Morphology of α-Si3N4 in Fe–Si3N4 prepared via flash combustion

The state and formation mechanism ofα-Si3N4 in Fe–Si3N4 prepared by flash combustion were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate thatα-Si3N4 crystals exist only in the Fe–Si3N4 dense areas. When FeSi75 particles react with N2, which generates substantial heat, a large number of Si solid particles evaporate. The prod-uct between Si gas and N2 is a mixture ofα-Si3N4 andβ-Si3N4. At the later stage of the flash combustion process,α-Si3N4 crystals dissolve and reprecipitate asβ-Si3N4 and theβ-Si3N4 crystals grow outward from the dense areas in the product pool. As the temperature decreases, the α-Si3N4 crystals cool before transforming into β-Si3N4 crystals in the dense areas of Fe–Si3N4. The phase composition of flash-combustion-synthesized Fe–Si3N4 is controllable through manipulation of the gas-phase reaction in the early stage and theα→βtrans-formation in the later stage.     

Reaction mechanism for in-situ β-Si Al ON formation in Fe_3Si–Si_3N_4–Al_2O_3 composites

In this work,Fe_3Si–Si_3N_4–Al_2O_3 composites were prepared at 1300°C in an N_2 atmosphere using fused corundum and tabular alumina particles,Al_2O_3 fine powder,and ferrosilicon nitride(Fe_3Si–Si_3N_4) as raw materials and thermosetting phenolic resin as a binder.The effect of ferrosilicon nitride with different concentrations(0wt%,5wt%,10wt%,15wt%,20wt%,and 25wt%) on the properties of Fe_3Si–Si_3N_4–Al_2O_3 composites was investigated.The results show that the apparent porosity varies between 10.3% and 17.3%,the bulk density varies from 2.94 g/cm~3 and 3.30 g/cm~3,and the cold crushing strength ranges from 67 MPa to 93 MPa.Under the experimental conditions,ferrosilicon nitride,whose content decreases substantially,is unstable;part of the ferrosilicon nitride is converted into Fe_2C,whereas the remainder is retained,eventually forming the ferrosilicon alloy.Thermodynamic assessment of the Si_5AlON_7 indicated that the ferrosilicon alloy accelerated the reactions between Si_3N_4 and α-Al_2O_3 fine powder and that Si in the ferrosilicon alloy was nitrided directly,forming β-Si Al ON simultaneously.In addition,fused corundum did not react directly with Si_3N_4 because of its low reactivity.     

Reaction behavior of trace oxygen during combustion of falling FeSi75 powder in a nitrogen flow

To explore the reaction behavior of trace oxygen during the flash combustion process of falling FeSi75 powder in a nitrogen flow, a flash-combustion-synthesized Fe-Si₃N₄ sample was heat-treated to remove SiO₂. The samples before and after the treatment were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and the formation mechanism of SiO₂ was investigated. The results show that SiO₂ in the Fe-Si₃N₄ is mainly located on the surface or around the Si₃N₄ particles in dense areas, existing in both crystalline and amorphous states; when the FeSi75 particles, which are less than 0.074 mm in size, fell in up-flowing hot N₂ stream, trace oxygen in the N₂ stream did not significantly hinder the nitridation of FeSi75 particles as it was consumed by the surface oxidation of the generated Si₃N₄ particles to form SiO₂. At the reaction zone, the oxidation of Si₃N₄ particles decreased the oxygen partial pressure in the N₂ stream and greatly reduced the opportunity for FeSi75 particles to be oxidized into SiO₂; by virtue of the SiO₂ film developed on the surface, the Si₃N₄ particles adhered to each other and formed dense areas in the material.     

Fabrication of silicon nitride／boron nitride nanocomposite powder

Si3N4/BN nanocomposite powders with the microstructure of the micro-sized α-Si3N4 particles coated with nano-sized BN particles were synthesized via the chemical reaction boric acid,urea,and α- Si3N4 powder in a hydrogen gas.The results of XRD,TEM,and selected area electron diffraction showed that amorphous BN and a little amount of turbostratic BN(t-BN) were coated on Si3N4 particles as the second phase after reaction at 1100℃.After re-heating the composite powders at 1450℃ in a nitrogen gas,the amorphous and turbostratic BN is transformed into h-BN.These nanocomposite powders can be used to prepare Si3N4/BN ceramic composites by hot-pressing at 1800℃,which have perfect machinability and can be drilled with normal metal tools.     

