Search Results (13)

The advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, particularly laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), has enabled the production of complex components with enhanced mechanical properties and shorter lead times compared to conventional manufacturing processes. This study focuses on the characterization of maraging steel (EOS MS1) fabricated by LPBF technology using an EOS M 290 system. Three material groups were investigated: a conventionally manufactured tool steel (95MnWCr5) serving as a reference, LPBF-produced maraging steel in the as-built condition, and LPBF-produced maraging steel subjected to post-processing heat treatment. The samples were thoroughly examined using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES), electrochemical corrosion analyses in a 3.5% NaCl solution, and Vickers microhardness measurements. Electrochemical tests revealed that heat-treated LPBF maraging steel samples exhibited slightly increased corrosion current densities relative to their as-built counterparts, attributed to the formation of Ti-rich and Ni-rich precipitates during aging, creating localized microgalvanic cells. Despite the increased corrosion susceptibility, hardness measurements clearly demonstrated enhanced hardness and mechanical properties in heat-treated samples compared to the as-built state and conventional tool steel reference. The findings underscore the importance of optimized LPBF parameters and controlled post-processing heat treatments in balancing mechanical performance and corrosion resistance. Consequently, LPBF-produced maraging steels hold considerable promise for tooling and industrial applications where high strength, dimensional stability, and acceptable corrosion behavior are required. Full article

In this work, the microstructure and degradation properties of a novel metal matrix composite composed of Mg with the addition of 1 vol. % hydroxyapatite nanopowder (Mg + 1 vol % nHAp) were evaluated. The composites in the form of discs produced using spark plasma sintering (SPS) were subjected to plastic deformation using a modified extrusion technique with an oscillating die located at the end of the extruder (called KoBo), which enables deformation without the preheating of the initial billet. The microstructure was analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with subsequent electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) measurements. The corrosion properties were evaluated based on electrochemical and immersion tests. To assess early biological performance, cytotoxicity tests were performed. The addition of nHAp did not significantly change the corrosion rate; however, the subsequent plastic deformation greatly decreased it. Interestingly, the sample after plastic deformation without the preheating of the initial billet was characterized by the highest cell viability. Overall, the addition of nHAp improved the biological assessment of the extruded composite; however, during plastic deformation, due to the refinement of loosely adherent nHAp and the formation of bimodally distributed grain sizes, a high number of microgalvanic couples were formed, resulting in worse corrosion performance. Full article

The electrochemical corrosion of a single-suction centrifugal water pump impeller made of gray cast iron operating at 85 °C was investigated in two industrial water media, i.e., groundwater extracted from a borehole and treated wastewater. Open circuit potential (OCP) measurement plus potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques elucidated the electrochemical corrosion performance and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) characterized the water samples. The retired and brand-new impellers were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and visual and metallographic examinations. Impeller trailing edges were vulnerable to corrosion damage due to increased total fluid pressure, velocity, and temperature. The groundwater was more contaminated with Ca, Mg, Na, Si, and S elements and possessed higher conductivity, pH, and suspended solids than the treated wastewater. The impeller was more susceptible to graphitic corrosion in the groundwater due to emerging microgalvanic cells. A kinetic control electrochemical mechanism was elucidated as the corrosion rate-controlling step in the wastewater. A mixed kinetic and diffusion control mechanism was predominant in the groundwater because a short Warburg impedance element emerged. This study showcased the significance of integrated industrial water management and treatment strategies to protect pumps’ integrity and uptime in critical industrial units implementing a zero-liquid discharge program. Full article

The effects of tensile and compressive strain, originating from U-bent deformation, on the corrosion behavior of 304 L stainless steel were studied via analyses of the material’s microstructure and electrochemistry in a 3.5% NaCl solution. In contrast with the as-received 304 L steel with the largest grain size, the deformed 304 L material with a small grain size had the lowest number of Σ3 grain boundaries and an overall low fraction, with special low-Σ values (≤29). Moreover, the dislocation density increased to 1.13 × 10¹⁶/m² and 1.4 × 10¹⁶/m² for the tensile and compressive 304 L steel testing, respectively. The decrease in E_pit and increase in i_pit suggested that there was a decrease in anti-corrosion properties due to tensile and compressive deformation. This might be attributed to the higher plastic strain found in deformed 304 L steel, which can induce the rupture of passive film and have a harmful influence on corrosion resistance. In particular, the compressive 304 L steel with the highest content of deformed grains (42.12%) promoted the formation of microgalvanic cells, thereby facilitating the nucleation of pits. Then, these pits grew to a large size through grain shedding. Subsequently, massive chloride ions were generated during metal dissolution and diffused along grain boundaries, which promoted the initiation and propagation of intergranular corrosion cracks. Full article

