Role of inclination angle on columnar-to-equiaxed transition in the eutectic Al-5Mg-2Si alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

In this study,the effect of inclination angles relative to the building direction in the additively manufactured eutectic Al-5Mg-2Si alloy was investigated through the laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).The microstructures and mechanical properties of the Al-5Mg-2Si alloy manufactured with different inclination angles(0°,30°,45°,60°and 90°)were reported and discussed.It is found that the“semicircular”melt pool(MP)in the load bearing face of 0°sample was eventually transformed into“stripe-like”MP in the 90°sample,accompanied by an increased fraction of melt pool boundaries(MPBs).Moreover,the microstructural analysis revealed that the columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)of theα-Al grains and eutectic Mg2Si was completed in the 90°sample,which were significantly refined with the average size of 10.6μm and 0.44μm,respectively.It is also found that the 90°sample exhibited good combination of strength and elongation(i.e.yield strength of 393 MPa,ultimate tensile strength of 483 MPa and elongation of 8.1%).The anisotropic mechanical properties were highly associated with the refined microstructures,thermal stress,and density of MPBs.Additionally,the CET driven by inclination angles was attributed to the variation of thermal conditions inside the local MPs.

Preheating-assisted solid-state friction stir repair of Al-Mg-Si alloy plate at different rotational speeds

Additive friction stir deposition(AFSD)is a novel structural repair and manufacturing technology has become a research hotspot at home and abroad in the past five years.In this work,the microstructural evolution and mechanical performance of the Al-Mg-Si alloy plate repaired by the preheating-assisted AFSD process were investigated.To evaluate the tool rotation speed and substrate preheating for repair quality,the AFSD technique was used to additively repair 5 mm depth blind holes on 6061 aluminum alloy substrates.The results showed that preheat-assisted AFSD repair significantly improved joint bonding and joint strength compared to the control non-preheat substrate condition.Moreover,increasing rotation speed was also beneficial to improve the metallurgical bonding of the interface and avoid volume defects.Under preheating conditions,the UTS and elongation were positively correlated with rotation speed.Under the process parameters of preheated substrate and tool rotation speed of 1000 r/min,defect-free specimens could be obtained accompanied by tensile fracture occurring in the substrate rather than the repaired zone.The UTS and elongation reached the maximum values of 164.2MPa and 13.4%,which are equivalent to 99.4%and 140%of the heated substrate,respectively.

Microscopic growth mechanism and edge states of monolayer 1T'-MoTe_(2)

Transition metal ditellurides(TMTDs)have versatile physical properties,including non-trivial topology,Weyl semimetal states and unique spin texture.Controlled growth of high-quality and large-scale monolayer TMTDs with preferred crystal phases is crucial for their applications.Here,we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of 1T'-MoTe_(2) on Au(111)and graphitized silicon carbide(Gr/SiC)by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE).We investigate the morphology of the grown1T'-MoTe_(2) at the atomic level by scanning tunnelling microscopy(STM)and reveal the corresponding microscopic growth mechanism.It is found that the unique ordered Te structures preferentially deposited on Au(111)regulate the growth of monolayer single crystal 1T'-MoTe_(2),while the Mo clusters were preferentially deposited on the Gr/SiC substrate,which impedes the ordered growth of monolayer MoTe_(2).We confirm that the size of single crystal 1T'-MoTe_(2) grown on Au(111)is nearly two orders of magnitude larger than that on Gr/SiC.By scanning tunnelling spectroscopy(STS),we observe that the STS spectrum of the monolayer 1T'-MoTe_(2) nano-island at the edge is different from that at the interior,which exhibits enhanced conductivity.

Age-hardening behavior and microstructure of Cu-15Ni-8Sn-0.3Nb alloy prepared by powder metallurgy and hot extrusion

Cu-15Ni-8Sn-0.3Nb alloy rods were prepared by means of powder metallurgy followed by hot extrusion.Element maps obtained by electron probe micro analyzer(EPMA)showed that Nb-rich phases were formed and distributed within grains and at grain boundaries of the Cu-15Ni-8Sn-0.3Nb alloy.Transmission electron microscope(TEM)results indicated that there was no obvious orientation relationship between these phases and the matrix.Spinodal decomposition and ordering transformation appeared at early stages of aging at400°C and caused significant strengthening.Cu-15Ni-8Sn-0.3Nb alloy exhibited both higher strength(ultimate tensile strength>1030MPa)and higher tensile ductility(elongation>9.1%)than Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy after aging treatment.The improvement was caused by Nb-rich phases at grain boundaries which led o the refinement of grain size and postponed the growth of discontinuous precipitates during aging.

