Mechanical properties and energy absorption of extruded Mg–2.0Zn–0.3Zr alloy with Y addition

The effects of the rare earth element Y addition on mechanical properties and energy absorption of a low Zn content Mg–Zn–Zr system alloy and the deformation temperature of optimized alloy were investigated by room tensile test, optical microscopy(OM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and transmission electron microscope(TEM). The results show that,after homogenization at 420 °C for 12 h for the as-cast alloys, Mg Zn phase forms, which decreases the strength of Mg–2.0Zn–0.3Zr alloy with Y content of 0.9 wt%. The tensile strength and elongation of the alloy with a Y addition of 5.8 wt% reach the max value(281 ± 2) MPa and(30.1 ± 0.7) %, respectively; the strength and elongation of Mg–2.0Zn–0.3Zr–0.9Y alloy at the optimized extrusion temperature of 330 °C reach(321 ± 1) MPa and(21.9 ± 0.7) %, respectively. The energy absorption increases with the increase of Y content, the max value reached 0.79 MJ m-3with Y content of 5.8 wt%, and the energy absorption of Mg–2.0Zn–0.3Zr–0.9Y alloy at the optimized extrusion temperature of 330 °C reaches0.75 MJ m-3.     

Microstructure and properties of aging Cu–Cr–Zr alloy

The crystallography and morphology of precipitate particles in a Cu matrix were studied using an aged Cu–Cr–Zr alloy by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM). The tensile strength and electrical conductivity of this alloy after various aging processes were tested. The results show that two kinds of crystallographic structure associated with chromium-rich phases, fcc and bcc structure, exist in the peak-aging of the alloy. The orientation relationship between bcc Cr precipitate and the matrix exhibits Nishiyama–Wasserman orientation relationship. Two kinds of Zr-rich phases(Cu4Zr and Cu5Zr)can be identified and the habit plane is parallel to {111}Cu plane during the aging. The increase in strength is ascribed to the precipitation of Cr- and Zr-rich phase.     

Obtaining Ultra-High Strength and Ductility in a Mg–Gd–Er–Zn–Zr Alloy via Extrusion,Pre-deformation and Two-Stage Aging

The Mg–12Gd–1Er–1Zn–0.9 Zr(wt%) alloy with ultra-high strength and ductility was developed via hot extrusion combined with pre-deformation and two-stage aging treatment.The age-hardening behavior and microstructure evolution were investigated.Pre-deformation introduced a large number of dislocations,resulting in strain hardening and higher precipitation strengthening in the subsequent two-stage aging.As a result,the alloy showed a superior strength–ductility balance with a yield strength of 506 MPa,an ultimate tensile strength of 549 MPa and an elongation of 8.2% at room temperature.The finer and denser β' precipitates significantly enhanced the strength,and the bimodal structure,small β-Mg_5RE phase as well as dense γ' precipitates ensured the good ductility of the alloy.It is suggested that the combination of pre-deformation and two-stage aging treatment is an eff ective method to further improve the mechanical properties of wrought Mg alloys.     

Effects of Solution Treatment on the Microstructure,Tensile Properties,and Impact Toughness of an Al–5.0Mg–3.0Zn–1.0Cu Cast Alloy

This study investigates the eff ect of solution treatment(at 470 °C for 0–48 h) on the microstructural evolution,tensile properties,and impact properties of an Al–5.0Mg–3.0Zn–1.0Cu(wt%) alloy prepared by permanent gravity casting.The results show that the as-cast microstructure consists of α-Al dendrites and a network-like pattern of T-Mg_(32)(AlZnCu) 49 phases.Most of the T-phases were dissolved within 24 h at 470 ℃;and a further prolonging of solution time resulted in a rapid growth of α-Al grains.No transformation from the T-phase to the S-Al_2CuMg phase was discovered in this alloy.Both the tensile properties and impact toughness increased quickly,reached a maximum peak value,and decreased gradually as the solution treatment proceeded.The impact toughness is more closely related to the elongation,and the relationship between impact toughness and elongation appears to obey an equation:IT = 8.43 EL-3.46.After optimal solution treatment at 470 ℃ for 24 h,this alloy exhibits excellent mechanical properties with the ultimate tensile strength,yield strength,elongation and impact toughness being 431.6 MPa,270.1 MPa,19.4% and 154.7 kJ/m~2,which are comparable to that of a wrought Al–6.0 Mg–0.7 Mn alloy(5E06,a 5 xxx aluminum alloy).Due to its excellent comprehensive combination of mechanical properties,this cast alloy has high potential for use in components which require medium strength,high ductility and high toughness.     

