Enhanced corrosion resistance of epoxy resin coating via addition of CeO_(2) and benzotriazole

The use of fillers to enhance the corrosion protection of epoxy resins has been widely applied.In this work,cerium dioxide(CeO_(2))and benzotriazole(BTA)were introduced into an epoxy resin to enhance the corrosion resistance of Q235 carbon steel.Scanning electron microscopy results indicated that the CeO_(2) grains were rod-like and ellipsoidal in shape,and the distribution pattern of BTA was analyzed by energy dispersive spectroscope.The dynamic potential polarization curve proved the excellent corrosion resistance of the composite epoxy resin with CeO_(2) and BTA co-addition,and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test analysis indicated the significantly enhanced long-term corrosion protection performance of the composite coating.And the optimal protective performance was provided by the coating containing 0.3%(mass)CeO_(2) and 20%(mass)BTA,which was attributed to the barrier performance of CeO_(2) particles and the chemical barrier effect of BTA.The formation of corrosion products was analyzed using X-ray diffraction.In addition,the corrosion resistance mechanism of the coating was also discussed in detail.

Mg/Fe site-specific dual-doping to boost the performance of cobalt-free nickle-rich layered oxide cathode for high-energy lithium-ion batteries

Layer-type LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2is promising to be the primary cathode material for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to its excellent electrochemical performance.Unfortunately,the cathode with high nickel content suffers from severely detrimental structural transformation that causes rapid capacity attenuation.Herein,site-specific dual-doping with Fe and Mg ions is proposed to enhance the structural stability of LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2.The Fe3+dopants are inserted into transition metal sites(3b)and can favorably provide additional redox potential to compensate for charge and enhance the reversibility of anionic redox.The Mg ions are doped into the Li sites(3a)and serve as O_(2)^(-)-Mg^(2+)-O_(2)^(-)pillar to reinforce the electrostatic cohesion between the two adjacent transition-metal layers,which further suppress the cracking and the generation of harmful phase transitions,ultimately improving the cyclability.The theoretical calculations,including Bader charge and crystal orbital Hamilton populations(COHP)analyses,confirm that the doped Fe and Mg can form stable bonds with oxygen and the electrostatic repulsion of O_(2)^(-)-O_(2)^(-)can be effectively suppressed,which effectively mitigates oxygen anion loss at the high delithiation state.This dual-site doping strategy offers new avenues for understanding and regulating the crystalline oxygen redox and demonstrates significant potential for designing high-performance cobalt-free nickel-rich cathodes.

Tailoring the microstructural characteristics and enhancing creep properties of as-cast Mg-5Bi-5Sn alloy through Mn addition

The creep properties, microstructural characteristics and creep mechanisms of as-cast Mg-5Bi-5Sn(BT55) alloy without and with Mn(BTM550) addition were investigated via creep at 423, 448, and 473 K as well as stresses of 30, 50 and 75 MPa. The results indicate that adding Mn can result in the formation of primary and the dynamic precipitated α-Mn phases. In addition, the morphology of the precipitated Mg_(3)Bi_(2) phase and the orientation relationship between Mg_(2)Sn precipitates and α-Mg can be effectively modified. Tailoring the microstructural characteristics is responsible for the improved creep performance of BTM550 alloy. The dominant creep mechanisms in BT55 and BTM550 alloys are dislocation cross-slip and climb, respectively. Furthermore, twinning and pyramidal slip play an assisting part in both alloys during creep process.

Atomic-scale insights of indium segregation and its suppression by GaAs insertion layer in InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells

The In segregation and its suppression in InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum well are investigated by using high-resolution x-ray diffraction(XRD)and photoluminescence(PL),combined with the state-of-the-art aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(Cs-STEM)techniques.To facility our study,we grow two multiple quantum wells(MQWs)samples,which are almost identical except that in sample B a thin GaAs layer is inserted in each of the InGaAs well and AlGaAs barrier layer comparing to pristine InGaAs/AlGaAs MQWs(sample A).Our study indeed shows the direct evidences that In segregation occurs in the InGaAs/AlGaAs interface,and the effect of the Ga As insertion layer on suppressing the segregation of In atoms is also demonstrated on the atomic-scale.Therefore,the atomic-scale insights are provided to understand the segregation behavior of In atoms and to unravel the underlying mechanism of the effect of GaAs insertion layer on the improvement of crystallinity,interface roughness,and further an enhanced optical performance of InGaAs/AlGaAs QWs.

