Effect of addition temperature on dispersion behavior and grain refinement efficiency of MgO introduced into Mg alloy

The effect of addition temperature of MgO particles(MgOp)on their dispersion behavior and the efficiency of grain refinement in AZ31 Mg alloy was investigated.In addition,the grain refinement mechanism was systematically studied by microstructure characterization,thermodynamic calculation,and analysis of solidification curves.The results show that the grain size of AZ31 Mg alloy initially decreases and then increases as the MgOp addition temperature is increased from 720 to 810°C,exhibiting a minimum value of 136μm at 780°C.The improved grain refinement efficiency with increasing MgOp addition temperature can be attributed to the reduced Mg melt viscosity and enhanced wettability between MgOp and Mg melt.Furthermore,a corresponding physical model describing the solidification behavior and grain refinement mechanism was proposed.

Compressive response and microstructural evolution of in-situ TiB_(2)particle-reinforced 7075 aluminum matrix composite

The hot forming behavior,failure mechanism,and microstructure evolution of in-situ TiB_(2)particle-reinforced 7075 aluminum matrix composite were investigated by isothermal compression test under different deformation conditions of deformation temperatures of 300−450℃ and strain rates of 0.001^(−1)s^(−1).The results demonstrate that the failure behavior of the composite exhibits both particle fracture and interface debonding at low temperature and high strain rate,and dimple rupture of the matrix at high temperature and low strain rate.Full dynamic recrystallization,which improves the composite formability,occurs under conditions of high temperature(450℃)and low strain rate(0.001 s^(−1));the grain size of the matrix after hot compression was significantly smaller than that of traditional 7075Al and ex-situ particle reinforced 7075Al matrix composite.Based on the flow stress curves,a constitutive model describing the relationship of the flow stress,true strain,strain rate and temperature was proposed.Furthermore,the processing maps based on both the dynamic material modeling(DMM)and modified DMM(MDMM)were established to analyze flow instability domain of the composite and optimize hot forming processing parameters.The optimum processing domain was determined at temperatures of 425−450℃ and strain rates of 0.001−0.01 s^(−1),in which the fine grain microstructure can be gained and particle crack and interface debonding can be avoided.

Decomposition kinetics of carbon-doped FeCoCrNiMn high-entropy alloy at intermediate temperature

Phase decomposition kinetics and the corresponding mechanical properties of the severe cold-rolled(SCRed) carbon-doped(1.3 at.%) equimolar FeCoCrNiMn high-entropy alloy(HEA) after being annealed at 500 ℃ were investigated. This single face-centered cubic(FCC) solid-solution HEA decomposed to M23 C6+L10, B2, and σ in chronological order. The formation kinetics of the L10, B2, and σ phases followed the Johnson-Mehl-AvramiKolmogorov(JMAK) equation. The yield strength of the HEA was 1520 MPa and increased to 1920 MPa after being annealed at 500 ℃ for 1 h, as a result of the formation of nanosized M23 C6 and L10. Both strength and ductility decreased after 2 d of annealing due to the increase of volume fractions and the coarsening of the M23C6 and L10 precipitates. From 4 to 32 d, the hardness was found to increase, which is ascribed to the rapid formation of the B2 and σ phases. From 32 to 64 d, the hardness increased further to finally reach about HV 760, with the FCC matrix almost exhausted to form the M23 C6, L10, B2, and σ phases. The results of this work may serve as a guide for the heat-treatment of carbon-doped HEAs.

Effects of nano-sized TiB_(2) particles and Al_(3)Zr dispersoids on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu based materials

The effects of TiB_(2) and Zr on the microstructure,aging response and mechanical properties of hot-extruded Al-Zn-Mg-Cu based materials were investigated and compared by multi-scale microstructure characterization techniques.The results showed that proper addition of TiB_(2) particles could refine grain size during solidification,promote dynamic recrystallization during extrusion,and inhibit grain growth during solution treatment.Meanwhile,Zr addition had minor influence on the grain refinement during solidification,but could effectively suppress recrystallization and grain growth compared with the Zr-free alloy.Furthermore,the TiB_(2) addition could simultaneously enhance the aging kinetics and peak-aged hardness of the materials.Comparatively,Zr addition could also improve the peak-aged hardness with minor effect on the aging kinetics of the materials.Finally,the quench sensitivity,elastic modulus and tensile properties of the materials were compared and studied.Specifically,the relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties,and the strengthening mechanisms were discussed in detail.

Enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties of high-temperature resistant Al-Cu alloy with Zr and Mn micro-alloying

The high temperature(HT)thermal stability and mechanical properties of Al-5%Cu(AC)and Al-5%Cu-0.2%Mn-0.2 Zr%(ACMZ)alloys from 573 to 673 K were systematically studied.The results displayed that micro-alloying additions of Zr and Mn elements have presented a significant role in stabilizing the main strengthening metastableθ′precipitates at a temperature as high as 573 K.Simultaneously,the HT tensile test demonstrated that ACMZ alloy retained their strength of(88.6±8.8)MPa,which was much higher than that of AC alloy((32.5±0.8)MPa)after the thermal exposure at 573 K for 200 h.Finally,the underlying mechanisms of strength and ductility enhancement mechanism of the ACMZ alloy at HT were discussed in detail.

Effect of double aging on mechanical properties and microstructure of EV31A alloy

To improve the ductility of a commercial Mg−rare earth alloy EV31A(Mg−3Nd−1.5Gd−0.3Zn−0.5Zr),a heat treatment method called double aging is explored,and its effect on mechanical properties and microstructure of the alloy is studied.Ultimate strength and elongation of the alloy can be increased to 288 MPa and 6.6%by the optimum double aging process,compared to 273 MPa and 4.9%after single aging.Time consumption of the aging process is also significantly decreased from 16 h(single aging)to 2 h.HAADF-STEM characterization shows that the primary precipitate isβ'phase,which is similar toβ'phase in Mg−Nd binary alloy.By double aging,theβ'phase is finer and more densely distributed compared with single aging,with approximately double density and half size,which explains the improvement in strength and ductility.

A review of refractory high-entropy alloys

This work reviews recent progress in the alloy design,microstructure,and mechanical properties of refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs).What’s more,the underlying strengthening mechanisms and deformation behavior are discussed.Composed mainly of near-equimolar refractory elements,RHEAs have superior mechanical properties,especially at high temperatures.However,many of them have limited room-temperature ductility.Much work has been done to solve this trade-off,and some of the RHEAs have the potential to be used for high-temperature applications in the future.In addition to their mechanical properties,RHEAs have other attractive properties,such as biocompatibility and wear resistance,which are discussed.Finally,current problems and future suggestions for RHEAs are discussed.

Recent progress on apparatus development and in situ observation of metal solidification processes via synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging: A review

The solidification process of metals plays a critical role in their final microstructure and, correspondingly, in their performance. It is therefore important to probe the solidification behavior of metals using advanced in situ techniques. Synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging is one of the most powerful techniques to observe the solidification process of metals directly. Here, we review the development of the solidification apparatus, including the directional solidification device, resistance furnace, multi-field coupling device, semisolid forming device, aerodynamic levitation apparatus, and laser additive manufacturing apparatus. We highlight the recent research progress on the use of synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging to reveal the solidification behavior of metals in the above circumstances. The future perspectives of synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging in metal research are discussed. Further development of this technique will contribute to improve the understanding of the solidification process of metals and other types of materials at different scales.

Modeling of deformation energy at elevated temperatures and its application in Mg-Li-Al-Y alloy

To control the superplastic flow and fracture and examine the variation in deformation energy,the stress and grain size of Mg-7.28Li-2.19Al-0.091Y alloy were obtained using tensile testing and microstructure quantification,and new high temperature deformation energy models were established.Results show that the grain interior deformation energy increases with increasing the strain rate and decreases with increasing the temperature.The variation in the grain boundary deformation energy is opposite to that in the grain interior deformation energy.At a given temperature,critical cavity nucleation energy decreases with increasing strain rate and cavity nucleation becomes easy,whereas at a given strain rate,critical cavity nucleation energy increases with increasing temperature and cavity nucleation becomes difficult.The newly established models of the critical cavity nucleation radius and energy provide a way for predicting the initiation of microcrack and improving the service life of the forming parts.

