Microwave sintering effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys

Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys(SMAs) were successfully produced via a powder metallurgy and microwave sintering technique.The influence of sintering parameters on porosity reduction,microstructure,phase transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy,field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),compression tests,and microhardness tests.Varying the microwave temperature and holding time was found to strongly affect the density of porosity,presence of precipitates,transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties.The lowest density and smallest pore size were observed in the Ti–51at%Ni samples sintered at 900°C for 5 min or at 900°C for 30 min.The predominant martensite phases of β2 and β19′ were observed in the microstructure of Ti–51at%Ni,and their existence varied in accordance with the sintering temperature and the holding time.In the DSC thermograms,multi-transformation peaks were observed during heating,whereas a single peak was observed during cooling;these peaks correspond to the presence of the β2,R,and β19′ phases.The maximum strength and strain among the Ti–51at%Ni SMAs were 1376 MPa and 29%,respectively,for the sample sintered at 900°C for 30 min because of this sample's minimal porosity.     

Spark plasma and microwave sintering of Al6061 and Al2124 alloys

Despite the importance of aluminum alloys as candidate materials for applications in aerospace and automotive industries, very little work has been published on spark plasma and microwave processing of aluminum alloys. In the present work, the possibility was explored to process Al2124 and Al6061 alloys by spark plasma and microwave sintering techniques, and the microstructures and properties were compared. The alloys were sintered for 20 min at 400, 450, and 500℃. It is found that compared to microwave sintering, spark plasma sintering is an effective way to obtain homogenous, dense, and hard alloys. Fully dense (100%) Al6061 and Al2124 alloys were obtained by spark plasma sintering for 20 min at 450 and 500℃, respectively. Maximum relative densities were achieved for Al6061 (92.52%) and Al2124 (93.52%) alloys by microwave sintering at 500℃ for 20 min. The Vickers microhardness of spark plasma sintered samples increases with the increase of sintering temperature from 400 to 500℃, and reaches the values of Hv 70.16 and Hv 117.10 for Al6061 and Al2124 alloys, respectively. For microwave sintered samples, the microhardness increases with the increase of sintering temperature from 400 to 450℃, and then decreases with the further increase of sintering temperature to 500℃.     

Effect of heating rate on the densification of NdFeB alloys sintered by an electric field

This study introduces a novel method of electric field sintering for preparing NdFeB magnets. NdFeB alloy compacts were all sintered by electric fields for 8 min at 1000℃ with different preset heating rates. The characteristics of electric field sintering and the effects of heating rate on the sintering densification of NdFeB alloys were also studied. It is found that electric field sintering is a new non-pressure rapid sintering method for preparing NdFeB magnets with fine grains at a relatively lower sintering temperature and in a shorter sintering time. Using this method, the sintering temperature and process of the compacts can be controlled accurately. When the preset heating rate increasing from 5 to 2000℃/s the densification of NdFeB sintered compacts gradually improves. As the preset heating rate is 2000℃/s, Nd-rich phases are small, dispersed and uniformly distributed in the sintered compact, and the magnet has a better microstructure than that made by conventional vacuum sintering. Also, the maximum energy product of the sintered magnet reaches 95% of conventionally vacuum sintered magnets.     

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of NiTi shape memory alloys sintered in the SPS process

NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs) was developed using the spark-plasma sintering (SPS) process with different average particle size (45 µm and 10 µm) under various temperature. The influence of particle size and temperature on the density, microstructure, and corrosion behavior of the NiTi in simulated body fluid was examined. The porosity decreased with increasing sintering temperature and decreasing particle size, which resulted in an increase in density of the alloy. Increasing the sintering temperature led to the formation of Ni- and Ti-rich intermetallic such as Ni₃Ti and NiTi₂. The formation of these secondary phases influenced the corrosion behavior of NiTi by changing its chemical composition. The planar structure of NiTi was transformed into a dendritic structure at 900℃, which resulted in the formation of uniform oxide and phosphate layers on the entire surface. A high corrosion potential and low corrosion current density were achieved with NiTi prepared with 10 µm particles at 900℃, which exhibited superior corrosion resistance.     

