Effect of melting temperature on microstructural evolutions,behavior and corrosion morphology of Hadfield austenitic manganese steel in the casting process

In this study, the effect of melting temperature on the microstructural evolutions, behavior, and corrosion morphology of Hadfield steel in the casting process is investigated. The mold was prepared by the sodium silicate/CO₂ method, using a blind riser, and then the desired molten steel was obtained using a coreless induction furnace. The casting was performed at melting temperatures of 1350, 1400, 1450, and 1500℃, and the cast blocks were immediately quenched in water. Optical microscopy was used to analyze the microstructure, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractrometry (XRD) were used to analyze the corrosion morphology and phase formation in the microstructure, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the samples was analyzed using a potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5wt% NaCl. The optical microscopy observations and XRD patterns show that the increase in melting temperature led to a decrease of carbides and an increase in the austenite grain size in the Hadfield steel microstructure. The corrosion tests results show that with increasing melting temperature in the casting process, Hadfield steel shows a higher corrosion resistance. The SEM images of the corrosion morphologies show that the reduction of melting temperature in the Hadfield steel casting process induced micro-galvanic corrosion conditions.     

Characterization of Cu3P phase in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu0.5P/Cu solder joints

This article reports the effects of phosphorus addition on the melting behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Sn3.0Ag0.SCu solder. The melting behavior of the solder alloys was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The interracial micro- structure and phase composition of solder/Cu joints were studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry. Thermodynamics of Cu-P phase formation at the interface between Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu0.5P solder and the Cu substrate was characterized. The results indicate that P addition into Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder can change the microstructure and cause the appearance of rod-like CuaP phase which is distributed randomly in the solder bulk. The Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu0.5P joint shows a mixture of ductile and brittle fracture after shear test- ing. Meanwhile, the solidus temperature of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder is slightly enhanced with P addition.     

Tin recovery from a low-grade tin middling with high Si content and low Fe content by reduction–sulfurization roasting with anthracite coal

A new method for separating and recovering tin from a low-grade tin middling with high Si content and low Fe content by roasting with anthracite coal was researched by studying the reaction mechanism and performing an industrial test, in which the Sn was sulfurized into Sn S(g) and then collected using a dust collector. The Fe–Sn alloy may be formed at roasting temperatures above 950°C, and like the roasting temperature increases, the Sn content and Sn activity in this Fe–Sn alloy decrease. Also, more FeS can be formed at higher temperatures and then the formation of FeO–FeS with a low melting point is promoted, which results in more serious sintering of this low-grade tin middling.And from the thermodynamics and kinetics points of view, the volatilization of the Sn decreases at extremely high roasting temperatures. The results of the industrial test carried out in a coal-fired rotary kiln show that the Sn volatilization rate reaches 89.7% and the Sn is concentrated in the collected dust at a high level, indicating that the Sn can be effectively extracted and recovered from the low-grade tin middling with a high Si content and low Fe content through a reduction–sulfurization roasting process.     

无烟煤还原硫化焙烧高硅低铁低品位锡中矿回收锡

A new method for separating and recovering tin from a low-grade tin middling with high Si content and low Fe content by roasting with anthracite coal was researched by studying the reaction mechanism and performing an industrial test, in which the Sn was sulfurized into SnS(g) and then collected using a dust collector. The Fe–Sn alloy may be formed at roasting temperatures above 950°C, and like the roasting temperature increases, the Sn content and Sn activity in this Fe–Sn alloy decrease. Also, more FeS can be formed at higher temperatures and then the formation of FeO–FeS with a low melting point is promoted, which results in more serious sintering of this low-grade tin middling. And from the thermodynamics and kinetics points of view, the volatilization of the Sn decreases at extremely high roasting temperatures. The results of the industrial test carried out in a coal-fired rotary kiln show that the Sn volatilization rate reaches 89.7% and the Sn is concentrated in the collected dust at a high level, indicating that the Sn can be effectively extracted and recovered from the low-grade tin middling with a high Si content and low Fe content through a reduction–sulfurization roasting process.     

