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

The phase compositions,microstructure and especially phase interfaces 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...     

ω_o phase precipitation in annealed high Nb containing TiAl alloys

The ordered ω phases in high Nb containing Ti Al(Nb-Ti Al) alloys have been garnering increasing attention in the recent years. However, the investigations on the Nb dependence on the ωoprecipitation are scarce. In this study, the effect of Nb content on the ωoprecipitation in high Nb(6–10 at%) containing Ti Al alloys after long-time annealing at 850 1C has been studied. The results show that small ordered ω particles in the retained βophase cannot be discerned under scanning electron microscope(SEM) but can be observed using transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Although the Nb segregation can be eliminated after the homogenization heat treatment, the ωophase precipitated in all the alloys studied after annealing at 850 1C. TEM examination reveals that the orientation relationship between the ωoand α2phases can be derived as: [0001]ωo//[1120]α2;(1120)ωo//(0001)α2, which indicates that the ωophase is directly transformed from the parent α2phase. Small γ particles are also observed within the ωoareas. The α2-ωot γ decomposition process is expected during annealing. It is concluded that ωophase is an equilibrium phase in high Nb-Ti Al alloys at 850 1C.     

Effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on mechanical and elastic properties of Ti–36Nb–5Zr alloy

The evolutions of phase constitutions and mechanical properties of a β-phase Ti–36Nb–5Zr(wt%) alloy during thermo-mechanical treatment were investigated. The alloy consisted of dual(β t α″) phase and exhibited a double yielding phenomenon in solution treated state. After cold rolling and subsequent annealing at 698 K for 20 min, an excellent combination of high strength(833 MPa) and low modulus(46 GPa) was obtained. The high strength can be attributed to high density of dislocations, nanosized α phase and grain refinement. On the other hand, the low Young's modulus originates from the suppression of chemical stabilization of β phase during annealing, which guarantees the low β-phase stability. Furthermore, the single-crystal elastic constants of the annealed Ti–36Nb–5Zr alloy were extracted from polycrystalline alloy using an in-situ synchrotron X-ray technique. The results indicated that the low shear modulus C44 contributes to the low Young's modulus for the Ti–36Nb–5Zr alloy, suggesting that reducing C44 through thermo-mechanical treatment might be an efficient approach to realize low Young's modulus in β-phase Ti alloys. The results achieved in this study could be helpful to elucidate the origin of low modulus and sheds light on developing novel biomedical Ti alloys with both low modulus and high strength.     

A Ti–Zr–Cu–Ni–Co–Fe–Al–Sn amorphous filler metal for improving the strength of Ti–6Al–4V alloy brazing joint

Ti_(50)Zr_(27)Cu_8Ni_4Co_3Fe_2Al_3Sn_3(at%) amorphous filler metal with low Cu and Ni contents in a melt-spun ribbon form was developed for improving mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy brazing joint through decreasing brittle intermetallics in the braze zone. Investigation on the crystallization behavior of the multicomponent Ti–Zr–Cu–Ni–Co–Fe–Al–Sn amorphous alloy indicates the high stability of the supercooled liquid against crystallization that favors the formation of amorphous structure. The Ti–6Al–4V joint brazed with this Ti-based amorphous filler metal with low total content of Cu and Ni at 1203K for 900s mainly consists of α-Ti, β-Ti,minor Ti–Zr-rich phase and only a small amount of Ti_3Cu intermetallics, leading to the high shear strength of the joint of about 460 MPa. Multicomponent composition design of amorphous alloys is an effective way of tailoring filler metals for improving the joint strength.     

Oxidation behaviours of Nb–22Ti–15Si–2Al–2Hf–2V–(2, 14)Cr alloys with Al and Y modified silicide coatings prepared by pack cementation

