Analysis of the formation conditions and characteristics of interphase and random vanadium precipitation in a low-carbon steel during isothermal heat treatment

The characteristics of nanosized precipitates in steels depend on the heat-treatment parameters. The effects of characteristics of vanadium precipitates formed during isothermal heat treatment on the hardness of the ferrite matrix in low-carbon vanadium-alloyed steel were investigated through analysis of transmission electron microscopy images and microhardness measurements. The results show that, during isothermal holding in the temperature range from 675 to 750℃, only interphase precipitation occurs, whereas only random precipitation occurs in the ferrite matrix during holding at 600℃. Furthermore, during isothermal heat treatment between 600 and 675℃, both random and interphase precipitates occurred in the ferrite. Nanoscale vanadium carbides with different atomic ratios of vanadium (V) and carbon (C) were the dominant precipitates in the random and interphase precipitates. The sizes of random precipitation carbides were smaller than those of interphase ones. Also, the sample isothermally heat treated at 650℃ for 900 s exhibited a higher hardness with a narrower hardness distribution.     

Solid-phase synthesis of Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>MoS<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles for degradation of methyl blue under a halogen-tungsten lamp

The Cu₂MoS₄ nanoparticles were prepared using a relatively simple and convenient solid-phase process, which was applied for the first time. The crystalline structure, morphology, and optical properties of Cu₂MoS₄ nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectrophotometry. Cu₂MoS₄ nanoparticles having a band gap of 1.66 eV exhibits good photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methylene blue, which indicates that this simple process may be critical to facilitate the cheap production of photocatalysts.     

Isothermal reduction kinetics and mineral phase of chromium-bearing vanadium-titanium sinter reduced with CO gas at 873-1273 K

Reduction of chromium-bearing vanadium-titanium sinter (CVTS) was studied under simulated conditions of a blast furnace, and thermodynamics and kinetics were theoretically analyzed. Reduction kinetics of CVTS at different temperatures was evaluated using a shrinking unreacted core model. The microstructure, mineral phase, and variation of the sinter during reduction were observed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and metallographic microscopy. Results indicate that porosity of CVTS increased with temperature. Meanwhile, the reduction degree of the sinter improved with the reduction rate. Reduction of the sinter was controlled by a chemical reaction at the initial stage and inner diffusion at the final stage. Activation energies measured 29.22-99.69 kJ/mol. Phase transformations in CVTS reduction are as follows:Fe₂O₃→Fe₃O₄→FeO→Fe; Fe₂TiO₅→Fe₂TiO₄→FeTiO₃; FeO·V₂O₃→V₂O₃; FeO·Cr₂O₃→Cr₂O₃.     

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.     

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ti/ADC12 composite modified with Sr

In this study, we investigated the effect of the addition of Sr (0wt%, 0.1wt%, 0.2wt%, and 0.3wt%) on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al₃Ti/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 0.2wt%. The Al₃Ti particles were distributed uniformly at the grain boundary. The results of the corrosion examination reveal that the Al₃Ti/ADC12 composite exhibited a minimum corrosion rate of 0.081 g·m–2·h–1 for an Sr content of 0.2wt%, 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.     

Dynamic characteristics of the planetary gear train excited by time-varying meshing stiffness in the wind turbine

Wind power has attracted increasing attention as a renewable and clean energy. Gear fault frequently occurs under extreme environment and complex loads. The time-varying meshing stiffness is one of the main excitations. This study proposes a 5 degree-of-freedom torsional vibration model for the planetary gear system. The influence of some parameters (e.g., contact ratio and phase difference) is discussed under different conditions of a single teeth pair and double pairs of teeth. The impact load caused by the teeth face fault, ramped load induced by the complex wind conditions, and the harmonic excitation are investigated. The analysis of the time-varying meshing stiffness and the dynamic meshing force shows that the dynamic design under different loads can be made to avoid resonance, can provide the basis for the gear fault location of a wind turbine, and distinguish the fault characteristics from the vibration signals.     

