Search Results (30)

To study the micromorphology and dynamic evolution law of copper aluminum composite interface evolution, ultra-high temperature laser Confocal microscopy (CLSM) was used to observe and analyze the evolution of copper aluminum interface in situ, and then SEM, EDS and other advanced material analysis methods were used to observe the micromorphology of the composite layer, and study the composition of the interface layer and the formation process of the copper aluminum composite interface. The results indicate that the formation of the copper aluminum composite interface layer is mainly related to the mutual diffusion of copper aluminum atoms and the interface reaction between copper and aluminum. The bonding of the copper aluminum composite interface is mainly related to the melting of the metal surface of the interface layer and the mutual diffusion of copper aluminum atoms, which is the main mechanism of the copper aluminum composite interface bonding. The intermetallic compound is mainly Al₂Cu. In situ, observation of copper aluminum composite interface shows that there is a clear and relatively flat boundary between copper and the interface layer, while the boundary between aluminum and the interface layer is not straight, which is caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient, Lattice constant and hardness between intermetallic compounds and matrix and between intermetallic compounds. At the same time, it was found that there is a certain relationship between the visual changes of the copper aluminum composite interface image and reaction-diffusion migration during in-situ observation using a confocal laser scanning high-temperature microscope. Moreover, under no pressure, the oxide layer and interface inclusions can seriously affect the interface bonding. Full article

Mg-based metallic glass (MG) has attracted extensive attention in the field of wastewater treatment due to its high decolorization rate in degrading azo dyes. However, the azo dye degradation rate of Mg-based MGs is strongly dependent on the particle size. Improving the intrinsic degradation efficiency using large particles is of great interest for future applications. In this work, in-situ metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) with high Mg content were successfully prepared by melt spinning. It is found that when the Mg content is 79–82%, the as-spun sample shows typical glassy characteristics. The SEM and XRD tests confirm that the as-spun sample is composed of α-Mg dendrite, multiple Mg-Zn intermetallic particles and an MG matrix. The degradation experiment using Direct Blue 6 and a 500 μm particle sample demonstrate that the Mg₈₂Zn₁₄Ca₃Sr₁ MGMC sample degrades azo dyes faster than typical Mg-Zn-Ca MG alloy. It can be attributed to the galvanic cell effect on the α-Mg/MG interface, which reduces the waste of active Mg atoms in the MG matrix according to the corrosion protection mechanism by the α-Mg anode sacrifice. This result provides a new perspective and insight into the design of azo dye degradation alloys and the understanding of degradation mechanisms. Full article

Dross in a Zn-55wt%Al-1.6wt%Si metal coating bath is a mixture of bath metal and the quaternary intermetallic phase τ5c-Al₂₀Fe₅Si₂(+Zn). Understanding the properties and formation of dross in a hot-dip Al-Zn galvanizing bath at the processing temperature (~600 °C) is critical for improving the production quality of steel sheet coating. However, dross analysis is usually conducted at room temperature with dross samples taken from the hot-dip bath and it is not known how representative these samples are of the phase(s) existing at high temperature. Using in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), the crystal lattice and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the intermetallic phase have been determined in the temperature range of 30 °C to 660 °C. Phase formation and phase stability of the intermetallic phase in the dross powder have been determined, providing fundamental knowledge for optimizing the production and quality of steel sheet coating. Full article

In the presented work, the effect of friction stir processing admixing the zirconium tungstate ZrW₂O₈ powder on the microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of the AA5056 Al-Mg alloy stir zone has been studied. The FSP resulted in obtaining dense composite stir zones where α-ZrW₂O₈ underwent the following changes: (i) high-temperature transformation into metastable β’-ZrW₂O₈ and (ii) decomposition into WO₃ and ZrO₂ oxides followed by the formation of intermetallic compounds WAl₁₂ and ZrA_l3. These precipitates served as reinforcing phases to improve mechanical and tribological characteristics of the obtained fine-grained composites. The reduced values of wear rate and friction coefficient are due to the combined action the Hall–Petch mechanism and reinforcement by the decomposition products, including Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, β’-ZrW₂O₈ and intermetallic compounds such as WAl₁₂ and ZrAl₃. Potential applications of the above-discussed composites maybe related to their improved tribological characteristics, for example in aerospace and vehicle-building industries. Full article

