Strengthening and toughening of Mg-Cu-(Y, Gd) bulk metallic glasses by minor addition of Be

Mg₆₅Cu₂₅Re₁₀ and Mg₆₅Cu₂₄Be₁Re₁₀ (Re = Y, Gd) bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were successfully fabricated by conventional Cu-mold casting method. By the addition of 1 at.% Be, the compressive strengths of Mg₆₅Cu₂₄Be₁Y₁₀ and Mg₆₅Cu₂₄Be₁Gd₁₀ alloys are increased from 760 MPa and 860 MPa to 930 MPa and 1025 MPa, respectively. The fracture morphology is changed from nanometer scale corrugation to micrometer scale dimple and vein pattern, indicating that the addition of minor Be obviously improves the toughness of the alloys. The fracture morphologies with different size of plastic zone in Mg-based BMGs provide probability for understanding the fracture mechanism of BMGs.     

Effect of rare earth Y addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high entropy AlCoCrCuNiTi alloys

A series of AlCoCrCuNiTiY_x (x values in molar ratio, x = 0, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0) alloys have been prepared using vacuum arc melting. Classical high entropy diffraction peaks corresponding to a BCC crystal structure and some Cu, Cr peaks are observed for the AlCoCrCuNiTi alloy. However, with the incorporation of rare earth element Y, the BCC diffraction peaks disappeared and were replaced by new compounds like Cu₂Y and AlNi₂Ti. A typical cast dendrite structure with Cu-rich dendritic regions and Cr-rich rosette-like shape precipitations are found in the AlCoCrCuNiTi alloy. In the AlCoCrCuNiTiY_x alloys, Y segregated preferentially to Cu and combined as bulky Cu₂Y compound. The maximum stress of the AlCoCrCuNiTi alloy is 1495 MPa, but reduces intensively after the incorporation of Y due to the formation of bulky Cu₂Y. For all the alloys, the compressive fracture mechanism is observed to be cleavage fracture.     

Strengthening FCC-CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys by Mo addition

In order to strengthen the face-centered-cubic(FCC) type CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys(HEAs), different contents of Mo(0–16 at.%, similarly hereinafter) were alloyed. Phase evolution, microstructure,mechanical properties and related mechanism of these HEAs were systematically studied. The results show that sigma phase is appeared with addition of Mo, and the volume fraction of it increases gradually from 0 to 66% with increasing Mo content. It is found that Mo is enriched in sigma phase, which indicates that Mo element is beneficial to form sigma phase. Compressive testing shows that the yield strength of the alloys increases gradually from 216 to 765 MPa, while the fracture strain decreases from 50%(no fracture) to 19% with increasing of Mo. The alloy exhibits the best compressive performance when Mo content reaches 11%, the yield strength, fracture strength and fracture strain are 547 MPa, 2672 MPa and44% respectively. The increased volume fraction of sigma phase plays an important role in improving the compressive strength of(CoCrFeMnNi)_(100-x)Mo_xHEAs.     

Fracture behavior and mechanism of 2D C/SiC-BCx composite at room temperature

2D C/SiC composite was modified with partial BC_x matrix by low pressure chemical vapor infiltration technique (LPCVI), which was named as 2D C/SiC-BC_x composite. The flexural fracture behavior, mechanism, and strength distribution of 2D C/SiC-BC_x composite are investigated. The results indicate that the flexural strength, fracture toughness, and fracture work are 442.1 MPa, 22.84 MPa m^1/2, and 19.2 kJ m⁻², respectively. The flexural strength of C/SiC-BC_x composite decrease about 20% than that of C/SiC composite. However, the fracture toughness and fracture work increase about 19% and 18.5%, respectively. The properties varieties between C/SiC-BC_x composite and C/SiC composite can be attributed to the weak-bonding interface between BC_x/SiC matrices according to the results of detailed microstructure analysis. The strength distribution of 2D C/SiC-BC_x composite follows as Normal distribution or Weibull distribution with σ_u = 0, and m = 8.1393. The mean value of flexural strength for 2D C/SiC-BC_x composite is 443 MPa obtained by theory calculation, which is consistent with experiment result (442.1 MPa) very well.     

