Effect of one-step and two-step homogenization treatments on distribution of Al_3Zr dispersoids in commercial AA7150 aluminium alloy

Semi-quantitative electron probe microanalysis （EPMA） mapping, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） were employed to study the effect of one-step and two-step treatments on the Zr distribution and Al3Zr dispersoid characteristics in as-cast commercial AA7150 aluminum alloy. It is shown that the Zr concentration in the dendrite centre regions is higher than that near the dendrite edges in the as-cast condition, and that homogenization at 460 °C for 20 h is insufficient to remove these concentration gradients. After homogenizing at 460-480 °C, a high number density of larger dispersoids can be observed in dendrite centre regions but not near dendrite edges. Furthermore, the dispersoid size increases with increasing the temperature during both one-step and two-step homogenization treatments.

Heat treatment of 7xxx series aluminium alloys—Some recent developments

The 7xxx series alloys are heat treatable wrought aluminium alloys based on the Al-Zn-Mg（-Cu） system. They are widely used in high-performance structural aerospace and transportation applications. Apart from compositional, casting and thermo-mechanical processing effects, the balance of properties is also significantly influenced by the way in which the materials are heat-treated. This paper describes the effects of homogenisation, solution treatment, quenching and ageing treatments on the evolution of the microstructure and properties of some important medium to high-strength 7xxx alloys. With a focus on recent work at Monash University, where the whole processing route from homogenisation to final ageing has been studied for thick plate products, it is reported how microstructural features such as dispersoids, coarse constituent particles, fine-scale precipitates, grain structure and grain boundary characteristics can be controlled by heat treatment to achieve improved microstructure-property combinations. In particular, the paper presents methods for dissolving unwanted coarse constituent particles by controlled high- temperature treatments, quench sensitivity evaluations based on a systematic study of continuous cooling precipitation behaviour, and ageing investigations of one-, two- and three-step ageing treatments using experimental and modelling approaches, in each case, the effects on both the microstructure and the resulting properties are discussed.

Effect of alloy composition and heat treatment on mechanical performance of 6xxx aluminum alloys

The effect of alloy composition and heat treatment, including natural ageing and pre-ageing, on the mechanical performance of eight 6xxx alloys designed with systematically varying Si, Mg and Cu contents was studied. The results show that not only the alloy composition and heat treatment before forming influence the formability, but also they have an effect on the paint bake response of the alloys. Increasing the alloy Si content, decreasing Mg/Si ratio and adding 0.3% Cu （mass fraction） were generally found to improve the tensile ductility and formability of the alloys studied, while pre-ageing was found to decrease these properties. A full property profile of these alloys in terms of strength, tensile ductility, work hardening, strain rate sensitivity, forming limit and paint bake response was presented.

Fabrication and mechanical properties of MWCNTs-reinforced aluminum composites by hot extrusion

Over the past decade,the interest in aluminum composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes has grown significantly.Studies have been carried out to overcome problems with uniform dispersion,interfacial bonding,void formation and carbide formation of the composites.In the present work,multi-wall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs) aluminum composites were produced.High-energy ball milling with the aim at developing well-dispersed MWCNTs Al composites was followed by cold compaction,sintering,and hot extrusion at 500 ℃.Different amounts of stearic acid as processing control agent(PCA) is used in order to minimize cold welding of the Al particles,and to produce finer particles.Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD) were employed to analyze the MWCNTs,the aluminum powder,and the composites’ microstructural behavior.The hardness and tensile properties of the composites are also evaluated.The results showed 500% increase in yield stress after the addition of 1 wt% MWCNTs in Al-MWCNTs based composite.The ball-milling time of 4 h is found to be sufficient as excessive milling time destroys a vast number of MWCNTs.