Joining of Si3N4 ceramic using PdCo(Ni SiB)–V system brazingfi ller alloy and interfacial reactions

The wettability of V-active PdCo-based alloys on Si3N4ceramic was studied with the sessile drop method. And the alloy of Pd50.0–Co33.7–Ni4.0–Si2.0–B0.7–V9.6(wt%),was developed for Si3N4ceramic joining in the present investigation. The rapidly-solidified brazing foils were fabricated by the alloy Pd50.0–Co33.7–Ni4.0–Si2.0–B0.7–V9.6. The average room-temperature three-point bend strength of the Si3N4/Si3N4joints brazed at 1453 K for 10 min was 205.6 MPa,and the newly developed braze gives joint strengths of 210.9 MPa,206.6 MPa and 80.2 MPa at high temperatures of 973 K,1073 K and 1173 K respectively. The interfacial reaction products in the Si3N4/Si3N4joint brazed at 1453 K for10 min were identified to be VN and Pd2Si by XRD analysis. Based on the XEDS analysis result,the residual brazing alloy existing at the central part of the joint was verified as Co-rich phases,in which the concentration of element Pd was high up to 18.0–19.1 at%. The mechanism of the interfacial reactions was discussed. Pd should be a good choice as useful alloying element in newer high-temperature braze candidates for the joining of Si-based ceramics.     

Plasma preparation and low-temperature sintering of spherical TiC –Fe composite powder

A spherical Fe matrix composite powder containing a high volume fraction(82vol%) of fine TiC reinforcement was produced using a novel process combining in situ synthesis and plasma techniques. The composite powder exhibited good sphericity and a dense structure, and the fine sub-micron TiC particles were homogeneously distributed in the α-Fe matrix. A TiC –Fe cermet was prepared from the as-prepared spherical composite powder using powder metallurgy at a low sintering temperature; the product exhibited a hardness of HRA 88.5 and a flexural strength of 1360 MPa. The grain size of the fine-grained TiC and special surface structure of the spherical powder played the key roles in the fabrication process.     

Effects of alloying and high-temperature heat treatment on the microstructure of Nb–Ti–Si based ultrahigh temperatur e alloys

The phase co mpositions, microstructure and especi ally phase i nterfaces in the as-cast and heat-treated Nb– Ti–Si based ultrahigh temperature alloys have been investigated. It is shown that β(Nb,X)5Si3 and γ(Nb,X)5Si3 are the primary p hase s in the Nb–22Ti–16Si–5Cr–5Al (S1) (at%) and Nb–20Ti–16Si–6C r–4Al–5Hf–2B–0.06Y (S2) (at% ) alloys, respectively. The Nb solid solution (Nbss) is the primary phase in Nb–22Ti–14Si–5Hf–3Al–1. 5B –0.0 6Y (S3) (at%) alloy . An orientation relationship between Nbss and γ(Nb,X)5Si3 was determine d to be (1-10)Nb//(101-0)γ and [111]Nb//[0001]γ in the as-cast S2 and S3 alloys. Some original β(Nb,X)5Si3 transfor med into α(Nb,X)5Si3 because Al and Cr diffused from the β(Nb,X)5Si3 to Nbss during heattreatment at 1500 °C for 50 h in the S1 alloy. Mean while, Ti diffused from Nbss to β(Nb,X)5Si3, which induced a Ti to generate near the interface between Nbss and Ti-rich β(Nb,X)5Si3. The orientation relationship between the newl y-formed a Ti and previous Nbss was (110 )Nb//(1-10-1) αTi and [001]Nb//(12-3-1)αTi. Among the ( Nb,X)5Si3 phases , the contents o f Cr and Al in β(Nb,X)5Si3 are n earl y the same as those in γ(Nb,X)5Si3 but obviously hi gher than those in the α(Nb,X)5Si3, where as the content of Si in α(Nb,X)5Si3 is nearly the same a s that in γ(Nb,X)5Si3 but higher than that in the β(Nb,X)5Si3     