The circulation pump in a distillation column is a core device in a material circulation system, and its stable operation is crucial for the production process. The impeller of the circulation pump is prone to failure due to long-term contact with corrosive media, and subjected to a large amount of material erosion, which severely challenges the safety control of the distillation reaction system. Focusing on the corrosion failure phenomenon of circulation pump impellers, the failure mechanism was studied by means of macroscopic inspection, chemical composition analysis, metallographic examination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Results indicated that the corrosion of circulation pump impellers was the result of the combined effects of surface wear, cavitation, and halogen element corrosion. The medium in contact with the impeller contained chloride ions, fluoride ions, and solid particles. During circulation pump operation, a low-pressure zone formed at the inlet, generating numerous water vapor bubbles. These bubbles burst in the high-pressure zone, creating highly localized impact forces. Combined with the abrasive action of solid particles on the impeller surface, this led to the destruction of the passivation film and the formation of numerous small pits. These corrosion pits and the surrounding environment formed micro-galvanic corrosion cells with small anodes and large cathodes. Under the accelerated corrosion caused by fluoride and chloride ions, the corrosion process towards the inner wall of the impeller intensified, ultimately leading to impeller failure. This study clarified the corrosion failure mechanism and its root causes in the 2507 duplex stainless steel circulation pump impeller and proposes corresponding improvement recommendations, providing a scientific basis for preventing similar issues from occurring in the future. Full article

Hot-dip aluminum alloy is widely used in the engineering fields. However, during the aluminum plating process, Fe inevitably enters and reaches a saturation state, which has a significant impact on the corrosion resistance and microstructure of the coating. Currently, adding Si during the hot-dip aluminum process can effectively improve the quality of the coating and inhibit the Fe-Al reaction. To understand the effect of Si content on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of Al-xSi-3.5Fe coating alloys, the microstructure and post-corrosion morphology of the alloys were analyzed using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and XRD (X-ray Diffraction). Through electrochemical tests and complete immersion corrosion experiments, the corrosion resistance of the coating alloys in 3.5 wt.% NaCl was tested and analyzed. The results show that the Al-3.5Fe coating alloy mainly comprises α-Al, Al₃Fe, and Al₆Fe. With the increase in Si addition, the iron-rich phase changes from Al₃Fe and Al₆Fe to Al₈Fe₂Si. When the Si content reaches 4 wt.%, the iron-rich phase is Al₉Fe₂Si₂, and the excess Si forms the eutectic Si phase with the aluminum matrix. Through SKPFM (Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy) testing, it was determined that the electrode potentials of the alloy phases Al₃Fe, Al₆Fe, Al₈Fe₂Si, Al₉Fe₂Si₂, and eutectic Si phase were higher than that of α-Al, acting as cathode phases to the micro-galvanic cell with the aluminum matrix, and the corrosion form of alloys was mainly galvanic corrosion. With the addition of silicon, the electrode potential of the alloy increased first and then decreased, and the corrosion resistance results were synchronous with it. When the Si content is 10 wt.%, the alloy has the lowest electrode potential and the highest electrochemical activity. Full article

A method for magnesium scrap transformation into highly efficient hydroreactive material was elaborated. Tested samples were manufactured of magnesium scrap with no additives, or 5 and 10 wt.% Devarda’s alloy, by ball milling for 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h. Their microstructural evolution and reaction kinetics in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution were investigated. For the samples with additives and of scrap only, microstructural evolution included the formation of large plane-shaped pieces (0.5 and 1 h) with their further transformation into small compacted solid-shaped objects (2 and 4 h), along with accumulation of crystal lattice imperfections favoring pitting corrosion, and magnesium oxidation with residual oxygen under prolonged (4 h) ball milling, resulting in the lowest reactions rates. Modification with Devarda’s alloy accelerated microstructural evolution (during 0.5–1 h) and the creation of ‘microgalvanic cells’, enhancing magnesium galvanic corrosion with hydrogen evolution. The 1 h milled samples, with 5 wt.% Devarda’s alloy and without additives, provided the highest hydrogen yields of (95.36 ± 0.38)% and (91.12 ± 1.19)%; maximum reaction rates achieved 470.9 and 143.4 mL/g/min, respectively. Such high results were explained by the combination of the largest specific surface areas, accumulated lattice imperfections, and ‘microgalvanic cells’ (from additive). The optimal values were 1 h of milling and 5 wt.% of additive. Full article

