Low cycle fatigue properties and microstructure evolution at 760℃ of a single crystal superalloy

Low cycle fatigue(LCF) behavior of a single crystal superalloy was investigated at 760 ℃. Microstructure evolution and fracture mechanism were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM), respectively. The results show that the fatigue data fluctuation was small and the fatigue parameters of the alloy had been determined. On increasing the cyclic number, the alloy initially showed slight cyclic softening at the early two or three cycles and slowly hardened to some extent afterwards, then kept stable for the most of the remaining fatigue life. The LCF of the alloy at 760 ℃ can be attributed to the main elastic damage in fatigue processing. The initiation site of fatigue crack was at or near the surface of the samples. Crack propagated perpendicularly to the loading direction at first and then along {111}octahedral slip planes. The fatigue fracture mechanism was quasi-cleavage fracture. The γ'phase morphology still maintained cubic shape after fracture. There were a number of slip bands shear the γ'precipitates and γ matrix near the fracture surface of the specimen. The inhomogeneous deformation microstructure was developed by dislocation motion of cross-slip and a limited γ'precipitate shearing by slip band, stacking faults or single dislocation was observed.     

Site preference of ternary additions in Ni3Al

The substitution behavior of ternary additions in Ni3Al is systematically studied using interatomic potentials. The pair potentials between identical and distinct atoms are obtained via strict lattice inversion based on the first-principle cohesive energy curves. Taking long-range interaction into account, the quantitative calculations for the alloys containing various amounts of alloying elements are made by utilizing a relaxed sample averaging method. The relative magnitudes of cohesive energy corresponding to different configurations are used. The calculated results are in good agreement with the results of experiments. Finally, some predictions are made for the substitution behavior of certain alloying elements and some elements in the region of surface and interface that have not been previously studied.     

Isothermal oxidation behavior and mechanism of a nickel-based superalloy at 1000℃

The oxidation behavior of a nickel-based superalloy at 1000℃ in air was investigated through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. A series of oxides, including external oxide scales (Cr₂O₃, (TiO₂ + MnCr₂O₄)) and internal oxides (Al₂O₃,TiN), were formed on the surface or sub-surface of the substrate at 1000℃ in experimental still air. The oxidation resistance of the alloy was dependent on the stability of the surface oxide layer. The continuity and density of the protective Cr₂O₃ scale were affected by minor alloying elements such as Ti and Mn. The outermost oxide scale was composed of TiO₂ rutile and MnCr₂O₄ spinel, and the growth of TiO₂ particles was controlled by the outer diffusion of Ti ions through the pre-existing oxide layer. Severe internal oxidation occurred beneath the external oxide scale, consuming Al and Ti of the strength phase γ' (Ni₃(Al,Ti)) and thereby severely deteriorating the surface mechanical properties. The depth of the internal oxidation region was approximately 35 μm after exposure to experimental air at 1000℃ for 80 h.     

Isothermal oxidation behavior and mechanism of a nickel-based superalloy at 1000℃

The oxidation behavior of a nickel-based superalloy at 1000°C in air was investigated through X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, andenergy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. A series of oxides, including external oxide scales (Cr2O3, (TiO2 + MnCr2O4)) and internal oxides (Al2O3,TiN), were formed on the surface or sub-surface of the substrate at 1000°C in experimental still air. The oxidation re-sistance of the alloy was dependent on the stability of the surface oxide layer. The continuity and density of the protective Cr2O3 scale were affected by minor alloying elements such as Ti and Mn. The outermost oxide scale was composed of TiO2 rutile and MnCr2O4 spinel, and the growth of TiO2particles was controlled by the outer diffusion of Ti ions through the pre-existing oxide layer. Severe internal oxidation oc-curred beneath the external oxide scale, consuming Al and Ti of the strength phaseγ′ (Ni3(Al,Ti)) and thereby severely deteriorating the sur-face mechanical properties. The depth of the internal oxidation region was approximately 35μm after exposure to experimental air at 1000°C for 80 h.     