In the present investigation, the numerical code WELDSIM is used to simulate butt welding of 4 mm thick plates of S355 steel and AA6082-T6 by Hybrid Metal Extrusion and Bonding (HYB). This is a new solid state joining process using continuous extrusion as a technique to enable aluminium filler metal additions. In WELDSIM, the finite element heat flow model is coupled to a frictional heating model, an isokinetic diffusion model for the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) formation and a nanostructure model for simulating reversion and re-precipitation of hardening phases inside the aluminium part of the joints during welding and subsequent natural ageing. The HYB process model is validated by comparison with experimental data obtained from in-situ thermocouple measurements and hardness testing carried out on three different Al-steel butt welds. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope examinations of the Al-steel interfaces have been conducted to check the predicted power of the IMC diffusion model. It is concluded that the process model is sufficiently relevant and comprehensive to be used in simulations of both the thermal, microstructure, and strength evolutions fields in these dissimilar butt welds. Some practical applications of the process model are described toward the end of the article, where particularly its potential for optimising the load-bearing capacity of the joints, is highlighted. Full article

The present research uses in-situ neutron diffraction to examine the effect of grain refinement on grain growth during solidification of Al-5 wt.% Cu and Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloys. The alloys were grain refined through additions of Al-5Ti-1B and Zr, respectively. The in-situ neutron diffraction experiments were carried out by heating the alloys to temperatures above the liquidus and subsequently cooling in 5 or 10 °C temperature steps to temperatures below solidus, while being irradiated by thermal neutrons. With the addition of grain refiners, grain size reductions of 92% were observed for both the Al-5 wt.% Cu and Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloys. The refined and unrefined Al-5 wt.% Cu alloys contained α-Al with Al₂Cu along the grain boundary regions. Differences in Al₂Cu morphology were observed in the grain refined alloys. The Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloy contained MgZn intermetallic phases with primary Mg. The refined Mg-5 wt.% Zn-0.7 wt.% Zr alloy contained Mg, MgZn and Zn₂Zr phases. In-situ neutron diffraction enabled quantification of individual plane solid fraction growth for the α-Al and Al₂Cu phases in the Al-Cu alloys, and for α-Mg in the Mg alloys. For the unrefined Al-5 wt.% Cu, the coarse microstructure resulted in a rapid solid fraction rise at temperatures just below liquidus followed by a gradual increase in solid fraction until the sample was fully solid. The grain-refined Al-5 wt.% Cu alloys showed a columnar to equiaxed microstructure transition and a more gradual growth in fraction solid throughout solidification. For the Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloy, the more packed $\left(0002\right)$ and $\left(10\overline{1}1\right)$ α-Mg plane intensities grew at a slower rate than the $\left(10\overline{1}0\right)$ plane intensity, resulting in an irregular grain structure. With the addition of the Zr grain refiner, the Mg-5 wt.% Zn-0.7 wt.% Zr alloy had $\left(10\overline{1}0\right)$, $\left(0002\right)$ and $\left(10\overline{1}1\right)$ planes intensities all increasing at similar rates, especially at the early stages of solidification. FactSage™ (version 6.4, Montréal, QC, Canada) equilibrium solidification models followed the fraction solid curves developed by tracking the fastest growing planes of the Mg alloys. Full article