Bulge testing and fracture properties of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride thin films

The mechanical properties and fracture behavior of silicon nitride (SiN_x) thin film fabricated by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is reported. Plane-strain moduli, prestresses, and fracture strengths of silicon nitride thin films deposited both on a bare Si substrate and on a thermally oxidized Si substrate were extracted using bulge testing combined with a refined load-deflection model of long rectangular membranes. The plane-strain moduli and prestresses of SiN_x thin films have little dependence on the substrates, that is, for the bare Si substrate, they are 133 ± 19 GPa and 178 ± 22 MPa, respectively, while for the thermally oxidized substrate, they are 140 ± 26 GPa and 194 ± 34 MPa, respectively. However, the fracture strength values of SiN_x films grown on the two substrates are quite different, i.e., 1.53 ± 0.33 GPa and 3.08 ± 0.79 GPa for the bare Si substrate and the oxidized Si substrate, respectively. The reference stresses were computed by integrating the local stress of the membrane at the fracture over the edge, surface, and volume of the specimens and fitted with the Weibull distribution function. For SiN_x thin film produced on the bare Si substrate, the volume integration gave a significantly better agreement between data and model, implying that the volume flaws are the dominant fracture origin. For SiN_x thin film grown on the oxidized Si substrate, the fit quality of surface and edge integration was significantly better than the volume integration, and the dominant surface and edge flaws could be caused by buffered HF attacking the SiN_x layer during SiO₂ removal.     

Effect of vanadium addition on the microstructure and properties of AlCoCrFeNi high entropy alloy

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of vanadium addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AlCoCrFeNiV_x (x values in molar ratio, x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0) alloys. All the alloys were found to display a crystalline structure of simple body centered cubic (BCC). For AlCoCrFeNi and AlCoCrFeNiV_0.2 alloys, Cr and Fe elements segregated to the center of grain while Al and Ni elements segregated to the rest areas. With the increase of V content exceeding to x = 0.5, the homogenized polycrystalline grain can be obtained. For AlCoCrFeNiV_0.2 alloy, the compressive strength and plastic strain were as high as 3297.8 MPa and 26.8%, respectively, which were rare in high entropy alloys to date. The fine nanoscale spinodal decomposition microstructure was a key factor for the high fracture strength of AlCoCrFeNiV_0.2 alloy. The values of Vickers hardness increased from HV534 to HV648.8 with the increase of V content. The solid-solution strengthening of the body centered cubic matrix was found as the main factor that strengthened the alloys. With the increase of V contents from x = 0 to x = 1.0, the transformation of ferromagnetic behavior to paramagnetic behavior takes place.     

Biomedical TiNbZrTaSi alloys designed by d-electron alloy design theory

We report on the formation of ultrafine-grained (Ti_69.71Nb_23.72Zr_4.83Ta_1.74)_100 − xSi_x (at.%, x = 0, 2 and 5) alloys designed by d-electron alloy design theory and fabricated by spark plasma sintering of nanocomposite powder precursor. The designed and fabricated alloys exhibit a high yield and fracture strength of 1296 MPa and 3263 MPa along with an ultra-large fracture strain of 65% under compression. Meanwhile, they display low elastic modulus of 37–48 GPa. The high-performance titanium alloys without toxic elements show high potential for application as biomaterials.     

Ultra-high strength Mg-Li based bulk metallic glasses: Preparation and performance research

In this paper, new Mg-Li based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are prepared by conventional copper mold injection casting method. The alloys exhibit excellent mechanical properties, such as ultra-high compressive fracture strength (maximal 729 MPa), high Vickers hardness (>2 GPa) and low elastic modulus (∼35 GPa). Compared with the corresponding crystal alloys, the density of the amorphous alloy samples is reduced by about 1.5% due to their free volume. Thus, it is believed that this new BMGs with these outstanding properties will broaden Mg-Li based alloys’ application fields.     

Effects of Cr addition on glass-forming ability and mechanical properties of Cu–Zr–Al bulk metallic glass

Effects of a small amount addition of Cr on glass-forming ability (GFA) and mechanical properties of Cu–Zr–Al bulk metallic glass were investigated. The GFA of (Cu₄₆Zr₄₆Al₈)_100−x Cr _x (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 at%) alloys tends to decrease with the increasing Cr content. A good correlation between the GFA and the temperature interval of supercooled liquid region ΔT _x or parameter γ exists in these alloys. Addition of an appropriate amount of Cr can significantly improve the plasticity of the alloys. The bulk metallic glass with x = 0.5 exhibits promising mechanical properties with high fracture strength of 1870 MPa and obvious plastic strain of 2.23%.     

