Effect of grain size upon flow and fracture in a precipitation-strengthened Ti-8 wt % Al-0.25 wt % Si alloy

The interaction of grain size and precipitation strengthening has been studied in a Ti-8 wt % Al-0.25 wt %Si alloy. Grain sizes varying from 9 to 90m were produced by warm-working and annealing the alloy in the single--phase field. A uniform distribution of the coherent ₂ particles in the matrix was produced by ageing the alloy in the two-phase ( + ₂) field. The yield strength Hall-Petch slopes of the alloys with and without the ₂ precipitates were found to be nearly equal, indicating that the precipitation and grain-boundary strengthening are linearly additive. While specimens containing no precipitates exhibited a high ductility for all grain sizes, the ductility of the specimens with the ₂ particles decreased drastically with increasing grain size. TEM examination of the specimens containing the precipitates revealed a highly planar, localized slip and SEM examination of the fracture surfaces of these specimens revealed a transition in fracture behaviour from highly dimpled to mixed cleavage and intergranular with increasing grain size.     

Superplastic deformation of strongly textured Ti-6Al-4V

Changes in microstructure and texture during superplastic deformation of strongly textured Ti-6Al-4V bar have been determined in order to establish the cause of stress and strain anisotropy. The effect of strain on the microstructure of the alloy was to cause a progressive break-up, due to grain-boundary sliding, of an initially directional microstructure containing contiguous-phase. The texture of the-phase, however, changed very little with superplastic strain but that of the-phase was randomized. Shape changes predicted by permitted deformation modes in the-phase did not correlate with the observed shape changes, whereas the observed anisotropy could be explained by the break-up of the contiguous-phase. A model to account for this anisotropy is described briefly, together with a typical microstructure which should exhibit isotropic superplastic deformation.     

Grain-boundary sliding and intergranular cavitation during superplastic deformation of α/β brass

Intergranular and interphase cavitation in binary alpha/beta brass has been investigated in tension at 600° C under conditions of superplastic deformation. The sites for nucleation of cavities has been studied by quantitative metallography and the cavities are observed to nucleate preferentially at- interfaces. The process of cavitation is associated with grain boundary sliding and cavity nucleation occurs at points of stress concentrations in the sliding interfaces. Measurements of grain and phase boundary sliding at various interfaces demonstrate that sliding occurred on- boundaries more readily than on- and-gb interfaces. The predominance of- interface cavitation is believed to be as a result of greater sliding at the- boundary and of an unbalanced accommodation of sliding adjacent to this type of boundary.     

Superplastic deformation in Ti-4%Al-4% Mo-2%Sn-0.5%Si (IMI550)

The superplastic deformation properties, i.e. flow scenes and stain rate sensitivities, of the commercial alloy Ti-4% Al-4% Mo-2% Sn-0.5% Si (IMI55O) have been assessed in the temperature range 805 to 915° C and for different initial microstructures. Fine grained + microstructures showed superplastic properties at temperatures above 850° C and grain coarsening, which led to increases in flow stresses and e reduction in superplastic properties, was only pronounced at the higher temperatures. In transformed microstructures the method of strain rate cycling led to a breakdown of the acicular platelets end the development of an equiaxed + microstructure. At the same time the flow stresses at low strain rates decreased and the strain rate sensitivities increased. Light and electron microscopy showed that the-phase became the continuous or matrix phase even at volume fractions below 50% (i.e. at the lower deformation temperatures) and that molybdenum segregation at the longitudinal interphase boundaries (parallel to the tensile axis) occurred. The results suggest that there is a strain distribution between the-phase and the -phase, the-phase effectively behaving as a deforming mantle around the grains.     

The mechanism of continuous dissolution of the lamellar structure in aged Al 22 at% Zn alloy

The mechanism of continuous dissolution was studied using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and hardness measurements. The metastable phase was identified in the first stage of dissolution nucleating at the - boundaries. Interface dislocations at the - boundaries forming a perpendicular net in the 110 directions were identified as of screw character and of Burgers vector b=1/2a 110. During dissolution a change of shape of precipitates occurs leading to their fragmentation and to a change of the direction of boundaries into 110 directions.     