Effects of Passes on Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Mg–Gd–Y–Zn–Zr Alloy During Multidirectional Forging

The multidirectional forging(MDF) process was conducted at temperature of 753 K to optimize the mechanical properties of as-homogenized Mg–13 Gd–4 Y–2 Zn–0.6 Zr alloy containing long-period stacking ordered phase. The effects of MDF passes on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties were also investigated. The results show that both the volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization(DRX) grains and mechanical properties of the deformed alloy enhanced with MDF passes increasing till seven passes. The average grain size decreased from 76 to 2.24 lm after seven passes, while the average grain size increased to 7.12 lm after nine passes. The microstructure after seven passes demonstrated randomly oriented fine DRX grains and larger basal(0001)\11"20[ Schmid factor of 0.31. The superior mechanical properties at room temperature(RT) with ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of 416 MPa and fracture elongation of 4.12% can be obtained after seven passes. The mechanical properties at RT after nine passes are inferior to those after seven passes due to the coarsening of DRX grains, which can be ascribed to the static recovery resulting from the repeated heating at the interval of MDF passes. The elevated temperature mechanical properties of the deformed alloy after seven passes and nine passes were investigated. When test temperature was below 523 K, the elevated temperature tensile yield strength and UTS after seven passes are superior to those after nine passes, while they are inferior to that after nine passes as temperature exceeds523 K.     

A High-Ductility Mg–Zn–Ca Magnesium Alloy

A new kind of Mg–2 Zn–0.6 Ca(wt%) alloy was fabricated by casting and hot extrusion as a high-ductility structural material. The extruded alloy exhibits a superior elongation of ～30%, yield strength of 130 MPa and ultimate tensile strength of 280 MPa along the extrusion direction at room temperature. Microstructure, texture and tensile properties of the extruded alloy were investigated in details. The remarkable improvement of ductility is ascribed to the weakened basal texture, refined grains and a small number of second phase in the alloy.     

High Velocity Electric Arc Sprayed Fe-Al-Nb-B Composite Coating and Its Wear Behavior

A type of Fe-Al-Nb-B cored wire was designed and the coating was prepared using a robot-based electric wire arc spraying process. The Fe-Al binary cored wire and coating were also prepared as comparison. The phase composition and structure of the coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The coating tribological properties were evaluated with the micromotion wear tester under different conditions. The results show that, although typical lamellar structure was performed for both the arc sprayed Fe-Al-Nb-B coating and Fe-Al coating, the structure composition, mechanical and wear properties of the former are quite different from those of latter. The Fe-Al-Nb-B coating is a typical composite coating, which is distributed inhomogeneously with α-Fe crystalline, FeAl and Fe 3 Al intermetallics, amorphous and nanocrystallines as well as locally existed oxide phases. As a result, the mircrohardness and wear resistance of the Fe-Al-Nb-B composite coating increased significantly. Finally the mechanism of the coating wear resistant behavior was discussed based on the experimental results such as friction coefficient, two dimensional and three dimensional worn surface profiles.     

Shape memory behavior of Ti–20Zr–10Nb–5Al alloy subjected to annealing treatment

The effects of annealing temperature on microstructures, phase transformation, mechanical properties, and shape memory effect of Ti–20Zr–10Nb–5Al alloy were investigated. X-ray diffraction(XRD) patterns show that the alloy is composed of single hexagonal ɑ'-martensite phase for both as-rolled sample and sample annealed at773 K for 30 min, while single orthorhombic ɑ' phase exists in the samples annealed at 873 and 973 K for30 min. The optical observations indicate that the alloy is recrystallized when annealed at 873 K, and the grain size of the sample annealed at 973 K is about five times larger than that annealed at 873 K. Both of the samples annealed at 873 and 973 K show almost the same reverse martensite transformation start temperature of 483 K as demonstrated by thermal dilatation tests. The critical stress values for martensite reorientation(σ_M) are 392 and 438 MPa for the alloys annealed at 873 and 973 K, respectively. The maximum shape memory strain is 2.8 %, which is obtained in the alloy annealed at 873 K due to the lower σ_M. Moreover,the sample annealed at 873 K exhibits larger tensile stress and tensile strain due to the smaller grain size.     

