Effect of residual strain on radiation induced segregation in SS 304

The effect of residual strain on radiation-induced segregation in proton-irradiated type 304 stainless steel was investigated using electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) test followed by atomic force microscopic examination. The specimens were irradiated to 0.43 and 0.86 dpa. Microstructural observation after EPR of irradiated specimens showed negligible attack on grain boundaries. Attacked linear features were noticed after EPR testing of irradiated specimens while such features were not observed for un-irradiated as-received or irradiated solution-annealed specimen. The presence of linear features after EPR testing of irradiated specimens was attributed to decoration of strain-regions within the matrix by point-defects generated due to irradiation.     

304奥氏体不锈钢离子辐照后再活化性能测试和表面形貌观察

对核电用奥氏体不锈钢进行固溶和敏化处理,对部分固溶试样进行Fe 和He 辐照,随后测量了4种处理状态试样的再活化率(EPR),并观察表面形貌.结果表明:经He 辐照试样出现了2.88%的再活化率,敏化试样的再活化率是19.5%,固溶试样和经Fe 辐照试样的再活化率为0.离子辐照试样的表面形貌与固溶或敏化试样完全不同.     

Ca Addition Effects on the Microstructure,Tensile and Corrosion Properties of Mg Matrix Alloy Containing 8 wt.% Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si

The microstructure, tensile properties and corrosion behavior of the Mg-8 wt.% Mg₂Si-x%Ca alloy have been studied by the use of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, standard tensile testing, polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. Microstructural studies indicated that Ca modifies both primary and eutectic Mg₂Si phase. It was found that the average size of primary Mg₂Si particles is about 60 μm, which is dropped by about 82% in the alloy containing 0.05 wt.% Ca. By the addition of different Ca contents, Ca-rich intermetallics (i.e., CaSi₂ and CaMgSi) were formed. The modification mechanism of adding Ca during solidification was found to be due to the strong effect of CaMgSi phase as a heterogonous nucleation site, apart from CaSi₂ which was reported before, for Mg₂Si intermetallics. Tensile testing results ascertained that Ca addition enhances both ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation values. The optimum amount of Ca was found to be 0.1 wt.%, which improved UTS and elongation values from about 130 MPa and 2% to 165 MPa and 5.5%, whereas more Ca addition (i.e., 3 wt.%) reduced the tensile properties of the alloy to about 105 MPa and 1.8%, which can be due to the formation of CaMgSi intermetallics with deteriorating needle-like morphology. Polarization and EIS tests also showed that the Mg-3%Si-0.5%Ca alloy pronounces as the best anti-corrosion alloy. Nevertheless, further added Ca (up to 3 wt.%) deteriorated the corrosion resistance due to predominance of worse galvanic coupling effect stemmed from the presence of stronger CaMgSi cathode in comparison with Mg₂Si. With higher Ca additions, an adverse effect was seen on corrosion resistance of the Mg-3%Si alloy, as a result of forming a weak film on the alloy specimen surface.     

Metallurgical factors contributing to HAZ cracking susceptibility in cast alloy 718 welds and its improvement by cerium addition

A study was carried out to determine the effect of cerium addition on HAZ cracking susceptibility in cast alloy 718 welds. The cause of HAZ cracking was also investigated using commercial cast alloy 718 varying in grain size at three levels. The hot cracking test results for commercial cast alloy 718 indicated that the fine-grained alloy was less sensitive to HAZ cracking. Furthermore, cerium addition of up to 0.3 wt.% was found to have a beneficial effect in reducing HAZ cracking susceptibility. When cerium addition exceeds 0.3 wt%, HAZ cracking susceptibility increased further. The mechanism of HAZ cracking was found to be related to intergranular liquation caused by the eutectic melting of sulfur containing a laves cluster at the grain boundaries. The degree of grain boundary liquation in the fine-grained specimen was less than that of the coarse-grained specimen due to a decrease in the amount of laves cluster and sulfur segregation in it at the grain boundaries, which seems to be responsible for a reduction in hot cracking susceptibility in the fine-grained specimen. Microscopic observation suggested that the improved HAZ cracking susceptibility in cerium containing alloy could be attributed to a reduction in the amount of laves cluster and sulfur segregation in it at grain boundaries due to the grain size reduction and sulfur-scavenging effects of cerium.     