Preparation and growth of Ni-Cu alloy nanoparticles prepared by arc plasma evaporation

Nano-scale alloy powders, with the average particle size of 50 nm and face-centered cubic structure, were prepared from Ni_xCu_1 − x (20% < x < 80 at.%) bulk alloys by arc plasma evaporation. Because of the difference in evaporation rates for both nickel and copper in the alloy melt, the composition of the prepared powders is found to be different from that of raw bulk alloys in most of the cases. Thus the composition relationship between the powders and raw alloys are constructed in the present work. In order to control the size distribution of the powders, the aggregation and growth process of the nanoparticles are analyzed.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–Gd–Zr alloys with low gadolinium contents

Mg–xGd–0.6Zr (x = 2, 4, and 6% mass fraction) alloys were synthesized by semi-continuous casting process. The effects of gadolinium content and aging time on microstructures and mechanical properties of the Mg–xGd–0.6Zr alloys were investigated. The results show that the microstructures of the as-cast GKx (x = 2, 4, and 6%) alloys are typical grain structures and no Gd dendritic segregation. In as-cast Mg–6Gd–0.6Zr alloy, the second phases Mg_5.05Gd, Mg₂Gd, and Mg₃Gd will form due to non-equilibrium solidification during the casting process, and these second phases will disappear after hot-extrusion. The residual compressive stress exists in alloys after extrusion and increases with increasing Gd content. The existence of residual compressive stress contributes to the tensile strength. The elongation of all extruded alloys is over 30%, and the ultimate and yield tensile strength of the Mg–6Gd–0.6Zr alloy are 237 and 168 MPa, respectively. After isothermal aging for 10 h, the strength of extruded Mg–6Gd–0.6Zr alloys increases slightly, however, the elongation of alloys rarely decreases. The fracture mechanism of all studied alloys is ductile fracture.     

Failure behavior of Cu–Ti–Zr-based bulk metallic glass alloys

Microstructure fracture and mechanical properties of Cu-based bulk metallic glass alloys were investigated. Centrifugal casting into copper molds were used to manufacture basic Cu₄₇Ti₃₃Zr₁₁Ni₉, and modified Cu₄₇Ti₃₃Zr₁₁Ni₇Si₁Sn₁ alloys. Although the alloys show an amorphous structure, TEM images revealed the formation of nanoparticles. At room temperature compression tests reveal fracture strength of 2000 MPa, elastic modulus of 127 GPa, and 1.8% fracture strain for the unmodified basic alloy. Whereas the modified alloy exhibits a fracture strength of 2179 MPa, elastic modulus reaches 123 GPa, and 2.4% fracture strain. So, with the addition of 1 at.% Si and Sn, the fracture strength improves by 9% and the fracture strain improves by 25%, but the fracture behavior under compression conditions exhibits a conical shape similar to that produced by tensile testing of ductile alloys. A proposed fracture mechanism explaining the formation of the conical fracture surface was adopted. The formation of homogeneously distributed nano-size (2–5 nm) precipitates changes the mode of fracture of the metallic glass from single to multiple shear plane modes leading to the conical shape fracture surface morphology.     

Preparation and properties of nano-SiC strengthening Al2O3 composite ceramics

The processing and mechanical behaviors of Al₂O₃-xwt.%SiC (x = 1, 2, 5, ASx) nano-composites prepared by the in situ synthesis of SiC from polycarbosilane (PCS) were investigated. The composites were densified by hot pressing. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the sintered composites were analyzed. The results showed that a fully dense structure was obtained when a few nano-SiC were doped and that the fracture toughness and strength were highly improved compared with those of monolithic Al₂O₃. The fracture toughness reached 5.1 MPa m^1/2 in AS2 composite. The maximum flexural strength was 516 MPa obtained in AS1 composite.     

Effect of substrate temperature on the optical parameters of thermally evaporated Ge-Se-Te thin films

Thin films of Ge₁₀Se_90 − xTe_x (x = 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50) glassy alloys were deposited at three substrate temperatures (303 K, 363 K and 423 K) using conventional thermal evaporation technique at base pressure of ~ 10^− 4 Pa. X-ray diffraction results show that films deposited at 303 K are of amorphous nature while films deposited at 363 K and 423 K are of polycrystalline nature. The optical parameters, refractive index and optical gap have been derived from the transmission spectra (using UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer) of the thin films in the spectral region 400-1500 nm. This has been observed that refractive index values remain almost constant while the optical gap is found to decrease considerably with the increase of substrate temperature. The decrease in optical gap is explained on the basis of change in nature of films, from amorphous to polycrystalline state, with the increase of substrate temperature. The optical gap has also been observed to decrease with the increase of Te content.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Nb-alloyed CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloys

Nb has a positive effect on improving the mechanical properties of metal materials, and it is expected to strengthen CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with outstanding ductility and relatively weak strength. In this paper, the alloying effects of Nb on the microstructural evolution and the mechanical properties of the (CoCrCuFeNi)_100-xNb_x HEA were investigated systematically. The result shows that Nb promotes the phase transition from FCC (face-centered cubic) to Laves phase, and the volume fractions of Laves phase increase from 0% to 58.2% as the Nb content increases. Compressive testing shows that the addition of Nb has a positive effect on improving the strength of CoCrCuFeNi HEA. The compressive yield strength of (CoCrCuFeNi)_100-xNb_x HEAs increases from 338 MPa to 1322 MPa and the fracture strain gradually reduces from 60.0% (no fracture) to 8.1% as the Nb content increases from 0 to 16 at.%. The volume fraction increase of hard Laves phase is the key factor for the strength increase, and the reduction of the VEC (valence electron concentration) value induced by the addition of Nb is beneficial for the increase of the Laves phase content in these alloys.     

