Crystallization of amorphous Ni-Zr alloys during heating with molecular dynamics simulations

The heating processes of amorphous Ni_xZr_100-x(x=10, 16.7, 33.3) alloys were investigated with molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that the crystallization of amorphous alloys during heating is controlled by the heating rate and the alloy's composition. The slower heating rate depresses the crystallizing temperatures and the melting temperatures of the amorphous alloys. Crystallization can be eliminated at rapid heating rates, the critical value of which decreases with increasing Ni content of the studied amorphous Ni-Zr alloys. Different crystalline structures formed during crystallizing depend on the heating rate, and the transition between crystalline structures was observed in the heating processes.     

An Investigation on Hydrogen Storage Kinetics of the Nanocrystalline and Amorphous LaMg<Subscript>12</Subscript>-type Alloys Synthesized by Mechanical Milling

Nanocrystalline and amorphous LaMg₁₂-type LaMg₁₁Ni + x wt% Ni (x = 100, 200) alloys were synthesized by mechanical milling. Effects of Ni content and milling time on the gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of as-milled alloys were investigated systematically. The electrochemical hydrogen storage properties of the as-milled alloys were tested by an automatic galvanostatic system. And the gaseous hydrogen storage properties were investigated by Sievert apparatus and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) connected with a H₂ detector. Hydrogen desorption activation energy of alloy hydrides was estimated by using Arrhenius and Kissinger methods. It is found that the increase of Ni content significantly improves the gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetic performances of as-milled alloys. Furthermore, as ball milling time changes, the maximum of both high rate discharge ability (HRD) and the gaseous hydriding rate of as-milled alloys can be obtained. But the hydrogen desorption kinetics of alloys always increases with the extending of milling time. Moreover, the improved gaseous hydrogen storage kinetics of alloys are ascribed to a decrease in the hydrogen desorption activation energy caused by increasing Ni content and milling time.     

Microstructural characterizations and mechanical properties of Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xCu alloys

Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-8Sn-1Al-1Zn-xCu（x=0wt%, 1wt%, 1.5wt% and 2.0wt%） alloys were studied by OM, Pandat software, XRD, SEM, DSC and a standard universal testing machine. The experimental results indicate that adding Cu to TAZ811 alloy leads to the formation of the AlMgCu and Cu3 Sn phases. Tensile tests indicate that yield strength increases fi rstly and then decreases with increasing Cu content. The alloy with the addition of 1.5wt% Cu exhibits optimal mechanical properties among the studied alloys. The improved mechanical properties can be ascribed to the second phase strengthening and fi ne-grain strengthening mechanisms resulting from the more dispersed second phases and smaller grain size, respectively. The decrease in ultimate tensile strength and elongation of TAZ811-2.0wt% Cu alloy at room temperature is ascribed to the formation of continuous AlMgCu and coarse Mg2 Sn phases in the liquid state.     

Gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of as-quenched nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type alloys

The nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg₂Ni-type Mg₂Ni_1?x Co _x (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) alloys were synthesized by melt quenching technology. The structures of the as-cast and quenched alloys were characterized by XRD, SEM and HRTEM. The gaseous hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys was measured using an automatically controlled Sieverts apparatus. The alloy electrodes were charged and discharged with a constant current density in order to investigate the electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys. The results demonstrate that the substitution of Co for Ni results in the formation of secondary phases MgCo₂ and Mg instead of altering the major phase Mg₂Ni. No amorphous phase is detected in the as-quenched Cofree alloy, however, a certain amount of amorphous phase is clearly found in the as-quenched alloys substituted by Co. Furthermore, both the rapid quenching and the Co substitution significantly improve the gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys, for which the notable increase of the hydrogen diffusion coefficient (D) along with the limiting current density (I _L ) and the obvious decline of the electrochemical impedance generated by both the Co substitution and the rapid quenching are basically responsible.     

Preparation and mechanical behavior of Mg-based bulk metallic glasses and their matrix composite

Mg87-xCuxDy13(x=22,27,32) bulk metallic glasses (BGMs) with a diameter of 6-8 mm and in-situ Mg phase reinforced Mg70Cu17Dy13 BMG matrix composite with a diameter of 3 mm have been prepared by copper mould casting. The glass forming ability (GFA) of Mg-Cu-Dy alloys have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and tne mechanical properties have been measured. Results show that Mg87-xCuxDy13(x=22,27,32) alloys in the Mg-Cu-Dy alloy system exhibit excellent GFA, and Mg60Cu27Dy13 alloy has the largest GFA among these alloys. And In-situ Mg phase reinforced Mg70Cu17Dy13 BMG matrix composite exhibits some work hardening and a high fracture compressive strength of 702.38 MPa and some plastic strain of 0.81%. The improvement of the mechanical properties is attributed to the fact that the Mg phase distributed in the amorphous matrix of the alloy has some effective load bearing and plastic deformation ability to restrict the expanding of shear bands and cracks and produce its own plastic deformation.     

