-gas welding processed have been systematically studied by scanning electron microscopy,electron backscatter diffraction and mechanical testing.Comparing with the coarse-grained heat-affected zone(CGHAZ),the weld metal presents higher toughness(129.3 J vs.37.3 J)as it contains a large number of acicular ferrites with high-angle grain boundaries(frequency 79.2%)and special grain boundary∑3(frequency 55.3%).Moreover,coarse austenite grains in CGHAZ and slender martensite–austenite constituents between bainite laths may likely facilitate crack propagation.Polygonal ferrites and tempered pearlites formed at the junction of the fine-grained heat-affected zone and the intercritical heat-affected zone induced a softened zone with an average hardness of 185 HV0.5,which is the main reason for the occurrence of tensile fracture.

Analysis on deformation and texture formation mechanism of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets based on heterogeneous structure evolution

In this paper, microstructure, micromagnetic structure, texture, together with magnetic properties of the hot-deformed(HD) Nd-Fe-B magnets were systematically studied to understand the deformation process and the formation mechanism of c-axis texture. The results show that the platelet grains are formed in the fine-grain regions at the initial stage of the deformation. As the amount of deformation increases, the proportion of platelet grains increases and arranges gradually, causing the formation of c-axis texture, till the grain merging occurres when the deformation is excessive. It should be noted that the rare earth-rich phase in the fine-grained region slowly diffuses to the coarse-grained region where only grain growth can be observed during deformation. The deformation mechanism and formation of c-axis texture in HD Nd-Fe-B magnets can be deduced to be accomplished by the processes of dissolution-precipitation diffusion, grain rotation and grain arrangement, based on the characterization of microstructure and texture evolution. Also, approaches to optimize the preparation process and magnetic properties of the hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnets were discussed.

Heterogeneous precipitate microstructure in titanium alloys for simultaneous improvement of strength and ductility

The design of alloys with simultaneous high strength and high ductility is still a difficult challenge.Here,we propose a new approach to designing multi-phase alloys with a synergistic combination of strength and ductility by engineering heterogeneous precipitate microstructures through the activation of different transformation mechanisms.Using a two-phase titanium alloy as an example,phase field simulations are carried out firstly to design heat treatment schedules that involve both conventional nucleation and growth and non-conventional pseudospinodal decomposition mechanisms,and the calculated microstructures have been evaluated by crystal plasticity finite element modeling.According to simulations,we then set a two-step heat treatment to produce bimodalα+βmicrostructure in Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al.Further mechanical testing shows that the ductility of the alloy is increased by~50%and the strength is increased by~10%as compared to its unimodal counterpart.Our work may provide a general way to improve the mechanical properties of alloys through multiscale microstructure design.

Heterogeneous particle structure formation during post-crystallization of spray-dried powder

The formation of heterogeneous particle structure in skim milk powder has been investigated in a post- crystallization facility using experimental and a mathematical model. Various processing conditions were used to produce these heterogeneous structures. The experimental process parameters were used as initial and boundary conditions for the model. The modelled data agreed well with the experimental data. The experimental and modelling results show that the powder processed at high water activity （aw = 0.7） with low initial moisture content （X0 = 0.01 kg/kg） developed a crystalline surface layer while the core of the particle remained amorphous. This structure is referred to as an egg-shell structure. The powder that was processed at low water activity （αw = 0.1） with high initial moisture content （X0 = 0.2 kg/kg） developed a crystalline core while the surface of the particle remained amorphous. This structure is referred to as an egg-yolk structure. Understanding the dependency of particle microstructures on the processing conditions could be useful when developing procedures to control the drying equipment because the particle microstructure affects the physicochemical properties of the powder and potential applications and behaviour of the powder.

Ductile and high strength Cu fabricated by solid-state cold spray additive manufacturing

In this work,pure Cu with excellent strength and ductility(UTS of 271 MPa,elongation to fracture of 43.5%,uniform elongation of 30%)was prepared using cold spray additive manufacturing(CSAM),realizing a breakthrough in the field.An in-depth investigation was conducted to reveal the microstructure evolution,strengthening and ductilization mechanisms of the CSAM Cu,as well as the single splats.The results show that the CSAM Cu possesses a unique heterogeneous microstructure with a bimodal grain structure and extensive infinitely circulating ring-mounted distribution of twinning.Based on the single splat observation,the entire copper particle forms a gradient nano-grained(GNG)structure after high-speed impact deposition.The GNG-structured single splat serves as a unit to build the heterogeneous microstructure with bimodal grain distribution during the successive deposition in CSAM.The results also show that CSAM can achieve synergistic strengthening and ductilization by controlling the grain refinement and dislocation density.This work provides potential for CSAM technique in manufacturing various metallic parts with the desired combination of high strength and good ductility without additional post-treatments.

Chemical patterning enhanced by increasing quenching temperature in a medium-Mn steel

Chemical heterogeneity in high-temperature austenite is an effective way to tune the austenite-to-martensite transformation during cooling.The effect of quenching temperature on microstructure evolution is investigated when the high-temperature austenite is heterogeneous.After fast austenitization from partitioned pearlite consisting of Mn-enriched cementite and Mn-depleted ferrite in Fe-0.29C-3.76Mn-1.50Si(wt.%)steel,quenching to room temperature and quenching to 130℃ followed by 400℃ partitioning are both applied.With increasing quenching temperature from 25 to 130℃,the amount of heterogeneous microstructure(lamellar ghost pearlite)increases from 10.6%to 33.6% and the thickness of Mn-enriched retained austenite film is increased from 31.9±5.9 to 51.5±4.4 nm,indicating an enhancement of chemical patterning.It is probably ascribed to the reduction in driving force for austenite-to-martensite transformation,which requires a lower Mn content for austenite retention.