Precipitation hardening in Cu 1.81 wt % Be 0.28 wt % Co

The structure of the precipitation hardening alloy Cu 1.81 wt % Be 0.28 wt % Co has been studied as a function of ageing temperature and time, by transmission electron microscopy. The continuous precipitation sequence found is: supersaturated solid solution G.P. zones .The G.P. zone is an ordered platelet precipitate, which is coherent on {100} matrix planes and is nucleated in very high densities (>10²⁴ m^–3). The coherency stress fields, due to the misfit of the G.P. zone and matrix, overlap to produce a net matrix contrast along {110} 10, and give the characteristic tweed structure, which can be described by the kinematical theory of diffraction. The semi-coherent intermediate precipitate is nucleated by the G.P. zones and the transformation is characterized from the changes in the arrowhead structure produced in the electron diffraction patterns. No transformation of to the equilibrium precipitate is found for the ageing times investigated.     

The redistribution of alloying elements by rapid-heating solution treatment of an (α +β) titanium alloy

Thin-foil X-ray energy-dispersive chemical analysis of an (+) titanium alloy has been used to establish the compositional profiles which develop between the and phases as a result of heating into the field at a rate of 100 K sec^–1. The results show that phase transforms to via a diffusional mechanism as it is progressively enriched in-stabilizing solutes. Complete diffusional transformation of to occurs 160 K above the transus but the phase remains chemically inhomogeneous. On subsequent quenching at a rate of 400 K sec^–1, phase containing less than approximately 10wt% Mo equivalent of -stabilizing solutes transforms to martensite. The proposed transformation mechanisms are consistent with the results of resistivity measurements made during the heating and cooling cycles.     

The age hardening effect in Ti-6 Al-4 V due to ω and α precipitation in the β grains

The structure at room temperature of a quenched TA6V titanium alloy has been investigated. This structure is + or + according to the treatment temperature; it is always metastable. During ageing the grains decomposed by the reaction + + +; this decomposition was accompanied by a large increase of the 0.2% yield stress. No structural modification was observed in. The and phase of TA6V were separately investigated in the form of single-phase alloys. The hardness of was insensitive to ageing, while was considerably hardened by and; we deduced that the strengthening of the minor phase during ageing is mainly responsible for the hardening of TA6V.     

Self-reinforcement in li-α-sialon ceramics

Self-reinforcement of Li--sialon ceramics by in situ growth of elongated and -sialon grains has been explored and analysed. Properties of Li--sialon ceramics are mainly determined by the overall starting composition and the crystalline modification of the starting Si₃N₄ powder which in turn determine the final microstructure of the materials. Both the morphology and crystalline phase of the elongated sialon grains have strong effects on the toughening mechanism. The results indicate that -sialons reinforced by elongated -sialon grains have advantages over similar materials reinforced by elongated -sialon grains because of the type of crack deflection toughening mechanism involved.     

Mössbauer studies of α″-Fe16N2 and α′-Fe8N films

Conversion-electron Mössbauer spectra of epitaxial -Fe₁₆N₂ and -Fe₈N films have been studied and their differences are discussed in detail. The Mössbauer spectrum of -Fe₁₆N₂ can be decomposed into three subspectra, which correspond to the 4d, 8h and 4c sites. The Mössbauer spectrum of -Fe₈N can be fitted using four spectra based on a nitrogen-atom-random-distribution model. The average hyperfine field is larger (3%) for -Fe₁₆N₂ than for -Fe₈N, which is approximately consistent with a 4.1% enhancement of the magnetic moments for -Fe₁₆N₂. The iron moments tend to locate in the film plane for -Fe₁₆N₂ and to arrange perpendicularly to the film plane for -Fe₈N.     

Tensile and fatigue strength of hydrogen-treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Tensile, fatigue and fractographic data on Ti-6Al-4V microstructures attained through a series of post--annealing treatments which used hydrogen as a temporary alloying element are presented. Hydrogen-alloying treatments break up the continuous grain boundary and colony structure, and produce a homogeneous microstructure consisting of refined -grains in a matrix of discontinuous . These changes in microstructural morphology result in significant increases of the yield strength (974 to 1119 MPa), ultimate strength (1025 to 1152 MPa) and high cycle fatigue strength (643 to 669 MPa) compared to respective values for lamellar microstructures (902, 994, 497 MPa). The strengths are also significantly greater than the strengths of equiaxed microstructures (914, 1000, 590 MPa). The strengths of hydrogen-alloy treated samples are therefore superior to strengths attainable via other thermal cycling techniques.The fatigue fracture surfaces of the hydrogen-alloy treated samples were topographically similar to equiaxed samples. Fatigue crack initiation was characterized by faceted regions. As crack length and K increased, the crack surface changed to a rounded, ductile topology, with microcracks and locally striated regions. Fracture primarily followed the - interfaces. This is rationalized by the fact that hydrogen-alloyed microstructures are very fine Widmanstatten microstructures having reduced aspect ratios, and these microstructures fail along - interfaces.     