Microstructure,Tensile and Fatigue Properties of Al–5 wt.%Mg Alloy Manufactured by Twin Roll Strip Casting

This study investigated the microstructure, tensile and fatigue properties of Al–5 wt.%Mg alloy manufactured by twin roll strip casting. Strips cast as a fabricated (F) specimen and a specimen heat treated (O) at 400 °C/5 h were produced and compared. In the F specimen, microstructural observation discovered clustered precipitates in the center area, while in the O specimen precipitates were relatively more evenly distributed. Al, Al₆(Mn, Fe), Mg₂Al₃ and Mg₂Si phases were observed. However, most of the Mg₂Al₃ phase in the heat-treated O specimen was dissolved. A room temperature tensile test measured yield strength of 177.7 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 286.1 MPa and elongation of 11.1% in the F specimen and 167.7 MPa (YS), 301.5 MPa (UTS) and 24.6% (EL) in the O specimen. A high cycle fatigue test measured a fatigue limit of 145 MPa in the F specimen and 165 MPa in the O specimen, and the O specimen achieved greater fatigue properties in all fatigue stress conditions. The tensile and fatigue fracture surfaces of the above-mentioned specimens were observed, and this study attempted to investigate the tensile and fatigue deformation behavior of strip cast Al–5 wt.%Mg based on the findings.     

Effect of Sc and Sr on the Eutectic Si Morphology and Tensile Properties of Al-Si-Mg Alloy

To study the effect of Sc and Sr additions on modifying eutectic silicon particles and mechanical properties for Al-Si-Mg casting alloy, they were added with different amounts in F357 alloy without beryllium addition in the present work. It was found that (0.4 wt.% Sc and 0.04 wt.% Sr)-modified F357 alloy presented the optimal tensile properties when compared with the individual addition of Sc or Sr. This was mainly attributed to the synergic modification of eutectic Si in F357 alloys due to the combined additions of Sc and Sr. The silicon modification mechanisms via Sc and Sr were emphasized to be examined in this paper, and the fracture mechanism of the obtained alloys was also discussed.     

Testing and Analysis of Full-Scale Creep-Rupture Experiments on Inconel Alloy 740 Cold-Formed Tubing

Full-scale pressurized creep-rupture tests were conducted on Inconel^® alloy 740 cold-formed tube bends to evaluate the effect of cold-work on the performance of tube bends for high-temperature creep applications. A new method of analysis is developed that can be used to simplify the complexities of structural (geometric) effects and material degradation due to cold-work. Results show that Inconel^® alloy 740 behaves similarly to other age-hardenable nickel-based alloys subjected to cold-work prior to creep testing with large reductions in rupture life and ductility and a corresponding moderate increase in minimum creep rate. The results also demonstrate that the full-size test method can be a beneficial to understanding the performance of large components in service.     

Corrosion Protection of Electro-Galvanized Steel by Ceria-Based Coatings: Effect of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Addition

A cerium oxide thin layer was deposited onto galvanized steel by cathodic electrodeposition from 0.1 M concentrated cerium nitrate solution. In this work, the influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) addition on the composition and morphology of the deposits is examined. The results showed that the addition of PEG to the cerium nitrate solutions leads to a decrease in the cracks in the deposits by decreasing the hydrogen reduction reaction and by decreasing the film thickness which provided enhanced corrosion protection. Moreover, the substrate dissolution reaction is inhibited.     