Creep behavior and effect factors of a TiAl–Nb alloy at high temperature

The effect of solution treatment on the microstructure and creep properties of forged TiAl-Nb alloys was investigated.The results showed that the microstructure of forged alloy mainly consisted of γ/α₂ lamellar colonies and fine equiaxed recrystallized γ/α₂ grains.During the solution treatment the microstructure of the alloy transformed into a fully lamellar structure due to the lamellar colonies growth by consuming equiaxed grains.Compared with the forged alloy the creep l...     

In situ reaction mechanism of MgAlON in Al-Al2O3-MgO composites at 1700℃ under flowing N2

The Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites with added aluminum contents of approximately 0wt%, 5wt%, and 10wt%, named as M₁, M₂, and M₃, respectively, were prepared at 1700℃ for 5 h under a flowing N₂ atmosphere using the reaction sintering method. After sintering, the Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites were characterized and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results show that specimen M₁ was composed of MgO and MgAl₂O₄. Compared with specimen M₁, specimens M₂ and M₃ possessed MgAlON, and its production increased with increasing aluminum addition. Under an N₂ atmosphere, MgO, Al₂O₃, and Al in the matrix of specimens M₂ and M₃ reacted to form MgAlON and AlN-polytypoids, which combined the particles and the matrix together and imparted the Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites with a dense structure. The mechanism of MgAlON synthesis is described as follows. Under an N₂ atmosphere, the partial pressure of oxygen is quite low; thus, when the Al-Al₂O₃-MgO composites were soaked at 580℃ for an extended period, aluminum metal was transformed into AlN. With increasing temperature, Al₂O₃ diffused into AlN crystal lattices and formed AlN-polytypoids; however, MgO reacted with Al₂O₃ to form MgAl₂O₄. When the temperature was greater than (1640 ±10)℃, AlN diffused into Al₂O₃ and formed spinel-structured AlON. In situ MgAlON was acquired through a solid-solution reaction between AlON and MgAl₂O₄ at high temperatures because of their similar spinel structures.     

Phase transition , structure and shape memory effect of Ni47Ti43Hf10 alloy

A Ni₄₇Ti₄₃Hf₁₀ high temperature shape memory alloy is fabricated. The martensitic transformation temperature (TT) is obtained by differential scanning calorimetry and four-probe electrical resistivity measurements. The effect of thermal cycling is investigated and it is found that the TT tends to be stable quickly, which is of benefit to practical applications. The martensite structure is determined to be B19' monoclinic by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. One-way and two-way (which is seldom reported before) shape memory properties are studied by tensile and bending tests. The cycling number of two-way shape memory effect is tested for more than 20000 times.     

Corrosion-wear behavior of nanocrystalline Fe88Si12 alloy in acid and alkaline solutions

The corrosion-wear behavior of a nanocrystalline Fe₈₈Si₁₂ alloy disc coupled with a Si₃N₄ ball was investigated in acid (pH 3) and alkaline (pH 9) aqueous solutions. The dry wear was also measured for reference. The average friction coefficient of Fe₈₈Si₁₂ alloy in the pH 9 solution was approximately 0.2, which was lower than those observed for Fe₈₈Si₁₂ alloy in the pH 3 solution and in the case of dry wear. The fluctuation of the friction coefficient of samples subjected to the pH 9 solution also showed similar characteristics. The wear rate in the pH 9 solution slightly increased with increasing applied load. The wear rate was approximately one order of magnitude less than that in the pH 3 solution and was far lower than that in the case of dry wear, especially at high applied load. The wear traces of Fe₈₈Si₁₂ alloy under different wear conditions were examined and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the tribo-chemical reactions that involve oxidation of the worn surface and hydrolysis of the Si₃N₄ ball in the acid solution were restricted in the pH 9 aqueous solution. Thus, water lubrication can effectively improve the wear resistance of nanocrystalline Fe₈₈Si₁₂ alloy in the pH 9 aqueous solution.     