The aging behavior,microstructure and mechanical properties of AlN/AZ91 composite

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the aging treated AlN/AZ91 composites were systematically investigated by optical microscopy(OM),high resolution scanning electron microscopy(HRSEM)with an energy dispersive spectrum(EDS),and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM).The results show that the higher fracture elongation(14±1%)and ultimate tensile strength(275±6 MPa)were simultaneously obtained in the peak-aged AlN/AZ91 composites.Comparied with AZ91 matrix alloy,the strength was increased by about 44%and the elongation was approximately five times higher,which mainly attributed to the precipitation of nano-sizedγ-Mg_(17)Al_(12)phase and the activation of non-basal slip systems induced by in-situ AlN particles at room temperature.However,the in-situ formation of AlN reinforcements consumed part of Al element in the matrix alloy,which resulted into the volume fraction decreasing ofγ-Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates,and then the age hardening and strengthening efficiency were reduced in the AlN/AZ91 composites.On the other hand,the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficient between AlN particles and AZ91 matrix generated high density dislocations around AlN particles,which promoted the precipitation ofγ-Mg_(17)Al_(12)phase,and then the peak aging time and temperature were decreased.

Unraveling the degradation mechanism of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) at the high cut-off voltage for lithium ion batteries

LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM811)layered oxides have been regarded as promising alternative cathodes for the next generation of high-energy lithium ion batteries(LIBs)due to high discharge capacities and energy densities at high operation voltage.However,the capacity fading under high operation voltage still restricts the practical application.Herein,the capacity degradation mechanism of NCM811 at atomic-scale is studied in detail under various cut-off voltages using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM).It is observed that the crystal structure of NCM811 evolution from a layered structure to a rock-salt phase is directly accompanied by serious intergranular cracks under 4.9 V,which is distinguished from the generally accepted structure evolution of layered,disordered layered,defect rock salt and rock salt phases,also observed under 4.3 and 4.7 V.The electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis also confirms the reduction of Ni and Co from the surface to the bulk,not the previously reported only Li/Ni interlayer mixing.The degradation mechanism of NCM811 at a high cut-off voltage of4.9 V is attributed to the formation of intergranular cracks induced by defects,the direct formation of the rock salt phase,and the accompanied reduction of Ni^(2+)and Co^(2+)phases from the surface to the bulk.

Modification and refinement effects of Sb and Sr on Mg_(17)Al_(12) and Mg_2Si phases in Mg-12Al-0.7Si alloy

The effects of Sb and Sr on the modification and refinement of Mg_(17)Al_(12)and Mg_2Si phases in Mg-12Al-0.7Si alloy were investigated and compared. The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-12Al-0.7Si alloy and its modification mechanism by Sb and Sr were investigated using a scanning electron microscope(SEM), an energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and differential thermal analysis(DTA). The results indicate that by adding 0.5wt.% Sb to the Mg-12Al-0.7Si alloy, the Mg_(17)Al_(12)phase was refined and broken into some discontinuous island structures. However, some network Mg_(17)Al_(12)phases still can be detected in Mg-12Al-0.7Si-0.09 Sr alloy. Therefore, Sb performs better in modification and refinement of Mg_(17)Al_(12)phase than does Sr. Small amounts of fine polygonal shaped Mg_2Si phases were found in Mg-12Al-0.7Si-0.5Sb alloy, while the morphology of Mg_2Si phases in Mg-12Al-0.7Si-0.09 Sr alloy changed from the coarse Chinese script shapes to fine granule and irregular polygonal shapes, indicating that the effects of modification and refinement on Mg_2Si phase are more significant by adding 0.09 wt.% Sr than 0.5wt.% Sb. The ultimate tensile strengths of the Sb and Sr modified Mg-12Al-0.7Si alloys were considerably increased both at room temperature and at 200 oC.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of high speed indirect-extruded Mg-5Sn-(1,2,4 )Zn alloys

The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of high speed indirect-extruded Mg-5%Sn-(1, 2, 4) Zn(mass fraction, %) alloys were investigated by optical microscopy(OM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), differential thermal analysis(DTA) and a static tension tester. All the studied alloys can be extruded successfully at a high speed of 10 m/min. The grain size, area fraction of particles and tensile properties are found to be greatly affected by the extrusion speed and Zn content, resulting in tensile properties showing lower strength and ductility as the extrusion speed increases and Zn content decreases. The dependence of grain size and tensile properties on the second phase particles is also discussed.