Al and Y modified silicide coatings on the Nb-15Si-22Ti-(2,14)Cr-2Al-2Hf-2V alloys(where the alloy with 2 at%Cr or 14 at%Cr is hereafter referred to as 2Cr and 14 Cr alloy,respectively) was prepared by pack cementation.The microstructural evolution and the oxidation behaviours of the coating 2Cr and 14 Cr samples at 1250 ℃ were studied.The 2Cr alloy consists of Nb solid solution(Nb_(SS)) and α-Nb_5Si_3 silicide,while the Laves C15-Cr_2Nb phase arised in the 14 Cr alloy.The coating structure of the coating 2Cr sample contained the outer(Nb,X)Si_2+(Nb,X)_5Si_3 layer,the middle(Nb,X)_5Si_3 layer and the inner undeveloped intermetallic(Nb,Ti)_3(Al,X) layer,the structure of the coating 14 Cr sample consisted of the outer single(Nb,X)Si_2 layer,the middle(Nb,X)_5Si_3 layer,the transition(Nb,Ti)(Cr,Al) layer and the inner(Cr,Al)_2(Nb,Ti) layer.The coating 14 Cr sample exhibited better oxidation resistance than the coating 2Cr sample.With an outer single(Nb,X)Si_2 layer,a compact oxide scale consisting of SiO_2 and TiO_2 formed on the coating14 Cr sample,which can efficiently prevent the substrate from oxidising.For the coating 2Cr sample with an outer(Nb,X)Si_2 +(Nb,X)_5Si_3 layer,the oxide scale of the SiO_2,TiO_2,Nb_2O_5 and CrNbO_4 mixture generated,and the scale spalled out from the surface of the sample,resulting in disastrous failure.     

Corrosion behavior of as-cast Mg–8Li–3Al+xCe alloy in 3.5wt% NaCl solution

Mg–8Li–3Al+xCe alloys (x = 0.5wt%, 1.0wt%, and 1.5wt%) were prepared through a casting route in an electric resistance furnace under a controlled atmosphere. The cast alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The corrosion behavior of the as-cast Mg–8Li–3Al+xCe alloys were studied under salt spray tests in 3.5wt% NaCl solution at 35°C, in accordance with standard ASTM B–117, in conjunction with potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests. The results show that the addition of Ce to Mg–8Li–3Al (LA83) alloy results in the formation of Al₂Ce intermetallic phase, refines both the α-Mg phase and the Mg₁₇Al₁₂ intermetallic phase, and then increases the microhardness of the alloys. The results of PDP and salt spray tests reveal that an increase in Ce content to 1.5wt% decreases the corrosion rate. The best corrosion resistance is observed for the LA83 alloy sample with 1.0wt% Ce.     

Effect of Sr on microstructure and aging behavior of Mg–14Li alloys

The as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–x Sr ( x=0.14, 0.19, 0.39 wt%) alloys were,respectively, prepared through a simple alloying process and hot extrusion. The effects of Sr addition on microstructure and aging behavior of the Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys were studied. The results indicated that β(Li) and Mg2Sr were the two primary phases in the microstructures of both as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys. Interestingly, with the increase of Sr content from 0.14 wt% to 0.39 wt%, the grain sizes of the as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys markedly decreased from 5000mm and 38mm to 330 mm and 22mm respectively, while no obvious changes of the micro-hardness and microstructure of the as-extruded alloys were observed during the aging treatment.     

Effects of P addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–5%Sn–1.25%Si alloy

The effects of Al-P addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg–5%Sn–1.25%Si magnesium alloy were investigated. The results show that the phases of the as-cast alloy are composed of α-Mg, Mg2 Sn, Mg2 Si, little P, and AlP. The Chinese character shape Mg2 Si phase changes into a granular morphology by P addition because AlP can act as a heterogeneous nucleation core for the Mg2 Si phase. When 0.225wt% of Al–3.5%P alloy is added, the mechanical properties of the Mg–5%Sn–1.25%Si alloy are greatly improved, and the tensile strength increases from 156 to 191 MPa, an increase of 22.4% compared to the alloy without P addition. When the amount of Al–3.5%P reaches 0.300wt%, a segregation phenomenon occurs in the granular Mg2 Si phase, and the tensile strength and hardness decrease though the elongation increases.     

