Influence of semisolid forging ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti14 alloy

The present work is focused on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti14 alloy with different semisolid deformation ratios during forging tests. The results revealed that the forging ratio had a significant effect on the precipitation of the alloy. Fewer plate-shaped Ti₂Cu tended to precipitate on grain boundaries with higher forging ratios, and finally the plate-shaped Ti₂Cu formed precipitate-free zones along grain boundaries with a forging ratio of 75%. The precipitation on grain boundaries was found to be controlled by a peritectic reaction. Large forging ratios accelerated the extrusion of liquid and resulted in less liquid along the prior grain boundaries, which reduced the peritectic precipitation in this region and formed precipitate-free zones during re-solidification. In addition, increasing the forging ratio could accelerate dynamic recrystallization, which is favorable for improving the semisolid formability. The tensile ductility increased with increasing forging ratio, and a mixed fracture mode, involving both cleavage and dimple fracture, was observed after forging with a forging ratio of 75%, which is attributed to the presence of precipitate-free zones formed along grain boundaries during semisolid processing.     

Morphology and quantitative analysis of O phase during heat treatment of hot-deformed Ti<Subscript>2</Subscript>AlNb-based alloy

A 1040℃-hot-deformed Ti₂AlNb-based alloy solution-treated at 950℃ and aged at different temperatures was quantitatively investigated. The microstructure, size of the phase, and microhardness of the deformed alloys were measured. The results indicated that the microstructure of the deformed Ti₂AlNb-based alloy specimens comprise coarse O lath, fine O lath, equiaxed O/α₂, and acicular O phase. More O phase was generated in the deformed alloy after heat treatment because the acicular O phase was more likely to nucleate and grow along the deformation-induced crystal defects such as dislocations and subgrain boundaries. After deformation and subsequent heat treatment, the acicular O phase of the resultant alloy became finer compared to that of the undeformed alloy, and the acicular O phase became coarser and longer with the elevated aging temperature, while the width of the O lath exhibited unobvious variations. The hot deformation facilitated the dissolution of the O lath but accelerated the precipitation of the acicular O phase. When the 950℃-solution-treated deformed Ti₂AlNb-based alloy was then aged at 750℃ for different periods, the phase content was nearly invariable, O and B2 phases eventually reached equilibrium, and the microstructure became stable and homogeneous.     

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...     

Rapid cooling effect during solidification on macro-and micro-segregation of as-cast Mg–Gd alloy

The high performance of as-cast Mg-RE alloys is always related to their high RE additions.However,RE elements can be readily segregated in Mg alloys and the segregation becomes more significant with the increasing RE content.In this research,the effect of cooling rate on the macro-and micro-segregation in the as-cast Mg-8 Gd alloy was studied.The Gd content at the bottom of the fabricated ingot with the cooling rate of 4.6-6.9℃/s was～1.7 times of that at the top and coarse eutectics as well as s...     

Densification behavior of mechanically milled Cu–8 at% Cr alloy and its mechanical and electrical properties

Synthesis and consolidation behavior of Cu–8 at%Cr alloy powders made by mechanical alloying with elemental Cu and Cr powders,and subsequently,compressive and electrical properties of the consolidated alloys were studied.Solid solubility of Cr in Cu during milling,and subsequent phase transformations during sintering and heat treatment of sintered components were analyzed using X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The milled powders were compacted applying three different pressures(200 MPa,400 MPa and 600 MPa)and sintered in H2atmosphere at 900 1C for 30 min and at 1000 1C for 1 h and 2 h.The maximum densification(92.8%)was achieved for the sample compacted at 600 MPa and sintered for 1000 1C for 2 h.Hardness and densification behavior further increased for the compacts sintered at 900 1C for 30 min after rolling and annealing process.TEM investigation of the sintered compacts revealed the bimodal distribution of Cu grains with nano-sized Cr and Cr2O3precipitation along the grain boundary as well as in grain interior.Pinning of grain boundaries by the precipitates stabilized the fine grain structure in bimodal distribution.     