Influence of substituting Ni with Co on hydriding and dehydriding kinetics of melt spun nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type alloys

In order to improve the hydriding and dehydriding kinetics of the Mg₂Ni-type alloys, Ni in the alloy is substituted by element Co. The nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg₂Ni-type Mg₂Ni_1−x Co _x (x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) alloys were synthesized by melt-spinning technique. The structures of the as-cast and spun alloys were studied with an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a high resolution transmission electronic microscope (HRTEM). An investigation on the thermal stability of the as-spun alloys was carried out with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics of the alloys were measured with an automatically controlled Sieverts apparatus. The results demonstrate that the substitution of Co for Ni does not alter the major phase of Mg₂Ni but results in the formation of secondary phase MgCo₂. No amorphous phase is detected in the as-spun Co-free alloy, but a certain amount of amorphous phase is clearly found in the as-spun Co-containing alloys. The substitution of Co for Ni exerts a slight influence on the hydriding kinetics of the as-spun alloy. However, it dramatically enhances the dehydriding kinetics of the as-cast and spun alloys. As Co content (x) increases from 0 to 0.4, the hydrogen desorption capacity increases from 0.19% to 1.39% (mass fraction) in 20 min for the as-cast alloy, and from 0.89% to 2.18% (mass fraction) for the as-spun alloy (30 m/s).     

Thermal stability and glass-forming ability of Y-Ce-Co-Al bulk metallic glasses

The thermal stability and glass-forming ability of Y_56-xCe_xCo₂₀Al₂₄ (x=15, 20, 25, 28, 38, 41, 44) bulk metallic glasses with a diameter of 5 mm were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the thermal stability of the alloys decreases with the addition of Ce. It has the best glass-forming ability when x=25, whose calculated values can reach about 30 mm in diameter. The effect of Ce element could be explained on the view of Miedema's theory and electronegativity difference of amorphous alloys.     

Structures and Electrochemical Performances of As-spun RE-Mg-Ni-Mn-based Alloys Applied to Ni-MH Battery

The La-Mg-Ni-Mn-based AB₂-type La_1-xCe_xMgNi_3.5Mn_0.5 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) alloys were fabricated by melt spinning technology. The effects of Ce content on the structures and electrochemical hydrogen storage performances of the alloys were studied systematically. The XRD and SEM analyses proved that the experimental alloys consist of a major phase LaMgNi₄ and a secondary phase LaNi₅. The variation of Ce content causes an obvious change in the phase abundance of the alloys without changing the phase composition. Namely, with the increase of Ce content, the LaMgNi₄ phase augments and the LaNi₅ phase declines. The lattice constants and cell volumes of the alloys clearly shrink with increasing Ce content. Moreover, the Ce substitution for La results in the grains of the alloys clearly refined. The electrochemical tests showed that the substitution of Ce for La obviously improves the cycle stability of the as-spun alloys. The analyses on the capacity degradation mechanism demonstrate that the improvement can be attributed to the ameliorated anti-corrosion and anti-oxidation ability originating from substituting partial La with Ce. The as-spun alloys exhibit excellent activation capability, reaching the maximum discharge capacities just at the first cycling without any activation treatment. The substitution of Ce for La evidently improves the discharge potential characteristics of the as-spun alloys. The discharge capacity of the alloys first increases and then decreases with growing Ce content. Furthermore, a similar trend also exists in the electrochemical kinetics of the alloys, including the high rate discharge ability (HRD), hydrogen diffusion coefficient (D), limiting current density (I_L) and charge transfer rate.     

Influences of melt spinning on electrochemical hydrogen storage performance of nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type alloys

In order to improve the electrochemical hydrogen storage performance of the Mg₂Ni-type electrode alloys, Mg in the alloy was partially substituted by La, and the nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg₂Ni-type Mg_20−x La _x Ni₁₀ (x=0, 2) alloys were synthesized by melt-spinning technique. The microstructures of the as-spun alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical hydrogen storage properties of the experimental alloys were tested. The results show that no amorphous phase is detected in the as-spun Mg₂₀Ni₁₀ alloy, but the as-spun Mg₁₈La₂Ni₁₀ alloy holds a major amorphous phase. As La content increases from 0 to 2, the maximum discharge capacity of the as-spun (20 m/s) alloys rises from 96.5 to 387.1 mA·h/g, and the capacity retaining rate (S ₂₀) at the 20th cycle grows from 31.3% to 71.7%. Melt-spinning engenders an impactful effect on the electrochemical hydrogen storage performances of the alloys. With the increase in the spinning rate from 0 to 30 m/s, the maximum discharge capacity increases from 30.3 to 135.5 mA·h/g for the Mg₂₀Ni₁₀ alloy, and from 197.2 to 406.5 mA·h/g for the Mg₁₈La₂Ni₁₀ alloy. The capacity retaining rate (S ₂₀) of the Mg₂₀Ni₁₀ alloy at the 20th cycle slightly falls from 36.7% to 27.1%, but it markedly mounts up from 37.3% to 78.3% for the Mg₁₈La₂Ni₁₀ alloy.     

