Influence of Nb and Cu Elements on the Intermetallic Particles Morphology in Ti/Al Multilayer Composite Processed Through Hot Pressing and Rolling

Ti–Al–Nb composites were produced by solid state diffusion bonding through hot pressing and rolling followed by annealing at 700 °C for 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 h. The morphologies of TiAl₃ intermetallics were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Titanium tri-aluminide (TiAl₃) particles with blocky morphology were dispersed into Aluminum matrix. In the presence of niobium and copper, TiAl₃ particles were produced in different sizes and morphologies. The presence of Nb in the composite led to the formation of irregular angular morphology, while the copper resulted in cubic morphology of the intermetallic particles. The EDS results indicated that TiAl₃, (Ti, Nb)Al₃ and (Ti, Nb, Cu)Al₃ intermetallic compounds appeared near Ti zone, Nb Zone and in the presence of Cu, respectively.     

Microstructural analysis of multilayered titanium aluminide sheets fabricated by hot rolling and heat treatment

This study is concerned with the microstructural analysis of multilayered or bulk Ti aluminide sheets fabricated by the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reaction using hot rolling and heat treatment. Multilayered Ti/Al sheets were prepared by stacking thin Ti and Al sheets alternately, and a good Ti/Al interfacial bonding was achieved after rolling at 500 °C. When these sheets were held at 1000 °C, spheroidal TiAl₃ phases were formed by the SHS reaction at Ti/Al interfaces and inside Al layers. Microstructural analysis on the hot-rolled, multilayered Ti/TiAl₃ sheets revealed that intermetallic phases such as TiAl₂, TiAl, and Ti₃Al were formed at Ti/TiAl₃ interfaces due to interaction between Ti and TiAl₃ and that pores formed in the TiAl₃ layer were significantly reduced during hot rolling. When multilayered Ti/Ti aluminide sheets were heat treated at 1000 °C, Ti₃Al, TiAl, and TiAl₂ were grown as Ti and TiAl₃ were consumed. As the heat treatment proceeded, TiAl grew further, eventually leading to the fabrication of multilayered sheets composed of Ti₃Al and TiAl. Bulk Ti aluminide sheets, having a lamellar structure of Ti₃Al and TiAl, instead of multilayered sheets, were also fabricated successfully by heat treatment at 1400 °C. This fabrication method of the bulk sheets had several advantages over the method by hot forging or rolling of conventional cast Ti aluminides. From these findings, an idea to fabricate multilayered or bulk Ti aluminide sheets by hot rolling and heat treatment is suggested as an economical and continuous fabrication method, and the formation and growth mechanisms of interfacial phases are elucidated in this study.     

A Study on the Formation of Intermetallics During the Heat Treatment of Explosively Welded Al-Ti Multilayers

Metallic–intermetallic laminate composites are promising materials for many applications, namely, in the aerospace industry. Ti/TiAl₃ laminates are one of the interesting laminate composites, which are mostly used in aerospace applications. In this work, commercially pure aluminum and titanium sheets were explosively joined. The multilayer samples were annealed between 1 and 260 hours at 903 K (630 °C) in ambient atmosphere, and the formation and growth of the intermetallic compound at the Ti/Al interface were monitored. Microstructural investigations were carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and the X-ray diffraction technique. The microhardness profile of the layers was also determined. The thickness and type of Al-Ti intermetallics were determined. It was found that the only intermetallic phase observed in the interfaces was TiAl₃. It was also shown that two mechanisms for TiAl₃ growth exist: reaction and diffusion controlled. The growth exponent was equal to 0.94 for the reaction-controlled mechanism (first step) and 0.31 for the diffusion-controlled mechanism (second step). These values were in good agreement with theoretical values (1 and 0.5 for the first and second steps, respectively). Based on the results of this research, a kinetic model for the formation and growth of TiAl₃ intermetallic phase was proposed.     

Reactions and diffusion between an Al film and a ti substrate

The reaction between a 0.5 to 1.0 micron Al film and a thick Ti substrate to form TiAl₃ occurs very rapidly on heating to 635 °C and causes the Al to be confined to the surface region. After heating to 900 °C, Ti₃Al is formed with little release of Al into α-Ti. Further annealing at 900 °C eventually causes the Ti₃Al phase to decompose and a substantial amount of Al is released into α-Ti. The interdiffusion coefficient for Al in α-Ti at 900 °C was found to increase by less than one order of magnitude as Al is varied from 0 to 20 at. pct. These data were obtained from the (101) X-ray diffraction intensity band using polycrystalline samples. Improvements in the analysis of X-ray diffraction data for the determination of composition profiles are discussed.     