Melting, sintering and wetting properties of ZnO–Bi_2O_3–B_2O_3 sealing glass

Glasses based on ZnO-Bi_2O_3-B_2O_3 system are expected to be a new kind of sealing glasses because of their low melting temperature and other properties.In order to reveal the effect of B_2O_3 on the rheological behavior of ZnO-Bi_2O_3-B_2O_3 system glass melt,the properties of viscosity,thermal expansion,fluxion property and wetting process between cylinder samples and stainless steel were investigated with the rotating crucible viscometer,dilato meter and high-temperature microscope.The structure of sintered glass samples was investigated with scanning electron microscope.The results show that the B_2O_3 content increasing in B_1-B_3 at the given temperature between 400 ℃ and 500 ℃ leads to the increasing of the sample viscosity.When the amount of B_2O_3 increases from 5.24%to 9.24%(mass fraction),the coefficients of thermal expansion of glass samples decrease smoothly from 10.94×10^(-6) to10.71×10^(-6) and 10.38×10^(-6) ℃^(-1) respectively.In the case of sealing temperature,its value increases from 453 ℃ to 494 ℃.ZnO-Bi_2O_3-B_2O_3 system low-melting glass powder sintering was with viscous liquid to participate,which could make the densification of glass sample more effective and more efficient.With the content of B_2O_3 increasing,the wetting angle between the glasses samples and stainless steel could also increase,and the resulting appropriate sealing temperature range is 460-490 ℃.

Effect of multiaxial deformation on structure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of a Mg-Ca alloy

This article provides a report on the effect of multiaxial deformation(MAD) on the structure, texture, mechanical characteristics, and corrosion resistance of the Mg-0.8(wt.)% Ca alloy. MAD was carried out on the alloy in the as-cast and the annealed states in multiple passes, with a stepwise decrease in the deformation temperature from 450 to 250 ℃ in 50 ℃ steps. The cumulative true strain at the end of the process was 22.5. In the case of the as-cast alloy, this resulted in a refined microstructure characterized by an average grain size of 2.7 μm and a fraction of high-angle boundaries(HABs) of 57.6%. The corresponding values for the annealed alloy were 2.1 μm and 68.2%. The predominant mechanism of structure formation was associated with discontinuous and continuous dynamic recrystallization acting in concert. MAD was also shown to lead to the formation of a rather sharp prismatic texture in the as-cast alloy, whilst in the case of the annealed one the texture was weakened. A displacement of the basal poles {00.4} from the periphery to the center of a pole figure was observed. These changes in the microstructure and texture gave rise to a significant improvement of the mechanical characteristics of the alloy. This included an increase of the ultimate tensile strength reaching 308 MPa for annealed material and 264 MPa for the as-cast one in conjunction with a twofold increase in ductility. A further important result of the MAD processing was a reduction of the rate of electrochemical corrosion, as indicated by a significant decrease in the corrosion current density in both microstructural states of the alloy studied.

IR and Raman Spectra Properties of Bi₂O₃-ZnO-B₂O₃-BaO Quaternary Glass System

Among new low-melting-point glasses, bismuth ate glass is deemed to have the most potential as an environmentally friendly replacement for polluting Pb-containing glasses. Current studies of boro-bismuthate glasses focus on the structural influence of the additional oxide in the context of low-melting-point electronic sealing applications. In this study, the structure of quaternary Bi2O3- ZnO-B2O3-BaO glasses was investigated spectroscopic ally, with Fourier-transform-infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectra recorded for glasses with different main oxide contents. Signals in the FT-IR are mainly observed around 500 cm﹣1, 720 cm﹣1, 840 cm﹣1, 980 - 1080 cm﹣1, and 1200 - 1500 cm﹣1, while the Raman scattering peaks are located at 130 cm﹣1, 390 cm﹣1, 575 cm﹣1, 920 cm﹣1, and 1250 cm﹣1. The glasses are mainly structured around [BO3] units and the numbers of [BiO6] and [BiO3] units increase with the Bi2O3 content increasing. Concurrently, the FT-IR absorption peaks associated with [BO4] units shift to lower wave numbers, indicating a loosening of the glass structure. However, as the B2O3 content is increased, the numbers of [BO3] and [BO4] units increase, while those of [BiO3] and [BiO6] units decrease, highlighting a densification of the glass structure. ZnO acts as a network modifier in these glasses.

石墨烯基超级电容器研究进展

超级电容器是最具应用前景的电化学储能技术之一。目前,超级电容器的研究重点是提高能量密度和功率密度,发展具有高比表面积、电导率和结构稳定性的电极材料是关键。石墨烯因具有比表面积大、电子导电性高、力学性能好的特点而成为理想的电容材料,但石墨烯的理论容量不高,在石墨烯基电极制备过程中容易发生堆叠现象,导致材料比表面积和离子电导率下降。因此,发展合适的制备方法,对石墨烯进行修饰或与其他材料形成复合电极材料是一种有效解决途径。本文对石墨烯基电极及其在双电层电容器、法拉第准电容器和混合型超级电容器中的应用的研究进展进行归纳,重点介绍了石墨烯凝胶薄膜电极的制备过程,以促进石墨烯基电极在超级电容器构筑中应用。

