Ni24.7Ti50.3Pd25.0 high temperature shape memory alloy with narrow thermal hysteresis and high thermal stability

High temperature shape memory alloys with operating temperatures above 100 °C are in demand for use as solid-state thermal actuators in aerospace, automobile and other engineering applications. The present study deals with transformation behaviour and thermal stability of Ni_24.7Ti_50.3Pd_25.0 (at.%) high temperature shape memory alloy, in cast and homogenized condition. The martensite finish temperature and transformation hysteresis of the alloy were determined to be 181.0 °C and ∼8.5 °C respectively. The alloy showed high stability upon stress-free thermal cycling, variation in transformation temperatures being ±1 °C. The narrow thermal hysteresis and high thermal stability of the alloy upon transformation cycling has been discussed and correlated with its microstructural features, activation energy and elastic strain energy of thermoelastic martensitic transformation. The alloy exhibited modulus of ∼82 GPa and hardness of ∼4.7 GPa in martensite phase.     

Ti-Ni-Hf高温形状记忆合金的研究进展

Ti-Ni-Hf记忆合金因具有高相变温度、相对低廉的价格和高输出功等诸多优点而成为最具潜力的高温形状记忆合金之一。然而,Ti-Ni-Hf记忆合金基体强度低,变形过程中易优先发生塑性变形,从而使其可实现的可恢复应变远低于理论值。目前改善应变恢复特性的措施主要包括:热机械处理(冷轧+退火)、合金化、时效处理、制备单晶合金等。研究表明,Ti-Ni-Hf合金的应变恢复特性与微观组织结构密切相关。本文主要阐述了Ti-Ni-Hf记忆合金在近年来的最新研究进展,包含微观组织结构的演化规律、马氏体相变行为以及力学性能和应变恢复特性,并基于前期研究成果建立了微观组织结构-马氏体相变-力学与应变恢复特性的关联特性。当前,Ti-Ni-Hf高温形状记忆合金冷、热加工性能差是其广泛应用的瓶颈。因此,Ti-Ni-Hf高温记忆合金的粉末冶金和增材制造可能是未来研究的热点与重点。     

Effect of aging on fatigue crack growth behaviour of Cu bearing HSLA-100 steel

Abstract

The effect of aging on fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) of Cu bearing HSLA-100 steel has been studied. The steel was solution treated, water quenched and aged at various temperatures in the range of 350–700°C. The fatigue crack growth resistance of the steel decreased for the initial stages of aging from 350–500°C. Further aging up to 650°C resulted in an improvement in the crack growth resistance. Beyond 650°C, once again an inferior crack growth resistance was observed. This nature of variation of FCGR behaviour was similar to the trend portrayed by the strength properties with aging treatment. The results are related to the changes in the microstructural constituents owing to the aging treatment.     

High‐Temperature Shape Memory Effect in Ti‐Ta Thin Films Sputter Deposited at Room Temperature

Ti‐Ta based alloys are potential high‐temperature shape memory materials with operation temperatures above 100 °C. In this study, the room temperature fabrication of Ti‐Ta thin films showing a reversible martensitic transformation and a high temperature shape memory effect above 200 °C is reported. In contrast to other shape memory thin films, no further heat treatment is necessary to obtain the functional properties. A disordered α″ martensite (orthorhombic) phase is formed in the as‐deposited co‐sputtered Ti₇₀Ta₃₀, Ti₆₈Ta₃₂ and Ti₆₇Ta₃₃ films, independent of the substrate. A Ti₇₀Ta₃₀ free‐standing film shows a reversible martensitic transformation, as confirmed by temperature–dependent XRD measurements during thermal cycling between 125 °C to 275 °C. Furthermore, a one‐way shape memory effect is qualitatively confirmed in this film. The observed properties of the Ti‐Ta thin films make them promising for applications on polymer substrates and especially in microsystem technologies.     

Phase Transformation and Thermal Stability of Aged Ti-Ni-Hf High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys

The use of Ni-rich TiNiHf alloys as high temperature shape memory alloys （SMAs） through aging has been presented. For Ni-rich Ti80-xNixHf20 alloys, their phase transformation temperatures are averagely increased more than 100 K by aging at 823 K for 2 h. Especially for the alloys with Ni-content of 50.4 at. pct and 50.6 at. pct, their martensitic transformation start temperatures （Ms） are more than 473 K after aging. TEM observation confirmed that some fine particles precipitate from the matrix during aging. The aged Ni-rich TiNiHf SMAs show the better thermal stability of phase transformation temperatures than the solutiontreated TiNiHf alloys. The fine particles precipitated during aging should be responsible for the increase of phase transformation temperatures and its high stability.     