Microwave assisted synthesis &; properties of nano HA-TCP biphasic calcium phosphate

Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) nanopowders were synthesized by using microwave and non-microwave irradiation assisted processes. The synthesized powders were pressed under a pressure of 90 MPa, and then were sintered at 1000-1200℃ for 1 h. The mechanical properties of the samples were investigated. The formed phases and microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the synthesis time was shorter, along with a more homogeneous microstructure, when the microwave irradiation assisted method was applied. The compression strength and the Young's modulus of the samples synthesized with microwave irradiation were about 60 MPa and 3 GPa, but those of the samples synthesized without microwave irradiation were about 30 MPa and 2 GPa, respectively. XRD patterns of the microwave irradiation assisted and non-microwave irradiation assisted nanopowders showed the coexistence of hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) phases in the system.     

Effect of B2O3 on the aqueous tape casting and microwave properties of Li2O–Nb2O5–TiO2 ceramics

The effect of B2O3 addition on the aqueous tape casting, sintering, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Li2O-Nb2O5-TiO2 ceramics has been investigated. The tape casting slurries exhibit a typical shear-thinning behavior without thixotropy, but the addition of B2O3 increases the viscosity of the slurries significantly. It was found that doping of B2O3 can decrease the tensile strength, strain to failure and density of the green tapes. The sintering temperature could be lowed down to 900℃ with the addition of 2 wt% B2O3 due to the liquid phase effect. No secondary phase is observed. The addition of B2O3 does not induce much degradation on the microwave dielectric properties. Optimum microwave dielectric properties of εr 67, Q×f 6560 GHz are obtained for Li2O-Nb2O5-TiO2 ceramics containing 2 wt% B2O3 sintered at 900 1C. It represents that the ceramics could be promising for multilayer low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) application.     

Influence of plasma on the densification mechanism of SPS under multi-field effect

The densification mechanism of an Fe-based alloy powder containing tiny oxide particles under the synergic multi-field effect of spark plasma sintering (SPS) was investigated. Metallographic microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to observe the morphology of samples sintered at different temperatures, and the temperature distribution in an individual spherical powder particle during sintering was calculated in consideration of the influence of plasma, which was qualified and quantified through the analysis of the U-I curve. The plasma was observed to play a substantial role in activating and heating the samples at the very early stage of sintering, whereas the joule-heat effect played a dominant role during sintering. Moreover, the plasma also facilitated the diffusion and migration of materials for neck formation.     

传统加热和微波加热下氧化锰矿的碳热还原行为研究

For the purpose of exploring a potential process to produce FeMn, the effects of microwave heating on the carbothermal reduction characteristics of oxidized Mn ore was investigated. The microwave heating curve of the mixture of oxidized Mn ore and coke was analyzed in association with the characterization of dielectric properties. The comparative experiments were conducted on the carbothermal reductions through conventional and microwave heatings at temperatures ranging from 973 to 1373 K. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that carbothermal reactions under microwave heating proceeded to a greater extent and at a faster pace compared with those under conventional heating. The metal phases were observed in the microstructures only under microwave heating. The carbothermal reduction process under microwave heating was discussed. The electric and magnetic susceptibility differences were introduced into the thermodynamics analysis for the formation of metal Mn. The developed thermodynamics considered that microwave heating could make the reduction of MnO to Mn more accessible and increase the reduction extent.     

Comparison of a commercial powder and a powder produced from Ti-6Al-4V chips and their effects on compacts sintered by the sinter-HIP method

The present paper is related to the conversion of Ti-6Al-4V chips into powder and investigates the usability of the produced powder in powder metallurgy applications. In this regard, a disc-milling process was applied to Ti-6Al-4V chips and the obtained powder was subsequently compacted. The compacted samples were sintered by the sinter hot isostatic pressing (sinter-HIP) method at 1200℃ under high vacuum, their mechanical properties and microstructure were investigated and compared with those of commercial powder compacts subjected to the same preparation processes. The results showed that the produced powder exhibits greater flowability and higher apparent density than the commercial powder. However, the sintered products prepared from the commercial powder exhibited a higher relative density, lower porosity, and, as a result, greater flexural strength compared with the sintered compacts prepared from the produced powder. In addition, transgranular fracture was greater in the sintered products of the commercial powder. The microstructural studies revealed that the sintered products made from both the commercial and the produced powders consisted of α-and β-phase but contained more α-phase. All of the examined properties were found to be substantially affected by the particle size of the powders.     

