Ameliorating mechanical properties and reducing anisotropy of as-extruded Mg-1.0Sn-0.5Ca alloy via Al addition

Effects of Al addition to a Mg–Sn–Ca ternary alloy on its microstructure and tensile properties after extrusion were studied via extrusion of Mg-1.0 Sn-0.5 Ca-x Al(x = 0, 0.8, 2.4 wt%) sheets and analysis of the extruded materials.The results showed that Al addition not only refined the grain size(from 9.8 ± 0.7 μm to 8.3 ± 0.4 μm and7.6 ± 0.5 μm) but also accelerated the generation of more second phase(from 0.98 to 1.72 and 4.32%). Except for the CaMgSn and Mg₂Ca in Mg-1.0Sn-0.5 Ca a...     

Effect of Mn content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Li–4Zn-xMn alloys

The as-cast Mg–6Li–4Zn-x Mn alloys were prepared and extruded at 280℃ with an extrusion ratio of 25:1. The effects of Mn content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Li–4Zn-x Mn alloys were investigated in this study. The XRD results show that Mg–6Li–4Zn–x Mn alloys consisted of α-Mg(hcp) + β-Li(bcc)duplex structured matrix, Mg Li₂Zn and Mn phases. The grains of the extruded Mg–6Li–4Zn–x Mn alloys were refined by dynamic recrystallization during the extrusion process...     

Near-microscopic grain boundary facilitates fatigue crack propagation in a polycrystalline Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy

In present study, grain characteristics with sizes within 10–30 μm were fabricated from a same Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy, FCP behaviors of the alloys with small grain(SG alloy), medium grain(MG alloy) and large grain(LG alloy)were investigated and related fatigue fracture morphology was analyzed. With the enhancement of stress intensity factor range(ΔK), the alloy with larger grains possessed faster FCP rate, which were successively arranged as SG alloy > MG alloy > LG alloy at initial stage while...     

Microstructure and electrical conductivity of 10% Yb-doped SrCeO3 ceramics

As a candidate material for hydrogen separation, Yb-doped SrCeO₃ has attracted increasing attention in recent decades. In the present study, Yb-doped SrCe_0.9Yb_0.1O_3-α ceramics were prepared by the dry pressing and sintering approach, with the microstructure evolution and the micro morphology investigated. It was indicated that the ceramics sintered in air were of a pure perovskite structure, and that the sintering temperature had a significant effect on the growth of ceramic grains. The average grain size increased from 1 ​μm to 10 ​μm with an increase in sintering temperature from 1300 to 1500 ​°C. Further investigation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of grain growth revealed that the grain boundary diffusion was the main driving force of grain growth during solid phase sintering, with a grain growth index of 4 and an activation energy of approximately 61.23 ​kJ ​mol⁻¹. These results illustrate an obvious tendency of grain size growth. By electrochemical workstation with different atmospheres the effects of sintering temperature on the conductivity were characterized in the temperature range of 700–900 ​°C. The electrical conductivities σ of SrCe_0.9Yb_0.1O_3-α ceramics in different atmospheres were as follows: σ(wet hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry air) ​> ​σ(wet air). In the test atmosphere containing water and hydrogen the conductivity of protons increased with increasing temperature because of the protons jump between lattices in the form of interstitial hydrogen ions or bare protons.     

Mechanical behaviors of extruded Mg alloys with high Gd and Nd content

The influence of alloying elements and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical behaviors of extruded Mg–Gd–Nd ternary alloys was investigated in this study. The grain sizes dramatically decreased after extrusion, and the particles which distributed in Mg matrix had great effect on the grain size. The grain sizes of extruded alloys decreased from 26 to 5 μm with the alloying content increasing. The mechanical test results show that both Gd and Nd had positive effect on the hardness, y...     

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of SLMed Sc-modified AlSi10Mg alloy

The influence of heat treatments on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the selective laser melting manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy modified with Sc was systematically investigated. The results showed that the addition of Sc element introduced primary Al₃ Sc, which increased the heterogeneous nucleation during the solidification of AlSi10Mg alloy, and then the ultrafine network eutectic structure was obtained, and hence the tensile strength was improved significantly(nearly 2...     

Effect of carbon addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of a typical hard-to-deform Ni-base superalloy

In this paper, the as-cast microstructure, microsegregation, and mechanical properties of GH4151 superalloys with a carbon addition were studied by scanner electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscope(TEM), electron probe microanalysis(EPMA), differential thermal analyzer(DSC), and electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD). The results show that the solid solution effect of carbon in alloys is limited, the addition of C from 0.01 to 0.08 wt% significantly refines the secondary dendr...     