The Effects of Specimen Geometry on the Plastic Deformation of AA 2219-T8 Aluminum Alloy Under Dynamic Impact Loading

The effects of specimen geometry on shear strain localization in AA 2219-T8 aluminum alloy under dynamic impact loading were investigated. The alloy was machined into cylindrical, cuboidal and conical (frustum) test specimens. Both deformed and transformed adiabatic shear bands developed in the alloy during the impact loading. The critical strain rate for formation of the deformed band was determined to be 2500 s^?1 irrespective of the specimen geometry. The critical strain rate required for formation of transformed band is higher than 3000 s^?1 depending on the specimen geometry. The critical strain rate for formation of transformed bands is lowest (3000 s^?1) in the Ø5 mm × 5 mm cylindrical specimens and highest (> 6000 s^?1) in the conical specimens. The cylindrical specimens showed the greatest tendency to form transformed bands, whereas the conical specimen showed the least tendency. The shape of the shear bands on the impacted plane was also observed to be dependent on the specimen geometry. Whereas the shear bands on the compression plane of the conical specimens formed elongated cycles, two elliptical shaped shear bands facing each other were observed on the cylindrical specimens. Two parallel shear bands were observed on the compression planes of the cuboidal specimens. The dynamic stress–strain curves vary slightly with the specimen geometry. The cuboidal specimens exhibit higher tendency for strain hardening and higher maximum flow stress than the other specimens. The microstructure evolution leading to the formation of transformed bands is also discussed in this paper.     

Effect of Graphite Addition on Structure and Properties of Ti(CN) Coatings Deposited by Reactive Plasma Spraying

Ti(CN) coatings with graphite addition ranging from 0 to 50 wt.% were prepared using reactive plasma spraying technology and their microstructure, mechanical, and tribological properties were investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Vickers microhardness testing, and block-on-ring wear testing. The results showed that graphite addition resulted in crystallite size refinement and an increase in the amount of amorphous phase. The Ti(CN) coatings consisted of a mixture of Ti(CN), graphite, CN _x , and amorphous phases. The hardness first increased then decreased as the graphite content was increased, with a maximum of 1450 HV_0.2 for 30 wt.% graphite addition. The fracture toughness decreased from 4.38 MPa m^1/2 to 2.76 MPa m^1/2 with increasing graphite content. The friction coefficient decreased due to unreacted graphite embedded in the matrix. Also, the wear rate first decreased then increased, with a minimum value of 2.65 × 10^?6 mm³ N^?1 m^?1 for 30 wt.% graphite addition. The wear mechanisms of the Ti(CN) coatings included abrasive, adhesive, and oxidation wear.     

稀土元素Ce对锡银铜无铅钎料显微组织的影响

研究了不同含量的稀土Ce对Sn-3．8Ag-0．7Cu无铅钎料的显微组织的影响，结果表明，微量稀土Ce的加入可以细化组织，抑制金属间化合物的生长。稀土Ce含量为0．03％（质量分数）时，组织均匀、细小，钎料润湿性能好，钎缝力学性能佳。当Ce含量为0．03％（质量分数）时，无铅钎料组织中开始出现黑色的富Ce相，并随Ce量的增加而增多。对显微组织的分析和理论计算表明，含稀土Ce锡银铜无铅钎料组织中的黑色的富Ce相为Ce与Sn的化合物。     

Advanced Mechanical Properties of a Powder Metallurgy Ti-Al-N Alloy Doped with Ultrahigh Nitrogen Concentration

Titanium and its alloys are recognized for their attractive properties. However, high-performance Ti alloys are often alloyed with rare or noble-metal elements. In the present study, Ti alloys doped with only ubiquitous elements were produced via powder metallurgy. The experimental results showed that pure Ti with 1.5 wt.% AlN incorporated exhibited excellent tensile properties, superior to similarly extruded Ti-6Al-4V. Further analysis revealed that its remarkably advanced strength could primarily be attributed to nitrogen solid-solution strengthening, accounting for nearly 80% of the strength increase of the material. In addition, despite the ultrahigh nitrogen concentration up to 0.809 wt.%, the Ti-1.5AlN sample showed elongation to failure of ~ 10%. This result exceeds the well-known limitation for nitrogen (over 0.45 wt.%) that causes embrittlement of Ti alloys.     

