Microstructure and properties of CVD γ-Al2O3 coatings

This work deals with the microstructures and wear properties of chemical vapour deposited γ-Al₂O₃. The γ-Al₂O₃ coatings were deposited at 800 °C on TiN and Ti(C,N) pre-coated cemented carbide substrates. The microstructures developed in the γ-Al₂O₃ coatings and the influence of the nucleation surface on the growth of γ-Al₂O₃ were characterised using transmission electron microscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The γ-Al₂O₃ coatings were fine-grained with a high density of {1 1 1} growth twins and contained some residual sulphur. γ-Al₂O₃ was found to grow epitaxially on the investigated substrates. The mechanical properties were evaluated in metal cutting and were compared with those of κ-Al₂O₃ coated tools. As compared with the κ-Al₂O₃ coatings, the γ-Al₂O₃ coatings exhibited slightly worse adhesion and tendency for edge chipping. However, the γ-Al₂O₃ coatings showed better crater wear resistance on the rake face than κ-Al₂O₃ coatings.     

表面活化Al2O3陶瓷与5005铝合金真空钎焊

采用Al-Si钎料对经过Ag-Cu-Ti粉末活性金属化处理的Al₂O₃陶瓷与5005铝合金进行了真空钎焊,研究了钎焊接头的典型界面组织,分析了钎焊温度对接头界面结构特征及力学性能的影响. 结果表明,接头典型界面结构为5005铝合金/α-Al+θ-Al₂Cu+ξ-Ag₂Al/ξ-Ag₂Al+θ-Al₂Cu+Al₃Ti/Ti₃Cu₃O/Al₂O₃陶瓷. 钎焊过程中,Al-Si钎料与活性元素Ti及铝合金母材发生冶金反应,实现对两侧母材的连接. 随着钎焊温度的升高,陶瓷侧Ti₃Cu₃O活化反应层的厚度逐渐变薄,溶解进钎缝中的Ag和Cu与Al反应加剧,生成ξ-Ag₂Al+θ-Al₂Cu金属间化合物的数量增多,铝合金的晶间渗入明显;随钎焊温度的升高,接头抗剪强度先增加后降低,当钎焊温度为610 ℃时,接头强度最高达到15 MPa.     

激光重熔对Al2O3-40% TiO2等离子喷涂层耐冲蚀性能的影响

利用等离子喷涂方法制备Al₂O₃-40% TiO₂涂层,对涂层进行激光重熔处理.分别对等离子喷涂层和激光重熔涂层进行耐冲蚀磨损性能试验,研究了激光重熔对Al₂O₃-40% TiO₂等离子喷涂层耐冲蚀性能的影响.结果表明,激光重熔消除了Al₂O₃-40% TiO₂等离子喷涂层的层状结构,使得等离子喷涂层中γ-Al₂O₃转变为α-Al₂O₃,形成了α-Al₂O₃+TiAl₂O₅稳定结构.激光重熔后的涂层组织致密均匀、硬度高,具有冶金结合特征,使得耐冲蚀性能得到极大提高,其磨损特征为冲蚀粒子冲击作用下产生的裂纹、破碎与块状剥落.     

Development of moderate temperature CVD Al2O3 coatings

Chemically vapor deposited Al₂O₃ coatings, due to their high hardness and chemical inertness, are currently the state of art in the cutting tool industry. The conventional high deposition temperature of about 1050 °C for Al₂O₃ coatings, based on the water–gas shift process, has to a great extend restricted the development of several hybrid coatings, such as TiC/TiN/TiCN/Al₂O₃. To overcome this limitation, alternate systems to deposit Al₂O₃ at moderate temperatures have been investigated. Systems using NO–H₂, H₂O₂, NO₂–H₂ and HCOOH were identified and thermodynamic calculations were performed to evaluate them as potential sources of oxygen donors to form Al₂O₃ in the moderate temperature range of 700–950 °C. Preliminary results have clearly demonstrated that it is possible to grow moderate temperature alumina (using such alternate sources) on the TiC/TiN coated cemented carbide substrates.     

