Properties and corrosion behavior of Al based nanocomposite foams produced by the sintering-dissolution process

The properties of Al based nanocomposite metal foams and their corrosion behaviors were investigated in this study. For this, the composite metal foams with different relative densities (porosity) reinforced with alumina nanoparticles were prepared using a powder metallurgy-based sintering-dissolution process (SDP) and NaCl particles were used as space holders. Then, the effect of nanoparticle reinforcement and different amounts of NaCl space holders (corresponding porosity) on the microstructure, morphology, density, hardness, and electrochemical specifications of the samples were investigated. It was found that as the relative density increased from 60% to 70%, the wall thickness increased from about 200 to 300 μm, which led to a decrease in pore size. Also, the addition of nanoparticle reinforcement and the increased relative density result in increasing metal foam hardness. Moreover, electrochemical test results indicated that increasing the Al₂O₃ content reduced the corrosion rate, but increasing the porosity enhanced it.     

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.     

Effects of Ca(Y)-Si modifier on interface morphology and solute segregation during directional solidification of an austenite medium Mn steel

The austenite medium Mn steel modified with controlled additions of Ca, Y, Si were directionally solidified using the vertical Bridgman method to study the effects of Ca(Y)-Si modifier on the solid-liquid (S-L) interface morphology and solute segregation. The interface morphology and the C and Mn segregation of the steel directionally solidified at 6.9 μm/s were investigated with an image analysis and a scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The 0.5wt% Ca-Si modified steel is solidified with a planar S-L interface. The interface of the 1.0wt% Ca-Si modified steel is similar to that of the 0.5wt% Ca-Si modified steel, but with larger nodes. The 1.5wt% Ca-Si modified steel displays a cellular growth parttern. The S-L interface morphology of the 0.5wt% Ca-Si+1.0wt% Y-Si modified Mn steel appears as dendritic interface, and primary austenite dendrites reveal developed lateral branching at the quenched liquid. In the meantime, the independent austenite colonies are formed ahead of the S-L interface. A mechanism involving constitutional supercooling explains the S-L interface evolution. It depends mainly on the difference in the contents of Ca, Y, and Si ahead of the S-L interface. The segregation of C and Mn ahead of the S-L interface enhanced by the modifiers is observed.     

Novel electric conductive polylactide/carbon nanotubes foams prepared by supercritical CO2

In this paper,novel electric conductive polylactide/carbon nanotubes(PLA/CNTs) foams were fabricated by a pressure-quench process using supercritical CO2as a blowing agent.The morphology of PLA/CNTs nanocomposites prepared by solution blending was characterized using SEM and the results indicate that CNTs well dispersed in PLA matrix.The introduction of CNTs improved the thermal stability of PLA.The morphology and electrical properties of PLA/CNTs foams were characterized and discussed.Depending on the process parameters,such as saturation temperature and pressure,nanocellular or microcellular structure of PLA/CNTs nanocomposites were obtained.The volume resistivity of PLA/CNTs foams was from 0.53 103Ω cm to 15.13 103Ω cm,which was affected by cell structure and crystallization of foams oppositely.Foaming reduced the electrical conductivity due to the decrease of CNTs volume content and the break of conductive pathways.However,crystallization increased the electrical conductivity possibly because of the CNTs structural change in which the CNTs were less curled and more connected.     

Characteristics of microstructural evolution during deformation-enhanced ferrite transformation in Nb-microalloyed HSLA steel

Microstructure evolution during deformation of undercooled austenite at 760℃ was investigated in Nb-microalloyed steel by using SEM (scanning electron microscope), TEM (transmission electron microscope), and EBSD (electron backscattered diffraction). It is indicated that during deformation-enhanced ferrite transformation (DEFT) in Nb-microalloyed steel, the incubation period is prolonged, and the higher strain is needed to accomplish ferrite transformation. Therefore, the transformation kinetics curves move to high strain parallelly; and the transformation kinetics curves of Nb-microalloyed steel can be divided into three stages. At the fast stage, the solute drag effect of Nb and the consumption of strain energy for the dynamic precipitation of Nb(CN) led to a long incubation period, and at the second stage, ferrite transformation was accelerated significantly and fine Nb(CN) precipitates restrict the grain growth of ferrite effectively. The results also showed that DEFT in Nb-microalloyed steel is still a nucleation dominated process, and during the microstructure evolution the interchange of 〈001〉 and 〈111〉 texture was obtained.     