Hot deformation and processing maps of as-sintered CNT/Al-Cu composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

The deformation behaviors of as-sintered CNT/Al-Cu composites were investigated by isothermal compression tests performed in the temperature range of 300-550°C and strain rate range of 0.001-10 s-1 with Gleeble 3500 thermal simulator system.Processing maps based on dynamic material model(DMM)were established at strains of 0.1-0.6,and microstructures before and after hot deformation were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM).The results show that the strain has a significant influence on the processing maps,and the optimum processing domains are at temperatures of 375-425°C with strain rates of 0.4-10 s-1 and at 525-550°C with 0.02-10 s-1 when the strain is 0.6.An inhomogeneous distribution of large particles,as well as a high density of tangled dislocations,dislocation walls,and some sub-grains appears at low deformation temperatures and strain rates,which correspond to the instability domain.A homogeneous distribution of fine particles and dynamic recrystallization generates when the composites are deformed at 400 and 550°C under a strain rate of 10 s-1,which correspond to the stability domains.

Nucleation interface of Al-Sb alloys on single crystal Al_2O_3 substrate

Lattice structure information of heterogeneous nucleation at nucleation interface was present.The crystal orientation,and interfacial structure characteristic of liquid Al alloys nucleated on the basal surface(0001)Al2O3single crystal substrate were identified by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM)analysis.The preferred crystal orientations of pure Al and Al-1%Sb(mass fraction)alloy adjacent to the nucleation interface were examined as(200)and(220)planes of Al,respectively,and two corresponding orientation relationships were obtained.An improved nucleation efficiency and refined grains were attributed to both the reduced interplanar spacing of preferred orientation and the decrease of lattice misfit from16.4%to7.0%in Al-1%Sb/Al2O3nucleation group.

Simulation of strain induced abnormal grain growth in aluminum alloy by coupling crystal plasticity and phase field methods

A mesoscale modeling methodology is proposed to predict the strain induced abnormal grain growth in the annealing process of deformed aluminum alloys. Firstly, crystal plasticity finite element(CPFE) analysis is performed to calculate dislocation density and stored deformation energy distribution during the plastic deformation. A modified phase field(PF) model is then established by extending the continuum field method to consider both stored energy and local interface curvature as driving forces of grain boundary migration. An interpolation mapping approach is adopted to transfer the stored energy distribution from CPFE to PF efficiently. This modified PF model is implemented to a hypothetical bicrystal firstly for verification and then the coupled CPFE-PF framework is further applied to simulating the 2D synthetic polycrystalline microstructure evolution in annealing process of deformed AA3102 aluminum alloy.Results show that the nuclei with low stored energy embedded within deformed matrix tend to grow up, and abnormal large grains occur when the deformation is close to the critical plastic strain, attributing to the limited number of recrystallized nuclei and inhomogeneity of the stored energy.

Study on corrosion resistance of artificially aged 7075 aluminium alloy by using Cs-corrected STEM

This research studied the mechanism of the corrosion resistance enhancement of artificially aged 7075 aluminium alloy using advanced Cs-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM).The corrosion behaviors of artificially aged 7075 aluminium alloys in a 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution were investigated by impedance spectra,equivalent circuit analyses,polarization measurements and immersion tests.The results show that a longer aging treatment leads to better corrosion resistance,which can be attributed to the following microstructural features,as revealed by STEM.The Cu segregation at grain boundaries under over-aged conditions helps retard intergranular corrosion.The Mg(Zn,Cu)_(2) precipitates formed on the surfaces of Al_(18)Mg_(3)(Cr,Mn)_(2) dispersoids effectively insulate the dispersoids as cathodes in corrosion,from the Al matrix.This study demonstrates a potential strategy to design corrosion-resistant alloys achieved by proper alloying and subsequent aging.