High Entropy Alloys are a class of alloys which have been shown to largely exhibit stable microstructures, as well as frequently good mechanical properties, particularly when manufactured by additive manufacturing. Due to the large number of potential compositions that their multi-component nature introduces, high throughput alloy development methods are desirable to speed up the investigation of novel alloys. Here, we explore once such method, in-situ alloying during Additive Manufacture, where a powder of a certain pre-alloyed composition is mixed with the required composition of powder of an additional element, such that alloying takes place when powders are melted during the process. To test the effectiveness and capability of the approach, selective laser melting has been used to manufacture pre-alloyed CoCrFeNi, and also CoCrFeNiCu and CoCrFeNiTi alloys by combining pre-alloyed CoCrFeNi powder with elemental powders of Cu and Ti. Processing parameter variations are used to find the highest relative density for each alloy, and samples were then characterised for microstructure and phase composition. The CoCrFeNi alloy shows a single phase face centred cubic (FCC) microstructure, as found with other processing methods. The CoCrFeNiCu alloy has a two phase FCC microstructure with clear partitioning of the Cu, while the CoCrFeNiTi alloy has an FCC matrix phase with NiTi intermetallics and a hexagonal close packed (HCP) phase, as well as unmelted Ti particles. The microstructures therefore differ from those observed in the same alloys manufactured by other methods, mainly due to the presence of areas with higher concentrations than usually encountered of Cu and Ti respectively. Successful in-situ alloying in this process seems to be improved by the added elemental powder having a lower melting point than the base alloy, as well as a low inherent tendency to segregate. While not producing directly comparable microstructures however, the approach does seem to offer advantages for the rapid screening of alloys for AM processability, identifying, for example, extensive solid-state cracking in the CoCrFeNiTi alloy. Full article

A nickel–titanium (NiTi)-based intermetallic coating was in-situ synthesized on a Ti–6Al–4V (TC4) substrate via laser melting deposition (LMD) using Ni–20Cr and TC4 powders. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, a digital microhardness tester and an electrochemical analyzer were used to evaluate the microstructure, Vicker’s microhardness and electrochemical corrosion resistance of the intermetallic coating. Results indicate that the microstructure of the intermetallic coating is composed of NiTi₂, NiTi and Ni₃Ti. The measured microhardness achieved is as high as ~850 HV_0.2, ~2.5 times larger than that of the TC4 alloy, which can be attributed to the solid solution strengthening of Al and Cr, dispersion strengthening of the intermetallic compounds, and grain refinement strengthening from the rapid cooling of LMD. During the electrochemical corrosion of 3.5% NaCl solution, a large amount of Ti ions were released from the intermetallic coating surface and reacted with Cl⁻ ions to form [TiCl₆]² with an increase in corrosion voltage. In further hydrolysis reactions, TiO₂ formation occurred when the ratio of [TiCl₆]²⁻ reached a critical value. The in-situ synthesized intermetallic coating can achieve a superior corrosion resistance compared to that of the TC4 alloy. Full article

TiAl intermetallic compounds, as a new kind of high-performance light-weight structural material, are widely applied in many fields. Titanium carbide (TiC) as the reinforcing phase could improve the mechanical properties, wear resistance, and heat-resistance stability of TiAl intermetallic compounds. Ti(Al, C) mixture powders were deposited by cold spraying at gas temperature of 250 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C. Then, Ti(Al, C) coatings were annealed at temperatures of 650 °C for different times and following holding at 1100 °C for 3 h. The microstructure, microhardness, fracture toughness, and abrasive wear of Ti-Al composite coatings were investigated. The research results were that the particle size of mixture powders decreased as the ball milling time prolonging. Ti(Al) solid solution appeared in the mixture powders as the milling time increased to 30 h. The average porosity of the coating sprayed at 550 °C was the lowest (0.85%). The as-sprayed coatings exhibited the same phase compositions with the mixture powders. The coating sprayed at gas temperature of 550 °C has the highest microhardness and the lowest weight loss. Ti-Al intermetallic was in-situ synthesized after annealing at 650 °C. The average porosity of the annealed coating (sprayed at 450 °C) was the lowest. The content of Ti-Al intermetallic compounds of the annealed coating sprayed at 450 °C is the highest. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis results are consistent with the EDS analysis of the annealed coatings after annealing at 650 °C. Ti-Al intermetallic compounds were almost completely formed in the three kinds of the coatings after annealing at 650 °C for 20 h and following holding at 1100 °C for 3 h. TiAl and TiAl₃ intermetallic phases were in-situ synthesized in the coatings based on the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and XRD analysis. TiC was also in situ synthesized in the coatings as the annealing temperature increased to 1100 °C. The annealed coating (sprayed at 450 °C) has the highest microhardness, fracture toughness, and wear resistance properties after annealing at 1100 °C for 3 h. Full article

