Transient spinodal decomposition during annealing of rapidly solidified Al-10Sr alloy

Rapidly solidified Al-10Sr alloy ribbons were prepared using a single roller melt spinning technique. The annealing process of the rapidly solidified Al-10Sr alloy has been carried out using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The microstructure of as-annealed Al-10Sr alloy has been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The equilibrium AUSr phase is dominant in the as-annealed alloy. Besides the Al₄Sr phase, an AlSr phase is also found in the alloy isothermally annealed at 873 K for 90 min. Furthermore, a modulated nanostructure was observed in the alloy isothermally annealed at 873 K for 90 min. With further prolonged annealing time, however, the AlSr phase disappears in the as-annealed alloy. The dependence of particle size and growth rate on annealing time as well as the modulated structure shows that the occurrence of the AlSr phase may be due to the spinodal decomposition.     

Surface recrystallization of a single crystal nickel-base superalloy

The recrystallization behavior of a single crystal nickel-base superalloy was investigated by shot peening and subsequent annealing. Two kinds of recrystallization microstructures, which are intensively dependent on the annealing temperature, are shown in the nickel-base superalloy after shot peening and subsequent annealing. Surface recrystallized grains are obtained when the superalloy is annealed at solution treatment temperature. The nucleation of recrystallization originates from the dendritic core, where rapid dissolution of γ' particles occurs. Cellular recrystallization is observed after annealing at lower temperatures. Cellular structures induced by high diffusivity of the moving boundary and more γ' particles dissolution led by residual stress are developed from the surface region. Recrystallized kinetics of the shot-peened alloy annealed at 1050℃ accords with the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov equation. The low Avrami exponent is caused by the inhomogeneous distribution of stored energy, the decreasing of stored energy during recovery, and the strong resistance of boundary migration by γ' particles.     

A β-type TiNbZr alloy with low modulus and high strength for biomedical applications

The effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on the mechanical properties of a novel β-type Ti–36Nb–5Zr(wt%) alloy has been investigated.The solution treated alloy consists of β and α″ phases and exhibits a two-stage yielding with a low yield stress(around 100 MPa). After cold rolling at a reduction of 87.5% and subsequent annealing treatment at 698 K for 25 min, a fine microstructure with nanosized α precipitates distributed in small β grains as well as high density of dislocations was obtained to achieve a yield strength of 720 MPa and a ultimate tensile strength of 860 MPa. In spite of the formation of α precipitates, the β-stabilizers are not enriched in the parent β matrix due to the short duration and low temperature of the thermal treatment, resulting in a low chemical stability of β phase. The low stability of β phase and the small volume fraction of α precipitates produce a low Young’s modulus of 48 GPa. Such an excellent combination of low elastic modulus and high strength in mechanical properties indicates great potential for biomedical applications.     

热轧和退火温度对SP-700合金组织和力学性能的影响

The effect of rolling temperature on both two- and single-phase regions and annealing in a temperature range of 700–950°C on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti?5Al?4V?2Fe?1Mo alloy was investigated. The results indicated that the best balance of strength and ductility is obtained by rolling in the two-phase region due to the globularization of the alpha phase and increase in its volume fraction. After rolling in the two-phase region, the ductility of the specimens annealed at 700 to 800°C increased because of the finer size and globularized alpha phase, while the reduction in strength was attributed to a decrease in the alpha phase volume fraction. However, at 950°C, the strength increased and ductility dropped by the formation of acicular alpha phase due to an increase in the phase boundary area. Annealing and aging after rolling in the beta-phase region increased the strength and decreased the ductility, which is attributed to the formation of a secondary alpha phase. A combination of favorable yield strength (1113 MPa) and elongation (13.3%) was obtained through rolling at 850°C followed by annealing at 750°C and aging at 570°C.     

Modulation structure stability of heat-treated Co/C and CoN/CN soft X-ray multilayers

Modulation structure stability of Co/C and CoN/CN soft X ray multilayers has been investigated by X ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The graphitization of the amorphous carbon layers in Co/C multilayers causes a period expansion of 12% at annealing temperatures below 400℃. An enormous period expansion (～40%) induced by the crystallization and agglomeration of Co layers has been observed at 500℃. While the period expansion of CoN/CN multilayers is only 4% at 400℃. The interface pattern of the CoN/CN multilayers still exists even if they were annealed at 700℃. The relatively good thermal stability of CoN/CN multilayers can be attributed to the suppression of the formation of the sp 3 bonding and, at annealing temperatures higher than the phase transition temperature of 420℃ (from hcp to fcc), the coexistence of hcp and fcc Co structures through doping nitrogen.     

