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.     

Effect of pre-annealing treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy bars

Taking extruded Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy (7A04 alloy) bars as the research object, the effect and mechanism of pre-annealing treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the aged alloy bars were investigated. The results show that a pre-annealing treatment at 350℃ for 15 h before a T6 treatment substantially reduced the sensitivity of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the extruded 7A04 aluminum alloy specimens toward the extrusion temperature. The average grain sizes of the specimens extruded at 390 and 430℃ after T6 treatment were 3.4 and 8.1 μm, respectively, and their elongations to failure were 7.0% and 9.2%, respectively. However, after pre-annealing + T6 treatment, the differences in both the grain sizes and the elongations of the specimens became small, i.e., their average grain sizes were 3.2 and 3.8 μm and their elongations were 12.0% and 13.3%, respectively. For the specimens extruded at the same temperature, pre-annealing treatment obviously improved the plasticity of the alloy, which is attributed to an increase in soft texture or to grain refinement in the specimens as a result of the pre-annealing + T6 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.     

Effects of Ag addition on the microstructures and properties of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys

Effects of Ag addition on the microstructures, aging characteristics, tensile properties, electrochemical properties, and intergranular corrosion (IGC) properties of Al-1.1Mg-0.8Si-0.9Cu-0.35Mn-0.02Ti alloy were investigated using scanning electronic microscopy and transmission electronic microscopy. The aging process of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys was accelerated by the addition of Ag. The strength of peak-aged Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys was enhanced by Ag addition because of the high density of β"- and L-phase age-hardening precipitates. The corrosion performance of the Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy is closely related to the aging conditions and is independent of the Ag content. The IGC susceptibility is serious in the peak-aged alloy because of the continuous distribution of Cu-rich Q-phase precipitates along grain boundaries. Ag addition reduces the size of the grain-boundary-precipitate Q phase and the width of the precipitate-free zone and thus results in decreased IGC susceptibility of Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys.     

Deformation behavior and microstructural evolution during hot compression of an α+β Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy

The effect of processing parameters on the flow response and microstructural evolution of the α+β titanium alloy Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si has been studied by conducting isothermal hot compressive tests at a strain rate of 0.01–10 s-1 at 860–1100℃. The true stress-true strain curves of the sample hot-compressed in the α+β phase region exhibit a peak stress followed by continuous flow softening, whereas in the β region, the flow stress attains a steady-state regime. At a strain rate of 10 s-1, the alloy exhibits plastic flow instabilities. According to the kinetic rate equation, the apparent activation energies are estimated to be about 674–705 kJ/mol in the α+β region and 308–335 kJ/mol in the β region, respectively. When deformed in the α+β region, the globularization process of the α colony structure occurs, and α dynamic recrystallized microstructures are observed to show bimodal. Dynamic recrystallization can take place in the β region irrespective of starting deformed structures.     

Effects of gadolinium addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-9Al alloy

This research aims to study the significance of Gd addition (0wt%-2wt%) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-9Al alloy. The effect of Gd addition on the microstructure was investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Mg-9Al alloy contained two phases, α-Mg and β-Mg17Al12. Alloying with Gd led to the emergence of a new rectangular-shaped phase, Al₂Gd. The grain size also decreased marginally upon Gd addition. The ultimate tensile strength and microhardness of Mg-9Al alloy increased by 23% and 19%, respectively, upon 1.5wt% Gd addition. We observed that, although Mg-9Al-2.0Gd alloy exhibited the smallest grain size (181 μm) and the highest dislocation density (5.1×1010 m-2) among the investigated compositions, the Mg-9Al-1.5Gd alloy displayed the best mechanical properties. This anomalous behavior was observed because the Al₂Gd phase was uniformly distributed and present in abundance in Mg-9Al-1.5Gd alloy, whereas it was coarsened and asymmetrically conglomerated in Mg-9Al-2.0Gd.     

Effects of sphere size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ductile iron–steel hollow sphere syntactic foams

The effects of sphere size on the microstructural and mechanical properties of ductile iron–steel hollow sphere (DI–SHS) syntactic foams were investigated in this study. The SHSs were manufactured by fluidized-bed coating via the Fe-based commercial powder–binder suspension onto expanded polystyrene spheres (EPSs). Afterwards, the DI–SHS syntactic foams were produced via a sand-mold casting process. The microstructures of specimens were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The microscopic evaluations of specimens reveal distinct regions composed of the DI matrix, SHS shells, and compatible interface. As a result, the microstructures and graphite morphologies of the DI matrix depend on sphere size. When the sphere size decreases, the area fractions of cementite and graphite phases are observed to increase and decrease, respectively. Compression tests were subsequently conducted at ambient temperature on the DI–SHS syntactic foams. The results reveal that the compression behavior of the syntactic foams is enhanced with increasing sphere size. Furthermore, the compressed specimens demonstrate that microcracks start and grow from the interface region.     