The study was designed to investigate the synergic effect of Ti and Sn in the active metal brazing of Al₂O₃ ceramic to copper brazed, using the multicomponent Ag-Cu-Zr filler alloy. Numerous fine and hexagonal-shaped rod-like ternary intermetallic (Zr, Ti)₅Sn₃ phase (L/D = 5.1 ± 0.8, measured in microns) were found dispersed in the Ag-Cu matrix of Ag-18Cu-6Sn-3Zr-1Ti alloy, along with the ternary CuZrSn intermetallic phases. An approximate 15° reduction in contact angle and 3.1 °C reduction in melting point are observed upon the incorporation of Ti and Sn in Ag-18Cu-3Zr filler. Interestingly, the interface microstructure of Al₂O₃/Cu joints brazed by using Ag-18Cu-6Sn-3Zr-1Ti filler shows a double reaction layer: a discontinuous Ti-rich layer consisting of (Cu, Al)₃(Ti, Zr)₃O, TiO, and in-situ Cu-(Ti, Zr) precipitates on the Al₂O₃ side and continuous Zr-rich layer consisting of ZrO₂ on the filler side. The shear strength achieved in Al₂O₃/Cu joints brazed with Ag-18Cu-6Sn-3Zr-1Ti filler is 31% higher, compared to the joints brazed with Ag-18Cu-6Sn-3Zr filler. Failure analysis reveals a composite fracture mode indicating a strong interface bonding in Al₂O₃/Ag-18Cu-6Sn-3Zr-1Ti filler/Cu joints. The findings will be helpful towards the development of high entropy brazing fillers in the future. Full article

An Al₃Zr-reinforced Al matrix composite using metal powders was fabricated via in-situ synthesis in vacuum; these were subjected to a pin-on-disc wear test with a SUS304 disc specimen under oil lubrication. The elemental mixture of Al and ZrH₂ particles was sintered in vacuum for the in-situ-formed Al₃Zr. ZrH₂ particles were thermally decomposed in the reaction with the Al matrix to form hard Al₃Zr intermetallic compounds. The friction coefficient and wear volume values of the Al–Al₃Zr composites were significantly lower than those of the pure Al specimen. This is attributed to the uniform dispersion of Al₃Zr particles in the Al matrix, which prevented the metallurgical bond from falling and blocked the direct contact between the Al matrix and SUS304 disc. Full article

The deformation behaviour of as-cast ZK40 alloys modified with individual additions of Ca and Gd is investigated at 250 °C and 300 °C. Compression tests were carried out at 0.0001 s⁻¹ and 0.001 s⁻¹ using a modified Gleeble system during in-situ synchrotron radiation diffraction experiments. The deformation mechanisms are corroborated by post-mortem investigations using scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscattered diffraction measurements. The restoration mechanisms in α-Mg are listed as follows: the formation of misorientation spread within α-Mg, the formation of low angle grain boundaries via dynamic recovery, twinning, as well as dynamic recrystallisation. The Gd and Ca additions increase the flow stress of the ZK40, which is more evident at 0.001 s⁻¹ and 300 °C. Dynamic recovery is the predominant restoration mechanism in all alloys. Continuous dynamic recrystallisation only occurs in the ZK40 at 250 °C, competing with discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation occurs for the ZK40 and ZK40-Gd. The Ca addition hinders discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation for the investigated temperatures and up to the local achieved strain. Gd addition forms a semi-continuous network of intermetallic compounds along the grain boundaries that withstand the load until their fragmentation, retarding discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation. Full article