Microstructure and Properties of HVOF-Sprayed NiCrAlY Coatings Modified by Rare Earth

Rare earth (RE)-modified NiCrAlY powders were prepared by ultrasonic gas atomization and deposited on stainless steel substrate by high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying. The effects of the RE on the microstructure, properties, and thermal shock resistance of the NiCrAlY coatings were investigated. The results showed that the NiCrAlY powders were refined and distributed uniformly after adding RE, while the number of unmelted particles in the coatings was reduced. Moreover, the RE-modified coatings showed improved microhardness and distribution uniformity. The microhardness of the coating reached a maximum after adding 0.9 wt.% RE, being 34.4 % higher than that of coatings without RE. The adhesive strength increased and reached a maximum after adding 0.6 wt.% RE, being 18.8 % higher than that of coatings without RE. Excessive RE decreased the adhesive strength. The thermal cycle life of NiCrAlY coatings increased drastically with RE addition. The coating with 0.9 wt.% RE showed optimum thermal shock resistance, being 21.2 % higher than that of coatings without RE.     

Effects of IR Laser Shots on the Surface Hardness and Electrical Resistivity of High-Purity Iron

Annealed specimens of 99.99% pure iron were irradiated with 500, 750, 1000, and 1250 Nd:YAG laser shots. The laser fluence and laser intensity at the laser irradiation spot on the target surface were 4.4 × 10³ J/cm² and 4.8 × 10¹¹ W/cm², respectively. Vickers hardness of irradiated specimens was measured at various points separated by 0.5 mm in four different mutually perpendicular directions around the laser irradiation spot. The surface hardness profile for each irradiated specimen shows an increasing trend in surface hardness till a distance of 3.5 mm from the reference point. The average surface hardness (ASH) is found to increase up to 21% and electrical resistivity increases up to 50% as the number of laser shots is increased to 1250. A linear relationship between electrical resistivity and ASH is observed. Moreover, the ASH follows the well-known Hall-Petch relation, indicating that the crystallite boundaries impede the motion of dislocations to a greater extent as the crystallite size gets smaller.     

Mechanism of Microstructural Refinement of Al-Cu Alloy During Low Melt Sheared Slope Casting

Microstructural features of Al-6 wt.% Cu alloy processed by two different routes: (1) conventional casting, and (2) shear casting based on inclined surface are studied. The results showed that the melt shearing resulted in significant refinement of the primary α-Al phase in the Al-6 wt.% Cu alloy. It is suggested that the oxides formed under normal melting conditions can enhance heterogeneous nucleation in Al-6 wt.% Cu alloy if break down and disperse in the melt due to shearing process. Compared to those produced by conventional casting, shear-cast samples have a much improved tensile strength due to grain refinement.     

Effect of Mo Addition on Strength of Fire-Resistant Steel at Elevated Temperature

A series of Fe-Mo-C steels with Mo addition from 0.1 to 0.8 wt.% has been prepared for studying the effect of Mo on the elevated-temperature strength of fire-resistant steel. Two heat treatments were performed for obtaining either ferrite microstructure or ferrite-bainite microstructure to study the contributions from two strengthening mechanisms with Mo addition, namely solid-solution strengthening and bainite strengthening. The results show that solid-solution strengthening is the predominant elevated-temperature strengthening mechanism of Mo in fire-resistant steel. This strengthening effect has a huge contribution in improving elevated-temperature strength when Mo content is below 0.5 wt.%, and the yield strength at 600 °C goes up by a significant 13.7 MPa per 0.1 wt.% Mo addition. However, it becomes relatively weak when Mo content is more than or equal to 0.5 wt.%. Moreover, results indicate that the elevated-temperature strength remarkably increases when the volume fraction of bainite is above 15%. Furthermore, it is found that the ferrite grain size has minor effect on elevated-temperature strength of fire-resistant steel. Results also provide fundamentals of designing low-cost fire-resistant steels with excellent strength.     