New development of powder metallurgy in automotive industry

The driving force for using powder metallurgy(PM)mostly relies on its near net-shape ability and cost-performance ratio.The automotive application is a main market of PM industry,requiring parts with competitive mechanical or functional performance in a mass production scale.As the automobile technology transforms from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles to new energy vehicles,PM technology is undergoing significant changes in manufacturing and materials development.This review outlines the challenges and opportunities generated by the changes in the automotive technology for PM.Low-cost,high-performance and light-weight are critical aspects for future PM materials development.Therefore,the studies on PM lean-alloyed steel,aluminum alloys,and titanium alloy materials were reviewed.In addition,PM soft magnetic composite applied to new energy vehicles was discussed.Then new opportunities for advanced processing,such as metal injection molding(MIM)and additive manufacturing(AM),in automotive industry were stated.In general,the change in automotive industry raises sufficient development space for PM.While,emerging technologies require more preeminent PM materials.Iron-based parts are still the main PM products due to their mechanical performance and low cost.MIM will occupy the growing market of highly flexible and complex parts.AM opens a door for fast prototyping,great flexibility and customizing at low cost,driving weight and assembling reduction.

Improvement of Ductility of Powder Metallurgy Titanium Alloys by Addition of Rare Earth Element

Ti-4.5Al-6.0Mo-1.5Fe, Ti-6Al-1Mo-1Fe and Ti-6Al-4V alloys were prepared by blended elemental powder metallurgy （PM） process, and the effects of Nd on the microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. It was found out that the addition of Nd increased the density of sintered titanium alloys slightly by a maximum increment of 1% because small amount of liquid phase occurred during sintering. The addition of Nd shows little effect on the improvement of tensile strength, while the elongation is significantly improved. For example, the elongation of Ti-4.SAl-6.0Mo-1.5Fe can be increased from 1% without addition of Nd to 13% at a Nd content of 1.2 wt pct.

Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and tensile properties of powder metallurgy Ni-based superalloy

The effects of size distribution,morphology and volume fraction ofγ′phase and grain size on tensile properties of powder processed Ni-based superalloy were investigated by using two different quenching methods.Oil quenching and air cooling were adopted with cooling rate of 183°C/s and 4?15°C/s,respectively.The experimental results show that the average size of the secondaryγ′after oil quenching is 24.5 nm compared with 49.8 nm under air cooling,and corresponding volume fractions ofγ′are 29%and 34%,respectively.Meanwhile,the average grain size remains nearly equivalent from both oil-quenching and air-cooling specimens.The tensile strength at room temperature is higher for the oil-quenched specimen than the equivalent from the air-cooled specimen,but the difference approaches each other as the temperature increases to 650°C.The fractography clearly demonstrates that transgranular fracture governs the failure process at ambient temperature,in contrast to the intergranular fracture at 650°C or even higher temperature.These two mechanical responses indicate the strengthening effects ofγ′precipitates and grain boundary for polycrystalline Ni-based superalloys at different temperatures.

Prediction of the thermal conductivity of Mg–Al–La alloys by CALPHAD method

Mg-Al alloys have excellent strength and ductility but relatively low thermal conductivity due to Al addition.The accurate prediction of thermal conductivity is a prerequisite for designing Mg-Al alloys with high thermal conductivity.Thus,databases for predicting temperature-and composition-dependent thermal conductivities must be established.In this study,Mg-Al-La alloys with different contents of Al2La,Al3La,and Al11La3phases and solid solubility of Al in the α-Mg phase were designed.The influence of the second phase(s) and Al solid solubility on thermal conductivity was investigated.Experimental results revealed a second phase transformation from Al_(2)La to Al_(3)La and further to Al_(11)La_(3)with the increasing Al content at a constant La amount.The degree of the negative effect of the second phase(s) on thermal diffusivity followed the sequence of Al2La>Al3La>Al_(11)La_(3).Compared with the second phase,an increase in the solid solubility of Al in α-Mg remarkably reduced the thermal conductivity.On the basis of the experimental data,a database of the reciprocal thermal diffusivity of the Mg-Al-La system was established by calculation of the phase diagram (CALPHAD)method.With a standard error of±1.2 W/(m·K),the predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental data.The established database can be used to design Mg-Al alloys with high thermal conductivity and provide valuable guidance for expanding their application prospects.