Influence of Processing Conditions on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Large Thin-Wall Centrifugal Ti–6Al–4V Casting

In this work, the effects of mould pre-heating temperatures and hot isostatic pressing （HIPping） process on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties, including static tensile and damage- tolerance properties of large thin-wall cylindrical Ti-6Al-4V casting, have been studied. The experimental results show that with the increasing mould pre-heating temperature from 673 to 873 K, the casting mi- crostructures change from a mixture of Widmanstatten and colony microstructure to a primary colony. The centre of the thick wall section has relatively coarse microstructure than the edge and thin section. Lower mould pre-heating temperature brings about more porosities. HIPping process, which not only reduces the casting pores effectively but also increases the prior β grain boundary cohesion and coars- ens the microstructure, is essential to improving the ductility of the casting. Due to the oxygen contamination and finer microstructure on the surface, micro-hardness profiles on the cross section present a decreas- ing tendency from the surface to inner. The thickness of the reaction layers for the different mould pre-heating temperatures is nearly the same （-450 μm）. On the whole, the tensile strength and micro- hardness decrease with increasing mould pre-heating temperature from 673 to 873 K. However, the fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance of the castings increase with increasing mould pre- heating temperature.

Conversion coatings of Mg-alloy AZ91D using trihexyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ionic liquid

This work reveals the performance of a trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([P6,6,6,14][NTf2]) ionic liquid (IL) conversion coating upon AZ91D. Such conversion coatings represent a novel avenue for chromate replacement. An optimization of coating performance was pursued by careful alloy pretreatment to generate a surface on which the coating performs best, as the AZ91 substrate is distinctly different from pure or dilute Mg alloys. The results reveal that a functional conversion coating can be achieved, retarding anodic dissolution kinetics, causing a significant decrease in corrosion rate. The coating efficacy is closely tied to the pretreatment performed, which dictates both the microstructural and electrochemical heterogeneity of the surface. The resulting coatings were found to contain MgxFx and phosphonium cation related components, the proportions of which were dependent on the pretreatment.

Growth of large-area atomically thin MoS2 film via ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition

Atomically thin MoS2 films have attracted significant attention due to excellent electrical and optical properties.The development of device applications demands the production of large-area thin film which is still an obstacle.In this work we developed a facile method to directly grow large-area MoS2 thin film on Si O2 substrate via ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition method. The characterizations by spectroscopy and electron microscopy reveal that the as-grown MoS2 film is mainly bilayer and trilayer with high quality. Back-gate field-effect transistor based on such MoS2 thin film shows carrier mobility up to 3.4 cm2V-1s-1 and on/off ratio of 105. The large-area atomically thin MoS2 prepared in this work has the potential for wide optoelectronic and photonic device applications.

Mg_2Si及Si粒子在Al-Mg-Si合金晶间腐蚀中协同作用机理的多电极偶合研究

通过测定Al-Mg-Si合金晶界各组成相的极化曲线及不同Mg/Si比Al-Mg-Si合金晶界组成相(AlMg_2Si及Al-Mg_2Si-Si)间的动态电化学偶合行为,研究了不同Mg/Si比Al-Mg-Si合金的晶间腐蚀机理。研究表明,晶界Si电位比其边缘Al基体正,在整个腐蚀过程中作为阴极导致其边缘Al基体的阳极溶解。晶界Mg_2Si电位比其边缘Al基体负,在腐蚀初期将作为阳极而发生阳极溶解;由于Mg_2Si中活性较高元素Mg的优先溶解,不活泼元素Si富集,致使Mg_2Si电位正移,甚至与其边缘Al基体发生极性转换,导致其边缘Al基体的阳极溶解。Mg/Si>1.73的Al-Mg-Si合金晶界只存在不连续分布的含Mg、Si的析出相,不能在晶界形成连续腐蚀通道,合金不表现出晶间腐蚀敏感性。Mg/Si<1.73的Al-Mg-Si合金晶界同时析出含Mg、Si析出相和Si粒子;腐蚀首先萌生于Mg_2Si相;而后,Si粒子一方面导致其边缘无沉淀带严重的阳极溶解,另一方面通过加速Mg_2Si和晶界无沉淀带的极性转换,协同促进了Mg_2Si边缘无沉淀带的阳极溶解,即腐蚀沿晶界Si粒子及Mg_2Si粒子边缘的无沉淀带发展。Si粒子促进了腐蚀的发展,导致合金表现出严重的晶间腐蚀敏感性。