Effects of copper content on the shell characteristics of hollow steel spheres manufactured using an advanced powder metallurgy technique

Metallic hollow spheres are used as base materials in the manufacture of hollow sphere structures and metallic foams. In this study, steel hollow spheres were successfully manufactured using an advanced powder metallurgy technique. The spheres’ shells were characterized by optical microscopy in conjunction with microstructural image analysis software, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microscopic evaluations revealed that the shells consist of sintered iron powder, sintered copper powder, sodium silicate, and porosity regions. In addition, the effects of copper content on various parameters such as shell defects, microcracks, thickness, and porosities were investigated. The results indicated that increasing the copper content results in decreases in the surface fraction of shell porosities and the number of microcracks and an increase in shell thickness.     

Microstructure and optical absorption properties of Au/NiO thin films

Au nanoparticles dispersed NiO composite films were prepared by a chemical solution method. The phase structure, microstructure, surface chemical state, and optical absorption properties of the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Uv-vis spectrometer. The results indicate that Au particles with the average diameters of 35–42 nm are approximately spherical and disperse in the NiO matrix. The optical absorption peaks due to the surface plasmon resonance of Au particles shift to the shorter wavelength and intensify with the increase of Au content. The bandwidth narrows when the Au content increases from 8.4wt% to 45.2wt%, but widens by further increasing the Au content from 45.2wt% to 60.5wt%. The band gap E_g increases with the increase of Au contents from 8.4wt% to 45.2wt%, but decreases by further increasing the Au content.     

Titanium effect on the microstructure and properties of laminated high boron steel plates

High-boron steel is an important material used for thermal neutron shielding. The appropriate amount of added boron must be determined because excessive boron may deteriorate the steel's workability. A uniform microstructure can be formed by adding titanium to boron steel. In this study, casting and hot rolling were used to fabricate laminated high-boron steel plates whose cores contained 2.25wt% boron and 0wt%-7.9wt% titanium. The effects of titanium content and hot-rolling and heat-treatment processes on the microstructure and properties of the laminated plates were studied. The results indicated that the optimum titanium content was 5.7wt% when the boron content was 2.25wt%, and that the best overall properties were obtained after heat treatment at 1100℃ for 4 h. The tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation at the specified temperature and holding time were as high as 526.88 MPa, 219.36 MPa, and 29%, respectively.     

Hot deformation behavior of 51.1Zr–40.2Ti–4.5Al–4.2V alloy in the single β phase field

The hot deformation behavior of a newly developed 51.1Zr–40.2Ti–4.5Al–4.2 V alloy was investigated by compression tests in the deformation temperature range from 800 to 1050 ℃ and strain rate range from 10-3to 100 s-1. At low temperatures and high strain rates, the flow curves exhibited a pronounced stress drop at the very beginning of deformation, followed by a slow decrease in flow stress with increasing strain. The magnitude of the stress drop increased with decreasing deformation temperature and increasing strain rate. At high temperatures and low strain rates, the flow curves exhibited typical characteristics of dynamic recrystallization. A hyperbolic-sine Arrhenius-type equation was used to characterize the dependences of the flow stress on deformation temperature and strain rate. The activation energy for hot deformation decreased slightly with increasing strain and then tended to be a constant value. A microstructural mechanism map was presented to help visualize the microstructure of this alloy under different deformation conditions.     

Effect of Al content on the reaction between Fe-10Mn-xAl(x=0.035wt%,0.5wt%,1wt%,and 2wt%)steel and CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO slag