Precipitatation Behavior of FeTiP Phase in High Strength IF Steel

The influence of chemical composition and annealing parameters on the behavior of FeTiP precipitation has been investigated. With increasing Ti content the yield strength and tensile strength were reduced, and the tendency of FeTiP precipitation became more remarkable. No FeTiP precipitate was observed and the best mechanical properties have been obtained in the steel sheet, of which the atom ratio of Ti to N is approximately equal to 1. In the temperature range of 700 to 800℃ the FeTiP precipitation could appear easily. The precipitation process was suppressed when the annealing temperature was below 600℃, and the FeTiP phase was dissolved above 900℃. The FeTiP precipitates would inhibit the migration of grain boundaries during the recrystallization in certain extent, and weaken the density of {111} fiber texture, which resulted in the reduction of r value. The relationship between composition and processing parameters, as well as their influence on the mechanical properties is discussed.     

Dissolution properties of calcined gangue

To study the dissolution mechanism of gangue, dissolution characteristics of the gangue samples calcined at different temperatures in alkaline solutions and alkali metal silicate solutions with respect to Si and Al ions were analyzed by identical coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP). The results show that the extent of dissolution of Al and Si varies with calcination temperature. It shows that the samples have a higher degree of dissolution in NaOH than in KOH medium. Si and Al appear to have synchro-dissolution behavior in alkaline solution, which means that Si and Al could dissolve from the mineral surface in certain linked forms. The result that a higher degree of dissolution exists in sodium silicate solution and a lower degree of dissolution exists in sodium-potassium silicate solution of Al is proved by the 29Si NMR spectra and the mean connectivity degree of these alkali metal silicate solutions.     

Dynamics of crystallization and dissolution of calcium orthophosphates at the near-molecular level

Although extensive investigations of biogenic and geological calcium phosphate crystallization/dissolution and their phase transformations have been performed,the mechanisms of crystallization and dissolution of sparingly soluble calcium phosphates in geological settings have not been completely determined at the near-molecular level.In particular,an understanding of the physical-chemical processes at the earliest nucleation stage and the subsequent crystal surface dynamics in soil solutions is lacking.This review focuses on the earliest events in homo/heterogeneous nucleation from an initial supersaturated solution phase,the subsequent growth of calcium phosphate phases,and the relevant influences of the presence of additional inorganic and organic molecules in both geological and biological settings.These studies have implications for the understanding of the complex processes of calcium phosphate transformations in soils,and provide possible physical-chemical mechanisms for the biogeochemical behavior of phosphorus at the near-molecular level.     

Experimental observation of deep crust fluid-NaCl aqueous solution at elevated temperatures and pressures and its significance

In order to reveal the nature of deep crust fluids, the phase relations of NaCI-saturat-ed solution at high temperatures and pressures in a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) are investigated. Salinity of the solutions observed is about 35%-50% . The temperatures for the observation range from 25 to 850℃ and the pressures from 1 atm to about 1 GPa. A supercritical single phase, liquid phase (L), vapor phase (V), solid phase (H), L+H, H + V+L and the near-critical phases L + V can be observed. A two-phase (L + V) immiscibility field for the NaCI solution has been discovered to lie in a wide range of temperatures and pressures: from 250( ±3) to 721℃. Within this field there are two parts, where the upper high temperature part of the two-phase regions is very unstable in character. It is possible to observe a "critical phenomenon". In some of our experiments an "explosion" almost constantly occurred at the interface between the liquid and vapor phases, making the interface obscure, and a continuous transition between the two phases could be found. By a visual microscope it was found that in the two-phase immiscible field near to the critical state the vapor phase and liquid phase compose a crystal structure geometry. It is a special solution structure that was found under a microscope. This discovery is important for us to understand the reason of increasing electronic conductivity of NaCI aqueous solution with respect to temperatures and pressures. And also, it will be easy to interpret the variation of electronic conductivity in the earth crust.     