Hot-corrosion behavior of Cr2O3-CNT-coated ASTM-SA213-T22 steel in a molten salt environment at 700℃

The present work investigates the hot-corrosion behavior of carbon nanotube (CNT)-reinforced chromium oxide coatings on boiler steel in a molten salt (Na₂SO₄-60wt%V₂O₅) environment at 700℃ under cyclic conditions. The coatings were deposited via the high-velocity oxygen fuel process. The uncoated and coated steel samples were subjected to hot corrosion in a silicon tube furnace at 700℃ for 50 cycles. The kinetics of the corrosion behavior was analyzed through mass-gain measurements after each cycle. The corrosion products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis techniques. The results revealed that uncoated steel suffered spallation of scale because of the formation of nonprotective Fe₂O₃ scale. The coated steel samples exhibited lower mass gains with better adhesiveness of oxide scale with the steel alloy until the end of exposure. The CNT-reinforced coatings were concluded to provide better corrosion resistance in the hot-corrosion environment because of the uniform dispersion of CNTs in the coating matrix and the formation of protective chromium oxides in the scale.     

The strain ampli tude-controlled cyclic fatigue behavior of Al2O3 fiber reinforced Al–Si alloy composite at elevated temperatures

The strain amplitude-controlled fatigue characteristics of an Al–Si casting alloy and itscomposite reinforced with 17 vol% Al₂O₃ fibers (Al–Si/Al₂O₃) are studied at three different temperatures. Both the alloy and the composite showed different degrees of cyclic softening at elevated temperatures. Increasing the temperature, fatigue damage of either the alloy or the composite occurred with varying mode from brittle fracture of silicon particles to their separation from the aluminum matrix. This is explained by the different thermal expansion coefficients of silicon particles and the aluminum matrix. The reinforcement Al₂O₃ fibers in the composite showed a similar damage behavior with those silicon particles despite temperature variation     

Electrical conductivity optimization of the Na3AlF6-Al2O3-Sm2O3 molten salts system for Al-Sm intermediate binary alloy production

Metal Sm has been widely used in making Al-Sm magnet alloy materials. Conventional distillation technology to produce Sm has the disadvantages of low productivity, high costs, and pollution generation. The objective of this study was to develop a molten salt electrolyte system to produce Al-Sm alloy directly, with focus on the electrical conductivity and optimal operating conditions to minimize the energy consumption. The continuously varying cell constant (CVCC) technique was used to measure the conductivity for the Na₃AlF₆-AlF₃-LiF-MgF₂-Al₂O₃-Sm₂O₃ electrolysis medium in the temperature range from 905 to 1055℃. The temperature (t) and the addition of Al₂O₃ (W(Al₂O₃)), Sm₂O₃ (W(Sm₂O₃)), and a combination of Al₂O₃ and Sm₂O₃ into the basic fluoride system were examined with respect to their effects on the conductivity (κ) and activation energy. The experimental results showed that the molten electrolyte conductivity increases with increasing temperature (t) and decreases with the addition of Al₂O₃ or Sm₂O₃ or both. We concluded that the optimal operation conditions for Al-Sm intermediate alloy production in the Na₃AlF₆-AlF₃-LiF-MgF₂-Al₂O₃-Sm₂O₃ system are W(Al₂O₃) + W(Sm₂O₃)=3wt%, W(Al₂O₃):W(Sm₂O₃)=7:3, and a temperature of 965 to 995℃, which results in satisfactory conductivity, low fluoride evaporation losses, and low energy consumption.     

Shear-thinning behavior of the CaO-SiO2-CaF2-Si3N4 system mold flux and its practical application

Satisfying the mold-flux performance requirements for high-speed continuous casting necessitates the development of a new non-Newtonian-fluid mold flux with shear-thinning behavior, i.e., a mold flux whose viscosity is relatively high under lower shear rates and relatively low under higher shear rates. In this work, a mold flux that exhibits shear-thinning behavior was developed by adding different amounts of Si₃N₄ to the CaO-SiO₂-CaF₂ mold flux. The shear-thinning behavior was investigated using a rotational viscometer. In addition, the microstructure of the newly prepared slags was studied by high-temperature Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that the mechanism of shear-thinning was attributable to a temporary viscosity loss caused by the one-way shear stress, whereas the corresponding magnitude of shear-thinning was closely related to the degree of polymerization (DP). Finally, the non-Newtonian fluid mold flux was used for laboratory casting tests, which revealed that the mold flux could reduce slag entrapment and positively affect the continuous casting optimization.     