Phase-field simulation on microstructure evolution of D0_(19) phase in γ/γ′structure of Co–Al–W superalloys

The morphological evolution and precipitation kinetics of γ′ and D0_(19)(Co_3 W) phase in Co–Al–W alloys at 900 °C have been studied by applying Phase-field method and experiment in order to understand the transformation process of γ′ phase and D0_(19) phase. The growth processes of D0_(19) phase and precipitation of γ′ phase under elastic fields were simulated through coupling with thermodynamics and dynamics databases. The simulation results indicate that the misfit δ≥ 0.53% has a greater impact on γ′ particle morphology in γ/γ′ structure.Co–Al–W alloy with low Al and high W is one of the factors to promote the precipitation of D0_(19) phase. Three stages during aging, namely the γ′ phase incubation stage, the γ′ phase fast nucleation and growth stage, and the transformation from γ′ phase to D0_(19) phase stage can be observed with the non-constant coarsening rate that varying with the decrease of γ′ phase. The particle size distribution(PSD) during the precipitation of D0_(19) phase is more in line with MLSW theory than LSW theory. This simulation results are in good agreement with the experiment results to help analyze microstructure evolution of Co–Al–W alloy.     

Effect of homogenization process on the hardness of Zn–Al–Cu alloys

The effect of a homogenizing treatment on the hardness of as-cast Zn–Al–Cu alloys was investigated. Eight alloy compositions were prepared and homogenized at 350 ℃ for 180 h, and their Rockwell “B” hardness was subsequently measured. All the specimens were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and metallographically prepared for observation by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results of the present work indicated that the hardness of both alloys (as-cast and homogenized) increased with increasing Al and Cu contents; this increased hardness is likely related to the presence of the θ and τ' phases. A regression equation was obtained to determine the hardness of the homogenized alloys as a function of their chemical composition and processing parameters, such as homogenization time and temperature, used in their preparation.     

Rapid directionally solidified microstructure characteristic and fracture behaviour of laser melting deposited Nb–Si–Ti alloy

Aiming at achieving fine and directionally-solidified microstructure of Nb-Si based alloy,Nb,Si and Ti powder particles were utilized as the raw materials,and laser melting deposition(LMD) experiments were conducted with1500 W and 2000 W laser power,respectively.The microstructure characteristic,micro-hardness,and indentation fracture toughness were examined by scanning electron microscope(SEM),X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer(XEDS) and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The results showed that the two kinds of as-deposited Nb-17 Si-23 Ti alloy samples were mainly composed of Nbss,(Nb,Ti)3 Si and Ti-rich Nbss,and the microstructure presents rapid directionally-solidified characteristic,in which the 100 crystallographic direction of Nbss and 110 crystallographic direction of(Nb,Ti)3 Si tend to be parallel to the LMD building direction.With the laser power increasing from 1500 W to 2000 W,the microstructure became more oriented and homogeneous.For the sample at 2000 W,the dendrite spacing was only about 1-2 μm,and Nbss and(Nb,Ti)3 Si couples grow alternately and they are parallel to the building direction strictly.In the meantime the micro-hardness and indentation fracture toughness reached 1075 HV and 20.3 MPa·m~(1/2),respectively,indicating significant improvement by the directional growth of fine Nbss and(Nb,Ti)3 Si phases,and the dimple fracture mode of the Nbss dendrites.     

Morphology and kinetics evolution of γ′ and γ phases in Ni-xAl-(20-x)Cr at % alloys

The morphology and kinetics evolution of γ' and γ phases in Ni-xAl-(20-x)Cr at%(x=7.5-13.7) alloys aged at700℃ were studied by utilizing the phase-field simulation.The separated γ' phases from γ matrix in low Al content(x 13) alloys transferred to the interconnected morphology with separated y phases in high Al content(x 13) alloys,and long-time aging produced near cubic γ' phase.The coarsening rate of γ' phase declined firstly when the Al content x=7.5-9.0,then increased sharply as x ranges from 9 to 12,while the coarsening rate of γphase declined directly.Additionally,the average edge-to-edge distance of neighboring γ' phases showed a threestage variation when Al content x 9,it decreased to minimum value and increased slowly then decreased again with aging time.In contrast,when 9 ≤ x 13,the average particle distance of γ' phase decreased to a nearly constant value.With the coarsening of y phase,their average particle distance increased.The kinetics evolution was clarified with the combined variations of the particle number density,average particle radius and volume fractions in the continuous composition Ni-xAl-(20-x)Cr at% alloys.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of as-extruded Mg–5Sn–1Zn–xAl(x=1, 3 and 5) alloys

As-extruded Mg–5Sn–1Zn–xAl alloys(x=1, 3, and 5) were fabricated by hot extrusion. The experimental results revealed that the yield strength of alloys initially decreased and then increased with the increase of Al content. These changes were mainly attributed to the difference in crystallographic texture and volume fractions of second phases. The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of the alloys were greater than 310 MPa, 227 MPa, and 11%, respectively. The strain hardening ability of the alloys was also discussed.     

