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.     

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.     

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.     

Synthesis of nanocrystalline NiCrC alloy feedstock powders for thermal spraying by cryogenic ball milling

Nanocrystalline NiCrC alloy powders with a qualified particle size distribution for thermal spraying were synthesized using the cryogenic ball milling (cryomilling) method. The morphology, microstructure, size distribution, and phase transformation of the powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scattering for particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After cryomilling for 20 h, the average grain size of the as-milled powders approached a constant value of 30 nm by XRD measurement. The average particle size slightly increased from 17.5 to 20.3 μm during the 20-h milling. About 90vol% of the powders satisfied the requirement for thermal spraying with the particle dimension of 10-50 μm, and most of the powders exhibited spherical morphology, which were expected to have good fluidity during thermal spraying. The Cr₂O₃ phase formed during the cryornilling process as revealed in the XRD spectra, which was expected to enhance the thermal stability of the as-milled powders during the followed thermal spraying or other heat treatment.     

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℃ for 5 min or at 900℃ 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℃ for 30 min because of this sample's minimal porosity.     

A strategy to obtain a high-density and high-strength zirconia ceramic via ceramic injection molding by the modification of oleic acid

Despite its unique high efficiency and good environmental compatibility, the water-soluble binder system still encounters problems achieving a desired sintered part via ceramic injection molding because of the poor compatibility and the powder-binder segregation between ceramic powders and binders. The objective of this study was to obtain a sintered part with excellent properties by introducing a small quantity of oleic acid to the surface of zirconia powders before the mixing process. As opposed to many previous investigations that focused only on the rheological behavior and modification mechanism, the sintering behavior and densification process were systematically investigated in this study. With the modified powders, debound parts with a more homogeneous and smaller pore size distribution were fabricated. Also, a higher density and greater flexural strength were achieved in the sintered parts fabricated using the modified powders.     

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.     

Structure evolution of Y2O3 nanoparticle/Fe composite during mechanical milling and annealing

Fe-25 wt% Y2O3composite powders have been fabricated by mechanical milling(MM) Fe powders of 100 μm in diameter and Y2O3nanoparticles in an argon atmosphere for the milling periods of4,8,12,24,36,and 48 h,respectively.The features of these powders were characterized by using X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron probe micro analyzer(EPMA) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The experimental results showed that the mean particle size and crystalline size of MM powders decreased with the milling time increasing.All the elements distributed homogenously inside the powders after 48 h of MM.The lattice constant of the matrix α-Fe kept constant with the milling time,and no solid solution took place during MM process.After 8 h of MM,the α-Fe in each powder became nanocrystalline.After 48 h of MM,Y2O3changes from nanostructure into amorphous structure,and the crystalline size of α-Fe further decreased to 10 nm.The Y2O3in the powders mechanically milled for 48 h kept the amorphous structure after being annealed at 400 1C,and starts to crystallize when the powders are annealed at 600 1C.The amorphous Y2O3contains a small amount of Fe,and crystalline FeYO3appears at 800 1C.     

Microstructure evolution of T91 heat-resistant steels after long-time aging

To investigate the evolution of microstructure damage degree and the precipitated phases of heat-resistant metal in power plant under high temperature and stress environment, the high-temperature aging tests were conducted to investigate the aging behavior of T91 steel at different temperatures and stress. The optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the structure and precipitated phases, the results showed that the orientation characteristics of tempered martensite was dispersed, and the grain size is obviously increased. The density of dislocation decreased with increasing temperature and stress. The important strengthening phase of M23C6 (M=Fe, Cr) was coarsened by the diffusion of main alloying elements Cr, while the smaller size MX (M=Nb,V; X=C, N) phase distributed in the grain is relatively stable in the aging.     

Synthesis and sintering of beryllium oxide nanoparticles

BeO nanoparticles were prepared by polyacrylamide gel route and the sintering pr operties of synthesized powder as a function of sintering temperature and time were investigated. Thermal behaviors of the polyacrylamide gel and beryllium salt we re studied by thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). The calcination temperature (690°C) of the beryllium sulfate covered in polyacrylamide xerogel was almost 150 °C lower than that obtained by traditional methods. The nanocrystallites of the BeO particles were estimated by X-ray diffraction (X RD) according to Debye–Scherrer equation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation revealed that the average part icle size of the BeO nanoparticles prepared by calcining at 800 °C for 2 h, ranges from 15 nm to 25 nm. The sintering temperature was down to 1 600 °C, which was around 200 °C lower than conventional sintering temperature of the compact sample with co mmon powders. The densification rate was fast at the first 3 h. The thermal conductivity of the sample sintered at 1 600 °C for 6 h was 186.6 W/(m·K).     

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.     