Corrosion Behavior of Mg65Cu25-xZnxGd10 （x=0, 5）Metallic Glass

The effect of substitutional element Zn on corrosion behavior of Mg65Cu25Gd10 glass was investigated. The amorphous structure of Mg65Cu25-xZnxGd10 （x=0,5） alloys were examined by X-ray diffractometry and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. The dissolution rates of Mg65Cu25-xZnxGd10 （x=0, 5） metallic glasses in a 5 wt% NaCl solution with pH value of 7 were determined by a hydrogen evolution testing method. The corrosion behavior of these alloys was characterized using dipping tests with 5 wt% NaCl, in combination with electrochemical measurements and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Results show that the anti-corrosion ability of Mg65Cu25Gd10 alloy is significantly improved due to the addition of Zn. Possible mechanism responsible for the improvement is discussed.     

Synthesis of high pure Ti3AlC2 and Ti2AlC powders from TiH2 powders as Ti source by tube furnace

Titanium aluminum carbide (Ti₃AlC₂ and Ti₂AlC) powders were synthesized from TiH₂ powders instead of Ti powders as Ti source by a tube furnace under argon atmosphere without preliminary dehydrogenation. 95 wt% pure Ti₃AlC₂ powders were synthesized from TiH₂/1.1Al/2TiC at 1 450 °C for 120 min. High-purity Ti₂AlC powders were also prepared from 3TiH₂/1.5Al/C and 2TiH₂/1.5Al/TiC powders at 1 400 °C for 120 min. The as-synthesized samples were porous and easy to be ground into powders. Sn or Si additives in starting materials increased the purity of synthesized Ti₃AlC₂ obviously and expanded the temperature range for the synthesis of Ti₃AlC₂. With Si or Sn as additives, high pure Ti₃AlC₂ was synthesized at 1 200 °C for 60 min from TiH₂/x Si/Al/2TiC and TiH₂/x Sn/Al/2TiC (x = 0.1, 0.2), respectively.     

A study of the crystallization kinetics of Ge-Te amorphous systems

The glass-forming ability of binary Ge_xTe_100-x (x=15, 20, 30) alloys was investigated. The crystallization mechanism of these amorphous bulks was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calo-rimetry (DSC). The temperature of glass transition, the temperature of crystallization, the activation energy for glass transition and crystallization, and the order of the crystallization mechanism were calculated from the different heating-rates.     

Effect of Dy on structure and magnetic properties of DyxFe60.5?xPt39.5 Alloys

Effects of the content of Dy on structure and magnetic properties of Dy _x Fe_60.5−x Pt_39.5 alloys(x=0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5) were investigated. The results of XRD analysis proved that the phase-transitional temperature of Dy _x Fe_60.5−x Pt_39.5 alloys from disordered face-centered-cubic structure to ordered face-centered-tetragonal cubic structure decreases with the increase of the content of Dy(x). Suitable content of Dy can improve the exchange coupling between soft magnetic phase and hard magnetic phase by refining grain size, while the remanence ratio and coercivity of the Fe_60.5Pt_39.5 alloy can be significantly improved by a small replacement of Fe by Dy, good magnetic properties were obtained in Dy_0.5Fe_60.0Pt_39.5 alloys.     

Effect of dy on structure and magnetic properties of CoPt alloys

The effects of Dy on the microstructure and magnetic properties of Dy _x Co_50?x Pt₅₀ alloys were investigated. The XRD results indicate that all the alloys homogenized at 1000 °C contain only a single A1 (fcc) phase, while the alloys annealed at 675 °C consist of a hard-magnetic face-centered-tetragonal (fct) phase and a magnetically soft face-centered-cube (fcc) phase. Maximum values for the coercivity H _c and remanence ratio m _r were achieved in Dy_0.4Co_49.6Pt₅₀ alloys annealed at 675 °C for 80 min. For the series of Dy _x Co_50?x Pt₅₀ alloys annealed at 675 °C for 60 min, H _c decreases monotonically with increasing Dy concentration, but m _r is first enhanced and then weakened.     