Flame quenching through endothermic reaction

A laminar premixed flame model is considered in which there is a second-order branching reaction coupled with an endothermic decay of a chemical inhibitor. An analysis, based on high activation energies for the reactions, is performed and two distinct cases are found. These depend on dimensionless parameters representing the loss of heat relative to its production, , and the consumption of inhibitor relative to that of fuel, . With 1, extinction is achieved through a saddle-node bifurcation at a critical value of . For , no extinction is found though considerable reductions in wave speed over the adiabatic limit are seen. The asymptotic results are compared with numerical simulations of an initial-value problem for the model.     

The effect of silicon on the eutectic grain size of gravity cast Zn-12% Al

For gravity castings made from Zn-12% Al alloys wide variations of impact strength have been observed that could not be explained in terms of casting soundness. Previous unpublished research isolated trace impurities of silicon as the cause of a large increase in eutectic grain size and subsequent decrease in impact strength. In the present study the effect of silicon on the as-cast eutectic grain size and impact strength of Zn-12Al is confirmed. Thermal analysis and interface equilibration experiments indicate that silicon impedes nucleation of the eutectic phase. Finding that the presence of silicon lowers the primary/eutectic liquid interfacial energy, it is concluded that silicon, rejected by the pro-eutecticphase during primary solidification, poisons the interface causing the difficulty with the nucleation of eutectic on the primary surface leading to the increase in eutectic grain size.     

Solid state phase transformation of BaB2O4 during the isothermal annealing process

Solid-state phase transformation of BaB₂O₄ during the isothermal annealing process for both to and to were investigated using a platinum crucible. For the -phase crystal at the -phase stable temperature (> 925 °C), the phase transforms to the phase perfectly below the melting temperature of 1100 °C. Meanwhile, for the -phase crystal at the -phase stable temperature (< 925 °C), the phase transforms to the phase perfectly above 800 °C. There is some difference in phase transformation behaviour between bulk-shape crystals and the powder, caused by thermal stress.     

A superconducting vibrating reed applied to flux-line pinning. I. Theory

A theoretical treatment is given of a superconducting reed clamped at one end and performing flexural vibrations in a homogeneous longitudinal magnetic fieldB _a. When the flux lines are rigidly pinned the reed behaves like an ideal diamagnet whose bending distorts the external field. This generates a magnetic restoring force (line tension) B _a ² which is independent of the reed thicknessd, whereas the mechanical restoring force (stiffness) is d ³. Therefore, the resonance frequency /2 of a thin superconducting reed increases drastically when a fieldB _a is applied, or for a givenB _a, when the reed is cooled below its critical temperatureT _c. With decreasing pinning strength (characterized by Labusch's parameter ) the resonance frequency decreases, ²²– _pin ² where _pin ^{2 –1}, and an attenuation _v ^–2 occurs due to the viscous motion of flux lines. For larger vibration amplitudes an additional, amplitude-dependent damping _h ^–3 occurs due to the hysteretic losses caused by elastic instabilities during flux motion.On leave from Centro Atómico, Bariloche, Argentina.     

Detection of martensite transformation in high temperature compressively deformed austenitic stainless steel by magnetic NDE technique

The present work demonstrates that a magnetic non-destructive evaluation technique can be useful for detecting the presence and extent of ferromagnetic martensitic phase in high temperature deformed 304 austenitic stainless steel.A good correlation between the martensitic transformation and magnetic parameters; saturation magnetization, coercive force and magnetic susceptibility have been obtained. Saturation magnetization was increased depending on the volume percentage of martensite transformation. The volume percentage of martensite was found to be dependent on the temperature and level of plastic strain. At temperatures below 623 K, martensitic transformation was detected after deformation of 10 to 40% plastic strain. A massive increase in martensite phase was observed in the specimen deformed at RT to 40% plastic strain.Compressive deformation at RT formed thermodynamically more stable long and broad shape of martensite. But as the temperature of deformation increases lath shape gradually converted into needle shape.Coercive force was exclusively connected with size, shape and spatial distribution of martensite. For specimens deformed at 523 K coercive force were much higher than those of the specimens deformed at RT. Coercive force decreased remarkably at temperatures above 623 K. Formation of ferromagnetic martensite in a paramagnetic matrix was also accompanied by an increase in magnetic susceptibility. Low magnetic susceptibility at temperatures above 623 K was due to disappearance of martensitic phase.     