Microstructure and magnetic properties of Co/Al2O3 nanocomposite powders

Nanocomposite powders of magnetic cobalt nanoparticles dispersed by nonmagnetic Al₂O₃ particles have been prepared by planetary ball milling. Ball milling of the CoO and Al mixture powder after a certain milling duration reduces CoO to (fcc and hcp) Co completely and oxidizes Al to -Al₂O₃ simultaneously. The average grain sizes of the nanocomposite powders are 19 nm for Co and 28 nm for -Al₂O₃ after the completion of the reduction reaction. By direct ball milling of the mixture of Co and Al₂O₃, the allotropic phase transformation of Co was observed and the average grain size of Co is reduced to 5 nm. For both the samples of the mechanochemical series and the direct milling series, the saturation magnetizations of the nanocomposite powders decrease with decreasing average grain size of Co. This may be due to the enhancement of the interface effects and the increase of the superparamagnetic particles with decreasing Co grain size. The coercivities of the Co/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite powders increase up to 380 Oe. The increasing grain boundaries with decreasing Co grain size result in the domain wall pinning which predicts the coercivity enhancement. In addition to the grain size effects, the reduction of the particle size toward the size region of single domain also contributes to the increase of coercivity.     

Microstructural investigation of heat-treated CVD κ-Al2O3 multilayer coatings

In this work, the κ-Al₂O₃ to -Al₂O₃ phase transformation in CVD multilayer coatings has been investigated. Coatings with different degrees of transformation have been prepared by isothermal heat-treatments of as-deposited κ-Al₂O₃ multilayer coatings. These coatings have then been examined by means of transmission electron microscopy of cross-section specimens. The aim of this work was to examine the microstructural evolution during the κ-Al₂O₃ to -Al₂O₃ phase transformation and to describe how the transformation growth is affected by the κ-Al₂O₃ microstructure. The microstructure of the non-transformed κ-Al₂O₃ was not affected by the heat-treatments. During the phase transformation, a linkage of voids took place at the -Al₂O₃/TiC interfaces, resulting in large separated voids and continuous cracks. A large number of small faceted voids appeared within the -Al₂O₃ grains. It was found that during the transformation c_κ → c, i.e. the close packed planes are preserved, but rotated slightly around the c-axis. Three modes for the κ-Al₂O₃ to -Al₂O₃ phase transformation were found: (i) a columnar transformation; (ii) a lateral transformation; and (iii) a mixed columnar-lateral transformation. The predominance of any of the transformation modes is attributed to the nucleation/growth ratio. A high ratio yields a columnar transformation, while a low ratio yields a lateral transformation. The nucleation sites in all transformation modes are suggested to be at voids at the κ-Al₂O₃/TiC interfaces.     

采用Au基钎料真空钎焊Al2O3陶瓷

首先选用AgCuTi活性钎料在880℃/10 min参数下对A1₂O₃陶瓷表面进行金属化处理,之后尽量去除金属化层中的AgCu共晶组织,然后选用两种Au基高温钎料在980℃/10 min参数下对金属化后的A1₂O₃进行了钎焊连接.结果表明,在Al₂O₃/Au-Ni/Al₂O₃接头中靠近Al₂O₃母材的界面处生成一层薄薄的扩散反应层,该反应层主要由TiO₂和Al₂O₃组成;在Al₂O₃/Au-Cu/Al₂O₃接头中同样存在扩散反应层,与前者不同的是,接头中检测到Ti-Au相的存在.分别对Au-Ni和Au-Cu两种钎料获得的Al₂O₃接头进行了抗剪强度测试,前者对应接头强度为95.5 MPa,后者对应接头强度达到102.3 MPa.     