Preparation and properties of FeZrB amorphous-nanocrystalline soft magnetic alloy

Fe₆₈Zr₂₀B₁₂ amorphous alloy was prepared by mechanical alloying(MA) method and annealed at different temperatures. Microstructures and magnetic properties of Fe₆₈Zr₂₀B₁₂ alloys as-milled and annealed at 693, 843, 943 and 993 K were studied. The raw powders(Fe, Zr, B) formed b. c. c. α-Fe solid solution at early stages of MA and then transformed into amorphous alloy. Grain size(D) of Fe₆₈Zr₂₀B₁₂ alloys increases with increasing annealing temperature and keeps at nanometer level. The specific saturation magnetization(σ _s ) increases with increasing annealing temperature from 300 K to 943 K, and then decreases with annealing temperature at 993 K because of the precipitation of Fe₃B.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of rapidly solidified Al-Cr alloys

The microstructure and mechanical properties of rapidly solidified Al-Cr alloys were investigated by XRD, TEM and microhardness testing instrument. The results indicate that the matrix of rapidly solidified Al-Cr alloys is α-Al solid solution when the Cr content is lower than 4 wt%. However, when the Cr content is above 4 wt%, the microstructures of rapidly solidified Al-Cr alloys are different along cross section. The microstructure of alloy contacting copper roller consists of α-Al and a few intermetallic compounds. With the increase of distance from copper roller, the matrix consists of α-Al and spherical intermetallic compounds which conglomerate in α-Al matrix. These intermetallic compounds are Al₇Cr, Al₁₁Cr and Al₄Cr. The tensile strength has the maximal value when the Cr content is about 8 wt%. The annealed microstructures show that supersaturated α-Al solid solution dissolved with increasing anneal temperature. The starting temperature of the second phase precipitated from the supersaturated α-Al solid solution desponds on the supersaturation. Meanwhile, the microhardness of rapidly solidified Al-Cr alloy reaches maximal value after annealing at 300 °C. Funded by the Innovation Fund for Outstanding Scholar of Henan Province (No. 0621000700)     

Proposal and achievement of a relatively Al-rich interlayer for In-rich Al x In1−x N films deposition

Ternary In-rich Al _x In_1?x N films were successfully grown on Si (111) and (0001) sapphire substrates by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on a relatively Al-rich Al _x In_1?x N layer after AlN buffer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the films indicate highly c axis-oriented wurtzite structure and the indium content of about 0.76 has been evaluated according to the Vegard’s law. An Al-rich Al _x In_1?x N transition layer was formed between the ultimate In-rich Al _x In_1?x N film and the AlN buffer, which served as a further buffer to alleviate mismatch. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling analyses confirm the alternative of indium and aluminum composition and the unavoidable oxygen impurities from surface to bulk. Owing to high indium content, obvious E ₂ ^H and InN-like A ₁ (LO) phonon model accompanying with slight AlN-like A ₁ (LO) phonon model are observed. Hall effect measurements demonstrate n-type electrical conductivity in these alloys with carrier concentrations n=10¹⁹ cm^?3. The strain in In-rich Al _x In_1?x N films can be significantly reduced by introducing an Al-rich interlayer, facilitating the improvement of film quality for diverse device applications.     

Glass forming ability of Zr-and Fe-based alloys at quenching from melts

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Influences of composition and annealing on the martensitic transformation in Ni-Fe-Ga alloys

A series of Ni-Fe-Ga alloys near the prototype Heusler composition (X₂YZ) were prepared through arc-melting suction-casting method. The dependences of the transformation behavior on the alloy composition and annealing treatment were studied in detail by an optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimeters methods. The experimental results show that the martensitic transformation temperatures increase almost linearly with increasing Ni content in all the NiFeGa alloys. Annealing the Ni_55.5Fe₁₈Ga_26.5 alloy at 100?C500 °C for 3 h and at 300 °C for 1?C10 h shifts the martensitic transformation start temperature by almost 20 °C to high temperature. The variations in the martensitic transformation temperatures in these alloys are discussed in terms of structural differences resulting from alloy composition and annealing treatment.     

Structural and electrical properties of high Curie temperature Aurivillius phase composite ceramics with largely enhanced piezoelectricity

High performance piezoelectric ceramics with high Curie temperatures(TC) are the bottle necks of relevant high temperature devices. In this study, the electrical performance and microstructure of Li and Mn codoped Aurivillius-type composite ceramics with a composition Ca_(0.99-x_Bi_(6.99+x)(Li Mn)_(0.01) Nb Ti_5O_(24)(x = 0–0.8) were systematically investigated. The results indicated that uniform intergrowth structure with a lattice similar to that of the end member CBT could be formed at a low x value(x 0.4). Phase separation occurred when more A-site Ca~(2+) ions were replaced by Bi~(3+) ions. Nevertheless, all composite samples showed d_(33) values about 2 to 3 times of that of the constituent phase Ca Bi_4Ti_4O_(15) and Bi_3 Ti NbO_9 with still a high depolarization temperature. The performance of the samples was found to be related to the density and larger lattice distortion along the polarization a axis. The results also demonstrated that formation of the compound system was an effective way in improving the performance of Aurivillius-type high TC piezoelectric ceramics.