Effect of solution treatment on the martensitic transformation behavior of a Ni_(43)Co_7Mn_(39)Sn_(11) polycrystalline alloy

The effect of solution treatment on the martensitic transformation behavior of a Ni43Co7Mn39Sn11 polycrystalline alloy fabricated by an arc melting method was investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). The examination indicates the presence of severe chemical segregation in the dendritic as-cast structure because of solidification. This chemical segregation completely impedes the intrinsic martensitic transformation. Annealing at 1223 K for 24 h is identified as the threshold annealing condition to eliminate the microstructural segregation and begin the martensitic transformation, as indicated by a broad and obscure feature. Annealing at 1273 K for 24–48 h is found to be effective at promoting notably the martensitic transformation, but the martensitic transformation exhibits a multiple-step feature. Complete homogeneity is achieved by annealing at 1273 K for 72 h, which produces a sharp, single-step martensitic transformation. The microstructural evolution and the valence electron concentrations of alloys(e/a ratio) are evaluated, which are reflective of the degree of compositional homogeneity of alloys, confirming that high annealing temperature and long holding time are vital to reveal the intrinsic martensitic behavior of this alloy. The adequately homogenized alloy displays a martensitic transformation at 292 K and an enthalpy of 11.2 J/g.     

Annealing crystallization and catalytic activity of ultrafine NiB amorphous alloy

Annealing crystallization of ultrafine NiB amorphous alloy prepared by the chemical reduction method was studied by DTA, XRD and XAFS techniques. The XRD and XAFS results have revealed that the crystallization process of ultrafine NiB amorphous alloy proceeds in two steps. First, ultrafine NiB amorphous alloy is crystallized to form metastable nanocrystalline Ni₃B at an annealing temperature of 325℃. Second, the nanocrystalline Ni₃B is further decomposed into crystalline Ni at 380℃ or higher tempera ture, the local structure around Ni atoms in resultant product is similar to that in Ni foil. It was found that the catalytic activity of nanocrystalline Ni₃B for benzene hydrogenation is much higher than that of ultrafine NiB amorphous alloy or crystalline Ni. The result indicates that the active sites of nanocrystalline Ni₃B for benzene hydrogenation are composed of both Ni and B with proper geometry configuration.     

Influence of particle size and temperature on the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

The objective of this study was to establish the dielectric properties of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with particle sizes that varied from 28.6 to 5.8 nm. CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical coprecipitation method. The particle sizes were calculated accord-ing to the Scherrer formula using X-ray diffraction （XRD） peaks, and the particle size distribution curves were constructed by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） images. The dielectric permittivity and loss tangents of the samples were determined in the frequency range of 1 kHz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range of 300 to 10 K. Both the dielectric permittivity and the loss tangent were found to decrease with increasing frequency and decreasing temperature. For the smallest CoFe2O4 nanoparticle size, the dielectric per-mittivity and loss tangent exhibited their highest and lowest values, respectively. This behavior is very useful for materials used in devices that operate in the microwave or radio frequency ranges.     

Influence of microstructure on the corrosion resistance of Fe–44Ni thin films

An Fe–44Ni nanocrystalline (NC) alloy thin film was prepared through electrodeposition. The relation between the microstructure and corrosion behavior of the NC film was investigated using electrochemical methods and chemical analysis approaches. The results show that the NC film is composed of a face-centered cubic phase (γ-(Fe,Ni)) and a body-centered cubic phase (α-(Fe,Ni)) when it is annealed at temperatures less than 400℃. The corrosion resistance increases with the increase in grain size, and the corresponding corrosion process is controlled by oxygen reduction. The NC films annealed at 500℃ and 600℃ do not exhibit the same pattern, although their grain sizes are considerably large. This result is attributed to the existence of an anodic phase, Fe_0.947Ni_0.054, in these films. Under this condition, the related corrosion process is synthetically controlled by anodic dissolution and depolarization.     

Effect of magnesium and nickel coatings on the wetting behavior of alumina toughened zirconia by molten Al-Mg alloy

The wettability of alumina toughened zirconia (ZTA) by Al-Mg alloy was investigated using the sessile drop technique. The effects of nickel coating, magnesium content, nitrogen atmosphere, and processing temperature on the contact angle between the molten alloy and the substrate were determined. Likewise, the effect of these factors on the wetting properties was studied. The results showed that the nickel coating on the ceramic substrate caused a significant reduction in solid/liquid surface energy and the contact angle decreased obviously. The presence of magnesium in the molten aluminum alloy in nitrogen atmosphere reduced the contact angle effectively. The presence of magnesium in the alloy must be at a minimum amount of 2wt%-3wt%. Moreover, it was suggested that some chemical reactions in the Al-Mg-N system led to the production of Mg₃N₂ and AlN compositions. These compositions improved the wetting properties of the systems by reducing the surface energy of the molten. It was shown that increasing the temperature is also an effective factor for the enhancement of wetting properties.     