瓷质氧化预处理对6061铝合金弱酸性介质中微弧氧化膜的影响

以6061铝合金为研究对象,对其在弱酸性介质中的微弧氧化膜的成分及性能进行了分析,探讨瓷质氧化预处理对微弧氧化膜的影响.结果表明:在弱酸性介质中,6061铝合金瓷质氧化预处理+微弧氧化膜的主要成分是γ-Al2 O3和α-Al2 O3,同时由于残留的瓷质氧化膜,无定型的Al2 O3也存在于氧化膜中;其厚度和硬度分别为25...     

Fabrication and wear characteristics of MoSi2 matrix composite reinforced by WSi2 and La2O3

MoSi₂ matrix composites (RWM) reinforced by the addition of both WSi₂ and La₂O₃ were fabricated by mechanical alloying and self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) technique. This composite was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is difficult to synthesize RWM composite by mechanical alloying with Mo–W–Si–La₂O₃ powder mixture, and suitable by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis. The hardness and toughness of MoSi₂ was improved significantly by the addition of both, WSi₂ and La₂O₃ more than by only WSi₂. By adding 0.8 wt.% La₂O₃ and 50 mol.% WSi₂ into the MoSi₂ matrix, this composite has the highest hardness and toughness and exhibits more wear resistance than monolithic MoSi₂ during the sliding wear test under oil lubrication, in this case, the material removal mechanism has been observed to be micro-cutting and micro-fracture.     

Oxidation behavior of ceramic coatings on Ti–6Al–4V by micro-plasma oxidation

Compound ceramic coatings prepared on Ti–6Al–4V alloy by pulsed bi-polar micro-plasma oxidation (MPO) in NaAlO₂ solution were oxidized under different temperature in air. The phase composition and surface morphology of the coatings before and after oxidation were investigated by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Meantime, the weight gains and the high temperature oxidation characteristics of the coated samples were investigated. The results show that the coatings prepared by MPO were composed of a large amount of Al₂TiO₅ and a little -Al₂O₃ and rutile TiO₂. And the oxidation process of the coated samples included the decomposition of the Al₂TiO₅ in the coating, the oxidation of the substrate and the changes of the coating structure. After high temperature oxidation, the increase of -Al₂O₃ in the coating was due to the decomposition of Al₂TiO₅, whereas the increase of rutile TiO₂ in the coating was attributable to both the decomposition of Al₂TiO₅ and the oxidation of the Ti substrate. The main crystalline of the coatings became rutile TiO₂ after the oxidation of 1000 °C for 1 h. The decomposition of Al₂TiO₅ in the coating occurred at 900 and 1000 °C, and its half decomposition time was less than 1 h at 1000 °C. Increasing oxidation temperature or extending oxidation time, the weight gains of coated samples was increased to different extent. However, the weigh gains of the coated samples was much lower than that of the substrate, so the ceramic coatings improved the oxidation resistance of Ti alloy greatly under the experimental conditions.     

Wear and Friction Properties of Electrodeposited Ni-Based Coatings Subject to Nano-enhanced Lubricant and Composite Coating

This paper presents research findings on the tribological performance of electrodeposited coatings subject to nano-lubricants with the addition of nano-Al_2O_3 and graphene and Ni/nano-Al_2O_3 composite coatings. Electrodeposited coatings were produced by using a pulse electrodeposition method. Tribological experiments were conducted by using a linear reciprocating ball on flat sliding tribometer. Experimental results confirmed that the wear and friction resistance properties were significantly enhanced by doping of nano-effects in the lubricating oil and composite coating. The addition of Al_2O_3 nanoparticles in the lubricating oil showed the best tribological properties, followed by Ni–Al_2O_3 composite coatings and nano-oil with graphene. The surface morphology and microstructure of electrodeposited coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The wear mechanisms of these coatings subjected to tribological testing were investigated by post-test surface analyses. This research provides a novel approach to design durable nano-coatings for tribological applications in various industries such as automotive,aerospace, locomotive and renewable energy technologies.     