The effect of Al content(0.035 wt%,0.5 wt%,1 wt%,and 2 wt%)on the composition change of steel and slag as well as inclusion transformation of high manganese steel after it has equilibrated with Ca O-Si O₂-Al₂O₃-Mg O slag was studied using the method of slag/steel reaction.The experimental results showed that as the initial content of Al increased from 0.035 wt%to 2 wt%,Al gradually replaced Mn to react with Si O₂in slag to avoid the loss of Mn due to the reaction;this process caused both Al₂O₃in slag and Si in steel to increase while Si O₂and Mn O in slag to reduce.In addition,the type of inclusions also evolved as the initial Al content increased.The evolution route of inclusions was Mn O→Mn O-Al₂O₃-Mg O→Mg O→Mn O-Ca O-Al₂O₃-Mg O and Mn O-Ca O-Mg O.The shape of inclusions evolved from spherical to irregular,became faceted,and finally transformed to spherical.The average size of inclusions presented a trend that was increasing first and then decreasing.The transformation mechanism of inclusions was explored.As the initial content of Al increased,Mg and Ca were reduced from top slag into molten steel in sequence,which consequently caused the transformation of inclusions.     

Effects of copper content on microstructure and mechanical properties of open-cell steel foams

The effects of copper content on the microstructural and mechanical properties of steel foams are investigated. Spherical urea granules, used as a water-leachable space holder, were coated with a mixture of iron, ultrafine carbon, and different amounts of copper powders. After the mixture was compacted and the space holder was removed by leaching, a sintering process was performed under an atmosphere of thermally dissociated ammonia. Microstructural evaluations of the cell walls were carried out using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In addition, compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the manufactured steel foams. The results showed that the total porosity decreases from 77.2% to 71.9% with increasing copper content in the steel foams. In the foams' microstructure, copper islands are mostly distributed in pearlite and intergranular carbide phases are formed in the grain boundaries. When the copper content was increased from 0 to 4 wt%, the elastic modulus, plateau stress, fracture stress, and fracture strain of manufactured steel foams improved 4.5, 6, 6.4, and 2.5 times, respectively.     

机械合金化法制备的Cu/SiC纳米复合材料的组织、热性能和力学性能评估

Nano-sized silicon carbide (SiC: 0wt%, 1wt%, 2wt%, 4wt%, and 8wt%) reinforced copper (Cu) matrix nanocomposites were manufactured, pressed, and sintered at 775 and 875°C in an argon atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy were performed to characterize the microstructural evolution. The density, thermal expansion, mechanical, and electrical properties were studied. XRD analyses showed that with increasing SiC content, the microstrain and dislocation density increased, while the crystal size decreased. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the nanocomposites was less than that of the Cu matrix. The improvement in the CTE with increasing sintering temperature may be because of densification of the microstructure. Moreover, the mechanical properties of these nanocomposites showed noticeable enhancements with the addition of SiC and sintering temperatures, where the microhardness and apparent strengthening efficiency of nanocomposites containing 8wt% SiC and sintered at 875°C were 958.7 MPa and 1.07 vol%?1, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the sample slightly decreased with additional SiC and increased with sintering temperature. The prepared Cu/SiC nanocomposites possessed good electrical conductivity, high thermal stability, and excellent mechanical properties.     

铬对铌微合金钢显微组织和热塑性的影响分析

It is well-known that the surface quality of the niobium microalloy profiled billet directly affects the comprehensive mechanical properties of the H-beam. The effects of chromium on the γ/α phase transformation and high-temperature mechanical properties of Nb-microalloyed steel were studied by Gleeble tensile and high-temperature in-situ observation experiments. Results indicated that the starting temperature of the γ→α phase transformation decreases with increasing Cr content. The hot ductility of Nb-microalloyed steel is improved by adding 0.12wt% Cr. Chromium atoms inhibit the diffusion of carbon atoms, which reduces the thickness of grain boundary ferrite. The number fractions of high-angle grain boundaries increase with increasing chromium content. In particular, the proportion is up to 48.7% when the Cr content is 0.12wt%. The high-angle grain boundaries hinder the crack propagation and improve the ductility of Nb-microalloyed steel.     

