An investigation on the solid state sintering of mechanically alloyed nano-structured 90W–Ni–Fe tungsten heavy alloy

In this study, 90W–7Ni–3Fe heavy alloy was investigated for its microstructure development, mechanical properties and fracture behavior after solid state sintering. The nano-sized powders were synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA). The microstructure of solid state sintered heavy alloys consisted of tungsten matrix. The average tungsten grain size in the range of 1.7–3.0 μm was obtained. It was found that the grain size largely affected the mechanical properties. Tensile strength more than 1200 MPa was achieved at a sintering temperature of 1350 °C. Fracture mechanisms based on microscopical observations on the fracture surfaces were studied. Matrix failure, tungsten-intergranular cleavage and tungsten–matrix interfacial separation were found to be the possible failure mechanisms.     

Properties of W–Cu composite powder produced by a thermo-mechanical method

In order to improve the process of co-reduction of oxide powder, a new thermo-mechanical method was designed to produce high-dispersed W–Cu composite powder by high temperature oxidation, short time high-energy milling and reduction. The properties of W–Cu composite powder are analyzed in terms of oxygen contents, BET specific surface (BET-S), particle size distributions, morphology of final powder and their sintering behaviors. The results show that the oxygen content of W–Cu composite powder decreases with the increase of milling time, while the BET-S of final powder increases with the milling time. The distributions of final powder are more uniform after reduction at 630 °C than at 700 °C. After milling of the oxide powder for about 3–10 h, W–Cu composite powder with very low oxygen content can be achieved at the reduction temperature of 630 °C owning to the increasing of BET-S of W–Cu oxide powder. The particle size of W–Cu powder after reduction is lower than 0.5 μm and smaller than that reduced at 700 °C. After sintering at 1200 °C for 60 min, the relative density and thermal conductivity of final products (W–20Cu) can attain 99.5% and 210 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ respectively.     

Mechanical properties of T-111 at low to intermediate temperatures

The overall objective of this study was to determine allowable design stresses for the solid-solution-strengthened alloy T-111 (Ta–8W–2Hf) to be used in a space power application at 300–650 °C. Tensile tests were conducted from 25 to 1100 °C and creep tests were conducted from 500 to 1171 °C. The allowable long-term stress intensity for T-111 was found to be about 180 MPa up to 850 °C; at higher temperatures the allowable stress intensity must be reduced because of creep. However, a single creep mechanism cannot predict creep rate over the entire temperature range of this study.     

The effect of casting temperature on the properties of squeeze cast aluminium and zinc alloys

Gravity casting and squeeze casting were carried out on an aluminium alloy with 13.5% silicon and a zinc alloy with 4.6% aluminium with different temperatures, 660, 690 and 720 °C for the former and 440, 460 and 480 °C for the latter. A top-loading crucible furnace was used to melt the alloys. The die-preheat temperatures used were 200–220 °C for the aluminium alloy and 150–165 °C for the zinc alloy. A K-type thermocouples with digital indicator were used to measure the die surface temperature and the molten metal temperature; while a 25 t hydraulic press with a die-set containing a steel mould was used to perform the squeeze casting with a pressure of 62 MPa. Tensile, impact and density tests were carried out on the specimens. It was found that casting temperature had an effect on the mechanical properties of both gravity cast and squeeze cast aluminium and zinc alloys. The best temperatures to gravity cast the aluminium alloy and the zinc alloy were 720 and 460 °C, respectively. For the squeeze casting of the aluminium alloy, the best temperature to use was either 690 or 660 °C; the former would give a better property at the top of the casting while the latter, at the bottom of the casting. However, for the squeeze casting of the zinc alloy, the best temperature was again 460 °C.     

Synthesis and thermal stability of nano-crystalline vanadium disilicide

Nano-crystalline vanadium disilicide was successfully synthesized using vanadium tetrachloride and silicon as starting materials via reduction–silication route at 650 °C in the molten salt solution of magnesium chloride and sodium chloride in an autoclave. X-ray powder diffraction patterns indicated that the product was hexagonal VSi₂ (a=4.572 Å, c=6.372 Å). Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the particle size of the product was in the range of 40–60 nm in diameter. There was a strong absorption peak at 271 nm in the UV-Vis absorption spectra. The oxidation of nano-crystalline VSi₂ began to proceed at the temperature of 400 °C in air. But the product had high thermal oxidation stability below 1000 °C. It can be used as an antioxidation coating material.     