Preparation of Al-Si Master Alloy by Electrochemical Reduction of Fly Ash in Molten Salt

An electrochemical method on preparation of Al-Si master alloy was investigated in fluoride-based molten salts of 47.7wt.%NaF-43.3wt.%AlF₃-4wt.%CaF₂ containing 5 wt.% fly ash at 1233 K. The cathodic products obtained by galvanostatic electrolysis were analyzed by means of x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectrometry. The result showed that the compositions of the products are Al, Si, and Al_3.21Si_0.47. Meanwhile, the cathodic electrochemical process was studied by cyclic voltammetry, and the results showed the reduction peak of aluminum deposition is at ?1.3 V versus the platinum quasi-reference electrode in 50.3wt.%NaF-45.7wt.%AlF₃-4wt.%CaF₂ molten salts, while the reduction peak at ?1.3 V was the co-deposition of aluminum and silicon when the fly ash was added. The silicon and iron were formed via both co-deposition and aluminothermic reduction. In the electrolysis experiments, current efficiency first increased to a maximum value of 40.7% at a current density of 0.29 A/cm², and then it decreased with the increase of current density. With the electrolysis time lasting, the content of aluminum in the alloys decreased from 76.05 wt.% to 48.29 wt.% during 5 h, while the content of silicon increased from 15.94 wt.% to 37.89 wt.%.     

Characterization of a CuAlBe Alloy with Different Cr Contents

In this article, the use of chromium (Cr) as a grain refiner for a CuAlBe shape memory alloy is discussed. Alloys with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 wt.% Cr were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope, and x-ray diffraction. Also, the influence of the different percentages of Cr on the grain size and on the mechanical properties was analyzed through macro- and microscopic evaluations and by tensile and hardness tests, respectively. Finally, the phase transformation temperatures of the alloys were determined by thermal analysis using differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the higher the Cr content, the greater the grain refinement effect and lower the hardness. In addition, at room temperature the alloys with 0.1 and 0.2 wt.% Cr were austenitic, while the rest were martensitic. The tensile tests showed that the alloy with 0.2 wt.% Cr provided the best strain-stress performance. The conclusion was that the use of 0.2 wt.% Cr as a grain refiner improved the mechanical properties of the CuAlBe alloy; however, the same was not observed for the other Cr contents.     

Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behavior of As-Cast Mg-Zn-Zr-(La) Magnesium Alloys

The effects of La content on the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of as-cast Mg-Zn-Zr (ZK) magnesium alloys were investigated. The results showed that La addition to ZK60 alloy resulted in a considerable grain refinement and an increase in the volume fraction of second phases by formation of Mg-Zn-La ternary phase. The tensile tests were performed at both room and elevated temperatures. At room temperature, the yield and tensile strengths and elongation-to-fracture significantly increased with 0.2 wt.% La addition, then deteriorated slightly with increasing La additions above 0.2 wt.%. At 200 °C, the yield and tensile strengths continually improved and elongation-to-fracture decreased with increasing La content due to the presence of thermally stable Mg-Zn-La phase. Immersion and electrochemical corrosion tests revealed that the formation of Mg-Zn-La phases led to a higher amount of cathodic sites and preferential corrosion propagation, and thus a decrease in the corrosion resistance of ZK60 alloys.     

Effects of Some Light Alloying Elements on the Oxidation Behavior of Fe and Ni-Cr Based Alloys During Air Plasma Spraying

The oxidation behavior of iron binary powders with addition of Si (1, 4 wt.%) and B (1, 3 wt.%) and that of a Ni-Cr based alloy powder with Si (4.3 wt.%), B (3.0 wt.%), and C (0.8 wt.%) additions during atmosphere plasma spray (APS) have been investigated. Analysis of the chemical composition and phases of oxides in the captured in-flight particles and deposited coatings was carried out. The results show that the addition of Si and B to iron effectively reduced the oxygen contents in the coatings, especially during the in-flight period at higher particles temperature. Ni-Cr based alloy powder with Si, B, and C additions reduced the oxidation of the base alloys significantly. Preferential oxidation and subsequent vaporization of Si, B, and C from the surface of the sprayed particles are believed to play a major role in controlling oxidation in the APS process.