Diffusion of oxygen in the Al2O3 oxidation product of TiAl3

The oxidation behavior of TiAl₃ was investigated. The studies were carried out using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in the temperature range from 1123 to 1273 K in a 1 atm pure oxygen environment. Samples were analyzed using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersion X-ray analysis techniques. The oxidation product was determined to be Al₂O₃ over the temperature range of the investigation. The parabolic-rate constant for TiAl₃ was deduced and compared with those for Ti, TiAl, and Ti₃Al. The electronprobe microanalysis technique was used to obtain concentration profiles for O, Al, and Ti in the oxide layer and the matrix alloy. The parabolic-rate data were used to calculate the diffusivities of oxygen at various temperatures. The activation energy for diffusion was determined to be 337.66 kJ/mol, while the frequency factor (D ₀) was 167.2 × 10⁻⁴ m²/s.     

钛/铝复合板爆炸焊接技术研究进展

通过爆炸焊接技术制备的钛/铝复合板可兼具钛合金耐腐蚀性和铝合金低成本的优点。对钛/铝复合板爆炸焊接技术的研究进展进行介绍,论述了炸药种类、质量比R、基覆板间距及爆炸焊接窗口等主要工艺参数对钛/铝复合板组织和性能的影响;分析了影响钛/铝复合板结合界面的主要因素——金属间化合物种类、扩散层和界面波形;对钛/铝复合板硬度、抗剪切强度、抗拉强度及拉伸断口的研究进行了汇总分析。最后,指出了钛/铝复合板爆炸焊接工艺研究的重点发展方向。     

Roll-Bonded Tri-Layered Mg/Al/Stainless Steel Clad Composites and their Deformation and Fracture Behavior

The deformation and fracture behaviors of roll-bonded tri-layered Mg/Al/stainless steel (SST) composite plates were studied. Brittle interfacial reaction compounds were observed at the Mg/Al interface upon annealing at and above 573 K (300 °C), whereas no visible interfacial reaction compounds were observed at Al/SST interfaces even after annealing up to 673 K (400 °C). The strength of the tri-layered Mg/Al/SST clad plates is in close agreement with those calculated from the strength data of the separated Mg, Al, and ST layers using the rule of mixture. The fracture strain components of the tri-layered clad in the absence of brittle interfacial intermetallic layer far exceed those calculated based on the fracture strain data of separated Mg, Al, and SST sheets. The enhanced ductility of the clad composites is due to the suppression of the localized deformation in a metallic layer by other metallic layers caused by the mutual constraint imposed by an adjacent layer. On the other hand, the fracture strain was found to be reduced in the presence of intermetallic layers between the metallic substrates. Cracks perpendicular to the stress axis were observed in the intermetallic compound layer between Mg and Al, inducing the localized slip in the vicinity of intermetallic cracks and premature fracture of the Mg alloy layer.     

Observation of Precipitation Evolution in Fe-Ni-Mn-Ti-Al Maraging Steel by Atom Probe Tomography

We describe the full decomposition sequence in an Fe-Ni-Mn-Ti-Al maraging steel during isothermal annealing at 550 °C. Following significant pre-precipitation clustering reactions within the supersaturated martensitic solid solution, (Ni,Fe)₃Ti and (Ni,Fe)₃(Al,Mn) precipitates eventually form after isothermal aging for ~60 seconds. The morphology of the (Ni,Fe)₃Ti particles changes gradually during aging from predominantly plate-like to rod-like, and, importantly, Mn and Al were observed to segregate to these precipitate/matrix interfaces. The (Ni,Fe)₃(Al,Mn) precipitates occurred at two main locations: uniformly within the matrix and at the periphery of the (Ni,Fe)₃Ti particles. We relate this latter mode of precipitation to the Mn-Al segregation.     