Microstructure and elevated-temperature mechanical properties of dispersoid-strengthened Al-Mg-Si-Mn alloys produced by twin roll casting

The microstructure and elevated-temperature mechanical properties of dispersoid-strengthened Al-Mg-Si-Mn alloys produced by twin roll casting (TRC) and conventional mold casting (MC) were studied. A specific heat treatment at 430 ​°C for 6 ​h was applied, followed by rolling. Tensile tests were carried out at 300 ​°C. The results show that in the as-cast microstructures, equiaxed grains formed in the MC sample while elongated grains with substructures formed in the TRC sample. The eutectics in the TRC sample were much finer than those in the MC sample. Upon heat treatment, large numbers of α-Al(Fe, Mn)Si dispersoids precipitated, and the TRC sample had a greater number density of dispersoids than those in the MC sample. During the tensile test after rolling, the TRC samples exhibited higher strength than the MC samples, which resulted from the combination of the strengthening effect of the stronger dispersoids and the greater substructure hardening effect in the TRC sample; the TRC sample exhibited better ductility due to its finer initial eutectic than that in the MC sample, which depressed the stress concentration and delayed the occurrence of microcracks and fracture in the TRC sample.     

Effect of micro-alloying Ca on microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y-Ce alloys

Microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of Mg-5 Zn-0.3 Y-0.2 Ce alloys with the addition of trace xCa(x=0,0.3,0.6 wt%) were systematically investigated in this work.The results revealed that more secondary eutectic phases and smaller grain size of as-cast microstructure could be found with increasing Ca content.After hot extrusion,the Ca-free alloy showed a uniformly recrystallized grain structure,while the Ca-containing alloys possessed a bimodal grain structure composed of fine dynamic recrystallized(DRXed) grains with a size of several microns and un-recrystallized coarse grains.EBSD analysis showed that the three extruded alloys had a fiber texture of(0001) basal plane aligned with the extrusion direction.Texture intensity of the DRXed region was weaker than the deformed region.The extruded alloy with the addition of 0.6 wt% Ca exhibited the highest yield strength of 321 MPa due to the smallest DRXed grain size,the deformed region with strong basal texture and dense nanosized precipitates.     

Ta-7.5%W合金箔材的退火组织与性能

通过力学性能测试、X线衍射和EBSD(电子背散射衍射分析)等方法研究Ta-7.5%W(质量分数)合金箔材在真空中1 200℃下退火1 h后的力学性能、织构和微观组织。研究结果表明:退火态的Ta-7.5%W合金箔材在沿着横向和轧向拉伸过程中表现出各向异性,其中轧向的抗拉强度达到753 MPa,伸长率达到13.4%,轧向的性能均优于横向性能,这是由于样品中主要织构组分的晶粒沿横向和轧向拉伸开启的滑移系是不一样的。样品中主要形成了3类织构,分别为轧面法向平行于<100>的θ-纤维织构、轧面法向平行于<111>的γ纤维,还有轧向平行于<110>的α纤维织构,其中主要的织构为(112)[1 10]和(111)[1 21],所占的体积分数分别10.2%和11.2%;由不同取向晶粒中的线取向差分布图分析可以看出(111)[1 21]取向的晶粒形成的位错亚结构之间的取向差很大,最大达到8.3°,亚晶之间的平均取向差也达到7°;(001)[1 10]取向的晶粒中形成的位错亚结构之间的取向差小很多,取向差最大也只有2.2°,平均取向差只有1.7°。     

Creep behavior and dislocation mechanism of Ni3Al based single crystal alloy IC6SX at 760℃

The creep behavior and dislocation mechanism of Ni₃Al-based single crystal alloys IC6 SX with crystal orientation[001] which was prepared by seed crystal method under the testing conditions of 760℃/500 MPa,760℃/540 MPa and 760℃/580 MPa were investigated. The experimental results showed that the creep properties,dislocation morphology and mechanism of this alloy were different under different stress conditions. With the stress increasing from 500 MPa to 580 MPa, the creep life decrease...     

Flexible free-standing polyaniline/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite electrode with good capacitance performance and shape memory behavior

The increasing demand for portable and flexible energy storage devices drives the development of flexible electrodes and electrolytes. The aim of this work is to fabricate the flexible free-standing polyaniline/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PANI/PVA) composite electrode with good capacitance performance and shape memory behavior. The electrodes were fabricated by chemical oxidation polymerization of aniline in porous PVA(P-PVA) films. The morphology, electrochemical and mechanical properties of PANI/P-PVA...     