The in-situ observation of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joints under electromigration was conducted to investigate the microstructure and grain orientation evolution. It was observed that there was a grain rotation phenomenon during current stressing by in-situ electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The rotation angle was calculated, which indicated that the grain reorientation led to the decrease of the resistance of solder joints. On the other hand, the orientation of β-Sn played a critical role in determining the migration of Cu atoms in solder joints under current stressing migration. When the angle between the electron flow direction and the c-axis of Sn (defined as α) was close to 0°, massive Cu₆Sn₅ intermetallic compounds were observed in the solder bulk; however, when α was close to 90°, the migration of the intermetallic compound (IMC) was blocked but many Sn hillocks grew in the anode. Moreover, the low angle boundaries were the fast diffusion channel of Cu atoms while the high grain boundaries in the range of 55°–65° were not favorable to the fast diffusion of Cu atoms. Full article

The purpose of this investigation was to study the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of a newly developed high-pressure die-cast (HPDC) Al-5.5Mg-2.5Si-0.6Mn-0.2Fe (AlMgSiMnFe) alloy. The effect of heat-treatment in comparison with its as-cast counterpart was also identified. The layered (α-Al + Mg₂Si) eutectic structure plus a small amount of Al₈(Fe,Mn)₂Si phase in the as-cast condition became an in-situ Mg₂Si particulate-reinforced aluminum composite with spherical Mg₂Si particles uniformly distributed in the α-Al matrix after heat treatment. Due to the spheroidization of intermetallic phases including both Mg₂Si and Al₈(Fe,Mn)₂Si, the ductility and hardening capacity increased while the yield stress (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) decreased. Portevin–Le Chatelier effect (or serrated flow) was observed in both tensile stress–strain curves and initial hysteresis loops during cyclic deformation because of dynamic strain aging caused by strong dislocation–precipitate interactions. The alloy exhibited cyclic hardening in both as-cast and heat-treated conditions when the applied total strain amplitude was above 0.4%, below which cyclic stabilization was sustained. The heat-treated alloy displayed a larger plastic strain amplitude and a lower stress amplitude at a given total strain amplitude, demonstrating a superior fatigue resistance in the LCF regime. A simple equation based on the stress amplitude of the first and mid-life cycles (${\left(\mathsf{\Delta }\sigma /2\right)}_{first}$, ${\left(\mathsf{\Delta }\sigma /2\right)}_{mid}$) was proposed to characterize the degree of cyclic hardening/softening (D): $D=\pm \frac{{\left(\mathsf{\Delta }\sigma /2\right)}_{mid} - {\left(\mathsf{\Delta }\sigma /2\right)}_{first}}{{\left(\mathsf{\Delta }\sigma /2\right)}_{first}},$ where the positive sign “+” represents cyclic hardening and the negative sign “−“ reflects cyclic softening. Full article

Starting from subsurface Zr⁰-doped “inverse” Pd and bulk-intermetallic Pd⁰Zr⁰ model catalyst precursors, we investigated the dry reforming reaction of methane (DRM) using synchrotron-based near ambient pressure in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS), in-situ X-ray diffraction and catalytic testing in an ultrahigh-vacuum-compatible recirculating batch reactor cell. Both intermetallic precursors develop a Pd⁰–ZrO₂ phase boundary under realistic DRM conditions, whereby the oxidative segregation of ZrO₂ from bulk intermetallic Pd_xZr_y leads to a highly active composite layer of carbide-modified Pd⁰ metal nanoparticles in contact with tetragonal ZrO₂. This active state exhibits reaction rates exceeding those of a conventional supported Pd–ZrO₂ reference catalyst and its high activity is unambiguously linked to the fast conversion of the highly reactive carbidic/dissolved C-species inside Pd⁰ toward CO at the Pd/ZrO₂ phase boundary, which serves the role of providing efficient CO₂ activation sites. In contrast, the near-surface intermetallic precursor decomposes toward ZrO₂ islands at the surface of a quasi-infinite Pd⁰ metal bulk. Strongly delayed Pd carbide accumulation and thus carbon resegregation under reaction conditions leads to a much less active interfacial ZrO₂–Pd⁰ state. Full article