锰对热轧态双相钢显微组织和力学性能的影响

用薄晶体透射电镜研究锰对热轧空冷后低碳Si—Mn双相钢的组织和力学性能的影响。实验结果表明:钢中锰含量为1.79％时,显微组织中出现珠光体。拉伸工程应力—应变曲线有明显物理屈服延伸。钢中锰含量越少、珠光体量越多时,应力—应变曲线上屈服平台越长。锰含量大于2.09％时,轧态组织中不再出现非马氏体型转变产物珠光体。轧态组织中的马氏体岛区,由几个微区组成。这些微区分别为内孪晶马氏体区和位错板条马氏体区。     

喷射成形高速钢显微结构和性能

采用光学显微镜，扫描电镜研究了沉积高速钢孔隙的大小、形状、分布及显微结构，测定了试样的力学性能，并与相同成分的铸态，锻造态高速钢进行了对比，结果表明，沉积高速钢显微结构和性能都优于铸态和锻造高速钢。     

Mo含量对Ti–Mo系铁素体钢热稳定性影响

The effects of tempering holding time at 700°C on the morphology, mechanical properties, and behavior of nanoparticles in Ti–Mo ferritic steel with different Mo contents were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The equilibrium solid solution amounts of Mo, Ti, and C in ferritic steel at various temperatures were calculated, and changes in the sizes of nanoparticles over time at different Mo contents were analyzed. The experimental results and theoretical calculations were in good agreement with each other and showed that the size of nanoparticles in middle Mo content nano-ferrite (MNF) steel changed the least during aging. High Mo contents inhibited the maturation and growth of nanoparticles, but no obvious inhibitory effect was observed when the Mo content exceeded 0.37wt%. The tensile strength and yield strength continuously decreased with the tempering time. Analysis of the strengthening and toughening mechanisms showed that the different mechanical properties among the three different Mo content experiment steels were mainly determined by grain refinement strengthening (the difference range was 30–40 MPa) and precipitation strengthening (the difference range was 78–127 MPa). MNF steel displayed an ideal chemical ratio and the highest thermodynamic stability, whereas low Mo content nano-ferrite (LNF) steel and high Mo content nano-ferrite (HNF) steel displayed relatively similar thermodynamic stabilities.     

不同变质剂对4032铝合金变质效果的影响

研究Sr与不同变质剂复合添加对4032铝合金组织及性能的影响.通过组织观察、扫描电镜观察、能谱分析和力学性能测试发现:在几种不同的变质体系中,Sr与Na盐复合变质后的组织和性能最好;Sr+其他元素复合变质的针孔率低于Sr单独变质处理的针孔率,其中以Sr+Na盐变质的针孔率最低;共晶型铝硅合金添加Sr和Na变质组织呈亚共晶状态,而经P变质后组织呈过共晶状态.     

稀土元素Ce对Ti-Ni形状记忆合金力学性能的影响

采用拉伸试验研究了稀土元素Ce对Ti—Ni合金力学性能的影响,通过扫描电镜对Ti—Ni—Ce合金的断口形貌进行观察。实验结果表明,添加稀土元素Ce使Ti—Ni合金的应力-应变行为有显著影响。在马氏体状态拉伸时,当x（Ce）低于0．5％时,合金的应力-应变曲线出现明显的屈服平台;而当％（Ce）超过1％时,合金的应力-应变曲线上无明显的屈服平台,以连续屈服和强烈的加工硬化为特征。随Ce加入量增加,合金的延伸率降低、脆性增大,断裂类型由微孔聚集型的韧性断裂逐渐转变为沿晶脆性断裂。因此,Ce的加入量不能超过1％,否则将损害Ti—Ni合金的使用性能。     

锈损冷成型钢表面形貌及力学性能

为研究锈蚀对冷成型钢表面形貌特征和力学性能的影响,对工业环境下服役10 a的冷成型钢进行表面三维形貌扫描、单调拉伸试验和断口扫描,得到了锈蚀钢材表面二维和三维形貌图、锈蚀损伤参数、应力-应变曲线、力学性能指标以及微观断口形貌图,并分析了锈蚀损伤参数、力学性能指标的变化规律,最后建立了锈蚀冷成型钢材料本构模型.结果表明:随着锈蚀程度增加,钢材表面蚀坑数量减少且蚀坑形貌发生明显变化,均匀锈蚀所占比例、最大蚀坑深度逐渐增大,锈蚀钢材表面变得越来越粗糙;弹性模量、屈服强度、极限强度、断后伸长率随材料损失率的增加呈线性下降趋势,屈服平台变短甚至消失,宏、微观断口形貌变化明显,并且所建立的本构模型能够精准地反映锈蚀冷成型钢应力-应变曲线的变化趋势.