含过量Fe和Si的铸态Al–Cu合金的拉伸性能和热裂敏感性

This study was undertaken to investigate the tensile properties and hot tearing susceptibility of cast Al–Cu alloys containing excess Fe (up to 1.5wt%) and Si (up to 2.5wt%). According to the results, the optimum tensile properties and hot tearing resistance were achieved at Fe/Si mass ratio of 1, where the α-Fe phase was the dominant Fe compound. Increasing the Fe/Si mass ratio above unity increased the amounts of detrimental β-CuFe platelets in the microstructure, deteriorating the tensile properties and hot tearing resistance. Decreasing the mass ratio below unity increased the size and fraction of Si needles and micropores in the microstructure, also impairing the tensile properties and hot tearing resistance. The investigation of hot-torn surfaces revealed that the β-CuFe platelets disrupted the tear healing phenomenon by blocking interdendritic feeding channels, while the α-Fe intermetallics improved the hot tearing resistivity due to their compact morphology and high melting point.     

Plasma preparation and low-temperature sintering of spherical TiC–Fe composite powder

A spherical Fe matrix composite powder containing a high volume fraction (82vol%) of fine TiC reinforcement was produced us-ing a novel process combining in situ synthesis and plasma techniques. The composite powder exhibited good sphericity and a dense struc-ture, and the fine sub-micron TiC particles were homogeneously distributed in theα-Fe matrix. A TiC–Fe cermet was prepared from the as-prepared spherical composite powder using powder metallurgy at a low sintering temperature;the product exhibited a hardness of HRA 88.5 and a flexural strength of 1360 MPa. The grain size of the fine-grained TiC and special surface structure of the spherical powder played the key roles in the fabrication process.     

Microstructure and properties of a wear resistant Al–25Si–4Cu–1Mg coating prepared by supersonic plasma spraying

A high content silicon aluminum alloy(Al–25Si–4 Cu–1Mg) coating was prepared on a 2A12 aluminum alloy by supersonic plasma spraying. The morphology and microstructure of the coating were observed and analyzed. The hardness, elastic modulus, and bonding strength of the coating were measured. The wear resistance of the coating and 2A12 aluminum alloy was studied by friction and wear test. The results indicated that the coating was compact and the porosity was only 1.5%. The phase of the coating was mainly composed of α-Al and β-Si as well as some hard particles(Al_9Si,Al_(3.21)Si_(0.47), and CuAl_2). The average microhardness of the coating was HV 242, which was greater than that of 2 A12 aluminum alloy(HV 110). The wear resistance of the coating was superior to 2A12 aluminum alloy. The wear mechanism of the 2A12 aluminum alloy was primarily adhesive wear, while that of the coating was primarily abrasive wear. Therefore, it is possible to prepare a high content silicon aluminum alloy coating with good wear resistance on an aluminum alloy by supersonic plasma spraying.     

Evolution of insoluble eutectic Si particles in anodic oxidation films during adipic–sulfuric acid anodizing processes of ZL114A aluminum alloys

The effects of insoluble eutectic Si particles on the growth of anodic oxide films on ZL114 A aluminum alloy substrates were investigated by optical microscopy(OM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The anodic oxidation was performed at 25°C and a constant voltage of 15 V in a solution containing 50 g/L sulfuric acid and 10 g/L adipic acid. The thickness of the formed anodic oxidation film was approximately 7.13 μm. The interpore distance and the diameters of the major pores in the porous layer of the film were within the approximate ranges of 10–20 nm and 5–10 nm, respectively. Insoluble eutectic Si particles strongly influenced the morphology of the anodic oxidation films. The anodic oxidation films exhibited minimal defects and a uniform thickness on the ZL114 A substrates; in contrast, when the front of the oxide oxidation films encountered eutectic Si particles, defects such as pits and non-uniform thickness were observed, and pits were observed in the films.     