Improvement of tensile behaviours of a γ'-Co3(Al,W) strengthened polycrystalline Co-9Al-4.5W-4.5Mo-2Ta-0.02B alloy at room-and high-temperatures by doping Ce

The microstructures and tensile behaviours of cerium (Ce) doped polycrystalline Co-9Al-4.5W-4.5Mo-2Ta-0.02B alloys (doped 0.05 and 0.2 at.% Ce) at room temperature (RT) and 600–800 °C were investigated. In-suit tensile test under SEM was conducted to understand the deformation and damage mechanisms at RT. Aged at 800 °C for 50 h, the 0.05Ce alloy consisted of a Co solid-solution matrix (γ-Co_SS) and nano-scale cuboidal γ′-Co₃(Al, W) precipitates, while for the 0.2Ce alloy, κ-Co₃(W, Mo) precipitates and γ′-depleted zone were present at the grain boundaries in addition to the γ/γ′ microstructure. The 0.05Ce alloy exhibited flow stress anomalies at 700 °C. With higher Σ1∼3 boundary fraction and cleaned-up grain boundary, the 0.05Ce alloy always showed greater strength and elongation than the 0.2 Ce alloy with the grain boundary precipitates at temperatures up to 800 °C. Doped 0.05 at.% Ce made the Co-9Al-4.5W-4.5Mo-2Ta-0.02B alloy have an excellent elongation of 6.1% at 700 °C, owing to a mixed transgranular dimple plus intergranular cleavage fracture. The slip bands transferring through the low-angle grain boundary and slipping of the γ′-Co₃(Al, W) in the 0.5Ce alloy resulted in excellent ductility of 20.4% at RT.     

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Ti_2AlNb/TiAl brazed joint using newly-developed Ti–Ni–Nb–Zr filler alloy

Joining of Ti_2AlNb alloy to TiAl intermetallics was conducted by the newly-developed Ti–Ni–Nb–Zr brazing filler alloy.The microstructure evolution of the joints was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM),energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD).The macro-micro mechanical properties were studied by shear test and nano-indentation test.Typical interfacial microstructures across the brazing seam were Ti_2AlNb substrate,α_2-Ti_3Al+β-Ti,γ-TiAl+Ti_2Ni+TiNi+α_2-Ti_3Al,α_2-Ti_3Al+β-Ti,TiAl substrate.The Ti_2Ni phase were firstly dissolved in the joints brazed at 1000°C for 10 min and then precipitated after a prolonged holding time of 15 min.The nano-indentation test revealed that Ti_2Ni phase exhibited the highest hardness of 12.60 GPa.The joints brazed at 1000°C/15 min presented the maximum shear strength of271 MPa.The dissolution and precipitation behavior of Ti_2Ni phase was also discussed.     

High-temperature properties and microstructure of Mo microalloyed ultra-high-strength steel

The high-temperature mechanical properties and microstructure of forging billets of C-Si-Mn-Cr and C-Si-Mn-Cr-Mo ultra-high-strength cold-rolled steels (tensile strength≥1000 MPa, elongation≥10%) were studied. Through the comparison of reduction in area and hot deformation resistance at 600–1300°C, the Mo-containing steel was found to possess a higher strength and a better plasticity than the Mo-free one. The equilibrium phase diagram and atom fraction of Mo in different phases at different temperatures were calculated by Thermo-Calc software (TCW). The results analyzed by using transmission electron microscopy and TCW show that precipitates in the Mo-containing steel are primarily M₂₃C₆, which promote pearlite formation. The experimental data also show that a lower ductility point existing in the Mo-free steel at 850°C is eliminated in the Mo-containing one. This is mainly due to the segregation of Mo at grain boundaries investigated by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), which improves the strength of grain boundaries.     

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.     