Effect of Al2O3 and Y2O3 on the corrosion behavior of ZrO2-benzotriazole nanostructured coatings applied on AA2024 via a sol-gel method

zirconia-based nanostructured coatings were deposited on AA2024 to improve the corrosion resistance properties. Three different nanostructured coatings, namely, zirconia-benzotriazole, zirconia-alumina-benzotriazole, and zirconia-yttria-benzotriazole, were applied on AA2024 via a sol-gel method using the dip-coating technique. Next, the coatings were annealed at 150℃ after each dipping period. The phases and morphologies of the coatings were investigated using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corrosion properties were evaluated using electrochemical methods, including polarization and electrochemical impedance techniques in 3.5wt% NaCl solution. The obtained results confirm the formation of homogeneous and crack free zirconia-benzotriazole-based nanostructured coatings. The average roughness values for zirconia-benzotriazole, zirconia-alumina-benzotriazole, and zirconia-yttria-benzotriazole nanostructured coatings were 30, 8, and 6 nm, respectively. The presence of alumina as a stabilizer on zirconia coating was found to have a beneficial impact on the stability of the corrosion resistance for different immersion times. In fact, the addition of alumina resulted in the dominance of the healing behavior in competition with the corrosion process of zirconia-benzotriazole nanostructured coating.     

Rare earth effect of yttrium on formation and property of Cr2O3 oxide film formed on Co-Cr binary alloy

The isothermal oxidizing kinetics of Co-40Cr alloy and its yttrium ion?implanted samples were studied at 1000 ℃ in air by thermal?gravity analysis (TGA). Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the Cr2O₃ oxide film's morphology after oxidation. Secondary ion mass spectrum (SIMS) method was used to examine the binding energy change of chromium caused by Y?doping and its influence on formation of Cr2O₃ film. Acoustic emission (AE) method was used in situ to monitor the cracking and spalling of oxide films formed on both samples during oxidizing and subsequent air?cooling stages. Theoretical model simulating the film fracture process was proposed to analyze the acoustic emission spectrum both on time domain and on AE?event number domain. It is found that yttrium ion?implantation can remarkably reduce the isothermal oxidizing rate of Co-40Cr and improve the anti?cracking and anti?spalling properties of Cr2O₃ oxide film. Reasons for the improvement are mainly that the implanted yttrium can reduce the grain size of Cr2O₃ oxide, increase the high temperature plasticity of oxide film, and remarkably reduce the number and size of Cr2O₃/Co-40Cr interfacial defects.     

Rare earth effect of yttrium on formation and property of Cr2O3 oxide film formed on Co-Cr binary alloy

The isothermal oxidizing kinetics of Co-40Cr alloy and its yttrium ion?implanted samples were studied at 1000 ℃ in air by thermal?gravity analysis (TGA). Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the Cr2O₃ oxide film's morphology after oxidation. Secondary ion mass spectrum (SIMS) method was used to examine the binding energy change of chromium caused by Y?doping and its influence on formation of Cr2O₃ film. Acoustic emission (AE) method was used in situ to monitor the cracking and spalling of oxide films formed on both samples during oxidizing and subsequent air?cooling stages. Theoretical model simulating the film fracture process was proposed to analyze the acoustic emission spectrum both on time domain and on AE?event number domain. It is found that yttrium ion?implantation can remarkably reduce the isothermal oxidizing rate of Co-40Cr and improve the anti?cracking and anti?spalling properties of Cr2O₃ oxide film. Reasons for the improvement are mainly that the implanted yttrium can reduce the grain size of Cr2O₃ oxide, increase the high temperature plasticity of oxide film, and remarkably reduce the number and size of Cr2O₃/Co-40Cr interfacial defects.     