Synthesis of Iron-containing Carbon Microparticles from Deoiled Asphalt and Ferrocene

The deoiled asphalt as the carbon source and the ferrocene as the metal source and the catalyst precursor were chosen to synthesize iron-containing carbon microparticles through co-carbonization at the temperature of about 450℃ for 3 h. The resulting products were treated at 2 000 ℃ for 2 h. All samples were examined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that the iron particles in the heat-treated material are completely coated by carbon. In addition to the fully filled carbon microparticles as well as hollow carbon ones, also form carbon fibers with hollow centers. The formation mechanism of the as-prepared products was discussed briefly.

Effect of Cr, Mo, and Nb additions on intergranular cohesion of ferritic stainless steel: First-principles determination

Effects of Cr, Mo, and Nb on the ferritic stainless steel ]2（210） grain boundary and intragranularity are investigated using the first-principles principle. Different positions of solute atoms are considered. Structural stability is lowered by Cr doping and enhanced by Mo and Nb doping. A ranking on the effect of solute atoms enhancing the cohesive strength of the grain boundary, from the strongest to the weakest is Cr, Mo, and Nb. Cr clearly prefers to locate in the intragranular region of Fe rather than in the grain boundary, while Mo and Nb tend to segregate to the grain boundary. Solute Mo and Nb atoms possess a strong driving force for segregation to the grain boundary from the intragranular region, which increases the grain boundary embrittlement. For Mo- and Nb-doped systems, a remarkable quantity of electrons accumulate in the region close to Mo （Nb）. Therefore, the bond strength may increase. With Cr, Mo, and Nb additions, an anti-parallel island is formed around the center of the grain boundary.

Microstructure, texture and tensile properties of Mg-10Sn alloys extruded in different conditions

Indirect extrusion of Mg-10%Sn (mass fraction) alloys was performed at three different working temperatures. The effect of working temperature on the microstructure, texture and tensile properties of the extruded alloys was investigated by optical microscope (OM), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a standard universal testing machine. Grain size, area fraction of second phase particles and texture of the alloys are found to be significantly influenced by working temperature. The grain size refinement is greatly dependent on processing conditions with the low working temperature being the most effective. While the high working temperature results in a coarser grain size and a stronger fiber texture and the reason for this phenomenon was examined in terms of second phase particle, grain type and dynamic recrystallization mechanism. Tested in the different conditions, the tensile strengths of the Mg-10Sn alloys extruded at the high working temperature are remarkably better than those of the other studied alloys. This significant improvement in tensile properties is mainly due to the particle strengthening and texture strengthening resulted from the more and finer primary dispersed particles and stronger texture, respectively.

Extraordinary mechanical properties of AZ61 alloy processed by ECAP with 160° channel angle and EPT

AZ61 Mg alloy with homogeneous refined microstructure and exceptional mechanical properties was obtained by the combined technology of equal-channel angular pressing(ECAP)and electropulsing treatment(EPT)in this paper.Based on an ECAP die with an intersection angle of 160,the lower temperature is particularly adapted for AZ61 alloy to be deformed,in which accompanied by high accumulated defects density.The recrystallization of EPTed samples during different stages indicated that the recrystallization behavior of the deformed Mg alloy was mainly affected by the processing time and duration of EPT.Compared to those of the as-received samples,the average grain size of the EPTed samples was refined from 89μm to 1.0μm,accordingly the yields stress(YS)and ultimate tensile strength(UTS)were increased from 100 MPa and 260 MPa to 330 MPa and 448 MPa,respectively.The mechanisms of microstructure transformation and the reinforced mechanical properties were analyzed based on the strain of single ECAP,cumulative storage energy and the athermal effect of EPT.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Mg-9Al-1Si-1SiC composites processed by multi-pass equal-channel angular pressing at various temperatures