Effect of carbon on microstructure,mechanical properties and wear resistance of non-equiatomic Fe_(70)Co_(7.5)Cr_(7.5)Ni_(7.5)V_(7.5) medium-entropy alloys fabricated by powder metallurgy

In this study,non-equiatomic Fe_(70)Co_(7.5)Cr_(7.5)Ni_(7.5)V_(7.5) medium-entropy alloys(MEAs)with different carbon contents were prepared via mechanical ball-milling,cold pressing and vacuum sintering.The microstructural evolution,mechanical properties and wear resistance of the MEAs were investigated.Fe_(70)Co_(7.5)Cr_(7.5)Ni_(7.5)V_(7.5) exhibited a bodycentered cubic(bcc)structure withσphase precipitation.After adding 4 at%and 8 at%carbon,the phase composition of the alloys was transformed to bcc+MC+σand bcc+MC+M_(23)C_(6),respectively.The mechanical properties and wear resistance were observed to be significantly enhanced by the formation of carbides.Increasing the carbon content,the corresponding bending strength and hardness increased from 1520 to 3245 MPa and HRC 57.2 to HRC 61.4,respectively.Further,the dominant wear mechanism changed from the adhesion wear to the abrasion wear.Owing to the evenly distributed carbides and precipitated nanocarbides,Fe_(64.4)Co_(6.9)Cr_(6.9)Ni_(6.9)V_(6.9)C_(8) revealed an extremely low specific wear rate of 1.3×10^(−6) mm_(2)/(N·m)under a load of 10 N.

Worn surface characteristics of Cu-based powder metallurgy bake materials for aircraft

Cu-based powder metallurgy brake materials are used for aircraft widely and successfully.The characteristics of worn surface of Cu-based powder metallurgy brake materials for aircraft after working under service condition were studied,and two main wear mechanisms were discussed.The results show that the main components of worn surface are graphite,SiO2,Fe,Cu and oxide of Fe(Fe3O4 and FeO);the worn surface can be divided into three zones:severe wear zone,mild wear zone,and low wear zone; fatigue wear and grain wear are the main wear mechanisms of Cu-based materials.Some debris kept between brake discs reduce the wear rate to a certain extent by taking part in the regeneration of friction film.

Effects of niobium addition on microstructure and properties of CPM121 powder metallurgy high-speed steel

Massive vanadium additions as hard phases in powder metallurgy high-speed steels(PM HSS)lead to higher cost and bad machinability.In this study,ultrahigh alloy PM HSS with CPM121(10W-5Mo-4Cr-10V-9Co,wt.%)as the basic composition,was directly compacted and activation sintered with near-full density(>99.0%)using pre-oxidized and ball-mixed element and carbide powders.Niobium-alloyed steels(w(V)+w(Nb)=10 wt.%)show higher hardness and wear resistance,superior secondary-hardening ability and temper resistance.But excess niobium addition(>5 wt.%)leads to coarsened carbides and deteriorated toughness.EPMA results proved that niobium tends to distribute in MC carbides and forces element W to form M6C and WC carbides.Further,the role of rotary forging on properties of niobium-alloyed steels(S3)was researched.After rotary forging with deformation of 40%,the bending strength and fracture toughness of niobium-alloyed steels could be further improved by 20.74%and 43.86%compared with those of sample S3 without rotary forging,respectively.

Low cycle fatigue improvement of powder metallurgy titanium alloy through thermomechanical treatment

A low-cost β type Ti-1.5Fe-6.8Mo-4.8Al-1.2Nd (mass fraction, %)(T12LCC) alloy was produced by blended elemental powder metallurgy(P/M) method and subsequent thermomechanical treatment. Low cycle fatigue(LCF) behavior of P/M T12LCC alloy before and after thermomechanical treatment was studied. The results show that the LCF resistance of P/M titanium alloy is significantly enhanced through the thermomechanical treatment. The mechanisms for the improvement of LCF behavior are attributed to the elimination of residual pores, the microstructure refining and homogenization.

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.

Recent Advances in Interface Modification of Cu/graphite Composites and Layered Ternary Carbides of Modified Layer Candidate

We review the fundamental properties and significant issues related to Cu/graphite composites.In particular,recent research on the interfacial modification of Cu/graphite composites is addressed,including the metal-modified layer,carbide-modified layer,and combined modified layer.Additionally,we propose the use of ternary layered carbide as an interface modification layer for Cu/graphite composites.

Microstructure and ablation behavior of Zr-based ultra-high-temperature gradient composites

To obtain high-performance Zr-based ultra-high-temperature composites,Zr-based ultra-high-temperature gradient composites were prepared by changing the laying method of the infiltrant via reactive melt infiltration.The effects of different infiltrant laying methods on the microstructure and ablative properties of Zr-based ultrahigh-temperature gradient composites were investigated.The results showed that the gradient structure of the Zr-based ultrahigh-temperature gradient composites differed when the composition ratio of the infiltrant was changed.When the thicknesses of the Zr/Mo/Si layers were 6/4/12 mm and 8/2/12 mm,the SiMoZrC solid solution content in the samples increased and decreased along the infiltration direction,respectively.The gradient samples were ablated in an oxyacetylene flame at 3000°C for 40 s.The ablation resistance of the sample was the highest when the infiltrant was a powder and the thickness of the Zr/Mo/Si layer was 6/4/12 mm.