Fracture behavior and microstructure analysis of Al2O3–MgO–CaO castables for steel-ladle purging plugs

Three different castables based on the Al₂O₃–MgO–CaO system were prepared as steel-ladle purging plug refractories: corundum- based low-cement castable (C-LCC), corundum-spinel-based low-cement castable (C-S-LCC), and corundum-spinel no-cement castable (C-S-NCC) (hydratable alumina (ρ-Al₂O₃) bonded). The fracture behavior at room temperature was tested by the method of “wedge-splitting” on samples pre-fired at different temperatures; the specific fracture energy G′_f and notched tensile strength σ_NT were obtained from these tests. In addition, the Young’s modulus E was measured by the method of resonance frequency of damping analysis (RFDA). The thermal stress resistance parameter R′′′′ calculated using the values of G′_f, σ_NT, and E was used to evaluate the thermal shock resistance of the materials. According to the microstructure analysis results, the sintering effect and the bonding type of the matrix material were different among these three castables, which explains their different fracture behaviors.     

Mineral-phase evolution and sintering behavior of MO-SiO2-Al2O3-B2O3 (M=Ca,Ba) glass-ceramics by low-temperature liquid-phase sintering

In this work, network former SiO₂ and network intermediate Al₂O₃ were introduced into typical low-melting binary compositions CaO·B₂O₃, CaO·2B₂O₃, and BaO·B₂O₃ via an aqueous solid-state suspension milling route. Accordingly, multiple-phase aluminosilicate glass-ceramics were directly obtained via liquid-phase sintering at temperatures below 950℃. On the basis of liquid-phase sintering theory, mineral-phase evolutions and glass-phase formations were systematically investigated in a wide MO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-B₂O₃ (M=Ca, Ba) composition range. The results indicate that major mineral phases of the aluminosilicate glass-ceramics are Al₂₀B₄O₃₆, CaAl₂Si₂O₈, and BaAl₂Si₂O₈ and that the glass-ceramic materials are characterized by dense microstructures and excellent dielectric properties.     

Activity coefficient of NiO in SiO2-saturated MnO–SiO2slag and Al2O3-saturated MnO–SiO2–Al2O3slag at 1623 K

As a part of the fundamental study related to the reduction smelting of spent lithium-ion batteries and ocean polymetallic nodules based on MnO–SiO₂slags,this work investigated the activity coefficient of NiO in SiO₂-saturated Mn O–Si O₂slag and Al₂O₃-saturated Mn O–SiO₂–Al₂O₃slag at 1623 K with controlled oxygen partial pressure levels of 10^-7,10^-6,and 10^-5Pa.Results showed that the solubility of nickel oxide in the slags increased with increasing oxygen partial pressure.The nickel in the Mn O–Si O₂slag and Mn O–Si O₂–Al₂O₃slag existed as Ni O under experimental conditions.The addition of Al₂O₃in the Mn O–Si O₂slag decreased the dissolution of nickel in the slag and increased the activity coefficient of Ni O.Furthermore,the activity coefficient of Ni O(γN_(i O)),which is solid Ni O,in the Si O₂saturated Mn O–Si O₂slag and Al₂O₃saturated Mn O–Si O₂–Al₂O₃slag at 1623 K can be respectively calculated asγN_(i O)=8.58w(Ni O)+3.18 andγN_(i O)=11.06w(Ni O)+4.07,respectively,where w(Ni O)is the Ni O mass fraction in the slag.     

The concentration quenching characteristics of 5D3-7FJ and 5D4-7FJ (J=0―6) transitions of Tb3+ in YBO3:Tb3+ phosphor

The photoluminescence quenching behaviors of ^5D3-^7Fj and ^5D4-^7Fj （J = 0—6） transitions of Tb^3＋ in YBO3：Tb under 130—290 nm excitation were systematically investigated. The results revealed that the quenching concentrations of both ^5D3-^7Fj and ^5D4-^7Fj transitions of Tb^3＋ in YBO3：Tb were mainly dependent on excitation wavelength. Particularly, the quenching concentrations of ^5D4-^7Fj transitions of Tb^3＋ under 130—290 nm excitation were correlated with excitation bands of YBO3：Tb. The quenching concentrations of ^5D3-^7Fj transitions remained at low concentration （2%） under 186—290 nm excitation and then increased gradually with energy of incoming excitation photon when excited at 130—186 nm. This dependence should be involved in their excitation mechanisms and quenching pathway in particular excitation region.[第一段]