Morphology of α-Si_3N_4 in Fe–Si_3N_4 prepared via flash combustion

The state and formation mechanism of α-Si3N4 in Fe–Si3N4 prepared by flash combustion were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that α-Si3N4 crystals exist only in the Fe–Si3N4 dense areas. When FeS i75 particles react with N2, which generates substantial heat, a large number of Si solid particles evaporate. The product between Si gas and N2 is a mixture of α-Si3N4 and β-Si3N4. At the later stage of the flash combustion process, α-Si3N4 crystals dissolve and reprecipitate as β-Si3N4 and the β-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 the α→β transformation in the later stage.     

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.     

ORDERING TRANSFORMATION OF γ TO γ1 IN TiAl+Nb SYSTEM

A series of TiAl+Nb alloys with various Nb contents has been employed to explore phase relationship and the evolution of microstructure.A new ordered γ derivative (γ₁) has been observed in the alloy containing 20 at% Nb.The additional diffraction spots added to the diffraction pattern of L1₀ (TiAl) structure have been found in the alloy containing Nb up to 11 at% in terms of further ordering.The transformation from L1₀ (TiAl) structure to the further ordering phase,γ₁,is a continuous ordering process with the substitution of Nb atoms for Ti atoms in alloys with over-stoichiometric Al content of TiAl.The possible transformtion characterzation has been discussed.     

Effect of Zn addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al–Mg–Si alloy

In the present work, an Al–0.66Mg–0.85Si–0.2Cu alloy with Zn addition was investigated by electron back scattering diffraction(EBSD), high resolution electron microscopy(HREM), tensile and Erichsen tests. The mechanical properties of the alloy after pre-aging met the standards of sheet forming. After paint baking, the yield strength of the alloy was improved apparently. GP(Ⅱ) zones and η’phases were formed during aging process due to Zn addition. With the precipitation of GP zones, β″ phases, GP(Ⅱ) zones and η’phases, the alloys displayed excellent mechanical properties.     

Effects of Zn content on the microstructure and the mechanical and corrosion properties of as-cast low-alloyed Mg–Zn–Ca alloys

The effects of Zn content on the microstructure and the mechanical and corrosion properties of as-cast low-alloyed Mg–xZn–0.2Ca alloys (x=0.6wt%, 2.0wt%, 2.5wt%, hereafter denoted as 0.6Zn, 2.0Zn, and 2.5Zn alloys, respectively) are investigated. The results show that the Zn content not only influences grain refinement but also induces different phase precipitation behaviors. The as-cast microstructure of the 0.6Zn alloy is composed of α-Mg, Mg₂Ca, and Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phases, whereas 2.0Zn and 2.5Zn alloys only contain α-Mg and Ca₂Mg₆Zn₃ phases, as revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. Moreover, with increasing Zn content, both the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and the elongation to fracture first increase and then decrease. Among the three investigated alloys, the largest UTS (178 MPa) and the highest elongation to fracture (6.5%) are obtained for the 2.0Zn alloy. In addition, the corrosion rate increases with increasing Zn content. This paper provides an updated investigation of the alloy composition–microstructure–property relationships of different Zn-containing Mg–Zn–Ca alloys.     

Saturation phenomenon of Ce and Ti in the modification of Al–Zn–Si filler metal

Cerium and titanium were added to an Al–42Zn–6.5Si brazing alloy, and the subsequent microstructures of the brazing alloy and the 6061 Al alloy brazing seam were investigated. The microstructures of filler metals and brazed joints were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersion spectrometry. A new Ce–Ti phase formed around the silicon phase in the modified filler metal and this saturation phenomenon was analyzed. Interestingly, following brazing of the 6061 alloy, there is no evidence of the Ce–Ti phase in the brazing seam. Because of the mutual solubility of the brazing alloy and base metal, the quantity of the solvent increases, and the solute Ce and Ti atoms assume an undersaturated state.