In situ(α-Al_2O_3+ZrB_2)/Al composites with network distribution fabricated by reaction hot pressing

In situ(α-Al_2O_3+ZrB_2)/Al composites with network distribution were fabricated using low-energy ball milling and reaction hot pressing. Differential thermal analysis(DTA) was used to study the reaction mechanisms in the Al–Zr O2–B system. X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX) were used to investigate the composite phases, morphology, and microstructure of the composites. The effect of matrix network size on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. The results show that the optimum sintering parameters to complete reactions in the Al–Zr O2–B system are 850°C and 60 min. In situ-synthesized α-Al2O3 and Zr B2 particles are dispersed uniformly around Al particles, forming a network microstructure; the diameters of the α-Al2O3 and Zr B2 particles are approximately 1–3 μm. When the size of Al powder increases from 60–110 μm to 150–300 μm, the overall surface contact between Al powders and reactants decreases, thereby increasing the local volume fraction of reinforcements from 12% to 21%. This increase of the local volume leads to a significant increase in microhardness of the in situ(α-Al2O3–Zr B2)/Al composites from Hv 163 to Hv 251.     

The evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties during high-speed direct-chill casting in different Al–Mg_2Si in situ composites

The effect of high-speed direct-chill(DC) casting on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si in situ composites and AA6061 alloy was investigated. The microstructural evolution of the Al–Mg_2Si composites and AA6061 alloy was examined by optical microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The results revealed that an increase of the casting speed substantially refined the primary Mg_2Si particles(from 28 to 12 μm), the spacing of eutectic Mg_2Si(from 3 to 0.5 μm), and the grains of AA6061 alloy(from 102 to 22 μm). The morphology of the eutectic Mg_2Si transformed from lamellar to rod-like and fibrous with increasing casting speed. The tensile tests showed that the yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation improved at higher casting speeds because of refinement of the Mg_2Si phase and the grains in the Al–Mg_2Si composites and the AA6061 alloy. High-speed DC casting is demonstrated to be an effective method to improve the mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si composites and AA6061 alloy billets.     

Microstructure Evolution of Semi-solid Processed Hyper-eutectic Al-30%Si Alloy

An investigation was made on the influences of mechanical stirring on microstructure of hyper-eutectic Al-30%Si alloy (in mass fraction) during solidification. The primary Si crystals formed in the alloy melt were gradually changed from elongated platelets to near-spherical shapes by mechanical stirring. The spheroidization of primary St crystals occurs by the mechanism of bending and fracture of Si platelets, wear and collision between Si crystals, and coalescence of small Si particles. The influence of under-cooling and cooling rate of the alloy melt on primary Si crystals of semi-solid processed alloys is investigated as well. The increase of under-cooling and cooling rate decreases the size of primary Si crystals.     

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al_3Ti/ADC12 composite modified with Sr

In this study, we investigated the effect of the addition of Sr(0 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.2 wt%, and 0.3 wt%) on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al_3Ti/ADC12 composite by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy diffraction spectroscopy. The results reveal that the α-Al phases were nearly spherical and 40 μm in size and that the eutectic Si phases became round in the composite when the Sr content reached 0.2 wt%. The Al_3Ti particles were distributed uniformly at the grain boundary. The results of the corrosion examination reveal that the Al_3Ti/ADC12 composite exhibited a minimum corrosion rate of 0.081 g×m~(–2)×h~(–1) for an Sr content of 0.2 wt%, which is two thirds of that of unmodified composite(0.134 g×m~(–2)×h~(–1)). This improved corrosion resistance was due to galvanic corrosion, which resulted from the low area ratio of the cathode to anode regions. This caused a low-density corrosion current in the composite, thereby yielding optimum corrosion resistance.     

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of an Fe–18Ni–16Cr–4Al base alloy during aging at 950℃

The development of Gen-IV nuclear systems and ultra-supercritical power plants proposes greater demands on structural materials used for key components. An Fe–18Ni–16Cr–4Al (316-base) alumina-forming austenitic steel was developed in our laboratory. Its microstructural evolution and mechanical properties during aging at 950℃ were investigated subsequently. Micro-structural changes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Needle-shaped NiAl particles begin to precipitate in austenite after ageing for 10 h, whereas round NiAl particles in ferrite are coarsened during aging. Precipitates of NiAl with different shapes in different matrices result from differences in lattice misfits. The tensile plasticity increases by 32.4% after aging because of the improvement in the percentage of coincidence site lattice grain boundaries, whereas the tensile strength remains relatively high at approximately 790 MPa.     