Electrical and Mechanical Behavior of Aerosol Jet–Printed Gold on Alumina Substrate for High-Temperature Applications

There is a growing interest in the development of microelectronics that can perform reliably and robustly at temperatures above 300 °C. Such devices require stable thermal properties, low thermal drift, and thermal cycling resistance. Conventional hybrid circuit technology demonstrates high-temperature packages, but the high costs and lead time are significant drawbacks. In contrast, additive manufacturing processes, including aerosol jet printing (AJP), offer cost and time benefits, as well as 3D structures and embedded features. However, the properties and reliability of additive packaging materials at extreme temperatures are not well known. Herein, the reliability at temperatures up to 750 °C in terms of electrical performance and mechanical strength of aerosol jet printed gold thick films onto ceramic substrates are assessed. Thermal coefficient of resistance of printed gold films is measured. The electrical resistance stability and leakage current of printed gold structures are also characterized during over 100 h of aging at temperatures up to 750 °C. Finally, the mechanical adhesion strength of the printed gold films is evaluated after aging for 100 h at temperatures up to 750 °C. The adhesion of the printed gold to the ceramic substrates remains high after aging, very stable resistances and minimal leakage currents have been observed.     

The effect of σ-phase precipitation at 800°C on the mechanical properties of a high alloyed duplex stainless steel

High alloyed duplex stainless steels, referred to as super duplex, are being used increasingly for applications in corrosive environments. The higher Cr and Mo contents of these materials can lead to susceptibility to σ-phase precipitation, even during short time exposures to high temperatures. The 800°C aging of a high alloyed duplex stainless steel was investigated. Optical microscopy with image analysis, X-ray diffraction, and SEM were used to determine the σ-phase and to estimate the amount. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, impact strength and hardness were investigated. It was found that the impact strength is most sensitive to aging at 800°C. The σ-phase transformation is discussed and the microstructural aspects are described.     

机械合金化和粉末冶金法制备Fe-Mn-Si基形状记忆合金的研究进展

铁基形状记忆合金由于价格低廉、强度高、加工性能好、可焊接等优点引起广泛重视。机械合金化(MA)和粉末冶金(PM)作为制备材料的新工艺,可以用来制备性能优越的形状记忆合金。本文详述了机械合金化和粉末冶金工艺在制备Fe-Mn-Si基形状记忆合金过程中对合金相变、组织与性能的影响,以及此类合金在新领域的应用。最后提出了现阶段在研究MA/PM工艺制备Fe-Mn-Si基SMA中有关工艺参数、相变机制以及回复应力和低温应力松弛所存在的问题。     

High temperature plasticity of lithium zinc silicate glass-ceramics

Constant strain-rate tensile and compressive tests have been carried out on specimens of a glass-ceramic derived from the SiO₂-Li₂O-ZnO system. With increasing temperature, the tensile strength decreases from its room temperature value to a minimum at approximately 500°C and then increases to a peak strength of nearly 2 kbar at about 650°C before falling to almost zero above 800°C. The ultimate strength at high temperatures is considerably greater in compression than in tension and, in compression, it is succeeded by plasticity at progressively smaller levels of stress. The apparent absence of microstructural change during plastic deformation suggests that the hot glass-ceramic behaves as a rigid solid/viscous fluid mixture, the properties of which are briefly discussed.     

Thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline Fe–Ni–Zr alloys prepared by mechanical alloying

The thermal stability of nanostructured Fe_100?x?y Ni _x Zr _y alloys with Zr additions up to 4 at.% was investigated. This expands upon our previous results for Fe–Ni base alloys that were limited to 1 at.% Zr addition. Emphasis was placed on understanding the effects of composition and microstructural evolution on grain growth and mechanical properties after annealing at temperatures near and above the bcc-to-fcc transformation. Results reveal that microstructural stability can be lost due to the bcc-to-fcc transformation (occurring at 700 °C) by the sudden appearance of abnormally grown fcc grains. However, it was determined that grain growth can be suppressed kinetically at higher temperatures for high Zr content alloys due to the precipitation of intermetallic compounds. Eventually, at higher temperatures and regardless of composition, the retention of nanocrystallinity was lost, leaving behind fine micron grains filled with nanoscale intermetallic precipitates. Despite the increase in grain size, the in situ formed precipitates were found to induce an Orowan hardening effect rivaling that predicted by Hall–Petch hardening for the smallest grain sizes. The transition from grain size strengthening to precipitation strengthening is reported for these alloys. The large grain size and high precipitation hardening result in a material that exhibits high strength and significant plastic straining capacity.     