Achieving high strength in laser powder-bed fusion processed AlFeCuZr alloy via dual-nanoprecipitations and grain boundary segregation

Additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys has received significant attention in the aerospace industry;however,achieving sufficient high strength,especially at elevated temperatures,remains challenging.Here,a crack-free and near-full dense Al-1Fe-0.6Cu-1.3Zr alloy was fabricated by the laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)technique.The Al-Fe-Cu-Zr alloy exhibits heterogeneous microstructures with two distinct zones.One is the so-called coarse-grain zones(CGZs)with an average grain size of 0.95μm,where(Al,Cu)Fe_(3) nanoparticles precipitate in the Al matrix and Fe and Cu cosegregate at the grain boundaries(GBs).The other is fine-grain zones(FGZs)with an average grain size of 0.45μm,where an Al 3 Zr nanoparti-cle precipitates in each of theα-Al grains(serves as the nuclei),and Fe-rich nanoprecipitates and Fe/Cu cosegregation appear at the GBs.As a result,the LPBF Al-Fe-Cu-Zr alloy,with these unique heteroge-neous structures,displays high strength at both room temperature and elevated temperatures,e.g.,with high yield strengths of 500 MPa at room temperature,and 163 MPa at 573 K,both are higher than those of additive manufactured Al-based alloys reported thus far.It is suggested that the high strength over a wide temperature range of the current LPBF Al alloy is mainly attributed to the combination of the precipitation strengthening mechanism and grain-boundary strengthening mechanism.

Recrystallization effect on surface passivation of Hastelloy X alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

Post-heat treatment is generally adopted in the additive manufacturing field due to its alleviation of high residual stress and modification of rapid-solidified multilevel heterogeneous microstructure,and the related performance of the heat-treated counterparts calls for a systemic investigation to build a criterion of the heat treatment procedure.In this work,we focus on the heat treatment effects on the recrystallization of the Hastelloy X alloy produced by the laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)method,and the related surface passivation of the heat-treated counterparts is meticulously assessed as well.Results show that the multilevel heterostructure for LPBF Hastelloy X alloy consists of sub-micro dislocation cell substructures with Cr/Mo elemental segregation,fine columnar grains,and periodically-distributed molten pools.After heat treatment,partially and fully recrystallized structures for LPBF Hastelloy X alloys were achieved at 1100 and 1200℃for 1 h,respectively.Furthermore,the as-built LPBF Hastelloy X alloy shows superior corrosion resistance while the heat-treated one(1100℃)exhibits the worst in the borate buffer solution.The growth of passive film exhibited a highly linear correlation with the nucleation process controlled by diffusion,and high dislocation density and low angle grain boundary decreased the diffusion coefficient of cation vacancies,augmenting the nucleation sites of the passive film and enhancing its growth rate.Moreover,the micro-galvanic effect resulting from the partially recrystallized microstructure actively facilitated the formation of inhomogeneous porous passive films,leading to the worst corrosion resistance.

Investigation of beta fleck formation in Ti-17 alloy by directional solidification method

Beta flecks are one of the most common defects occur in someα+βandβtitanium alloys.In this study,formation of beta flecks in Ti-17 alloy was investigated by directional solidification experiments.Samples were directionally solidified under a constant temperature gradient of 2×10^4 K/m and a wide range of withdrawal rates(R)from 3 mm/h to 150 mm/h.We find that macrostructure of the directionally solidified Ti-17 samples can be characterized by"four zones and two lines"after the heat treatment.Profile of the solid-liquid interface transits from planar to cellular to dendritic shape with solidification rate increasing from 3 mm/h to 150 mm/h.The critical rates for planar to cellular(Rc1)transition and cellular to dendritic(Rc2)transition can be well predicted based on the traditional solidification theory.Dark and light contrast areas in macrostructure are directly related to elemental segregation.Dark contrast areas are rich of Cr,Zr but lean of Mo,while no apparent segregation is found in light contrast areas and the mean level of Cr,Zr is lower and Mo is higher in this area than that in dark contrast areas.We conclude thatβ-flecks in Ti-17 titanium alloy are induced by segregation of alloying elements with k<1 and their shape and size are determined by solidification conditions.Based on the findings of the present article and other literatures,three types ofβ-flecks are proposed and their formation mechanisms are discussed.

Inhomogeneity of microstructure and mechanical properties in the nugget of friction stir welded thick 7075 aluminum alloy joints

In this study, 20 mm thick AA7075-T6 alloy plates were joined by friction stir welding. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the nugget zone along the thickness direction from the top to the bottom was investigated. The results showed that the microstructure including the grain size, the degree of dynamic recrystallization, the misorientation angle distribution and the precipitation phase containing its size, type and content exhibited a gradient distribution along the thickness direction. The testing results of mechanical properties of the slices showed that the nugget was gradually weakened along the depth from the top to the bottom. The maximum ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and elongation of the slice in the nugget top-middle are obtained, which are 415 MPa, 255 MPa and 8.1%, respectively.