Densification behavior of mechanically milled Cu–8 at% Cr alloy and its mechanical and electrical properties

Synthesis and consolidation behavior of Cu–8 at%Cr alloy powders made by mechanical alloying with elemental Cu and Cr powders,and subsequently,compressive and electrical properties of the consolidated alloys were studied.Solid solubility of Cr in Cu during milling,and subsequent phase transformations during sintering and heat treatment of sintered components were analyzed using X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The milled powders were compacted applying three different pressures(200 MPa,400 MPa and 600 MPa)and sintered in H2atmosphere at 900 1C for 30 min and at 1000 1C for 1 h and 2 h.The maximum densification(92.8%)was achieved for the sample compacted at 600 MPa and sintered for 1000 1C for 2 h.Hardness and densification behavior further increased for the compacts sintered at 900 1C for 30 min after rolling and annealing process.TEM investigation of the sintered compacts revealed the bimodal distribution of Cu grains with nano-sized Cr and Cr2O3precipitation along the grain boundary as well as in grain interior.Pinning of grain boundaries by the precipitates stabilized the fine grain structure in bimodal distribution.     

SPS烧结温度对Ti2SnC导电陶瓷致密化的影响

机械合金化制备Ti2SnC粉体,采用放电等离子烧结（SPS）技术制备致密的Ti2SnC块体。研究烧结温度对机械活化SPS烧结Ti2SnC导电陶瓷块体致密化影响。结果表明,机械合金化合成Ti2SnC粉体经烧结后,气孔率随温度的升高逐渐降低。在900-1000℃之间进行SPS烧结可以获得纯度较高的块体。当温度在600-900℃范围内时,密度随烧结温度的提高而逐渐增大,当温度进一步提高时,则略呈下降趋势。     

Effect of sintering temperature on the microstructure and properties of foamed glass-ceramics prepared from high-titanium blast furnace slag and waste glass

Foamed glass-ceramics were prepared via a single-step sintering method using high-titanium blast furnace slag and waste glass as the main raw materials The influence of sintering temperature (900-1060℃) on the microstructure and properties of foamed glass-ceramics was studied. The results show that the crystal shape changed from grainy to rod-shaped and finally turned to multiple shapes as the sintering temperature was increased from 900 to 1060℃. With increasing sintering temperature, the average pore size of the foamed glass-ceramics increased and subsequently decreased. By contrast, the compressive strength and the bulk density decreased and subsequently increased. An excessively high temperature, however, induced the coalescence of pores and decreased the compressive strength. The optimal properties, including the highest compressive strength (16.64 MPa) among the investigated samples and a relatively low bulk density (0.83 g/cm3), were attained in the case of the foamed glass-ceramics sintered at 1000℃.     

Ca(Sm0.5Nb0.5)O3介质陶瓷的微波烧结

通过改变微波烧结温度和保温时间,优化Ca( Sm0.5 Nb0.5) O3 (CSN)陶瓷的微波烧结工艺,用X线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和微波网络分析仪等对试样进行表征.从相组成、显微结构及微波介电性能等方面对微波烧结试样与常规烧结试样进行对比分析.结果表明:微波烧结可大幅降低CSN的烧结温度,促进试样的致密化,其物相组成和传统烧结试样无明显差别;微波烧结还可以改善CSN陶瓷的微波介电性能,在1 375℃微波烧结30 min可获得优异的微波介电性能,介电常数(εr)=20.08,品质因数(Q×f)=37.03 THz,谐振频率温度系数(Tf)=-10.2×10-6℃-1.     