Microstructure evolution in CoNiGa shape memory alloys

Magnetic shape memory CoNiGa alloys hold great promise as new smart materials due to the good ductility and a wide range of martensitic transformation (MT) temperatures as well as magnetic transition points. This paper reports the results of investigations on the equilibrium phase constitution and microstructure evolution in quenched or aged CoNiGa alloys using the optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. The dendritic γ phase decreases as lowering of Ga content in studied two series of samples (Co₅₀Ni_50 − xGa_x, x = 0–50 and Co_100 − 2yNi_yGa_y, y = 15–35). Some γ′ precipitates with different morphologies were found in given alloys conducted with water quenching (WQ) at 800 °C or long-time ageing at 300 °C. After 800 °C quenching, the γ′ phase has a rod-like shape for the Co₅₀Ni₃₀Ga₂₀ alloy but shows a Widmanstätten morphology as Ga increases to 25 at%, and trends to be block structure in further high Ga content alloy. In the case of 300 °C aged alloys, the γ′ particles prefer to nucleate in interior of γ phase or at the interface of β–γ. We also presented an illustrative vertical section phase diagram keeping 50 at% Co, and isothermal section phase diagram at 1150 and 800 °C of the CoNiGa system. Based on the schematic ternary phase diagram, the composition scope which potentially holds over the magnetic pure martensite phase structure at room temperature (RT) was pointed out. It is believed that this optimized range alloys would play an important role in the functional materials design for application.     

Effect of indium addition in Sn-rich solder on the dissolution of Cu metallization

An investigation has been carried out to study the dissolution of the Cu pad of the ball-grid-array (BGA) substrate into the molten Sn–9%In–3.5%Ag–0.5%Cu, Sn–3.5%Ag–0.5%Cu and Sn–0.7%Cu (wt.%) solder alloys. A fixed volume of BGA solder ball (760 μm dia) was used on a 13 μm thick Cu pad with a diameter of 650 μm. The dissolution measurement was carried out by measuring the change of Cu pad thickness as a function of time and temperature. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the microstructure of the solder joint and to measure the consumed thickness of Cu. The dissolution of Cu in Sn–3.5%Ag–0.5%Cu solder is higher than the other two lead-free solders. The presence of indium in the solder plays a major role in inhibiting the consumption of Cu in the soldering reaction. The intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed at the Sn–9%In–3.5%Ag–0.5%Cu/Cu interface are determined as a scallop-shaped Cu₆(Sn, In)₅. Bulk of the Sn–9%In–3.5%Ag–0.5%Cu solder also contains Cu₆(Sn, In)₅ and Ag–In–Sn precipitates embedded in the Sn-rich matrix. It is also found that more Cu-containing Sn–0.7%Cu solder shows lower Cu consumption than Sn–3.5%Ag–0.5%Cu solder at the same heat treatment condition.     

Effect of annealing on the morphology evolution and densification of LiMn2O4 film from chitosan-containing solution

Dense LiMn₂O₄ films deposited on a Pt-coated silicon substrate were obtained by annealing the deposited Li–Mn–O-chitosan films under a two-stage heat-treatment procedure. It was demonstrated that the heat-treatment at 300 °C plays an important role in the subsequent densification of LiMn₂O₄ films. This is attributed to the formation and rearrangement of the nano-sized LiMn₂O₄ crystallites. The surface morphology of the calcined Li–Mn–O-chitosan films was highly related to the annealing temperature. Ridge-like bumps formed on the surface of the films after being heated at 200 °C for 1 h. With calcination at 400 °C or higher, the surface morphology turned into a wrinkle-like microstructure. This morphology transformation is ascribed to the flowing characteristics of the Li–Mn–O-chitosan films during heat-treatment and subsequent thermal decomposition of the precursor at higher temperatures. Moreover, the electrochemical tests showed that the 700 °C-annealed LiMn₂O₄ film possesses the highest discharge capacity of 56.3 μA h/(cm² μm) and best capacity retention of 90.7% after 50 charge/discharge cycles of all annealed films.     

Mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering of the intermetallic compound Ti50Al50

This study investigates the microstructures and mechanical properties of Ti₅₀Al₅₀ alloys prepared via mechanical alloying (MA) starting from elemental powders. The process of the spark plasma sintering (SPS) has also been studied. It is found that the nanocrystallization process of the Ti–Al alloy proceeds and the sintering temperature can control the microstructure of alloy. The sintering of the compacts is carried out at the temperatures of 1100–1200 °C with a compaction pressure of 30 MPa and a heating rate of 30 °C min⁻¹. Specimens with high densities and approaching the equilibrium state can be obtained in short time by spark sintering than conventional sintering. Such shorter high temperature is important to prevent grain growth.     

Influence of deformation temperature on the ferrite grain refinement in a low carbon Nb–Ti microalloyed steel

Grain refinement is one of the effective methods to develop new generation low carbon microalloyed steels possessing excellent combination of mechanical properties. In the present work, the microstructural evolution and ferrite grain refinement at various deformation temperatures were investigated using single pass isothermal hot compression experiments for a low carbon Nb–Ti microalloyed steel. The physical processes that occurred during deformation were discussed by observing the optical microstructure and analyzing the stress–strain responses. The results show that there is a close relation between the microstructural evolution and true stress–true strain responses during the deformation. Microstructural observation indicates that very fine ferrite grains of about 1.8–3 μm are obtained by deformation at 830–845 °C, about Ar₃ ± 10 °C. The obtained stress–strain curves suggest the occurrence of strain-induced dynamic transformation (SIDT) of γ to at this deformation temperature range.