Properties of copper matrix reinforced with various size and amount of Al2O3 particles

Copper matrix was reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles of different size and amount by internal oxidation and mechanical alloying accomplished using high-energy ball milling in air. The inert gas-atomised prealloyed copper powder containing 1 wt.% Al as well as a mixture of electrolytic copper powder and 3 wt.% commercial Al₂O₃ powder served as starting materials. Milling of Cu-1 wt.% Al prealloyed powder promoted formation of fine dispersed particles (1.9 wt.% Al₂O₃, approximately 100 nm in size) by internal oxidation. During milling of Cu-3 wt.% Al₂O₃ powder mixture the uniform distribution of commercial Al₂O₃ particles has been obtained. Following milling, powders were treated in hydrogen at 400 °C for 1 h in order to eliminate copper oxides formed at the surface during milling. Compaction was executed by hot-pressing. Compacts processed from 5 to 20 h-milled powders were additionally subjected to high-temperature exposure at 800 °C in order to examine their thermal stability and electrical conductivity. Compacts of Cu-1 wt.% Al prealloyed powders with finer Al₂O₃ particles and smaller grain size exhibited higher microhardness than compacts of Cu-3 wt.% Al₂O₃ powder mixture. This indicates that nano-sized Al₂O₃ particles act as a stronger reinforcing parameter of the copper matrix than micro-sized commercial Al₂O₃ particles. Improved thermal stability of Cu-1 wt.% Al compacts compared to Cu-3 wt.% Al₂O₃ compacts implies that nano-sized Al₂O₃ particles act more efficiently as barriers obstructing grain growth than micro-sized particles. Contrary, the lower electrical conductivity of Cu-1 wt.% Al compacts is the result of higher electron scatter caused by nano-sized Al₂O₃ particles.     

C3H8O3含量对AZ91D镁合金微弧氧化过程及膜层特性的影响

在含有不同C₃H₈O₃含量的硅铝复合电解液中,利用交流脉冲电源在AZ91D镁合金基体上制备了一系列微弧氧化膜。利用SEM和膜层测厚仪分别研究了陶瓷膜层的微观形貌特征及厚度,采用全浸泡实验和电化学阻抗谱测试了膜层在3.5%NaCl中性溶液中的耐蚀性能。结果表明,微弧氧化过程中的起弧电压和终止电压均随C₃H₈O₃含量的增加而呈上升的变化趋势。随着C₃H₈O₃含量的增加,膜层耐蚀性先提高后降低,而膜厚变化幅度不大。膜层的耐蚀性主要取决于内部致密层,当C₃H₈O₃含量为5 mL/L时,膜层相对较致密,因而表现出良好的耐蚀性能。     

Strength and residual stresses of functionally graded Al2O3/ZrO2 discs prepared by electrophoretic deposition

Biaxial strength testing of functionally graded Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ discs revealed that the strength of such discs, prepared by electrophoretic deposition, was almost doubled from 288 MPa for pure Al₂O₃ to 513 MPa for the graded discs; this was due to the compressive surface residual thermal stresses in the Al₂O₃ surface layer caused by the graded compositional profile. The surface compressive stress measured by means of X-ray diffraction was compared with the analytically calculated stress distribution in the graded component.     

Ti3 SiC2 复合材料耐磨性能研究

Ti₃SiC₂是一种六方晶体结构的特殊陶瓷材料,兼具金属与陶瓷的优异性能,拥有优良的高温强度、抗氧化性及可加工性等优点,广泛应用于耐磨润滑材料。本文综述其同金属和SiC、金刚石、TiC、Al₂O₃等复合后的优异性能和广阔应用,并展望其在和金属、陶瓷、金刚石等材料复合领域的研究方向。      

Properties of ZrO2–Al2O3 composite as a function of isothermal holding time

Zirconia and alumina based ceramics present interesting properties for their application as implants, such as biocompatibility, good fracture resistance, as well as high fracture toughness and hardness. In this work the influence of sintering time on the properties of a ZrO₂–Al₂O₃ composite material, containing 20 wt% of Al₂O₃, has been investigated. The ceramic composites were obtained by sintering, in air, at 1600 °C for sintering times between 0 and 1440 min. Sintered samples were characterized by microstructure and crystalline phases, as well as by mechanical properties. The grain growth exponents, n, for the ZrO₂ and Al₂O₃ were 2.8 and 4.1, respectively, indicating that different mechanisms are responsible for grain growth of each phase. After sintering at 1600 °C, the material exhibited a dependency of hardness as function of sintering time, with hardness values between 1500 HV (120 min) and 1310 HV (1440 min) and a fracture toughness of 8 MPa m^1/2, which makes it suitable for bioapplications, such as dental implants.     

