Corrosion Resistance of Valve Steels in Combustion Gases from Gasoline and Propane-Butane

The corrosion resistances of widely used X33CrNiMnN23-8, X50CrMnNiNbN21-9, X53CrMnNiN20-8 and X55CrMnNiN20-8 high-alloyed austenite valves steels in combustion engines have been compared. The comparison was performed on the basis of results of kinetic corrosion of the test steels in combustion gases from gasoline with 5% ethanol additive （v/v） and the combustion gases from propane-butane. The corrosion test was performed gravimetrically under thermal shock conditions by heating samples of the test steels from room temperature up to 1,173 K in exhaust gases from a combustion engine, and holding them at this temperature for 2 h and then cooling at room temperature for about 25 min. Then the same thermal shock was repeated and after every 10 to 20 such cycles the mass of the specimens was measured. This experiment simulated the working conditions of a highly thermal loaded exhaust valve in a spark ignited engine. The analysis performed shows that the corrosion resistances of X33CrNiMnN23-8 and X50CrMnNiNbN21-9 valve steels in an environment of combustion gases from propane-butane and in gases from gasoline with 5% ethanol additive （v/v） are comparable, whereas the corrosion resistance of X53CrMnNiN20-8 and X55CrMnNiN20-8 valve steels in an environment of combustion gases from propane-butane is slightly worse than in gases from gasoline with 5% ethanol additive （v/v）.

Mechanical behaviors and energy absorption properties of Y/Cr and Ce/Cr coated open-cell nickel-based alloy foams

In this study, Y-and Ce-modified Cr coatings applied by pack cementation method were prepared on the surface of open-cell nickel-based alloy foam. The morphologies and microstructures of Y- and Ce-modified Cr coatings with various Y and Ce contents were investigated in detail. Then, the effects of Y and Ce addition on the mechanical properties of open-cell nickel-based alloy foams were analyzed and compared. Simultaneously, the energy absorption capacity and energy absorption efficiency of the Y- and Ce-modified Cr coated alloy foams were discussed and compared at the room and high temperatures. The results show that Cr coatings containing minor amounts of rare earth element （Y and Ce） are well adhered to the nickel-based foam struts. Especially, the microstructure of the 2 wt% Ce-modified Cr coating is denser and uniform. In addition, the compressive strength and plateau stress of Y- and Ce-modified Cr coated alloy foams firstly increase and then decrease by increasing the Y and Ce contents at room and high temperatures. The energy absorption capacity of Y/Cr and Ce/Cr coated alloy foams increases linearly with the strains increasing. The Ce/Cr coated alloy foams can absorb more energy than Y/Cr coated alloy foams in the plateau and densification regions at room temperature. Compared to those at room temperature, the Y- and Ce-modified Cr coated alloy foams show higher energy absorption efficiency when deforma- tion within 10%-30% at high temperature.