Preparation and performance of a cold gas dynamic sprayed high-aluminum bronze coating

By mixing preheated high-aluminum bronze powders with different amounts of Al₂O₃ powder, a low-pressure cold-sprayed coating was prepared and sprayed onto a Cr12MoV steel substrate. The hardness of the coating and the bonding strength between the coating and the substrate were tested with a HV-1000 microhardness tester and a mechanical universal testing machine. The surface microstructure, cross-section and tensile fracture surface of the coating were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Correspondingly, the influences of the preheat treatment temperature of the bronze powder and the Al₂O₃ content on the coating performance were investigated. The results indicate that the hardness of bronze powders decreased and the coating deposition rate increased after the preheating treatment of the bronze powder. The Al₂O₃ content in the mixed powders contributed to the deformation of bronze powders during the spraying process. This trend resulted in varied performance of the coating.     

Electrochemical behavior of gold and its associated minerals in alkaline thiourea solutions

Electrochemical measurements were conducted to study the electrochemical behavior of gold (Au) and its commonly associated minerals in alkaline thiourea solutions. The results indicated that without addition of any stabilizer, selective dissolution of Au from stibnite and pyrite was only possible at relatively low thiourea concentrations. As Na₂SiO₃ was added, pyrite started to become active and an oxidation peak appeared; the oxidation peaks of arsenopyrite and chalcocite appeared earlier than that of Au. The chalcocite peak shifted in the positive direction and the peak current increased. Stibnite did not show an oxidation peak and its current was nearly zero. Adding Na₂SiO₃ favored the selective dissolution of Au when its minerals were associated with chalcocite and stibnite. At pH 12, the Au anode dissolution peak current increased with stabilizer concentration. At 0.38 and 0.42 V and for Na₂SiO₃ concentration below 0.09 M, the current density continuously increased with Na₂SiO₃ concentration. The Na₂SiO₃ concentration had to be adequate to stabilize thiourea. When the potential was higher than 0.42 V, the surface of the Au electrode started to passivate. With an additional increase in potential, the presence of Na₂SiO₃ could not stop the inevitable decomposition of thiourea.     

Corrosion behavior of high-strength spring steel for high-speed railway

The corrosion resistance and evolution of corrosion products in medium-carbon high-strength spring steels were investigated in a neutral salt spray (5wt% NaCl solution). A formation model of γ-FeOOH and a transformation model describing the conversion of γ-FeOOH to α-FeOOH were constructed. The results indicated that, at the initial corrosion stage, the corrosion resistance was gradually improved with the addition of Cr; however, with the addition of alloying element V, the corrosion resistance decreased. These results were attributed mainly to the initial corrosion stage being closely related to the matrix microstructure parameters such as grain-boundary character and dislocation density. After the rust layer was formed at a later corrosion stage, the corrosion resistance was reinforced with the addition of Cr and V because Cr strongly influenced the composition, structure, and morphology of the corrosion products. The results presented herein show that Cr was conducive to the transformation of γ-FeOOH into α-FeOOH. Moreover, V and Cr exhibited obvious synergy and were enriched in the inner layer of the corrosion products.     

Improvement of microstructure and corrosion properties of friction stir welded AA5754 by adding Zn interlayer

This study investigated the effect of Zn foil layers on the microstructure and corrosion characteristics of friction stir welded aluminum alloy 5754. Samples of various joints were prepared by applying different rotational and welding speeds, and their microstructures were evaluated via a metallographic technique and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy elemental analysis. The anticorrosion behavior of joints in the absence and presence of a Zn interlayer was studied by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization test in 3.5wt% NaCl aqueous solution, and sound welds were obtained in the presence of the Zn interlayer foil. The results revealed that the joint made at a rotational speed of 800 r/min and traveling speed of 15 mm/min achieved a chemical composition identical to that of aluminum alloy 7xxx series, and as such, it showed the best resistance to corrosion.