Reactive infiltration of 25 vol pct TiO2/Al composites

The purpose of this investigation was to establish the reaction path during processing of a 25 vol pct TiO₂ preform and molten Al composite by pressure infiltration. Initial preform temperatures between 550° and 850 °C, melt temperatures from 715° to 850 °C, and two postinfiltration cooling rates were considered. The reaction path between molten Al and TiO₂ under the conditions examined involved three steps:

A structural study of oxidation in a zirconia-toughened alumina fiber-reinforced Fe3Al composite

A zirconia-toughened alumina fiber-reinforced Fe₃Al-based intermetallic composite was fabricated by pressure casting. The chemical stability of the composite at 1100 °C in vacuum and air was studied by optical, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Fiber/molten metal interaction during pressure casting resulted in the rejection of ZrO₂ from the fiber into the molten metal. The fiber/matrix interface in the cast composite was in some areas covered with thin ZrC and Fe₂AlZr layers. Vacuum annealing resulted in the dissolution of Fe₂AlZr and precipitation of ZrC and (Ti, Nb)C particles within the matrix. The density of carbides was very low. Air annealing led to the oxidation of ZrC to ZrO₂, Fe₂AlZr to a mixture of A1₂O₃ + ZrO₂, and preferential growth of α-Al₂O₃ over the ZrO₂. Depletion of Al from the matrix as a result of oxidation gave way to the precipitation of (a) coarse (Fe, Al)₂(Nb, Al) particles and (b) fine cuboidal-shaped particles within the matrix during slow cooling from the oxidizing temperature. Oxidation of the matrix ended with the conversion of Fe(Al, Cr) into (Fe, Al, Cr)₂O₃. The Fe₂O₃ was observed to wet the grain boundaries of the A1₂O₃ fiber, which resulted in the disintegration of the fiber. Zr-containing plate-like precipitates with a {10-14} habit plane were occasionally observed in Fe₂O₃. Diffusion of oxygen through the fiber and/or the fiber/matrix interface is believed to be responsible for the rapid oxidation of the composite.     

Microstructural observations of pressure cast Ni3Al/Al2O3 and Ni/Al2O3 composites

Pressure castings of Ni₃Al(IC218)/Al₂O₃ and Ni/Al₂O₃ composites, made with continuous DuPont FP α-Al₂O₃ and DuPont PRD166 α-Al₂O₃+20 wt pct partially stabilized ZrO₂ 20 μm diameter fibers, were examined by optical, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. According to optical magnifications, excellent infiltration took place. However, in SEM and TEM magnifications, small gaps were found adjacent to regions where bonding had taken place between fibers. On the basis of available evidence, the gap formation was attributed to trapped gases and microshrinkage. Titanium was added to the metal to promote infiltration. Diffusion of Ti into the fibers of the Ni/Al₂O₃ composites occurred, but similar diffusion into the fibers of the IC218/Al₂O₃ composites did not take place. The qualitatively higher bond strength of the interfaces of the Ni/Al₂O₃ composites was ascribed to the diffusion of Ti into Al₂O₃. No interface reaction layer was found in any of the composites. Very little grain growth was found to take place in either the FP or PRD 166 fibers after casting and after a subsequent ten day anneal at 1150 °C.     

Interfacial Reaction during Friction Stir Welding of Al and Cu

Commercially pure copper was joined to a 1050 aluminum alloy by friction stir welding. A specific configuration where the tool pin was fully located in the aluminum plate was chosen. In such a situation, there is no mechanical mixing between the two materials, but frictional heating gives rise to a significant thermally activated interdiffusion at the copper/aluminum interface. This gives rise to the formation of defect-free joints where the bonding is achieved by a very thin intermetallic layer at the Cu/Al interface. Nanoscaled grains within this bonding layer were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Two phases were identified, namely, Al₂Cu and Al₄Cu₉ phases. The nucleation and growth of these two phases are discussed and compared to the standard reactive interdiffusion reactions between Cu and Al.     