In this study,Mg-9 Al-1 Si-1 SiC(wt%)composites were processed by multi-pass equal-channel angular pressing(ECAP)at various temperatures,and their microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism were explored.Results showed that the as-cast microstructure was composed of anα-Mg matrix,discontinuous Mg17Al12 phase,and Chinese script-shaped Mg2Si phase.After solution treatment,almost all of the Mg17Al12 phases were dissolved into the matrix,whereas the Mg2Si phases were not.The subsequent multi-pass ECAP at different temperatures promoted the dynamic recrystallization and uniform distribution of the Mg17Al12 precipitates when compared with the multipass ECAP at a constant temperature.A large number of precipitates can effectively improve the nucleation ratio of recrystallization through a particle-stimulated nucleation mechanism.In addition,the SiC nanoparticles were mainly distributed at grain boundaries,which effectively prevented dislocation movement.The excellent comprehensive mechanical properties can be attributed to grain boundary strengthening and Orowan strengthening.

Deformation behavior and plastic instability of boronized Al0.25CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys

Using thermochemical treatments,boronized layers were successfully prepared on Al0.25CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys(HEAs).The thickness of the boronized layers ranged widely from 20 to 50μm,depending on the heat treatment time.Boronizing remarkably improved the surface hardness from HV 188 to HV 1265 after treating at 900°C for 9 h.Moreover,boronizing enhanced the yield strength of HEAs from 195 to 265 MPa but deteriorated the tensile ductility.Multiple crackings in the boride layers significantly decreased the plasticity.The insufficient work-hardening capacity essentially facilitated the plastic instability of the boronized HEAs.With decreasing substrate thickness,the fracture modes gradually transformed from dimples to quasi-cleavage and eventually to cleavage.

First-principles study of the effects of selected interstitial atoms on the generalized stacking fault energies, strength, and ductility of Ni

We analyze the influences of interstitial atoms on the generalized stacking fault energy （GSFE）, strength, and ductility of Ni by first-principles calculations. Surface energies and GSFE curves are calculated for the （112） （111） and / 101） （ 1 1 1） systems. Because of the anisotropy of the single crystal, the addition of interstitials tends to promote the strength of Ni by slipping along the （10T） direction while facilitating plastic deformation by slipping along the （115） direction. There is a different impact on the mechanical behavior of Ni when the interstitials are located in the slip plane. The evaluation of the Rice criterion reveals that the addition of the interstitials H and O increases the brittleness in Ni and promotes the probability of cleavage fracture, while the addition of S and N tends to increase the ductility. Besides, P, H, and S have a negligible effect on the deformation tendency in Ni, while the tendency of partial dislocation is more prominent with the addition of N and O. The addition of interstitial atoms tends to increase the high-energy barrier γmax, thereby the second partial resulting from the dislocation tends to reside and move on to the next layer.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine Grained Mg15Al Alloy Processed by Equal-channel Angular Pressing

An as-cast magnesium alloy with high Al content Mg15Al was subjected to equal-channel angular pressing （ECAP） through a die with an angle of φ= 90？ at 553 K following route Bc. It is found that the network β-Mg17Al12 phases in the as-cast Mg15Al alloy are broken into small blocks and dispersed uniformly with increasing numbers of pressing passes. Moreover, many nano-sized Mg17Al12 particles precipitate in the ultra-fine α-Mg matrix. The grains are obviously refined. However, the grain structure is inhomogeneous in different areas of the alloy. The average size of the primary phase α-Mg is reduced to about 1 μm while grains of around 0.1-0.2 μm are obtained in some two-phase areas. With additional ECAP passes （up to 8）, coarsening of the grains occurs by dynamic recovery. Room temperature tensile tests show that the mechanical properties of Mg15Al alloys are markedly improved after 4 ECAP passes. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure increase from 150 MPa to 269.3 MPa and from 0.05% to 7.4%, respectively. Compared with that after 4 passes, the elongation to failure of the alloy increases but the strength of the alloy slightly decreases after 8 ECAP passes. Fracture morphology of the ECAP-processed alloy exhibits dimple-like fracture characteristics while the as-cast alloy shows quasi-cleavage fractures.