Effects of the deep rolling process on the surface roughness and properties of an Al-3vol%SiC nanoparticle nanocomposite fabricated by mechanical milling and hot extrusion

Deep rolling is one of the most widely used surface mechanical treatments among several methods used to generate compressive residual stress. This process is usually used for axisymmetric components and can lead to improvements of the surface quality, dimensional accuracy, and mechanical properties. In this study, we deduced the appropriate deep rolling parameters for Al-3vol%SiC nanocomposite samples using roughness and microhardness measurements. The nanocomposite samples were fabricated using a combination of mechanical milling, cold pressing, and hot extrusion techniques. Density measurements indicated acceptable densification of the samples, with no porosity. The results of tensile tests showed that the samples are sufficiently strong for the deep rolling process and also indicated near 50% improvement of tensile strength after incorporating SiC nanoparticle reinforcements. The effects of some important rolling parameters, including the penetration depth, rotation speed, feed rate, and the number of passes, on the surface quality and microhardness were also investigated. The results demonstrated that decreasing the feed rate and increasing the number of passes can lead to greater surface hardness and lower surface roughness.     

Effect of benzaldehyde on the electrodeposition and corrosion properties of Ni–W alloys

The effect of different concentrations of benzaldehyde on the electrodeposition of Ni–W alloy coatings on a mild steel substrate from a citrate electrolyte was investigated in this study. The electrolytic alkaline bath (pH 8.0) contained stoichiometric amounts of nickel sulfate, sodium tungstate, and trisodium citrate as precursors. The corrosion resistance of the Ni–W-alloy-coated specimens in 0.2 mol/L H₂SO₄ was studied using various electrochemical techniques. Tafel polarization studies reveal that the alloy coatings obtained from the bath containing 50 ppm benzaldehyde exhibit a protection efficiency of 95.33%. The corrosion rate also decreases by 21.5 times compared with that of the blank. A higher charge-transfer resistance of 1159.40 Ω·cm2 and a lower double-layer capacitance of 29.4 μF·cm-2 further confirm the better corrosion resistance of the alloy coating. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the deposits on the mild steel surface are consisted of nanocrystals. A lower surface roughness value (R_max) of the deposits is confirmed by atomic force microscopy.     

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 La addition on the microstructure and tensile properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg casting alloys

The effects of La addition on the microstructure and tensile properties of B-refined and Sr-modified Al-11Si-1.5Cu-0.3Mg casting alloys were investigated. With a trace addition of La (0.05wt%-0.1wt%), the mutual poisoning effect between B and Sr can be neutralized by the formation of LaB₆ rather than SrB₆. By employing a La/B weight ratio of 2:1, uniform microstructures, which are characterized by well refined α-Al grains and adequately modified eutectic Si particles as well as the incorporation of precipitated strengthening intermetallics, are obtained and lead to appreciable tensile properties with an ultimate tensile strength of 270 MPa and elongation of 5.8%.     

Effects of Sc and Zr microalloying on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high Cu content 7xxx Al alloy

The effects of Sc and Zr microalloying on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a 7 xxx Al alloy with high Cu content(7055) during casting, deformation, and heat treatment were investigated. The addition of Sc and Zr not only refined the grains but also transformed the θ-phase into the W-phase in the 7055 alloy. Minor Sc and Zr additions enhanced the hardness and yield strength of the 7055-T6 alloy by strengthening the grain boundaries and Al_3(Sc,Zr) precipitates. However, a further increase in the Sc and Zr fractions did not refine the grains but instead resulted in the formation of the large-sized W-phase and primary coarse Al_3(Sc,Zr) phase and subsequently deteriorated the mechanical properties of the alloys. The 7055 alloy with 0.25 Sc addition exhibited the best mechanical property among the prepared alloys.     