Fabrication of Fe–TiC–Al2O3 composites on the surface of steel using a TiO2–Al–C–Fe combustion reaction induced by gas tungsten arc cladding

The aim of the present study was to fabricate Fe–TiC–Al₂O₃ composites on the surface of medium carbon steel. For this purpose, TiO₂–3C and 3TiO₂–4Al–3C–xFe (0 ≤ x ≤ 4.6 by mole) mixtures were pre-placed on the surface of a medium carbon steel plate. The mixtures and substrate were then melted using a gas tungsten arc cladding process. The results show that the martensite forms in the layer produced by the TiO₂–3C mixture. However, ferrite–Fe₃C–TiC phases are the main phases in the microstructure of the clad layer produced by the 3TiO₂–4Al–3C mixture. The addition of Fe to the TiO₂–4Al–3C reactants with the content from 0 to 20wt% increases the volume fraction of particles, and a composite containing approximately 9vol% TiC and Al₂O₃ particles forms. This composite substantially improves the substrate hardness. The mechanism by which Fe particles enhance the TiC + Al₂O₃ volume fraction in the composite is determined.     

超音速等离子喷涂制备的Al–25Si–4Cu–1Mg耐磨涂层的组织与性能

A high content silicon aluminum alloy (Al–25Si–4Cu–1Mg) coating was prepared on a 2A12 aluminum alloy by supersonic plasma spraying. The morphology and microstructure of the coating were observed and analyzed. The hardness, elastic modulus, and bonding strength of the coating were measured. The wear resistance of the coating and 2A12 aluminum alloy was studied by friction and wear test. The results indicated that the coating was compact and the porosity was only 1.5%. The phase of the coating was mainly composed of α-Al and β-Si as well as some hard particles (Al₉Si, Al_3.21Si_0.47, and CuAl₂). The average microhardness of the coating was HV 242, which was greater than that of 2A12 aluminum alloy (HV 110). The wear resistance of the coating was superior to 2A12 aluminum alloy. The wear mechanism of the 2A12 aluminum alloy was primarily adhesive wear, while that of the coating was primarily abrasive wear. Therefore, it is possible to prepare a high content silicon aluminum alloy coating with good wear resistance on an aluminum alloy by supersonic plasma spraying.     

Research on C3N4 Superhard Compound Thin Film and Its Application

By combination of DC reactive magnetron sputtering with multiple arcplating, the alternating C3N4/TiN compound film is deposited onto HSS. The core level binding energy and contents of carbon and nitrogen are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectrum. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that compound thin film contains hard crystalline phases of α-C3N4 and β-C3N4.The Knoop microhardness in the load range of 50.5-54.1GPa is measured. According to acoustic emission scratch test, the critical load values for the coating on HSS substrates are in the range of 40-80N. The metal coated with C3N4/TiN compound films has a great improvement in the resistance against corrosion. Many tests show that such a coating has a very high wearability. Compared with the uncoated and TiN coated tools, the C3N4/TiN coated tools have a much longer sutting life.     

Morphology characterization of periclase–hercynite refractories by reaction sintering

A periclase?hercynite brick was prepared via reaction sintering at 1600°C for 6 h in air using magnesia and reaction-sintered hercynite as raw materials. The microstructure development of the periclase?hercynite brick during sintering was investigated using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results show that during sintering, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Al3+ ions in hercynite crystals migrate and react with periclase to form(Mg1-xFex)(Fe2-yAly)O4 spinel with a high Fe/Al ratio. Meanwhile, Mg2+ in periclase crystals migrates into hercynite crystals and occupies the oxygen tetrahedron vacancies. This Mg2+ migration leads to the formation of(Mg1-uFeu)(Fe2-vAlv)O4 spinel with a lower Fe/Al ratio and results in Al3+ remaining in hercynite crystals. Cation diffusion between periclase and hercynite crystals promotes the sintering process and results in the formation of a microporous structure.