Caα-Sialon成核的透射电子显微镜观察

对烧结到中间温度(1 450℃)的高x值Ca (-Sialon组分(Ca1.8Si6.6Al5.4O1..8N14.2)进行了透射电子显微镜观察. 结果表明, 绝大多数情况下, (-Sialon晶粒和邻近的(-Si3N4起始原料之间无外延关系, 仅发现少数(-Sialon晶粒在(-Si3N4上的外延成核. 进一步的能量色散谱(EDS)分析表明, 非外延成核的(-Sialon中Ca的固溶量远高于外延成核的(-Sialon中Ca的固溶量, 从而揭示出固溶量与(-Sialon成核机理之间存在一定的关联, 即(-Sialon晶粒中高的Ca固溶量对应于非外延成核的趋势变强.

高分子材料在控缓释化肥中的应用与发展前景

化肥已经广泛应用在农牧和园艺业等领域,目前全世界每年化肥的使用量高达4×108吨.然而,现有的化肥在应用中具有明显的应用缺陷及带来环境污染等问题,例如在干旱土壤中不能完全释放,引起土壤退化;此外,自然界中的突降暴雨及不合理的灌溉也容易发生养分流失而导致河流污染.基于上述问题,控缓释化肥已经成为研究热点.本文从控缓体系的设计及机理等问题出发,介绍不同高分子材料包膜的制备技术及其特性.现有的控缓释载体多为非降解的高分子合成材料,如聚苯乙烯,聚乙烯等.寻找一种环保、廉价、可再生的控缓释化肥基材已成为本领域的研究热点.但环保型控缓释化肥,尤其是使用天然高分子材料的体系还大都停留在实验室阶段.另外,干旱缺水是制约我国农业发展和加速土地荒漠化的重要因素.因此使用高吸水聚合物,能赋予缓释载体吸水保水功能,不仅能增强缓释功能,而且对于干旱地区植物的营养和水分状况有良好的改善作用.在农业上使用吸水性聚合物对于改良土壤物理性质、促进种子发芽和出苗、提高幼苗的成活率、降低植物对灌溉的需要、提高养分利用率等多方面都很有潜力.

Mortarless structures based on topological interlocking

We review the principle of topological interlocking and analyze the properties of the mortarless structures whose design is based on this principle.We concentrate on structures built of osteomorphic blocks-the blocks possessing specially engineered contact surfaces allowing assembling various 2D and 3D structures.These structures are easy to build and can be made demountable.They are flexible,resistant to macroscopic fractures and tolerant to missing blocks.The blocks are kept in place without keys or connectors that are the weakest elements of the conventional interlocking structures.The overall structural integrity of these structures depends on the force imposed by peripheral constraint.The peripheral constraint can be provided in various ways:by an external flame or features of site topography,intemal prestressed cables/tendons,or self-weight and is a necessary auxiliary element of the structure.The constraining force also determines the degree of delamination developing between the blocks due to bending and thus controls the overall flexibility of the structure thus becoming a new design parameter.

Rutile TiO2 Microspheres with Exposed Nano-Acicular Single Crystals for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Uniquely structured rutile TiO2 microspheres with exposed nano-acicular single crystals have been successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. After calcination at 450 ℃ for 2 h, the futile TiO2 microspheres with a high surface area of 132 m2/g have been utilized as a light harvesting enhancement material for dye-sensitized solar cells （DSSCs）. The resultant DSSCs exhibit an overall light conversion efficiency of 8.41% for TiO2 photoanodes made of futile TiO2 microspheres and anatase TiO, nanoparticles （mass ratio of 1：1）, significantly higher than that of pure anatase TiO2 nanoparticle photoanodes of similar thickness （6.74%）. Such a significant improvement in performance can be attributed to the enhanced light harvesting capability and synergetic electron transfer effect. This is because the photoanodes made of futile TiO2 microsphere possess high refractive index which improves the light utilisation efficiency, suitable microsphere core sizes （450-800 nm） to effectively scatter visible light, high surface area for dye loading, and synergetic electron transfer effects between nanoparticulate anatase and nano-acicular futile single crystals phases giving high electron collection efficiency.