Thermal damage and ablation behavior of plasma sprayed Ba2SmTaO6 coatings irradiated by high power continuous laser

Ba₂SmTaO₆ laser protection coatings of ≈200 μm thickness were deposited onto stainless steel surfaces by air plasma spraying, and the laser irradiation resistance of the coatings was investigated. For laser irradiation with a laser power density less than 1000 W/cm², the coatings kept intact. For a laser power density exceeding 1500 W/cm², the Ba₂SmTaO₆ coatings underwent recrystallization, grain growth occurred, and certain spray...     

Characteristic investigation of trilayered Cu/Al8011/Al1060 composite: Interface morphology,microstructure, and in-situ tensile deformation

In this work, Cu/Al8011/Al1060 trilayered composite with an ultrathin copper layer was fabricated successfully by the hybrid process of cast-rolling and hot-roll-bonding. The effects of heat treatment were investigated on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of the composite. The results showed that annealing temperatures above 300°C led to the formation of new intermetallic compounds that joined their initial counterparts. Also, the interface growth was fast above 340°C. It was found that...     

Influence of different rolling processes on microstructure and strength of the Al–Cu–Li alloy AA2195

The influence of different rolling processes on precipitation behaviour, crystallography texture, grain morphology, and their consequent effects on tensile properties for Al–Cu–Li alloy AA2195 was investigated in the present work. The H-T8 samples (hot rolled ?+ ?T8) presented better tensile strength and ductility (with serious strength anisotropy) than the HC-T8 samples (hot rolled ?+ ?cold rolled ?+ ?T8), due to their different microstructures and textures. The higher dislocation density was found in the H-T8 samples, which promoted the nucleation of main strengthening phase T₁ in the matrix and suppressed the grain boundary precipitation, resulted in better strength and ductility. The increase of the dynamic recovery (DRV) during hot rolling enhanced the generation of Brass texture, and brought serious strength anisotropy. The cold rolling was performed after the hot-rolling process for the HC-T8 samples which increased deformation energy and resulted in full recrystallization of the deformed microstructure during the following solution treatment. The formation of recrystallized microstructure reduced the dislocation density and the heterogeneous precipitate nucleation positions which limited the strengthening phase precipitation in matrix and accelerated the precipitation along grain boundaries, resulted in fewer T₁ precipitates, coarse grain-boundary precipitates (GBPs), and wider precipitate-free zones (PFZs). The localized strain may be concentrated on the grain boundary to induce the dislocation pile-up, breaking of the GBPs, and intergranular fracture during stretching.     

A novel graphite/phenolic resin bipolar plate modified by doping carbon fibers for the application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

In this study, the carbon fibers treated by three methods were selected as a reinforcement to investigate the influence on the properties of composite bipolar plates. The properties and microstructure of the composite bipolar plate were characterized by the four-point probe, universal test machine, contact angle tester and scanning electron microscopy. The optimum treatment methods and the fiber content were analysed. The results showed that the carbon fibers treated by Fenton reagent for 2 ​h exhibited the best performance, which could improve the electrical conductivity and the flexural strength for composite bipolar plate. Besides, the optimal content content of carbon fibers treated by Fenton reagent was 4%. The maximum power density of the PEMFC with the composite bipolar plates could reach 662.75 ​mW ​cm⁻² in H₂-air conditions. Therefore, the phenolic resin/graphite composite bipolar plate modified by doping carbon fibers was a promising candidate for bipolar plate materials for PEMFC.     

Corrosion resistance and thermal stability of sputtered Fe44Al34Ti7N15 and Al61Ti11N28 thin films for prospective application in oil and gas industry