Ti替代La对AB3型储氢合金的结构与电化学性能的影响

研究(La1-xTix)2MgNi8.25Co0.75(x=0、0.1、0.2)合金的微观结构与电化学性能。相测试结果显示:所有合金都是由(La,Mg)Ni3和LaNi52个主相所构成的,晶胞参数随着Ti的替代而逐渐减小,这是因为Ti的共价键半径(0.132 nm)小于La(0.169 nm)所引起的。电化学测试结果表明:所有的合金电极经过4次活化后都能够达到最大放电容量,且放电容量随着Ti含量的增加而减少,从x=0时的384.6 mAh/g降低到x=0.2时的321.9 mAh/g,合金电极的循环寿命则从x=0时的53.1%提高到x=0.2时的67.8%,合金在1 200 mA/g时的高倍率放电性能先从x=0时的59.3%升高到x=0.1时的66.5%,然后又降低到x=0.2时的63.1%。此外,电化学动力学也显示出先增大后减小的特点。造成以上电化学性能变化的原因是Ti的加入一方面起到了脱氢催化的作用,另一方面使合金表面形成了致密氧化层,虽然阻止了合金进一步的腐蚀,但也降低了合金电极的动力学性能。     

多道次摩擦搅拌处理和镁添加对Al 1050合金的微观结构和拉伸性能的影响

研究了多道次搅拌摩擦加工 (FSP) 和镁粉添加对 Al 1050 合金不同微观结构部分的影响,包括搅拌区 (SZ)、热影响区 (HAZ) 和热机械影响区 (TMAZ)等。对微观结构分析结果表明,随着 FSP 道次的增加,非复合样品和复合样品中 SZ 的晶粒尺寸减小,而非复合样品中 TMAZ 和 HAZ 的晶粒尺寸增加。此外,镁粉的加入导致了大程度的晶粒细化,增加 FSP 道次的数量导致原位复合样品中 Al–Mg 金属间化合物的分布更均匀。拉伸试验结果表明,与母材和复合材料样品相比,经过四道 FSP 的非复合材料样品表现出更高的伸长率和韧性断裂。然而,与母材和非复合样品相比,该样品表现出脆性断裂和更高的拉伸强度。与经过 FSP 的母材和非复合材料样品相比,复合材料样品的制造显着提高了硬度。     

热轧道次变形量对铝阳极组织结构和电化学性能的影响

采用析氢测量法、计时-电位法(E-T曲线)和Tafel曲线法,研究在温度为370℃时,不同热轧道次变形量制得的铝合金阳极的电化学性能和耐腐蚀性能,所用电解液是温度为80℃、添加Na2SnO3缓蚀剂的5 mol/L NaOH溶液.通过透射电镜、扫描电镜和能谱等分析相关材料的结构.研究结果表明:随着道次变形量的增加,铝合金阳极经历了动态再结晶组织的转变过程,铝合金阳极开路电位有所正移,活性有所降低,而自腐蚀电流密度先降低后升高,耐腐蚀性能先提高后降低;在370℃时,以道次变形量为40%轧制时所得的铝合金阳极综合性能最佳.     

Zr添加量对Mg-6Zn镁合金组织的影响

采用光学显微镜及万能力学拉伸试验机研究Zr质量分数(0.3%,0.6%,0.9%)对Mg-6Zn合金铸态、热处理后显微组织及力学性能的影响.研究结果表明:加入Zr元素后,合金的组织由树枝状转为颗粒状并分布于晶界,Zr质量分数增加到0.9%时,晶粒边界出现组织富集,质量分数为0.6%时合金则分布均匀.铸态及热处理条件下,合金的抗拉强度均呈现先上升后下降的变化趋势,含Zr质量分数0.6%时,合金的力学性能最高,铸态拉伸强度达到249 MPa,热处理后则为274 MPa.采用等温热处理法研究合金非枝晶组织随保温温度及保温时间的变化规律,保温温度620℃,保温时间30min时,含Zr质量分数0.6%的合金非枝晶组织圆整、细小.     

Effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure and properties of the 25Mn-3Si-3Al TWIP steel

Microstructures and mechanical properties of the 25Mn twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) steel at different annealing temperatures were investigated. The results indicated that when the annealing temperature was 1000℃, the 25Mn steel showed excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, the tensile strength was about 640 MPa, the yield strength was higher than 255 MPa, and the elongation was above 82%. The microstructure was analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Before deformation the microstructure was composed of austenitic matrix and annealing twins at room temperature; at the same time, a significant amount of annealing twins and stacking faults were observed by TEM. Mechanical twins played a dominant role in deformation and as a result the mechanical properties were found to be excellent.