A High-Strength and Biodegradable Zn–Mg Alloy with Refined Ternary Eutectic Structure Processed by ECAP

In this study, the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behaviors of a Zn–1.6 Mg(wt%) alloy during multipass rotary die equal channel angle pressing(RD-ECAP) processing at 150 °C were systematically investigated. The results indicated that a Zn + Mg_2 Zn_(11) + MgZn_2 ternary eutectic structure was formed in as-cast Zn–Mg alloy. After ECAP, the primary Zn matrix turned to fine dynamic recrystallization(DRX) grains, and the network-shaped eutectic structure was crushed into fine particles and blended with DRX grains. Owing to the refined microstructure, dispersed eutectic structure and dynamically precipitated precipitates, the 8 p-ECAP alloy possessed the optimal mechanical properties with ultimate tensile strength of 474 MPa and elongation of 7%. Moreover, the electrochemical results showed that the ECAP alloys exhibited similar corrosion rates with that of as-cast alloys in simulated body fluid, which suggests that a high-strength Zn–Mg alloy was successfully developed without sacrifice of the corrosion resistance.     

Optimization of mechanical and antibacterial properties of Ti-3wt%Cu alloy through cold rolling and annealing

In this work,a process of cold rolling with 70%thickness reduction and different annealing temperatures was selected to regulate the microstructure of Ti-3wt%Cu alloy.Microstructural evolution,mechanical properties and antibacterial properties of the Ti-3wt%Cu alloy under different conditions were systematically investigated in terms of X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM),transmission electron microscope(TEM),tensile and antibacterial test.The results indicated that cold rolling could dramatically increase the ultimate tensile stress(UTS)from 520 to 928 MPa,but reduce the fracture strain from 15.3%to 3.8%.With the annealing temperature increasing from 400 to 800C for 1 h,the UTS decreased from 744 to 506 MPa and the fracture strain increased from12.7%to 24.4%.Moreover,the antibacterial properties of the Ti-3wt%Cu alloy under different conditions showed excellent antibacterial rate(>96.69%).The results also indicated that the excellent combination of strength and ductility of the Ti-3wt%Cu alloy with cold rolling and following annealing could be achieved in a trade-off by tuning the size and distribution of Ti2Cu phase,which could increase the applicability of the alloy in clinical practice.More importantly,the antibacterial properties maintained a good stability for the Ti-3wt%Cu alloy under different conditions.The excellent combination of mechanical properties and antibacterial properties could make the Ti-3wt%Cu alloy a good candidate for long-term orthopaedic implant application.     

Effect of Solution Treatment on Microstructure and Corrosion Properties of Mg–4Gd–1Y–1Zn–0.5Ca–1Zr Alloy

The as-cast multi-element Mg–4Gd–1Y–1Zn–0.5Ca–1Zr alloy with low rare earth additions was prepared, and the solution treatment was applied at different temperatures. The microstructural evolution of the alloy was characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and corrosion properties of the alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution were evaluated by immersion and electrochemical tests. The results indicate that the as-cast alloy is composed of the a-Mg matrix,lamellar long-period stacking-ordered(LPSO) structure and eutectic phase. The LPSO structure exists with more volume fraction in the alloy solution-treated at 440 °C, but disappears with the increase in the solution temperature. For all the solution-treated alloys, the precipitated phases are detected. The corrosion rates of the alloys decrease first and then increase slightly with the increase in the solution temperature, and the corrosion resistance of the solution-treated alloys is more than four times as good as that of the as-cast alloy. In addition, the alloy solution-treated at 480 °C for 6 h shows the best corrosion property.     

Solid solubility extension and microstructure evolution of cast zirconium yttrium alloy

Yttrium addition can improve the oxidation resistance,mitigate hydrogen embrittlement and thus enhance the mechanical properties of the zirconium alloy.To study solid solubility extension of yttrium in zirconium alloy,the lattice parameters of a-Zr phase in Zr–Y alloy were accurately determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD).Yttrium exhibits solid solubility extension in the cast zirconium alloy which forms a metastable supersaturated solid solution with solubility limit of around 3 wt%.The effect of yttrium and thermal treatment on the microstructure of the alloys was investigated by optical microscopy(OM)and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The cast Zr–Y alloy shows a normal polycrystalline structure with dispersed a-Y particles when Y content is lower than 4 wt%,while the alloy shows a eutectic structure with dendrites formation when the Y content is higher.Yttrium exhibits a strong grain refining effect on zirconium alloy and precipitates from the metastable supersaturated Zr matrix after annealing at 700 and 900 °C.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of the pressure die cast magnesium alloy AZ91D after long-term thermal exposure