Microwave sintering of Ca<Subscript>0.6</Subscript>La<Subscript>0.2667</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> microwave dielectric ceramics

Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics were prepared by conventional and microwave sintering techniques and their sinterability, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties were investigated in detail for comparison. Densified Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics were obtained by microwave sintering at 1350°C for 30 min and by conventional sintering at 1450°C for 4 h. An unusual phenomenon was found that some larger grains (grain size range: 8–10 μm) inclined to assemble in one area but some smaller ones (grain size range: 2–4 μm) inclined to gather in another area in the microwave sintered ceramics. The microwave dielectric properties of Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics prepared by microwave sintering at 1350°C were as follows: dielectric constant (ɛ _r) = 119.6, quality factor (Qf) = 17858.5 GHz, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ _f) = 155.5 ppm/°C. In contrast, the microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics prepared by conventional sintering at 1450°C were ɛ _r = 117.4, Qf = 13375 GHz, and τ _f = 217.2 ppm/°C.     

高技术陶瓷的微波快速烧结研究

介绍了一种用于制备高技术陶瓷的新型烧结技术——微波烧结。通过微波烧结腔合理设计,保温结构布置与负载阻抗匹配,对氧化锆增韧氧化铝(ZTA),四方相多晶氧化锆(TZP)和氮化硅(Si_3N_4)陶瓷实现了快速烧结,并达到较高致密度。扫描电镜,X射线衍射分析和力学性能测试结果表明,与常规烧结方法相比,微波烧结不但可显著缩短烧结时间,并可获得晶粒细小均匀的陶瓷显微结构。     

Sintering study of Ti6Al4V powders with different particle sizes and their mechanical properties

Ti6Al4V powders with three different particle size distributions (0-20, 20-45, and 45-75 μm) were used to evaluate the effect of the particle size distribution on the solid-state sintering and their mechanical properties. The sintering kinetics was determined by dilatometry at temperatures from 900 to 1260℃. The mechanical properties of the sintered samples were evaluated by microhardness and compression tests. The sintering kinetics indicated that the predominant mechanism depends on the relative density irrespective of the particle size used. The mechanical properties of the sintered samples are adversely affected by increasing pore volume fraction. The elastic Young's modulus and yield stress follow a power law function of the relative density. The fracture behavior after compression is linked to the neck size developed during sintering, exhibiting two different mechanisms of failure:interparticle neck breaking and intergranular cracking in samples with relative densities below and above of 90%, respectively. The main conclusion is that relative density is responsible for the kinetics, mechanical properties, and failure behavior of Ti6Al4V powders.     

微波烧结Y2O3-ZrO2陶瓷的特异性

用微波和常规方法烧结了Y2O3掺杂量为2％（摩尔分数）的ZrO2陶瓷（2Y－TZP陶瓷）。用X－射线衍射法（XRD）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM0观测了材料的相组成和显微结构，同时研究了材料的致密性和力学性能。结果表明；尽管微波烧结的样品平均晶粒尺寸比临界晶粒尺寸大很多，但其四方相的含量却比常规烧结的样品多；微波烧结的2Y－TZP陶瓷抗弯强度较高。     

Mo2 NiB2基金属陶瓷的制备与性能

采用单质硼粉、镍粉和钼粉结合反应硼化烧结法制备了Mo2 NiB2基金属陶瓷,研究了Mo2 NiB2基金属陶瓷在烧结过程中的物相转变和尺寸变化以及烧结温度和保温时间对其力学性能和显微组织的影响.结果发现：随着烧结温度升高,材料物相逐渐由单质相变为二元硼化物相和三元硼化物相,并且材料的尺寸先发生细微收缩,再在硼化反应过程中逐渐增加,最后在液相烧结过程中逐渐减小;随着烧结温度升高,Mo2 NiB2基金属陶瓷的抗弯强度和硬度先增加后减小,在1290℃达到最大,分别为1346.5 MPa和83.7 HRA,并且硬质相颗粒逐渐粗化;保温时间对材料性能的影响与烧结温度一致,但在保温30 min时抗弯强度最大(1453.3 MPa),保温60 min时硬度最大(83.7 HRA).