The oxidation of nanocrystalline Ni3Al fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

Nanocrystalline Ni₃Al was fabricated through mechanical alloying of elemental powders and spark plasma sintering. The nanocrystalline Ni₃Al has a nearly full density after being sintered at 1223 K for 10 min under a pressure of 65 MPa. Isothermal and cyclic oxidations of nanocrystalline Ni₃Al were tested at 1173–1373 K with intervals of 100 K. The results indicate that nanocrystalline Ni₃Al exhibits excellent isothermal and cyclical oxidation resistance. The oxide scales consist primarily of dense and continuous -Al₂O₃. The grain refinement is beneficial for improving the oxidation resistance of Ni₃Al by providing more nucleation centers for the Al₂O₃ formation, promoting the selective formation of Al₂O₃ and improving the adhesion of oxide scales to the matrix.     

Fabrication and dry sliding wear behavior of in situ Al–K2ZrF6–KBF4 composites reinforced by Al3Zr and ZrB2 particles

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by Al₃Zr and ZrB₂ particles were fabricated from Al–x wt.%(K₂ZrF₆–KBF₄) (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25) systems via magnetochemistry in situ reaction and the dry sliding wear properties and behavior of the composites were investigated. XRD and SEM analysis show that ZrB₂ and Al₃Zr reinforcement phases have been obtained and been distributed uniformly in the aluminum matrix. Wear test results show that the values of wear weight loss of the composites decrease with the increase of x under all identical wear conditions, and that of the relative wear resistance R_relat. increases under the applied load of 100 N. Especially, when x = 25, the wear weight loss (under a sliding time of 120 min and an applied load of 100 N), which is 0.245 to that of the A356 alloy, and the R_relat. (under the intermediate wear-sliding stage and an applied load of 100 N) is 4.772, which is 1.513 to that of the primary stage, respectively. Two modes of the wear mechanisms of the as-prepared composites were identified.     

Wear characteristics of TiC, Ti(C,N), TiN and Al2O3 coatings in the turning of conventional and Ca-treated steels

The wear characteristics of single layers of TiC, Ti(C,N), TiN and Al₂O₃ were investigated during turning of conventional and Ca-treated quenched and tempered Al-killed steels. The experimental coatings were deposited using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or moderate temperature CVD (MTCVD) on cemented carbide substrates of a single composition and the coatings were of similar thicknesses (7 ± 1 μm). The wear mechanisms and layer formation were studied using scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Inclusion modification appeared to be an effective means of enhancing machinability and all experimental coatings exhibited about 20% better performance as a result of Ca-treatment. In particular, the crater wear of the experimental coatings — excluding Al₂O₃ — was clearly reduced. Comparative cutting tests revealed important differences between the coating materials. Wear mechanisms of the experimental coatings are discussed in detail.     

Microstructure and electrical conductivity of high volume Al2O3-reinforced copper matrix composites produced by plasma spray

A mixture of Cu/-Al₂O₃ (30:70 in vol.%) feedstock powder was plasma-sprayed onto a graphite substrate in order to investigate the electrical conductivity and microstructure of the deposits. As input power increased, the amount of phase transformed γ-Al₂O₃ and the volume fraction of Al₂O₃ in the plasma-sprayed composites increased, while the electrical conductivity decreased. Cuprite (Cu₂O) was also found in the deposits. The electrical conductivities of the plasma-sprayed Cu/Al₂O₃ composites were compared to those of the different predictive models. It was revealed that the two-phase self-consistent predictive model had the closest agreement with the measured values.