Diffusional reactions during processing of TIMETAL 21S/Al2O3 composites

The stability of an Al₂O₃ reinforcement in TIMETAL 21S has been investigated by annealing diffusion couples and consolidated fiber composites at 1100 °C, 900 °C, and 750 °C. Diffusion couple studies indicate that γ-TiAl, α ₂-Ti₃Al, and α-Ti(Al,O) phases can form upon annealing above the β transus of TIMETAL 21S, but γ-TiAl, α ₂-Ti₃Al, and a ternary T phase form during annealing below the β transus. The phases developed during diffusional interaction define a diffusion path between TIMETAL 21S and Al₂O₃. A coating of Nb, Mo, or Ta between TIMETAL 21S and Al₂O₃ acts as a diffusion barrier, but the coatings can diffuse into TIMETAL 21S at high temperature. In agreement with a kinetics analysis, a 2-μm-thick interface coating of Nb, Mo, or Ta in the TIMETAL 21S/Al₂O₃ composite can prevent the reaction during processing (2 hours at 850 °C or 900 °C) with no detectable diffusion into the matrix. If there are imperfections such as pinholes or cracks present in the diffusion barrier, the reaction quickly starts at the interface and does not remain confined at the imperfection; rather, it progresses along the interface. The mechanism for progressive development of interface reaction at a discontinuity in the diffusion barrier has been proposed. The analysis of the diffusional interface reactions in this work has identified some of the governing design concepts for development of robust high-temperature titanium-based composites.     

A Comprehensive Study of Diffusion Bonding of Mg AZ31 to Al 5754, Al 6061 and Al 7039 Alloys

In the present study, microstructural and mechanical properties of diffusion bonding of AZ31–Mg with Al 5754, Al 6061, and Al 7039 alloys were compared under same conditions. The vacuum diffusion processes were performed at a temperature of 440 °C, the pressure of 29 MPa, and a vacuum of 1?×?10^?4 torr for 60 min. The microstructural characterizations were investigated using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with EDS analysis and linear scanner. The XRD analysis was performed to study phase figures near the interface zone. The results revealed the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds like Al₁₂Mg₁₇, Al₃Mg₂, and their other combinations at bonding interfaces of all samples. Additionally, the hardness of Al alloys seemed to play a key role in increasing diffusion rate of magnesium atoms toward the aluminum atoms, with Al 6061 alloy having the highest diffusion rate. It consequently led to an increase in diffusion rate and thus formation of a strong diffusion bonding between magnesium and aluminum alloys. The highest strength was about 42 MPa for the diffusion bonding between Mg AZ31 and Al 6061. Further investigations on surfaces indicated that the brittle phases especially Al₃Mg₂ caused brittle fracturing.     

The effect of temperature, matrix alloying and substrate coatings on wettability and shear strength of Al/Al2O3 couples

A fresh approach has been advanced to examine in the Al/Al₂O₃ system the effects of temperature, alloying of Al with Ti or Sn, and Ti and Sn coatings on the substrate, on contact angles measured using a sessile-drop test, and on interface strength measured using a modified push-off test that allows shearing of solidified droplets with less than 90 deg contact angle. In the modified test, the solidified sessile-drop samples are bisected perpendicular to the drop/Al₂O₃ interface at the midplane of the contact circle to obtain samples that permit bond strength measurement by stress application to the flat surface of the bisected couple. The test results show that interface strength is strongly influenced by the wetting properties; low contact angles correspond to high interface strength, which also exhibits a strong temperature dependence. An increase in the wettability test temperature led to an increase in the interface strength in the low-temperature range where contact angles were large and wettability was poor. The room-temperature shear tests conducted on thermally cycled sessile-drop test specimens revealed the effect of chemically formed interfacial oxides; a weakening of the thermally cycled Al/Al₂O₃ interface was caused under the following conditions: (1) slow contact heating and short contact times in the wettability test, and (2) fast contact heating and longer contact times. The addition of 6 wt pct Ti or 7 wt pct Sn to Al only marginally influenced the contact angle and interfacial shear strength. However, Al₂O₃ substrates having thin (<1 μm) Ti coatings yielded relatively low contact angles and high bond strength, which appears to be related to the dissolution of the coating in Al and formation of a favorable interface structure.     