The attractiveness of Zn-based alloys as structural materials for biodegradable implants mainly relates to their excellent biocompatibility, critical physiological roles in the human body and excellent antibacterial properties. Furthermore, in in vivo conditions, they do not tend to produce hydrogen gas (as occurs in the case of Mg-based alloys) or voluminous oxide (as occurs in Fe-based alloys). However, the main disadvantages of Zn-based alloys are their reduced mechanical properties and their tendency to provoke undesirable fibrous encapsulation due to their relatively high standard reduction potential. The issue of fibrous encapsulation was previously addressed by the authors via the development of the Zn-2%Fe alloy that was selected as the base alloy for this study. This development assumed that the addition of Fe to pure Zn can create a microgalvanic effect between the Delta phase (Zn₁₁Fe) and the Zn-matrix that significantly increases the biodegradation rate of the alloy. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of up to 0.8% Mn on the mechanical properties of biodegradable Zn-2%Fe alloy and to evaluate the corrosion behavior and cytotoxicity performance in in vitro conditions. The selection of Mn as an alloying element is related to its vital role in the synthesis of proteins and the activation of enzyme systems, as well as the fact that Mn is not considered to be a toxic element. Microstructure characterization was carried out by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while phase analysis was obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Mechanical properties were examined in terms of hardness and tensile strength, while corrosion performance and electrochemical behavior were assessed by immersion tests, open circuit potential examination, potentiodynamic polarization analysis and impedance spectroscopy. All the in vitro corrosion testing was performed in a simulated physiological environment in the form of a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution. The cytotoxicity performance was evaluated by indirect cell viability analysis, carried out according to the ISO 10993-5/12 standard using Mus musculus 4T1 cells. The obtained results clearly demonstrate the strengthening effect of the biodegradable Zn-2%Fe alloy due to Mn addition. The effect of Mn on in vitro corrosion degradation was insignificant, while in parallel Mn had a favorable effect on indirect cell viability. Full article

3D printing (or more formally called additive manufacturing) has the potential to revolutionize the way objects are manufactured, ranging from critical applications such as aerospace components to medical devices, making the materials stronger, lighter and more durable than those manufactured via conventional methods. While the mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V parts manufactured with two major 3D printing techniques: selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM), have been reported, it is unknown if the corrosion resistance of the 3D-printed parts is comparable to that of the alloy made with isothermal forging (ISF). The aim of this study was to identify the corrosion resistance and mechanisms of Ti-6Al-4V alloy manufactured by SLM, EBM and ISF via electrochemical corrosion tests in 3.5% NaCl solution, focusing on the effect of microstructures. It was observed that the equiaxed α + β microstructure in the ISF-manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy had a superior corrosion resistance to the acicular martensitic α′ + β and lamellar α + β microstructures of the 3D-printed samples via SLM and EBM, respectively. This was mainly due to the fact that (1) a higher amount of β phase was present in the ISF-manufactured sample, and (2) the fraction of phase interfaces was lower in the equiaxed α + β microstructure than in the acicular α′ + β and lamellar α + β microstructures, leading to fewer microgalvanic cells. The lower corrosion resistance of SLM-manufactured sample was also related to the higher strain energy and lower electrochemical potential induced by the presence of martensitic twins, resulting in faster anodic dissolution and higher corrosion rate. Full article

Ball-milled hydroreactive powders of Mg-Al scrap with 20 wt.% additive (Wood’s alloy, KCl, and their mixture) and with no additives were manufactured. Their hydrogen yields and reaction rates in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution at 15–35 °C were compared. In the beginning of the reaction, samples with KCl (20 wt.%) and Wood’s alloy (10 wt.%) with KCl (10 wt.%) provided the highest and second-highest reaction rates, respectively. However, their hydrogen yields after 4 h were correspondingly the lowest and second-lowest percentages—(45.6 ± 4.4)% and (56.0 ± 1.2)% at 35 °C. At the same temperature, samples with 20 wt.% Wood’s alloy and with no additives demonstrated the highest hydrogen yields of (73.5 ± 10.0)% and (70.6 ± 2.5)%, correspondingly, while their respective maximum reaction rates were the lowest and second-lowest. The variations in reaction kinetics for the powders can be explained by the difference in their particle sizes (apparently affecting specific surface area), the crystal lattice defects accumulated during ball milling, favoring pitting corrosion, the morphology of the solid reaction product covering the particles, and the contradicting effects from the potential formation of reaction-enhancing microgalvanic cells intended to induce anodic dissolution of Mg in conductive media and reaction-hindering crystal-grain-screening compounds of the alloy and metal scrap components. Full article