静态再结晶处理对Co36Fe36Cr18Ni8Ti2合金力学性能与耐腐蚀性的影响

对冷变形后的Co₃₆Fe₃₆Cr₁₈Ni₈Ti₂合金在700 ℃和800 ℃下再结晶退火,制备成具有高强度及良好耐蚀性的多主元合金。采用电子背散射衍射（electron back-scattered diffraction, EBSD）表征了合金的相分布、再结晶组织以及晶界分布等微观结构特征,采用静态拉伸试验测试了合金的力学性能。结果表明,700 ℃退火的合金断后伸长率较低,但其抗拉强度与屈服强度分别达到了1 038和956 MPa。采用电化学工作站与扫描电子显微镜（scanning electron microscope, SEM）表征了合金在模拟体液中的耐蚀性。结果表明,700 ℃退火的样品具有较好的耐蚀性,腐蚀后的样品表面较为均匀。结合力学性能可知,700 ℃退火的样品具有作为新型医用金属材料的潜力。     

Effect of heat treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of a bulk nanostructured Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy

A bulk nanostructured Al-10.0Zn-2.8Mg-1.8Cu alloy was synthesized by cryomilling first and then by spark plasma sintering (SPS), and the effect of heat treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of this alloy were studied. Most MgZn₂ particles with a coarse size lie on the grain boundaries of the SPS-processed sample. After solid solution and artificial aging, fine spherical-like MgZn₂ particles precipitate uniformly in the grain interiors. No obvious grain growth is found after the heat treatment. A nanoindentation study indicates that no clear change is found in the Yong's modulus of the nanostructured alloy after the heat treatment. However, the hardness of the nanostructured alloy increases by about 33% after the heat treatment, which is attributed to the effect of precipitation-hardening.     

Effect of sintering temperature on the preparation of Cu–Ti3SiC2 metal matrix composite

Ti3SiC2 has the potential to replace graphite as reinforcing particles in Cu matrix composites for applications in brush,electrical contacts and electrode materials.In this paper the fabrication of Cu-Ti3SiC2 metal matrix composites prepared by warm compaction powder metallurgy forming and spark plasma sintering(SPS) was studied.The stability of Ti3SiC2 at different sintering temperatures was also studied.The present experimental results indicate that the reinforcing particles in Cu-Ti3SiC2 composites are not stable at and above 800℃.The decomposition of Ti3SiC2 will lead to the formation of TiC and/or other carbides and TiSi2.If purity is the major concern,the processing and servicing temperatures of the Cu-Ti3SiC2 composite should be limited to 750℃ or lower.The composites prepared by warm compaction forming and SPS sintering at 750℃ have lower density when compared with the composites prepared by SPS sintering at 950℃,but their electrical resistivity values are very close to each other and even lower.     

Effect of heat treatment on microstructures and properties of a novel Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy for oil drilling

In view of the special requirements for strength, heat resistance and corrosion resistance of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy for oil drilling, the Al-6.2 Zn-2.5 Mg-1.6 Cu alloy was prepared by increasing Cu content on basis of Russian Series 1953 alloy. The effect of heat treatment on the microstructures and properties of the alloy was characterized by optical microscope(OM), scanning electron microscope(SEM) and transmission electron microscope(TEM), and investigated by tensile test at room temperature, thermal exposure test and corrosion test. The results show that the strength after T6 aging treatment exhibit a decrease trend as an increase of the solution temperature from465 °C to 480 °C. After the solution treated by the rate of 470 °C/1 h, second phases dissolve into the matrix very well and the strength property reaches optimum. The alloy has better comprehensive properties treated by a solution treatment of 470 °C/1 h and then followed by an aging treatment of 120 °C/24 h + 170 °C/1 h + 120 °C/24 h. Under the aging state, the precipitated phases inside the grains are suitable in size, while on the grain boundary distribute discontinuously and the precipitate-free zone is obvious. Besides, the alloy still maintain high tensile properties. The yield strength, tensile strength and elongation are 650 MPa, 686 MPa,12.0%, respectively. The yield strength retention after heat exposure is 92%. The alloy has good corrosion resistance and the exfoliation corrosion degree. The average corrosion rate in the H_2S and CO_2 environment is 0.0024 mm/a, which is far less than the required 0.12 mm/a. It is insensitive to H_2S and CO_2 environments.     