Studies on induction hardening of powder-metallurgy-processed Fe-Cr/Mo alloys

Induction hardening of dense Fe-Cr/Mo alloys processed via the powder-metallurgy route was studied. The Fe-3Cr-0.5Mo, Fe-1.5Cr-0.2Mo, and Fe-0.85Mo pre-alloyed powders were mixed with 0.4wt%, 0.6wt%, and 0.8wt% C and compacted at 500, 600, and 700 MPa, respectively. The compacts were sintered at 1473 K for 1 h and then cooled at 6 K/min. Ferrite with pearlite was mostly observed in the sintered alloys with 0.4wt% C, whereas a carbide network was also present in the alloys with 0.8wt% C. Graphite at prior particle boundaries led to deterioration of the mechanical properties of alloys with 0.8wt% C, whereas no significant induction hardening was achieved in alloys with 0.4wt% C. Among the investigated samples, alloys with 0.6wt% C exhibited the highest strength and ductility and were found to be suitable for induction hardening. The hardening was carried out at a frequency of 2.0 kHz for 2-3 s. A case depth of 2.5 mm was achieved while maintaining the bulk (interior) hardness of approximately HV 230. A martensitic structure was observed on the outer periphery of the samples. The hardness varied from HV 600 to HV 375 from the sample surface to the interior of the case hardened region. The best combination of properties and hardening depth was achieved in case of the Fe-1.5Cr-0.2Mo alloy with 0.6wt% C.     

Preparation of in situ and ex situ reinforced Fe–10Cr–1Cu–1Ni–1Mo–2C containing NbC particles by milling and hot pressing

An in situ and ex situ reinforced powder metallurgy(PM) steel was prepared by the combination of high-energy ball milling and subsequent hot pressing of elemental mixed powders of Fe–10Cr–1Cu–1Ni–1Mo–2C by mass with the addition of Nb C particles. A 40-h milling pretreatment makes the powder particles nearly equiaxed with an average diameter of ~8 μm, and the ferrite grain size is refined to ~6 nm. The sintered density reaches 99.0%–99.7% of the theoretical value when the sintering is conducted at temperatures greater than 1000°C for 30 min. In the sintered bulk specimens, the formation of an in situ M7C3(M = Cr, Fe, Mo) phase is confirmed. M7C3 carbides with several hundred nanometers in size are uniformly distributed in the matrix. Some ultra-fine second phases of 50–200 nm form around the ex situ Nb C and in situ M7C3 particles. The sintered steel exhibits an excellent combination of hardness( Hv 500) and compressive strength(2100–2420 MPa).     

Rapid Sintering of Alumina in Low Pressure RF Plasma

Three kinds of high-purity Al₂O₃ powders, whose average particle size is 0.1, 0.3 and 3.0 mμ respectively, were used as the starting power, and their compacts were fired in the radio-frequency plasma generated at a pressure of 80 Pa using N, as the working gas.Experimental results show that the 0. 1 and 0.3 mp powder compacts can be sintered to nearly the theoretical density within 60 s and this sintering is almost finished in the heating period. It is concluded that the mechanism of liquid sintering, the electric charge effect of Al₂O₃ powder, and the effect of tempetrature gradient in the compacts can affect simultaneously on the rapid densification of the compacts in the plasma sintering.     

机械合金化法制备的Cu/SiC纳米复合材料的组织、热性能和力学性能评估

Nano-sized silicon carbide (SiC: 0wt%, 1wt%, 2wt%, 4wt%, and 8wt%) reinforced copper (Cu) matrix nanocomposites were manufactured, pressed, and sintered at 775 and 875°C in an argon atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy were performed to characterize the microstructural evolution. The density, thermal expansion, mechanical, and electrical properties were studied. XRD analyses showed that with increasing SiC content, the microstrain and dislocation density increased, while the crystal size decreased. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the nanocomposites was less than that of the Cu matrix. The improvement in the CTE with increasing sintering temperature may be because of densification of the microstructure. Moreover, the mechanical properties of these nanocomposites showed noticeable enhancements with the addition of SiC and sintering temperatures, where the microhardness and apparent strengthening efficiency of nanocomposites containing 8wt% SiC and sintered at 875°C were 958.7 MPa and 1.07 vol%?1, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the sample slightly decreased with additional SiC and increased with sintering temperature. The prepared Cu/SiC nanocomposites possessed good electrical conductivity, high thermal stability, and excellent mechanical properties.     

Mo含量对Ti–Mo系铁素体钢热稳定性影响

The effects of tempering holding time at 700°C on the morphology, mechanical properties, and behavior of nanoparticles in Ti–Mo ferritic steel with different Mo contents were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The equilibrium solid solution amounts of Mo, Ti, and C in ferritic steel at various temperatures were calculated, and changes in the sizes of nanoparticles over time at different Mo contents were analyzed. The experimental results and theoretical calculations were in good agreement with each other and showed that the size of nanoparticles in middle Mo content nano-ferrite (MNF) steel changed the least during aging. High Mo contents inhibited the maturation and growth of nanoparticles, but no obvious inhibitory effect was observed when the Mo content exceeded 0.37wt%. The tensile strength and yield strength continuously decreased with the tempering time. Analysis of the strengthening and toughening mechanisms showed that the different mechanical properties among the three different Mo content experiment steels were mainly determined by grain refinement strengthening (the difference range was 30–40 MPa) and precipitation strengthening (the difference range was 78–127 MPa). MNF steel displayed an ideal chemical ratio and the highest thermodynamic stability, whereas low Mo content nano-ferrite (LNF) steel and high Mo content nano-ferrite (HNF) steel displayed relatively similar thermodynamic stabilities.     