The hydrolysis of aluminum (Al) is a promising method for on-demand hydrogen generation for low-power proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. In this study, Al composites were mechanochemically activated using bismuth (Bi) and nickel (Ni) as activation compounds. The main objective was to determine the effects of Bi and Ni on Al particles during mechanochemical processing, and the hydrolysis activity of the Al-Bi-Ni composites. Successfully formulated ternary Al-Bi-Ni composites were hydrolyzed with de-ionized water under standard ambient conditions to determine the reactivity of the composite (extent of hydrogen production). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that Bi and Ni were distributed relatively uniformly throughout the Al particles, resulting in numerous micro-galvanic interactions between the anodic Al and cathodic Bi/Ni during hydrolysis reaction. The addition of >1 wt% Ni resulted in incomplete activation of Al, and such composites were non-reactive. All successfully prepared composites had near-complete hydrogen yields. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that no mineralogical interaction occurred between Al, Bi, and/or Ni. The main phases detected were Al, Bi, and minute traces of Ni (ascribed to low Ni content). In addition, the effect of the mass ratio (mass Al:mass water) and water quality were also determined. Full article

Efforts to develop metallic zinc for biodegradable implants have significantly advanced following an earlier focus on magnesium (Mg) and iron (Fe). Mg and Fe base alloys experience an accelerated corrosion rate and harmful corrosion products, respectively. The corrosion rate of pure Zn, however, may need to be modified from its reported ~20 µm/year penetration rate, depending upon the intended application. The present study aimed at evaluating the possibility of using Fe as a relatively cathodic biocompatible alloying element in zinc that can tune the implant degradation rate via microgalvanic effects. The selected Zn–1.3wt %Fe alloy composition produced by gravity casting was examined in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro examination included immersion tests, potentiodynamic polarization and impedance spectroscopy, all in a simulated physiological environment (phosphate-buffered saline, PBS) at 37 °C. For the in vivo study, two cylindrical disks (seven millimeters diameter and two millimeters height) were implanted into the back midline of male Wister rats. The rats were examined post implantation in terms of weight gain and hematological characteristics, including red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB) and white blood cell (WBC) levels. Following retrieval, specimens were examined for corrosion rate measurements and histological analysis of subcutaneous tissue in the implant vicinity. In vivo analysis demonstrated that the Zn–1.3%Fe implant avoided harmful systemic effects. The in vivo and in vitro results indicate that the Zn–1.3%Fe alloy corrosion rate is significantly increased compared to pure zinc. The relatively increased degradation of Zn–1.3%Fe was mainly related to microgalvanic effects produced by a secondary Zn₁₁Fe phase. Full article

The corrosion behaviors of Mg-2Zn-0.2Mn-xCa (denoted as MZM-xCa alloys) in homogenization state have been investigated by immersion test and electrochemical techniques in a simulated physiological condition. The microstructure features were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and the corrosion mechanism was illustrated using atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The electrochemical and immersion test verify the MZM-0.38% Ca owns the best corrosion performance with the corrosion rate of 6.27 mm/year. Furthermore, the film layer of MZM-0.38% Ca is more compact and denser than that of others. This improvement could be associated with the combined effects of the suitable content of Zn/Ca dissolving into the α-Mg matrix and the modification of Ca-containing compounds by heat-treatment. However, the morphologies were transformed from uniform corrosion to localized pitting corrosion with Ca further addition. It could be explained that the excessive Ca addition can strengthen the nucleation driving force for the second phase formation, and the large volumes fraction of micro-galvanic present interface sites accelerate the nucleation driving force for corrosion propagation. In addition, in vitro biocompatibility tests also show the MZM-0.38% Ca was safe to bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and was promising to be utilized as implant materials. Full article