The Investigation of Thermal and Magnetic Properties and?Microstructure Analysis of?Cu�CAl�CMn Shape Memory Alloys

In this study, the transformation temperatures and shape memory effect of Cu?CAl?CMn shape memory alloys were investigated by calorimetric measurements. Cu?CAl?CMn alloys in the range of 10?C15 wt% of aluminum and 0?C10 wt% of manganese; exhibiting ??-phase at high temperatures, were prepared. With an increase in the aluminum and manganese concentrations of the alloy, the martensite morphology is modified and the transformation temperatures are decreased. The activation energies of the alloys were calculated according to the Ozawa and Kissinger methods. Magnetic properties of the alloys were studied and it was seen that the alloys show low magnetization. The microstructures of the alloys were investigated by optical micrographs where the martensite variants with different orientations can be observed from the micrographs.     

Spark plasma sintering and hot compression behaviour of AZ91 Mg alloy

Abstract

In the present investigation, the microstructural characterisation of the AZ91 Mg alloy produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS), as well as the evaluation of its hot compression behaviour, has been performed. Based on the differential scanning calorimetry analyses of the starting powders, three SPS cycles are investigated, using temperatures of 400 and 450°C, and at 450°C with previous solubilisation soaking at 420°C. Despite different microstructural and hardness characteristics, the three alloys display similar hot compression behaviour. At 200°C, the formation of an unstable crack, which propagates at 45° with respect to the loading axis, is observed after the occurrence of the peak load. At higher testing temperatures, after reaching the peak stress, the flow stress decreases slowly with increased strain of ～0·51. Such behaviour corresponds with the observation of an accelerated cracking due to the propagation of decohesions at the interparticle regions. Ultimately, SPS allowed for attainment of high relative density; however, the sintering degree of the materials was quite low.     

Study on hardness and microstructural characteristics of sand cast Al-Si-Cu alloys

In this study, the influence of Cu content on the hardness and microstructural characteristics of sand cast Al-Si-Cu alloys have been investigated. Al-Si alloys with 2% and 5% Cu have been utilized for this purpose. Solidification of Al-Si-Cu alloys have been realized by melting in a gas furnace with a crucible and casting in green sand molds at 690°C. The solution treatment has been performed at 500°C for 7 h and then specimens were quenched in water. The samples have been aged at 190°C for 15 h to observe the effect of aging on mechanical properties.     

Tensile fracture behaviour of microstructurally engineered Cu bearing high strength low alloy steel

Abstract

An attempt has been made to highlight the influence of precipitation and microstructural constituents on tensile fracture behaviour in Cu bearing HSLA 100 steel. Variations in the microconstituents have been incorporated in the steel by engineering the microstructures through thermal treatments consisting of solutionising, water quenching and aging at various temperatures. The microstructure in quenched condition consists of mainly lath martensite, bainite and acicular ferrite besides little amount of retained austenite, carbides and carbonitrides. Aging up to 500°C facilitated fine coherent ?-Cu precipitation that lost its coherency at >550°C. Simultaneously, recovery and recrystallisation of martensite and acicular ferrite occurred at higher temperatures. The formation of new martensite islands occurred on aging at >650°C. Carbides, carbonitrides and retained austenite remained essentially unchanged. Tensile tests were conducted at a slow strain rate to study the tensile fracture behaviour of the steel. Microstructural and fractographic evidences indicating that coherent Cu precipitate causes the brittleness in the material in initial stages of aging whereas loss of coherency of Cu precipitate in later stages results in the reappearance of ductility in the material.     

Effects of alloying elements on microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of induction quenched-and-tempered steels

The effects of Cr and/or Mo additions and tempering temperatures on mechanical properties in relation to the microstructural evolution during tempering were investigated in induction-tempered steels. The additions of Cr and/or Mo result in the finer distribution of cementite particles due to the decrease in the coarsening rates of cementite particles above tempering temperature of 400°C, while their influence is less effective at low tempering temperatures. Accordingly, the increments of tensile strength and yield strength by the addition of alloying elements become more pronounced at high temperatures above 400°C. The occurrence of maximum peak of yield strength at 400°C would be related to further precipitation of the cementite at low temperatures, and the subsequent spheroidization and coarsening process of the cementite at high temperatures. The addition of alloying elements does not change the minima in Charpy impact values, related to tempered martensite embrittlement, since alloying elements do not have an influence on the decomposition of retained austenite and the formation of the cementite at boundaries. The strain-hardening exponent, n, decreases up to 400°C and then continuously increases with tempering temperature. This abrupt increase of n at 300°C is related to the transformation of retained austenite during straining in induction-tempered steels.     