Sintering mechanism of Cu-9Al alloy prepared from elemental powders

The sintering behavior of Cu-9Al alloys prepared from die pressing of elemental powders was investigated. The experimental results and kinetic analysis showed the formation of three consecutive layers of Al₂Cu, Al₄Cu₉, and AlCu phases, with Al₂Cu appearing first in the initial solid phase sintering stage. A liquid phase formed in the intermediate stage, resulting from the eutectic reaction between Al and Al₂Cu phases at 500 °C, which is 47 °C lower than the equilibrium reaction temperature. Swelling occurred when the liquid phase infiltrated the gaps between the copper particles, leaving pores at the original sites of Al particles and Al₂Cu. In the final stage of sintering, the Al-rich phases (Al₂Cu and AlCu) transformed to Al-poor phases (Al₄Cu₉ and α-Cu) in the temperature range of 500–565 °C. Al₄Cu₉ and α-Cu then transformed to AlCu₃ (β) above the eutectoid reaction temperature (565 °C), whereas AlCu₃ transformed to α-Cu and eutectoid phases (α-Cu + Al₄Cu₉) during cooling. The pure copper transformed to AlCu₃, and the pore volume decreased at 1000 °C. The microstructure study helps manipulate precisely the sintering process of Cu-Al alloys and optimize the microstructure with a high dimensional accuracy.     

Preparation of semi-solid aluminum alloy slurry poured through a water-cooled serpentine channel

A water-cooled serpentine channel pouring process was invented to produce semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy slurry for rheocasting, and the effects of pouring temperature and circulating cooling water flux on the microstructure of the slurry were investigated. The results show that at the pouring temperature of 640-680℃ and the circulating cooling water flux of 0.9 m3/h, the semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy slurry with spherical primary α(Al) grains can be obtained, whose shape factors are between 0.78 and 0.86 and the grain diameter can reach 48-68 μm. When the pouring temperatures are at 660-680℃, only a very thin solidified shell remains inside the serpentine channel and can be removed easily. When the serpentine channel is cooled with circulating water, the microstructure of the semi-solid slurry can be improved, and the serpentine channel is quickly cooled to room temperature after the completion of one pouring. In terms of the productivity of the special equipment, the water-cooled serpentine channel is economical and efficient.     

Dynamic recrystallization and phase transformation behavior of a wrought β-γ TiAl alloy during hot compression

The dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and phase transformation (PT) behavior of a wrought β-γ TiAl alloy during hot compression under various deformation temperatures were investigated. The typical work hardening and flow softening features indicated that DRX was the dominating softening mechanism. Both γ-DRX and β-DRX took place during the hot compression. γ-DRX was triggered at all compression temperatures, while the β-DRX was induced when the compression temperature was above 1000 °C. The hot deformation kinetics was calculated, which showed that DRX behavior existed in the whole hot compression process, and the DRX volume fraction increased with the increase of the compression temperature. Combined with the microstructure observation, it concluded that the β/B2+α₂→γ PT occurred at 850 °C and 1000 °C, while the γ→β/B2 PT happened at 1050 °C during hot compression, which is important to optimize microstructure. Moreover, the hot compression mechanism changed from dislocation gliding to grain-boundary sliding was discussed.     