Interfacial bonding characteristics and mechanical properties of H68/AZ31B clad plate

Interfacial bonding,microstructures,and mechanical properties of an explosively-welded H68/AZ31B clad plate were systematically studied.According to the results,the bonding interface demonstrated a“wavy-like”structure containing three typical zones/layers:(1)diffusion layer adjacent to the H68 brass plate;(2)solidification layer of melted metals at the interface;(3)a layer at the side of AZ31B alloy that experienced severe deformation.Mixed copper,CuZn_(2),andα-Mg phases were observed in the melted-solidification layer.Regular polygonal grains with twins were found at the H68 alloy side,while fine equiaxed grains were found at the AZ31B alloy side near the interface due to recrystallization.Nanoindentation results revealed the formation of brittle intermetallic CuZn_(2) phases at the bonding interface.The interface was bonded well through metallurgical reactions due to diffusion of Cu,Zn,and Mg atoms across the interface and metallurgic reaction of partially melted H68 and AZ31B alloys.

Structure and tribological properties of Si/a-C:H(Ag)multilayer film in stimulated body fluid

Si/a-C:H(Ag)multilayer films with different modulation periods are prepared to test their potential applications in human body.The composition,microstructure,mechanical and tribological properties in the simulated body fluid are investigated.The results show the concentration of Ag first decreases and then increases with the modulation period decreasing from 984 nm to 250 nm.Whereas the C content has an opposite variation trend.Notably,the concentration of Ag plays a more important role than the modulation period in the properties of the multilayer film.The a-C:H sublayer of the film with an appropriate Ag concentration(8.97 at.%)(modulation period of 512 nm)maintains the highest sp3/sp2 ratio,surface roughness and hardness,and excellent tribological property in the stimulated body fluid.An appropriate number of Ag atoms and size of Ag atom allow the Ag atoms to easily enter into the contact interface for load bearing and lubricating.This work proves that the Ag nanoparticles in the a-C:H sublayer plays a more important role in the tribological properties of the composite-multilayer film in stimulated body fluid condition.

Fatigue limit assessment of a 6061 aluminum alloy based on infrared thermography and steady ratcheting effect

To quickly predict the fatigue limit of 6061 aluminum alloy,two assessment methods based on the temperature evolution and the steady ratcheting strain difference under cyclic loading,respectively,were proposed.The temperature evolutions during static and cyclic loadings were both measured by infrared thermography.Fatigue tests show that the temperature evolution was closely related to the cyclic loading,and the cyclic loading range can be divided into three sections according to the regular of temperature evolution in different section.The mechanism of temperature evolution under different cyclic loadings was also analyzed due to the thermoelastic,viscous,and thermoplastic effects.Additionally,ratcheting strain under cyclic loading was also measured,and the results show that the evolution of the ratcheting strain under cyclic loading above the fatigue limit undergone three stages:the first increasing stage,the second steady state,and the final abrupt increase stage.The fatigue limit of the 6061 aluminum alloy was quickly estimated based on transition point of linear fitting of temperature increase and the steady value of ratcheting strain difference.Besides,it is feasible and quick of the two methods by the proof of the traditional S-N curve.

Understanding micro-diffusion bonding from the fabrication of B_4C/Ni composites

A Ni-B_4C macroscopic diffusion welding couple and a Ni-15 wt% B_4C composite fabricated by spark plasma sintering(SPS) were used to understand the micro-scale diffusion bonding between metals and ceramics. In the Ni-B_4C macroscopic diffusion welding couple a perfect diffusion welding joint was achieved. In the Ni-15 wt% B_4C sample, microstructure analyses demonstrated that loose structures occurred around the B_4C particles. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses revealed that during the SPS process, the process of diffusion bonding between Ni and B_4C particles can be divided into three stages. By employing a nano-indentation test, the room-temperature fracture toughness of the Ni matrix was found to be higher than that of the interface. The micro-diffusion bonding between Ni and B_4C particles is quite different from the Ni-B_4C reaction couple.