Microstructural characterization of a rapidly solidified ultrahigh strength Al94.5Cr3Co1.5Ce1 alloy

The microstructure of a rapidly solidified Al_94.5Cr₃Co_1.5Ce₁ alloy has been examined in detail by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atom probe field ion microscopy (APFIM). In the as-quenched microstructure, nanoscale particles of a solute-enriched amorphous phase and an Al-Cr compound are dispersed in randomly oriented fine grains of α-Al (∼200 nm). The interface between the Al grains and the amorphous particles is not smooth but irregular with atomic protrusions and concavities, suggesting that interfacial instability occurs during the solidification process. Nanoscale amorphous particles are formed as a result of solute trapping within the rapidly grown Al grains. After annealing at 400 °C for 15 minutes grain growth occurs, and the interface of the Al grains is smoothed. The amorphous region trapped within the grains is crystallized to an Al-Cr compound, but no icosahedral phase has been confirmed. The APFIM results have revealed that Cr and Ce atoms have a similar partitioning behavior, i.e., they are rejected from the α-Al phase and partitioned into the trapped amorphous regions. On the other hand, Co atoms are not partitioned between the two phases in the as-quenched state but are partitioned into the α-Al grains in the annealed alloys being rejected from the Al compounds and finally form Al-Co compounds. Based on these microstructural characterization results, the origins of high strength of this alloy are discussed.     

Auger electron analysis of the initial oxidation of titanium aluminides based on Ti-48Al

The surface of a Ti-48 at. Pct Al alloy was examined by Auger electron microscopy to study oxidation at room temperature. On exposure to air at room temperature, both Al and Ti oxides were observed together with an abundance of C. The amount of C was always larger in the two-phase α₂ + γ region compared to the single-phase γ region. The Ti oxides formed on the surface of they grains were primarily Ti₂O₃ rather than TiO₂. On depth profiling with Ar⁺ ion sputtering, lower oxide states of Ti were found. This was attributed to either the Ar⁺ ion sputtering or the fact that the inner layers of oxide represented oxides of Ti in their lower valence states. The A1₂O₃ was stable and did not exhibit any transient oxidation states. The dominant oxidation product on the surface of sputtered single-phase γ grains after an 84-hour exposure in the ultrahigh vacuum Auger chamber at room temperature is A1₂O₃. A depletion of C and O occurred beneath the oxide surface in some γ grains. The chemical shift between the Al L_2,3MM and A1₂O₃ L_2,3(A1)M_(O)M_(O) peaks in the Auger spectrum of A1₂O₃ formed on the γ phase in TiAl was found to be 11 eV. Y.T. Peng, Graduate Student, Formerly with the Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019,     

Shear Strength of Reactive Resistance Welded Ti6Al4V Parts with the Use of Ni(V)/Al Multilayers

The Ti6Al4V/(Ni/Al)/Ti6Al4V joints were obtained through reactive resistance welding which takes advantage of electric current heating to initiate the rapid exothermic reaction of Ni(V)/Al multilayers and activate diffusion of elements across the Ni/Al-Ti6Al4V interfaces. Simulations of temperature distribution, carried out using COMSOL^® software, showed temperature gradient in the joint being a result of differences in resistivity of the Ti6Al4V alloy and the (Ni/Al)/Ti6Al4V interface. Shear tests revealed that extending duration of the process from 2 to 6 minutes helped to improve the shear strength from ~?240 to ~?335 MPa. The microstructure observations of the samples after those tests showed that de-cohesion of the joint occurred along the filler material/base material interface. A microcrack network characteristic for reacted Ni/Al foil with small ridges was found on the flat surfaces of fractured samples.     

Investigation on the Electron Beam Welding of Al/Cu Composite Plates

The Al/Cu composite plates composed of 2.5 mm thick Al base plate and 0.5 mm thick Cu cladding plate were joined by electron beam welding (EBW). The butt joints of Al/Cu composite plates were obtained successfully in Modes I (Cu cladding plate was placed upon the Al base plate, welding speed of 1400 mm/min) and II (Al base plate was placed upon the Cu cladding plate, welding speed of 1300 mm/min), respectively. The results showed that microstructures under two modes were similar, but there existed some obvious differences in fracture behavior of the joints and damage behavior of Cu cladding plate. For two butt joints, the (Al2Cu + α-Al) eutectic structure was distributed in continuous networks around the α-Al grains in the weld zone. In addition, the interface between Cu cladding plate and weld zone was composed of Al2Cu intermetallic compound and (Al2Cu + α-Al) eutectic structure. The destruction width of Cu cladding plate was greater in Mode I than that in Mode II. Furthermore, the average loads of the EBW joints were 4.8 kN and 4.5 kN in Modes I and II, respectively.