Influence of solution concentration and temperature on the dissolution process and the internal structure of glauberite

Although transport in porous media under the influence of chemistry and temperature is a common phenomenon, the dissolution and internal structure evolution of glauberite during in-situ mining have been unique and challenging. This uniqueness indicates the complexity of mineral dissolutions, whereas the challenge represents the characterization of pore development and evolution during the dissolution processes. To investigate the microstructure development of glauberite under the influence of chemistry and temperature, experimental studies were performed with fine cuboid specimens of 4 mm×4 mm×9 mm soaked in solutions of different concentrations (fresh water, half-saturated, and saturated brine). The evolutions of internal structures were monitored through a micro computed tomography system. The statistical analysis indicated that the concentration and temperature of solutions significantly influenced the evolutions of pore size, porosity, and specific surface area of glauberite. The results showed that the increase in the rates of pore size, porosity, and specific surface area declined with time when glauberite was saturated in fresh water. The main reason for pore parameter variation is the differential concentration of solution. However, in the half-saturated and saturated solutions, the increase in rate increased with time. These observations suggest that the chloride ions contained in the saline solution could facilitate the dissolution of glauberite, whereas the existence of salt effect could contribute to the dissolution of calcium sulfate. Compared with the results at 20℃ and 65℃, the studied parameters of glauberite have dramatically decreased when the mineral was soaked in the solutions at high temperature (95℃). This function was most striking in fresh water. The dissolution of glauberite soaked in fresh water or half-saturated brine solution was conditioned by the temperature and solution concentration. However, the dissolution of glauberite was less influenced by temperature at high concentrations. These findings may feature significant implication for the effective recovery of mineral resources by in-situ solution mining method.     

A Solow-Swan Model with Technological Overflow and Catch-up

By introducing the logistic-like technology, the classical Solow-Swan model is extended to inquire the technological overflow and catch-up of the developing economy in this paper. The improved model is described by a two-dimensional dynamical system. It is proved that the model has a unique equilibrium which is a sink and the solution of the equation is globally asymptotically stable. And the classical Solow-Swan model is a special case of the model given here. The economic growth patterns are discussed by phase portrait analysis at the end of this paper.     

Nonlinear dissolution reaction of chalcopyrite

The dissolution experiments of chalcopyrite in 2 mol/L NaCI solutions at 70℃ show that the dissolution rate of chalcopyrite oscillates non-periodically with reaction time while in acid solutions (pH = 1.45-2.45) and far from Cu saturation concentration, and Cu concentration oscillates chaotically in solution of weak to intermediate acidity (pH = 3.66-7.0). In nonequilibrium and open systems, the nonlinear coupling between the dissolution of chalcopyrite and formation of cuprous chloride complexes and precipitation of hemitite caused by CI- , H+ and O2 is the internal mechanism of oscillatory changes of dissolution rate, and the nonlinear coupling between the dissolution of chalcopyrite and precipitation of atacamite induced by CI- and H+ has caused the chaotic oscillation of Cu concentration. There are consistence and difference between reaction rate oscillation and Cu concentration oscillation. However, both of them suggest that the dissolution of chalcopyrite in NaCI solution is a nonlinear reaction process.     

Effect of cooling rate on the phase transformation and stability of the mushy zone during the solidification of Waspaloy

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) were used to study the microstructure, microsegregation, and fluid flow tendency of the superalloy Waspaloy in the mushy zone, which had been solidified at different cooling rates. The investigation was accompanied with the calculation of Rayleigh numbers. It is found that Ti is the main segregating element and the content of Ti is the highest in the final liquid at the cooling rates of 3–6℃/min. The eta phase (η) precipitate presented in the residual liquid at the cooling rates higher than 6 ℃/min is responsible for the fluctuations in the curves of Ti content. The dendrite arm spacing is found to markedly decrease with the increase of cooling rate. The maximum relative Rayleigh number occurs at 10–20℃ below the liquidus temperature at a cooling rate of 1℃/min, where the mushy zone is most unstable and fluid flow is most prone to occur.     

Effect of hot rolling and annealing temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of SP-700 alloy

The effect of rolling temperature on both two-and single-phase regions and annealing in a temperature range of 700–950°C on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-5 Al-4 V-2 Fe-1 Mo alloy was investigated. The results indicated that the best balance of strength and ductility is obtained by rolling in the two-phase region due to the globularization of the alpha phase and increase in its volume fraction. After rolling in the two-phase region, the ductility of the specimens annealed at 700 to 800°C increased because of the finer size and globularized alpha phase, while the reduction in strength was attributed to a decrease in the alpha phase volume fraction. However, at 950°C, the strength increased and ductility dropped by the formation of acicular alpha phase due to an increase in the phase boundary area. Annealing and aging after rolling in the beta-phase region increased the strength and decreased the ductility, which is attributed to the formation of a secondary alpha phase. A combination of favorable yield strength(1113 MPa) and elongation(13.3%) was obtained through rolling at 850°C followed by annealing at 750°C and aging at 570°C.     