Effects of AlN on the densification and mechanical properties of pressureless-sintered SiC ceramics

In the present work, Si C ceramics was fabricated with Al N using B_4 C and C as sintering aids by a solid-state pressureless-sintered method. The effects of Al N contents on the densification, mechanical properties, phase compositions, and microstructure evolutions of as-obtained Si C ceramics were thoroughly investigated. Al N was found to promote further densification of the Si C ceramics due to its evaporation over 1800 °C,transportation, and solidification in the pores resulted from Si C grain coarsening. The highest relative density of 99.65% was achieved for Si C sample with 15.0 wt% Al N by the pressureless-sintered method at 2130 °C for 1 h in Ar atmosphere. Furthermore, the fracture mechanism for Si C ceramics containing Al N tended to transfer from single transgranular fracture mode to both transgranular fracture and intergranular fracture modes when the sample with 30.0 wt% Al N sintered at 1900 °C for 1 h in Ar. Also, Si C ceramics with 30.0 wt% Al N exhibited the highest fracture toughness of 5.23 MPa m~(1/2) when sintered at 1900 °C.     

粉末冶金制备的AISI 8620钢渗碳后的磨损和力学性能

The effect of carburization on the tensile strength and wear resistance of AISI 8620 steel produced via powder metallurgy was investigated. Alloys 1 and 2 (with 0.2wt% C and 0.25wt% C, respectively) were first pressed at 700 MPa and then sintered at 1300, 1400, or 1500°C for 1 h. The ideal sintering temperature of 1400°C was determined. Afterward, Alloys 1 and 2 sintered at 1400°C were carburized at 925°C for 4 h. The microstructure characterization of alloys was performed via optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical and wear behavior of carburized and noncarburized alloys were investigated via hardness, tensile, and wear tests. After carburization, the ultimate tensile strength of Alloys 1 and 2 increased to 134.4% and 138.1%, respectively. However, the elongation rate of Alloys 1 and 2 decreased to 62.6% and 64.7%, respectively. The wear depth values of Alloy 2 under noncarburized and carburized conditions and a load of 30 N were 231.2 and 100.1 μm, respectively. Oxidative wear changed to abrasive wear when the load transitioned from 15 to 30 N.     

Isothermal grain growth of reactive spray formed 7075 alloys in semi-solid state

The grain growth behavior in reactive spray formed 7075+2.91vol%TiC Al alloy was studied and compared with that of spray formed 7075 Al alloy at semi-solid state. The effects of in-situ TiC particles on the microstructure of spray formed 7075 Al alloy were also investigated. The specimens were heat-treated isothermally at various temperatures between the solidus and liquidus of 7075 Al alloy for times in the range of 10-60 min, then quenched in water. The microstructure of reheated specimens was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. The grain size was measured using a mean linear intercept method.Results show that the in-situ TiC particles can effectively retard grain growth and refine the grain at a limited size. The grain growth exponent in Arrhenius equation increases from 2 to 3, which indicates that the in-situ TiC particles have the significant pinning effect on grain coarsening in the semi-solid state.     

Effect of Mo content on the thermal stability of Ti–Mo-bearing ferritic steel

The effects of tempering holding time at 700°C on the morphology, mechanical properties, and behavior of nanoparticles in Ti–Mo ferritic steel with different Mo contents were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The equilibrium solid solution amounts of Mo, Ti, and C in ferritic steel at various temperatures were calculated, and changes in the sizes of nanoparticles over time at different Mo contents were analyzed. The experimental results and theoretical calculations were in good agreement with each other and showed that the size of nanoparticles in middle Mo content nano-ferrite(MNF) steel changed the least during aging. High Mo contents inhibited the maturation and growth of nanoparticles, but no obvious inhibitory effect was observed when the Mo content exceeded 0.37 wt%.The tensile strength and yield strength continuously decreased with the tempering time. Analysis of the strengthening and toughening mechanisms showed that the different mechanical properties among the three different Mo content experiment steels were mainly determined by grain refinement strengthening(the difference range was 30–40 MPa) and precipitation strengthening(the difference range was 78–127 MPa). MNF steel displayed an ideal chemical ratio and the highest thermodynamic stability, whereas low Mo content nano-ferrite(LNF) steel and high Mo content nano-ferrite(HNF) steel displayed relatively similar thermodynamic stabilities.