Soft magnetic amorphous Fe–Zr–Si(Cu) boron-free alloys

Amorphous Fe₈₀Zr_xSi_20−x−yCu_y boron-free alloys, in which boron was completely replaced by silicon as a glass forming element, have been prepared in the form of ribbons by using the melt quenching technique. X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements revealed that the as-quenched ribbons with the compositions with x = 6–10 at.% and y = 0, 1 at.% are fully or predominantly amorphous. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements allowed the estimation of crystallization temperatures of the amorphous alloys. Soft magnetic properties have been studied by the specialized rf-Mössbauer technique. Since the rf-collapse effect observed is very sensitive to the local anisotropy fields it was possible to evaluate the soft magnetic properties of the amorphous alloys studied. The rf-Mössbauer studies were accompanied by conventional measurements of hysteresis loops from which the magnetization and coercive fields were estimated. It was found that amorphous Fe–Zr–Si(Cu) alloys are magnetically very soft, comparable with those of the conventional amorphous B-containing Fe-based alloys.     

Hot-pressed A12O3–SiC(–C) composites with polycarbosilane as the precursor

The processing and mechanical behavior of Al₂O₃–xSiC (–C) (x = 1, 2, 5, 10 wt.%, ASx and ASCx) composites prepared by in situ reaction synthesis SiC from polycarbosilane (PCS) were investigated. The composites were densified by hot pressing. The pyrolysis process of PCS, microstructure, phase structure and mechanical properties of sintered composites were analyzed. Fully dense structure was obtained, and it was found that the fracture toughness and strength were highly improved compared with monolithic Al₂O₃. The fracture toughness reached 5.1 MPa m^1/2 in 1 wt.%SiC composite ASC1. AS1 showed 516 MPa of flexural strength.     

Martensitic transformation behaviors and magnetic properties of Ni-Mn-Ga rapidly quenched ribbons

In this paper, the phase transformation behaviors and structures of Ni₅₀Mn_28 + xGa_22 − x (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) alloys and ribbons as well as the magnetic properties of ribbons are discussed. Rapidly quenching process decreases the degree of order and introduces some internal stress, which influences the martensitic transformation temperatures of the ribbons. The structures of the ribbons become 7 M modulated, which is different from the 5 M modulated martensite of the corresponding bulk materials. Higher annealing temperature and annealing under magnetic field are all in favor of the magnetization of the ribbons, and this is related to the enhancement of orientation perpendicular to the surface of the ribbons.     

Synthesis, characterization and mechanical properties of nano alumina particulate reinforced magnesium based bulk metallic glass composites

Mg₆₇Zn₂₈Ca₅ bulk metallic glass reinforced with 0.66-1.5 vol% of nano alumina particulates were successfully synthesized using disintegrated melt deposition technique. Microstructural characterization revealed reasonably uniform distribution of alumina particulates in a metallic glass matrix. The reinforced particles have no significant effect on the glass forming ability of the monolithic glass matrix. Mechanical characterization under compressive loading showed improved micro hardness, fracture strength and failure strain with increase in nano alumina particulate reinforcement. The best combination of strength, hardness and ductility was observed in Mg/1.5 vol% alumina composite with fracture strength of 780 MPa and 2.6% failure strain.     

Microstructure,mechanical and bio-corrosion properties of Mn-doped Mg–Zn–Ca bulk metallic glass composites

The effects of Mn substitution for Mg on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior of Mg_69 ? xZn₂₇Ca₄Mn_x (x = 0, 0.5 and 1 at.%) alloys were investigated using X-ray diffraction, compressive tests, electrochemical treatments, and immersion tests, respectively. Microstructural observations showed that the Mg₆₉Zn₂₇Ca₄ alloy was mainly amorphous. The addition of Mn decreases the glass-forming ability, which results in a decreased strength from 545 MPa to 364 MPa. However, this strength is still suitable for implant application. Polarization and immersion tests in the simulated body fluid at 37 °C revealed that the Mn-doped Mg–Zn–Ca alloys have significantly higher corrosion resistance than traditional ZK60 and pure Mg alloys. Cytotoxicity test showed that cell viabilities of osteoblasts cultured with Mn-doped Mg–Zn–Ca alloys extracts were higher than that of pure Mg. Mg_68.5Zn₂₇Ca₄Mn_0.5 exhibits the highest bio-corrosion resistance, biocompatibility and has desirable mechanical properties, which could suggest to be used as biomedical materials in the future.