Effect of Ag and Ni on the melting point and solderability of SnSbCu solder alloys

To improve the properties of Sn10Sb8Cu solder alloy, two new solders (SnSbCuAg and SnSbCuNi) were formed by adding small amounts of Ag or Ni into the solder alloy. The results show that the melting point of the SnSbCuAg solder alloy decreases by 14.1℃ and the spreading area increases by 16.5% compared to the matrix solder. The melting point of the SnSbCuNi solder alloy decreases by 5.4℃ and the spreading area is slightly less than that of the matrix solder. Microstructure analysis shows that adding trace Ag makes the melting point decline due to the dispersed distribution of SnAg phase with low melting point. Adding trace Ni, Cu₆Sn₅ and (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ with polyhedron shape on the copper substrate can be easily seen in the SnSbCuNi solder alloy, which makes the viscosity of the melting solder increase and the spreading property of the solder decline.     

Improved hydrogenation-dehydrogenation characteristics of nanostructured melt-spun Mg-10Ni-2Mm alloy pr ocessed by rapid solidification

The as-cast Mg-10Ni-2Mm (mole fraction, %) alloy was prepared by a simple and low-cost two-step method of pre-alloying and vacuum induction melting. The nanocrystalline alloy was obtained by the melt-spun process with the surface velocity of copper wheel of 10.5 m/s. The hydrogen storage properties were examined by PCT measurement. The enthalpy ( ΔH) and entropy ( ΔS) of the alloy determined by van’t Hoff plots indicate that the thermodynamic performance of the nanocrystalline alloy is improved by fast diffusion ability of hydrogen in the nanocrystalline microstructure embedding nano-particles of intermetallics compounds Mg2Ni and MmMg12. The reaction kinetics of the melt-spun alloy is greatly improved due to short diffusion path of hydrogen in the nanocrystalline microstructure, resulting in bett er overall hydrogen storage properties. The hydrogen storage capacity is 5.09% (mass fraction, hereinafter the same), and the amount of hydrogen desorption is 4.86%. The hydrogen desorption rate of 95.5% in the alloy is available.     

A comparison of iron phthalocyanine and cobalt porphyrin on the electrochemical catalysis in Ni-MH battery

The effects of iron phthalocyanine （FePc） and cobalt porphyrin （CoPp） on inner pressure and cycle behavior of sealed Ni-MH batteries were investigated in this study. The morphology of battery electrode was observed by SEM. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of floating-charge/discharge battery was also measured. Experimental results show that the addition of FePc or CoPp to the alloy electrode is an effective approach to decrease the internal pressure of battery during the process of charge and overcharge. In contrast to CoPp, the battery with FePc exhibits a slower capacity decay and a smaller overpotential at the same charge-discharge rate. As an electrocatalyst, FePc may more effectively speed up the reduction of oxygen, and decrease its reduction potential. As a result, the charge process is accelerated, the gas evolution is reduced and the pulverization of electrode materials is slowed down.     

Surface tension of molten Al-Si alloy at temperatures ranging from 923 to 1123 K

The surface tension of molten AlSi20 alloy has been measured by using the sessile drop method at 923-1123 K under argon atmosphere in both heating-up and cooling processes. The result shows that the surface tension of this alloy decreases as long as temperature increases. The results of surface tension and contact angles in heating-up process have differences from those obtained in cooling process, because the metal microstructures have some changes at different temperatures based on the metal genetic theory. The surface tension of molten AISi20 alloy and that of molten pure aluminum have been compared as well, and the temperature coefficient of AlSi20 alloy is slightly lower than that of AI. The result has been analyzed by the linear scanning analysis with ESEM. The concentration of silicon in most region of the bulk is lower than that of the surface and the addition of Si to pure AI decreases the surface tension of molten pure Al.     

Comprehensive recovery of lead,zinc, and iron from hazardous jarosite residues using direct reduction followed by magnetic separation

Lead, zinc, and iron were recovered from jarosite residues using direct reduction followed by magnetic separation. The influence of the coal dosage, reduction temperature, and reduction time on the volatilization rates of lead and zinc and the metallization rate of iron were investigated. The results show that the volatilization rates of lead and zinc were 96.97% and 99.89%, respectively, and the iron metallization rate was 91.97% under the optimal reduction roasting conditions of a coal dosage of 25.0wt% and reduction roasting at 1250℃ for 60 min. The magnetic concentrate with an iron content of 90.59wt% and an iron recovery rate of 50.87% was obtained under the optimum conditions in which 96.56% of the reduction product particles were smaller than 37 μm and the magnetic field strength was 24 kA/m. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate that recovering valuable metals such as lead, zinc, and iron from jarosite residues is feasible using the developed approach.     

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.     