Multiscale Simulation of Microstructure Evolution during Preparation and Service Processes of Physical Vapor Deposited c-TiAlN Coatings

Physical Vapor Deposited(PVD)TiAlN coatings are extensively utilized as protective layers for cutting tools,renowned for their excellent comprehensive performance.To optimize quality control of TiAlN coatings for cutting tools,a multi-scale simulation approach is proposed that encompasses the microstructure evolution of coatings considering the entire preparation and service lifecycle of PVD TiAlN coatings.This scheme employs phase-field simulation to capture the essential microstructure of the PVD-prepared TiAlN coatings.Moreover,cutting simulation is used to determine the service temperature experienced during cutting processes at varying rates.Cahn-Hilliard modeling is finally utilized to consume the microstructure and service condition data to acquaint the microstructure evolution of TiAlN coatings throughout the cutting processes.This methodology effectively establishes a correlation between service temperature and its impact on the microstructure evolution of TiAlN coatings.It is expected that the present multi-scale numerical simulation approach will provide innovative strategies for assisting property design and lifespan prediction of TiAlN coatings.

Enhanced mechanical properties of molybdenum alloy originating from composite strengthening of Re and CeO_(2)

To enhance the mechanical properties of molybdenum alloys at both room and high temperatures,Mo-14Re-1CeO_(2)alloy was synthesized using the powder metallurgy method,and the corresponding microstructure and mechanical properties were characterized.The results indicate that the ultimate tensile strength of Mo-14Re-1CeO_(2)reaches 657 MPa,with a total elongation of 35.2%,significantly higher than those of pure molybdenum(453 MPa,and 7.01%).Furthermore,the compression strength of Mo-14Re-1CeO_(2)at high temperature(1200℃)achieves 355 MPa,which is still larger than that of pure molybdenum(221 MPa).It is revealed that there is a coherent interface between CeO_(2)and the Mo-14Re matrix with CeO_(2)particles uniformly distributed in both intergranular and intragranular regions.The improvements in mechanical properties are primarily attributed to the formation of Mo-Re solid solution,grain refinement,and dispersion strengthening effect of CeO_(2).

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

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

The influence of yttrium and manganese additions on the degradation and biocompatibility of magnesium-zinc-based alloys:In vitro and in vivo studies

The repair and regeneration of bone defects are highly challenging orthopedic problems.Recently,Mg-based implants have gained popularity due to their unique biodegradation and elastic modulus similar to that of human bone.The aim of our study is to develop a magnesium alloy with a controllable degradation that can closely match bone tissue to help injuries heal in vivo and avoid cytotoxicity caused by a sudden increase in ion concentration.In this study,we prepared and modified Mg-3Zn,Mg-3Zn-1Y,and Mg-2Zn-1Mn by hot extrusion,and used Mg-2.5Y-2.5Nd was as a control.We then investigated the effect of additions of Y and Mn on alloys'properties.Our results show that Mn and Y can improve not only compression strength but also corrosion resistance.The alloy Mg-2Zn-1Mn demonstrated good cytocompatibility in vitro,and for this reason we selected it for implantation in vivo.The degraded Mg-2Zn-1Mn implanted a bone defect area did not cause obvious rejection and inflammatory reaction,and the degradation products left no signs of damage to the heart,liver,kidney,or brain.Furthermore,we find that Mg-2Zn-1Mn can promote an osteoinductive response in vivo and the formation of bone regeneration.

High-throughput studies and machine learning for design of β titanium alloys with optimum properties

Based on experimental data,machine learning(ML) models for Young's modulus,hardness,and hot-working ability of Ti-based alloys were constructed.In the models,the interdiffusion and mechanical property data were high-throughput re-evaluated from composition variations and nanoindentation data of diffusion couples.Then,the Ti-(22±0.5)at.%Nb-(30±0.5)at.%Zr-(4±0.5)at.%Cr(TNZC) alloy with a single body-centered cubic(BCC) phase was screened in an interactive loop.The experimental results exhibited a relatively low Young's modulus of(58±4) GPa,high nanohardness of(3.4±0.2) GPa,high microhardness of HV(520±5),high compressive yield strength of(1220±18) MPa,large plastic strain greater than 30%,and superior dry-and wet-wear resistance.This work demonstrates that ML combined with high-throughput analytic approaches can offer a powerful tool to accelerate the design of multicomponent Ti alloys with desired properties.Moreover,it is indicated that TNZC alloy is an attractive candidate for biomedical applications.