Microstructure and crack sensitivity of laser-fusion zones of Ti-46 mol % Al-2 mol % Mo alloy

Laser surface melting and laser welding were performed on Ti-46 mol % Al-2 mol % Mo using a 2.5 kW CO₂ laser. Microstructures of the fusion zones were changed in the following way as the cooling rate increased: massive ₂+massive +lamellar(₂+) massive ₂+massive ₂. In laser surface melting, a single-phase structure of ₂ was seen when the calculated average cooling rates between 1773 and 1273 K were above approximately 4000 Ks^–1. In laser welding, the microstructure of the fusion zones was mainly composed of massive ₂+massive +lamellar. The hardness of the fusion zones increased with increasing cooling rate and the single-phase structure of ₂ showed hardness above 500 Hv. While all of the laser surface-melted zones included cracking, in laser welding, crack-free welds could be obtained at traverse speeds below 50.0 mm s^–1 and pre-heating temperatures above 573 K. As a result, cracking was prevented by selecting optimum welding parameters which result in calculated cooling rates between 1073 and 873 K below approximately 30 Ks^–1 and the hardness of the fusion zones below approximately 400 Hv. In tensile tests, the laser-welded specimens without weld cracking fractured in the base metal. Thus, laser welding can be applied to the joining of Ti-46 mol % Al-2 mol % Mo.     

Eutectic solidification characteristics of Bridgman grown AI-3Fe-0.1V alloy

Eutectic solidification characteristics of Al-2.85 wt%Fe-0.12 wt% Valloy have been investigated by steady-state growth over the range of solidification front velocity from 51 to 1030m/s and temperature gradient 8 to 15 K/mm. Increasing growth velocity displaced the Al-Al3Fe eutectic by Al-AlxFe eutectic rather than by the Al-Al6Fe eutectic obtained for the binary Al-3 wt%Fe alloy. A fully Al-AlxFe eutectic structure has been obtained for the first time in the vanadium-containing alloy over the growth velocity range from 71 to1030m/s except at 100 and 510m/s where some Al dendrites were present in the eutectic matrix. TheAl-AlxFe eutectic was observed to undergo a morphological transition from lamellar to rod-like with increasing growth velocity concurrently with formation of a cellular eutectic structure. It was found that the relationship = Av–1/2, between eutectic spacing and growth velocity v, was applicable with A = 22.4 ± 1.8 and 13.8 ± 2.1 m3/2s–1/2 for lamellar and rod-like Al-AlxFe eutectics, respectively.     

Activated slip systems during yielding of α-β brass two-phase bicrystals

- brass two-phase bicrystals, consisting of fcc () single crystals and bee () single crystals, which were made by the solid state diffusion couple technique, were tensile-tested at room temperature in order to clarify the role of phase-interface on the deformation. The two-phase bicrystals had small concentration gradients in the- and-phases and satisfied the Kurjumov-Sach's orientation relationships i.e. {1 1 1} {1 1 0} and [1 1 0] [1 1 1] at the interface. The slip traces observed in bicrystals deformed to about 3% plastic strain showed a striking contrast between the- and-phases; the slip traces in the-phase were clear and straight, while those in the-phase were fine and wavy. The slip systems in the bicrystals were attributed to those observed in and single crystals, and were explained by a plastic strain incompatibility mechanism. The slip systems, originating at the interface or propagating from another phase, were observed on matching planes.On leave from Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.     

Bone formation induced by calcium phosphate ceramics in soft tissue of dogs: a comparative study between porous α-TCP and β-TCP

Two kinds of tri-calcium phosphate ceramics (Ca/P = 1.50), -TCP and -TCP, which has the same macrostructure and microstructure, but different phase composition, were implanted in dorsal muscles of dogs. The samples were retrieved at 30, 45 and 150 days, respectively, after implantation, and were analyzed histologically. There were critically different tissue responses between -TCP ceramic and -TCP ceramic. Higher cell populations were observed inside the pores of -TCP than those of -TCP, bone tissue was found in -TCP at 45 and 150 days, but no bone formation could be detected in any -TCP implants in this study. On the other hand, the bone tissue in -TCP seemed to degenerate at 150 days. The results indicate that porous -TCP can induce bone formation in soft tissues of dogs; while the rapid dissolution of the ceramic and the higher local Ca²⁺, PO ₄ ^3- concentration due to the rapid dissolution of -TCP may resist bone formation in -TCP and the less rapid dissolution of -TCP may be detrimental to already formed bone in -TCP.