The thermal resistance of the pressure die cast magnesium alloy AZ91D is yet not investigated sufficiently. In order to assess the effect of a thermal exposure on the microstructural stability and the mechanical properties, the alloy AZ91D is subjected to a long-term annealing for 1 000 h at 80 ℃, 100 ℃, 120 ℃, 150 ℃, 180 ℃ and 200 ℃. After the annealing, the microstructural appearance of the material is investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy and compared with the as-cast condition. Furthermore, tensile tests, hardness measurements and fracture toughness tests are carried out and the measured values are discussed on the basis of the microstructural changes. The results reveal the distinct correlation between the microstructural changes, especially the precipitation of discontinuous and continuous β-particles (Mg17Al12), and the mechanical properties.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of homogenization and isothermal aging Mg–Gd–Er–Zn–Zr alloy

The effects of homogenization and isothermal aging treatment on the mechanical properties of Mg–12Gd–2Er–1Zn–0.6Zr(wt%) alloy were investigated. The precipitated long-period stacking order(LPSO) structure and the aging precipitation sequence of the conditioned alloys were observed and analyzed, respectively. The results indicate that the 14H-LPSO structure occurs after the homogenization treatment and the b0 phase forms after the isothermal aging process. These two independent processes could be controlled by the precipitation temperature range. The significant increase in the elongation of the as-cast alloy after homogenization treatment is attributed to the disappearance of the coarse primary Mg5(Gd, Er, Zn) phase and the presence of the 14H-LPSO structure. The precipitation sequence of the investigated alloy is a-Mg(SSS)/b00(D019)/b0(cbco)/b.Furthermore, the yield tensile strength(YTS) and ultimate tensile strength(UTS) values of the isothermal aging alloy have a great improvement, which could be attributed to the high density of the precipitated b0 phase.     

Microstructure,mechanical and biodegradable properties of a Mg–2Zn–1Gd–0.5Zr alloy with different solution treatments

Solution treatment is a useful way to improve the degradation resistance of Mg alloys.In this work,effects of solution treatment temperature on mechanical and biodegradable properties of an extruded Mg–2Zn–1Gd–0.5Zr alloy were studied.Microstructure analysis,tensile test, three-point bending test, immersion test and electrochemical test were performed.The results showed that increasing solution temperature decreases the mechanical properties of the alloy.However, three-point bending test revealed that the solution-treated alloy at 510 ℃ could maintain 95% of its maximum bending force(F_(max)) during the 28-day immersion period.After treatment at 510 ℃ for 5 h, all the second phases were dissolved into the alloy, the galvanic corrosion was inhibited, and the alloy exhibited good corrosion resistance with a corrosion rate of 0.35 mm·year~(-1) in Hank's solution.     

Characterization of the High-Strength Mg–3Nd–0.5Zn Alloy Prepared by Thermomechanical Processing

Magnesium alloys based on Nd and Zn are promising materials for both aviation industry and medical applications.Superior mechanical properties of these materials can be achieved by thermomechanical processing such as extrusion or rolling and by aging treatment, which can significantly strengthen the alloy. The question remains especially about the connection of texture strength created in the alloys based on the specific conditions of preparation. This work focuses on the Mg–3 Nd–0.5 Zn magnesium alloy prepared by hot extrusion of the as-cast state at two different temperatures combined with heat pre-treatment. Extrusion ratio of 16 and rate of 0.2 mm/s at 350 and 400 °C were selected for material preparation. The structures of prepared materials were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of microstructure on mechanical properties was evaluated. Obtained results revealed the strong effect of thermal pre-treatment on final microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded materials. The Hall–Petch relation between grain size and tensile yield strength has been suggested in this paper based on the literature review and presented data. The observed behavior strongly supports the fact that the Hall–Petch of extruded Mg–3Nd–0.5 Zn alloys with different texture intensities cannot be clearly estimated and predicted. In addition, Hall–Petch relations presented in literature can be sufficiently obtained only for fraction of the Mg–3Nd–0.5 Zn alloys.     