Improved strength and ductility of high alloy containing Al-12Zn-3Mg-2.5Cu alloy by combining non-isothermal step rolling and cold rolling

Al-12Zn-3Mg-2.5Cu alloy was prepared using a liquid metallurgy route under the optimized conditions. A sample cut from the ingot was rolled non-isothermally from 400℃ to 100℃ in 100℃ steps, with 15% reduction in thickness; it was then cold rolled isothermally at room temperature for 85% reduction. The cold-rolled alloys were characterized by electron microscopy, hardness test, and tensile test to elucidate their structural evolution and evaluate their mechanical behavior. In the results, the cast alloy consists of α-aluminum and various intermetallic compounds. These compounds are segregated along the grain boundaries, which makes the alloy difficult to roll at room temperature. The combined effect of non-isothermal step rolling and cold rolling results in the nano/microsized compounds distributed uniformly in the matrix. The hardness is substantially increased after rolling. This increase in hardness is attributed to the ultra-fine grain size, fine-scale intermetallic compounds, and structural defects (e.g., dislocations, stacking faults, and sub-grains). The ultimate tensile strength of the rolled alloy is approximately 628 MPa with 7% ductility.     

Influence of TiO_2 on the melting property and viscosity of Cr-containing high-Ti melting slag

A study on the melting and viscosity properties of the chromium-containing high-titanium melting slag(CaO–SiO_2–MgO–Al_2O_3–TiO_2–Cr_2O_3) with TiO_2 contents ranging from 38.63 wt% to 42.63 wt% was conducted. The melting properties were investigated with a meltingpoint apparatus, and viscosity was measured using the rotating cylinder method. The FactSage 7.1 software and X-ray diffraction, in combination with scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy(SEM–EDS), were used to characterize the phase equilibrium and microstructure of chromium-containing high-titanium melting slags. The results indicated that an increase in the TiO_2 content led to a decrease in the viscosity of the chromium-containing high-titanium melting slag. In addition, the softening temperature, hemispheric temperature, and flowing temperature decreased with increasing TiO_2 content. The amount of crystallized anosovite and sphene phases gradually increased with increasing TiO_2 content, whereas the amount of perovskite phase decreased. SEM observations revealed that the distribution of the anosovite phase was dominantly influenced by TiO_2.     

Directional solidification and physical properties measurements of the zinc-aluminum eutectic alloy

Zn-5wt% Al eutectic alloy was directionally solidified with different growth rates (5.32–250.0 μm/s) at a constant temperature gradient of 8.50 K/mm using a Bridgman-type growth apparatus. The values of eutectic spacing were measured from transverse sections of the samples. The dependences of the eutectic spacing and undercooling on growth rate are determined as λ=9.21V-0.53 and ΔT=0.0245V0.53, respectively. The results obtained in this work were compared with the Jackson-Hunt eutectic theory and the similar experimental results in the literature. Microhardness of directionally solidified samples was also measured by using a microhardness test device. The dependency of the microhardness on growth rate is found as Hv=115.64V0.13. Afterwards, the electrical resistivity (r) of the casting alloy changes from 40×10-9 to 108×10-9 Ω·m with the temperature rising in the range of 300–630 K. The enthalpy of fusion (ΔH) and specific heat (C_p) for the Zn-Al eutectic alloy are calculated to be 113.37 J/g and 0.309 J/(g·K), respectively by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) from heating trace during the transformation from liquid to solid.     

In Vitro Mitral Simulator to Evaluate Effectiveness of Valvoplasty Technique

The edge-to-edge technique is one of the surgical procedures for anterior mitral leaflet prolapse. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of this technique by using an in vitro mitral simulator. The results provide a useful suggestion and can be contributed to evidence-based medicine (EBM).     

Influence of Temperature on Creep Behavior of Ag Particle Enhancement SnCu Based Composite Solder

The creep properties of solder alloys are an important factor affecting the reliability of soldered joints in surface mount technologies. Particle-enhancement is one way to improve the properties of solder alloys. The temperature of the solder joint is one of the primary factors affecting the solder joint creep prop-erties. Single shear lap creep specimens with a 1 mm2 cross-sectional area were fabricated using Ag parti-cle enhancement 99.3Sn0.7Cu based composite solder and 99.3Sn0.7Cu eutectic solder to examine the in-fluence of temperature on the creep behavior of solder joints. The results show that the solder joint creep resistance of the composite solder joint was generally superior to that of the 99.3Sn0.7Cu solder joint. The creep rupture life of the composite solder joint was reduced by increasing temperatures at a faster rate than that of the 99.3Sn0.7Cu eutectic solder joint.