Microstructures and tensile properties of Al-Zn-Cu-Mg-Zr alloys modified with scandium

We melted five types of Al-Zn-Cu-Mg-Zr alloys and added 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 (wt.%) of scandium. Its influence on the microstructure of alloys and their mechanical properties is studied with the help of optical transmission and scanning electron microscopes. An insignificant amount of scandium promoted the formation of Al₃ (Sc, Zr) particles. These particles efficiently clean the microstructure, decelerate and preserve recrystallization, and fix dislocations and substructures. The strength of the alloys increases for high levels of plasticity. It is shown that the optimal properties of the alloys with 0.21% Sc are attained after holding in a solution for 40 min at 475°C and aging for 24 h at 120°C. The strength of the alloys increases mainly as a result of dispersion solidification and microstructural hardening with Al₃ (Sc, Zr) particles. Published in Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 100–103, January–February, 2008.     

Interrupted aging and secondary precipitation in aluminium alloys

Abstract

It is shown that, if elevated temperature aging of aluminium alloys is interrupted with a dwell period at a low temperature (65 °C), age hardening continues due to so called secondary precipitation. If elevated temperature aging is then resumed, significant improvements can be obtained in mechanical properties compared with those available using a conventional T6 temper. Average increases in 0.2% proof stress and tensile strength of 10%, combined with improved fracture toughness, have been achieved in a wide range of alloys. These effects arise primarily because interrupted aging promotes the formation of more finely dispersed precipitates in the final microstructures. The concept of interrupted aging is described in some detail with respect to the model system, Al-4Cu, and examples are then given of the effects of the treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of several wrought and cast aluminium alloys.     

Adjustment of Aging Temperature for Reaching Superelasticity in Highly Ni-Rich Ti-51.5Ni NiTi Shape Memory Alloy

In this research, the effects of aging temperature on the phase transformation, mechanical properties, and superelasticity of Ti–51.5 at.% Ni alloy were investigated. For this purpose, samples were solution annealed and then aged at different temperatures ranging from 300 to 700°C. The results showed that the change of aging temperature has a great influence on the behavior of the alloy. Aging at 300 and 400°C led to the occurrence of the austenite to R phase (A ? R) transformation. By aging at these temperatures, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation did not change significantly compared to the solution annealed sample. Aging at 500 and 600°C led to the appearance of B19′ phase during cooling cycle of differential scanning calorimetry tests. Samples aged at 500 and 600°C showed the best mechanical properties, in comparison with the other aging temperatures. Maximum tensile strength of 1250 MPa and the elongation of 25% were obtained by aging at 500 and 600°C, respectively. Solution-annealed sample showed no superelastic property. Complete superelasticity was observed by aging at 400 and 500°C. The sample aged at 700°C showed the transformation behavior and mechanical properties similar to the solution annealed sample.     

Rate of workhardening influencing subzero temperature tensile strength properties of heat treated aluminium alloy 7010 plates

Abstract

The tensile properties of aluminium alloy 7010 plates, heat treated to varying aging conditions, i.e. naturally aged, underaged, peak aged and overaged, were examined at ambient and subzero (?50°C) temperatures. It is shown that the maximum increase in strength properties (both 0·2% proof stress and ultimate tensile strength) upon changing the test temperature from ambient to subzero (i.e. ?50°C) is obtained in the case of the naturally aged samples, while there is a minimal increase in the strength properties of the underaged samples when tested at ?50°C. These results are discussed in light of changes in the workhardening behaviour of the materials with aging.     

Effect of microalloying on aging of a Cu-bearing HSLA-100 (GPT) steel

Investigations were carried out on aging of a HSLA-100 steel containing Cu as the major alloying element and Nb, Ti and V as microalloying elements. The aging process after varying amounts of cold deformation was followed by hardness measurements and microstructural changes were studied using light and electron microscopy. Presence of Ti activates the formation of (Nb, Ti)C precipitates and completely suppresses the precipitation of Cu. Even a solution treatment at 1100°C is not sufficient to completely dissolve Nb and Ti in the matrix and undissolved (Nb, Ti)C precipitates were observed in oil quenched state. Strain induced aging at 400° C causes simultaneous coarsening of existing precipitates and nucleation of fresh carbides, which results in multi-stage hardening in this steel. Strong precipitate-dislocation interactions cause retardation in recrystallization of deformation structure leading to retention of high hardness levels even on prolonged aging