Work toughening effect in Zr_（41）Ti_（14）Cu_（12.5）Ni_（10）Be_（22.5） bulk metallic glass

Work hardening is a well-known phenomenon occurring in crystalline metals during deformation,which has been widely used to increase the strength of metals although their ductility is usually reduced simultaneously. Here we report that the plastic strain of Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 (at.%) bulk metallic glasses has been increased from 0.3% for the as-cast sample to 2.5%-8.0% for samples that have experienced pre-deformation under constrained conditions. The pre-deformed glassy alloys possess more free volume and abundant introduced shear bands,which are believed to promote the activation of shear bands in post-deformation and result in an increase in plasticity. The orientation of the pre-introduced shear bands relative to the loading direction will affect the deformation behavior of pre-deformed samples. The present results show that pre-deformation of this glassy alloy will result in work toughening. This work toughening effect can be removed by isothermal annealing at a sub-Tg (glass transition) temperature,which causes annihilation of free volume and healing of shear bands.     

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.     

The effect of phase transition on the compressional wave velocity for a trachybasalt at high temperature and high pressure

Compressional wave velocities in a trachybasalt, from Yichuan County, Henan Province, have been measured at 2.0 GPa and up to 1 350℃ in a YJ-3000 t cubic-anvil high-pressure apparatus. The run products have been gained at the same pressure but different temperatures, the observation of the thin sections of the run products indicates that, corresponding to the variation of the compressional wave velocity in the trachybasalt, the phase transition has taken place. The relationship between the change of the compressional wave velocity and the hydrous mineral dehydration, solid-solid phase transformation and partial melting has been discussed. The experimental data presented here are of great importance to elucidating the geological process in the earth's interior.     

Solitons and production of defects in flow-aligning nematic liquid crystals under simple shear flow

The production of defects in flow-aligning nematic liquid crystals under simple shear flow is analyzed by linear stability analysis based on Leslie-Ericksen theory. It is pointed out that the equation of motion of the nematic director under simple shear flow conforms to the driven over-damped sine-Gordon equation and has a soliton solution of amplitude π. It has also been shown that the stationary state with the director uniformly oriented at a Leslie angle is only a metastable state and that the potential, which governs the motion of the director, has infinite numbers of stable stationary states. Therefore, the defects, appearing as a stable solitary solution, can be nucleated from a uniformly aligned flow-aligning type of nematic liquid crystal by shear flow. On the other hand, the bands with long axis parallel to the vorticity axis, appearing as an unstable solution, can be observed as transient patterns at low shear rate and low shear strain value. The theoretical predictions are compared with previous experimental observations.     

A first-principles study of displacive β to ω transition in Ti-V alloys

The ground state properties of β and ω phases in Ti-(0–30 at%)V alloys were calculated, and subsequently thermodynamics and energy barriers of the displacive β to ω transition were investigated by first-principles. The results show that the lattice parameters of β and ω phases decreases with increasing V content in Ti-V alloys. The principal lattice strains for the β to ω transition are highly compositional dependent, and the volume variation decreases with increasing V content. The mechanical stability of the ω phase increases initially at the V content around 10 at% and then decreases with increasing V content. Based on the quasiharmonic Debye model, a metastable diffusionless phase diagram has been established, showing that the ω phase is thermodynamically more stable than the β phase at room temperature, anticipating a spontaneous transition from β to ω phases in Ti-V alloys. The calculations of energy pathways indicate that there is an energy barrier during the displacive βto ω transition in Ti-V alloys at temperatures from 100 to 500 K, but not at 0 K.     

In fl uence of HEPES buffer on the local pH and formation of surface layer during in vitro degradation tests of magnesium in DMEM

The human body is a buffered environment where p H is effectively maintained. HEPES is a biological buffer often used to mimic the buffering activity of the body in in vitro studies on the degradation behavior of magnesium. However, the influence of HEPES on the degradation behavior of magnesium in the DMEM pseudo-physiological solution has not yet been determined. The research aimed at elucidating the degradation mechanisms of magnesium in DMEM with and without HEPES. The morphologies and compositions of surface layers formed during in vitro degradation tests for 15–3600 s were characterized. The effect of HEPES on the electrochemical behavior and corrosion tendency was determined by performing electrochemical tests. HEPES indeed retained the local p H, leading to intense intergranular/interparticle corrosion of magnesium made from powder and an increased degradation rate. This was attributed to an interconnected network of cracks formed at the original powder particle boundaries and grain boundaries in the surface layer, which provided pathways for the corrosive medium to interact continuously with the internal surfaces and promoted further dissolution. Surface analysis revealed significantly reduced amounts of precipitated calcium phosphates due to the buffering activity of HEPES so that magnesium became less well protected in the buffered environment.