Microstructure and heat treatment for Ni3Al-based single crystal alloy with different crystal orientations

Ni₃Al-based single crystal alloy IC6SX with different crystal orientations were prepared by seed crystal method. The microstructure and heat treatment of the alloy were investigated. The results showed that the microstructure of the alloy was in dendrite structure, and the crystal orientation had significant effect on the dendrite morphology of this alloy. The precipitated phases of (MoNi)₆C and NiMo appeared in the microstructure of the three alloys with different crystal orientations during solidification process. Compared with other two alloys, the volume fractions of precipitated phases of both (MoNi)₆C and NiMo was the most in the alloy with [111] orientation and the least in the alloy with [001] orientation. The solidus and liquidus temperatures of the alloy IC6SX tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were 1356 °C and 1387 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, the effect of different solution temperatures on the microstructure of the alloy with different orientations was studied. The results showed that the precipitated phases of (MoNi)₆C and NiMo were eliminated with the solid solution treatment under the condition of 1300 °C/10 h. However, the incipient melting of the alloys occurred due to the dissolution of low melting point phases. As the temperature dropped to 1280 °C, the area of incipient melting in the alloy with different orientations decreased gradually. However, there was no incipient melting appearing in the three alloys with different orientations when the solution treatment temperature dropped to 1260 °C.     

AlSi7MgBe合金半固态坯料制备及其触变成形

采用近液相线半连续铸造技术制备AlSi7MgBe合金半固态坯料,研究制坯工艺以及二次加热温度和保温时间对半固态浆料微观组织的影响,通过组织与性能分析对AlSi7MgBe合金的半固态触变成形性进行了研究.研究结果表明,AlSi7MgBe合金采用近液相线半连续铸造,坯料具有均匀、细小的蔷薇状组织.当二次加热温度为595℃,保温15 min时,能够得到适合于进行半固态触变成形的球化组织.对近液相线半连续铸造AlSi7MgBe合金坯料进行半固态触变成形,可以获得轮廓清晰、组织致密的成形件,成形件的组织与性能得到改善,与液态模锻工艺相比,硬度提高20%.     

Preparation of high-strength Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Fe alloy via heat treatment and rolling

An Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Fe alloy was solid-solution treated at 560°C for 3 h and then cooled by water quenching or furnace cooling. The alloy samples which underwent cooling by these two methods were rolled at different temperatures. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the rolled alloys were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and tensile testing. For the water-quenched alloys, the peak tensile strength and elongation occurred at a rolling temperature of 180°C. For the furnace-cooled alloys, the tensile strength decreased initially, until the rolling temperature of 420°C, and then increased; the elongation increased consistently with increasing rolling temperature. The effects of grain boundary hardening and dislocation hardening on the mechanical properties of these rolled alloys decreased with increases in rolling temperature. The mechanical properties of the 180°C rolling water-quenched alloy were also improved by the presence of β″ phase. Above 420°C, the effect of solid-solution hardening on the mechanical properties of the rolled alloys increased with increases in rolling temperature.     

Effect of long-term aging treatment on the tensile strength and ductility of GH 605 superalloy

Aging treatment is an effective way to optimize the mechanical properties of Co-based superalloys. In this study, commercial GH 605 superalloy was subjected to aging treatment at 650 ?°C in a wide time range up to 1000 ?h. The effects of aging time on the tensile characteristics, microstructure evolution and mechanical properties were systematically investigated at room temperature (RT) and 900 ?°C. The results showed that the volume fractions of M₆C and M₂₃C₆ carbide increased with the aging time. After long-term aging treatment, the yield strength (YS) at RT was enhanced from 490.3 ?MPa to 805.9 ?MPa, while the alloy still had high tensile ductility (above 20%). Microscopic observations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that the strengthening mechanism was related to carbide precipitation inside the grains and the change in the dislocation slipping mode. Moreover, long-term aging treatment can increase the elongation from 24.1% to 47.3% at 900 ?°C accompanied by a slight increase of YS from 299.3 ?MPa to 313.9 ?MPa. Based on detailed microstructure analysis the strengthening mechanism can be attributed to the refined grains as well as carbide precipitation inside the grains and around the grain boundaries.