Evolution of Microstructure,Residual Stress,and Tensile Properties of Mg–Zn–Y–La–Zr Magnesium Alloy Processed by Extrusion

The microstructure, texture, residual stress, and tensile properties of Mg–6 Zn–2 Y–1 La–0.5 Zr(wt%) magnesium alloy were investigated before and after extrusion process, which performed at 300 °C and 400 °C. The microstructural characterizations indicated that the as-cast alloy was comprised of α-Mg, Mg–Zn, Mg–Zn–La, and Mg–Zn–Y phases. During homogenization at 400 °C for 24 h, most of the secondary phases exhibited partial dissolution. Extrusion process led to a remarkable grain refi nement due to dynamic recrystallization(DRX). The degree of DRX and the DRXed grain size increased with increasing extrusion temperature. The homogenized alloy did not show a preferential crystallographic orientation, whereas the extruded alloys showed strong basal texture. The extrusion process led to a signifi cant improvement on the compressive residual stress and mechanical properties. The alloy extruded at 300 °C exhibited the highest basal texture intensity, the compressive residual stress and hardness, and yield and tensile strengths among the studied alloys.     

Soft-Magnetic High-Entropy AlCoFeMnNi Alloys with Dual-Phase Microstructures Induced by Annealing

The simultaneous enhancement of magnetic and mechanical properties is desirable but challenging for soft-magnetic materials.A fabrication strategy to meet this requirement is therefore in high demand.Herein,bulk equiatomic dual-phase AlCoFeMnNi high-entropy alloys were fabricated via a magnetic levitation induction melting and casting process followed by annealing at 700-1000℃,and their microstructures as well as mechanical and magnetic properties were investigated.The as-cast alloy possessed a single metastable B2-ordered solid solution that decomposed upon annealing into a dual-phase structure comprising an Al-and Ni-rich body-centered cubic(BCC) matrix and Fe-and Mn-rich face-centered cubic(FCC)precipitates both in the grain interior and along the grain boundaries.The magnetic and mechanical properties were closely related to the relative volume fraction of FCC in the alloy.The FCC volume fraction could be increased by increasing the annealing temperature,thereby offering tunable properties.The optimal annealing temperature for balanced magnetic and mechanical properties was found to be 800℃.The alloy annealed at this temperature had an average BCC grain size of 12±3μm and FCC volume fraction of 41±4%.Correspondingly,the s aturation magnetization and coercivity reached 82.57 Am~2/kg and 433 A/m,respectively.The compressive yield strength and fracture strength were 1022 and 2539 MPa,respectively,and the plasticity was 33%.Owing to its adjustable microstructure and properties,the AlCoFeMnNi alloy has potential for use as a multi-functional soft-magnetic material.     

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Mg–xAl–1Sn–0.3Mn( x = 1, 3, 5) Alloy Sheets

The influence of Al alloying on the microstructures and the mechanical properties of Mg–x Al–1 Sn–0.3 Mn alloy sheets was investigated. The microstructure of Mg– x Al–1 Sn–0.3 Mn consisted of α-Mg and Mg 17 Al 12 precipitates. Alloying with Al increased the amount of Mg_(17)Al_(12) and the average grain size. Uniaxial tensile tests were carried out along the extrusion direction(ED), the transverse direction(TD) and 45° toward the ED. Mg–5 Al–1 Sn–0.3 Mn alloy sheet exhibited the best combination of mechanical properties along the ED: a yield strength of 142 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 282 MPa and an elongation of 23%. The good performance of Mg–5 Al–1 Sn–0.3 Mn sheet was mainly attributed to the large quantity of Mg_(17)Al_(12) precipitates and a weak basal texture. Annealing caused static dynamic recrystallization, refined the grain size and enhanced the mechanical properties: yield strength of 186 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 304 MPa, elongation of 21% along ED. Both strength and ductility were enhanced by Al alloying.     

Influence of Cold Rolling Reduction on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TWIP Steel

The influence of cold rolling reduction on microstructure and mechanical properties of the TWIP (ttwinning induced plasticity) steel was investigated. The results indicated that the steel had better comprehensive mechanical properties when cold rolling reduction was about 65.0% and the annealing temperature was 1000℃. The tensile strength of the steel is about 640MPa and the yield strength is higher than 255MPa, while the elongation is above 82%. The microstructure is composed of austenitic matrix and annealing twins at room temperature, at the same time, a significant amount of annealing twins and stacking faults are observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mechanical twins play a dominant role during deformation, and result in excellent mechanical properties.