Fe-and Al-based thin-film metallic glass coatings (Fe₄₄Al₃₄Ti₇N₁₅ and Al₆₁Ti₁₁N₂₈) were fabricated using magnetron co-sputtering technique, and their corrosion performances compared against wrought 316L stainless steel. The results of GI-XRD and XPS analyses demonstrated amorphous structure and oxide layer formation on the surface of the fabricated thin films, respectively. The potentiodynamic (PD) polarization test in chloride-thiosulfate (NH₄Cl ​+ ​Na₂S₂O₃) solution revealed lower corrosion current (I_corr) (0.42 ​± ​0.02 ​μA/cm² and 0.086 ​± ​0.001 ​μA/cm² Vs. 0.76 ​± ​0.05 ​μA/cm²), lower passivation current (I_pass) (1.45 ​± ​0.03 ​μA/cm² and 1.83 ​± ​0.07 ​μA/cm² Vs. 1.98 ​± ​0.04 ​μA/cm²), and approximately six-fold higher breakdown potential (E_bd) for Fe- and Al-based coatings than those of wrought 316L stainless steel. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) of both films showed 4- and 2-fold higher charge transfer resistance (R_ct), 7- and 2.5-times higher film resistance (R_f), lower film capacitance values (Q_f) (10 ​± ​2.4 ​μS-s^acm^-2, and 5.41 ​± ​0.8 ​μS-s^acm^-2 Vs. 18 ​± ​2.21 ​μS-s^acm^-2), and lower double-layer capacitance values (Q_dl) (31.33 ​± ​4.74 ​μS-s^acm^-2, and 15.3 ​± ​0.48 ​μS-s^acm^-2 Vs. 43 ​± ​4.23 ​μS-s^acm^-2), indicating higher corrosion resistance of the thin films. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) scan exhibited that the passive films formed on the Fe- and Al-based coatings were more stable and less prone to pitting corrosion than the wrought 316L stainless steel. The surface morphology of both films via SEM endorsed the CV scan results, showing better resistance to pitting corrosion. Furthermore, the thermal analysis via TGA and DSC revealed the excellent thermal stability of the thin films over a wide temperature range typically observed in oil-gas industries.     

Magnetic field induced synthesis of (Ni,Zn)Fe2O4 spinel nanorod for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Recently, the introduction of external fields(light, thermal, magnetism, etc.) during electrocatalysis reactions gradually becomes a new strategy to modulate the catalytic activities. In this work, an external magnetic field was innovatively employed for the synthesis progress of(Ni, Zn)Fe₂O₄spinel oxide(M-(Ni, Zn)Fe₂O₄). Results indicated the magnetic field(≤250 m T) would affect the morphology of catalyst due to the existing Fe ions, inducing the M-(...     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of cryorolled AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets with different initial textures

AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets with different strong textures were cryorolled at the liquid-nitrogen temperature to the strain of 4% and 8%. The microstructure and texture of the rolled sheets were investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mechanical properties of the sheets were tested through in-plane uniaxial tensile tests at ambient temperature. The tensile stress was exerted in the rolling direction (RD) and transverse directions (TD). The microstructural and textural evolutions of the alloy during cryorolling were investigated. Due to active twining during rolling, the initial texture significantly influenced the microstructural and textural evolutions of the rolled sheets. A {1012} extension twin was found as the dominated twin-type in the cryorolled samples. After cryogenic rolling, the ductility of the samples decreased while the strength increased. Twinning also played an important role in explaining the mechanical differences between the rolled samples with different initial textures. The samples were significantly strengthened by the high stored energy accumulated from cryorolling.     

Large specific surface area S-doped Fe–N–C electrocatalysts derived from Metal–Organic frameworks for oxygen reduction reaction

It is highly desired but challenging to develop platinum group metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which can promote the commercialization of fuel cell technology. To achieve this target, we report a one-step doping method to prepare S-doped Fe–N–C catalysts using zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF-8) and iron (III) thiocyanate (Fe(SCN)₃) as precursor. Different from conventional doping approach, i.e. physical mixing, Fe(SCN)₃ is in-situ added during ZIF-8 formation which would encapsulate Fe(SCN)₃ molecules inside ZIF-8 to avoid structure destruction and create potential replacement of Zn ions by Fe ions to form uniform Fe–N₄ complexes. As a result, the prepared S-doped Fe–N–C catalysts own large specific surface areas with a maximum value of 1326 ​m² ​g⁻¹ and a dual-scale porous structure that benefits mass transport. Significantly, the composition-optimized catalyst exhibits superior ORR activity in both 0.1 ​M HClO₄ electrolyte and 0.1 ​M KOH electrolyte, in which the half-wave potential reaches 0.81 ​V and 0.92 ​V (vs. RHE), respectively. Remarkable stability is also attained, which loses 2 ​mV only after 10000 potential cycles in O₂-saturated 0.1 ​M HClO₄ and remains almost constant in O₂-saturated 0.1 ​M KOH, surpassing commercial Pt/C catalyst in both acidic and alkaline medium.