High-temperature surface alloying of nanocrystalline nickel produced by surface mechanical attrition treatment

A nanocrystalline surface layer is synthesized in Ni by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The characterization of microstructure and composition indicates that foreign elements from hardened balls can permeate and diffuse into the surface layer during SMAT, which can further diffuse and homogenize in the surface layer when annealing at high temperature, leading to formation of new alloy. Foreign elements permeating into the surface layer during SMAT followed by diffusing and homogenizing at high temperature provide an alternative effective technology for surface modification.     

Low-temperature nitriding of 38CrMoAl steel with a nanostructured surface layer induced by surface mechanical attrition treatment

A nanocrystalline surface layer was fabricated on a 38CrMoAl steel plate by means of a surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The average grain size in the top surface layer (10 μm thick) is about 10 nm, and the grain size stability can be maintained up to 450 °C. The effect of the surface nanocrystalline layer on the gas nitriding process at a lower temperature was investigated by using structural analysis and wear property measurements. The surface nanocrystallization evidently enhances nitriding kinetics and promotes the formation of an ultrafine polycrystalline compound layer. The results of the investigation showed that this new gas nitriding technique can effectively increase the hardness and wear resistance of the resulting surface layer in comparison with conventional nitriding, demonstrating a significant advancement for materials processing.     

纯Fe在Cr粉末中经表面机械研磨处理后的组织与性能

在含有Cr粉末的容器中对Fe进行表面机械研磨处理(SMAT),得到具有一定厚度的纳米晶表层。结果表明,在纳米表层高的扩散性能和高应变速率的剧烈塑性变形条件下,Cr元素被压入和扩散入Fe纳米晶表层。在随后不同温度的退火处理中,Cr元素在纳米表层中进一步扩散和均匀化,在细晶强化和加工硬化作用消失后仍导致退火后Fe表层力学性能的提高。在粉末介质中进行表面机械研磨处理能方便和有效地实现材料的表面改性,应对其应用加以关注。     

表面机械研磨处理制备纳米晶Ni的晶粒生长动力学

利用表面机械研磨处理(SMAT)技术在纯Ni上制备一定厚度的纳米晶表层,利用X射线衍射(XRD)和透射电镜(TEM)研究了纳米晶Ni的晶粒生长动力学,计算了描述晶粒生长动力学的时间指数n和晶粒生长激活能Q.研究表明,纳米晶Ni在423～723 K退火时的时间指数n约为0.14.当纳米晶Ni在423 ～523 K退火时,其晶粒生长激活能Q为32.1 kJ/mol,表明在这一温度区间内晶粒生长由晶界和亚晶界的微结构重新排列所控制;当纳米晶Ni在523～723 K退火时,晶粒生长激活能Q为121.3 kJ/mol,表明在这一温度区间内晶粒生长由晶界扩散所控制.TEM观察表明纳米晶Ni在较高温度下退火时出现异常的晶粒长大现象.     

Wear resistance of NiTi alloy after surface mechanical attrition treatment

An ultrafine grain layer consisting of nanocrystallites as well as submicrometer grains is produced on NiTi shape memory alloy by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) and the effects of the ultrafine grain layer on the tribological properties are investigated under dry sliding conditions. Compared to the coarse grain (CG) NiTi, the SMAT NiTi has smaller friction coefficients and improved wear resistance at applied loads from 5 to 15 N due to the grain refinement effect. Examination of the worn surfaces indicates that materials delamination and particles co-exist on both the CG and SMAT NiTi samples. Our results indicate that delamination is the main wear mechanism on CG NiTi whereas abrasive particles dominate the wear process on SMAT NiTi.     

Surface alloying of an Mg alloy subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment

A 100  200 μm thick Al-enriched surface alloyed layer was formed on an AZ91D Mg alloy subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment and diffusion coating at temperature as low as 400 °C. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicated the formation of a large volume fraction of pearlite-like lamellar microstructure within the surface alloyed layer, which was identified to be Mg₁₇Al₁₂ precipitates (γ phase) in Mg solid solution matrix. The Al-enriched alloyed layer enhanced the wear resistance of the alloy in comparison with the un-treated AZ91D Mg alloy substrate under the same dry sliding wear condition. Examination of the worn surface indicated that the enhanced wear resistance of the alloyed layer was mainly attributed to the strengthening effect of γ phase.     

Effect of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) on zinc phosphating of steel

The effects of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) of EN8 steel on the growth of phosphate coatings, morphological features and corrosion resistance of the resultant coatings have been studied. SMAT enabled the formation of a uniform surface profile although the average surface roughness is increased after treatment. SMAT increased the extent of metal dissolution and the rate of growth of phosphate coating. In spite of the similarity in phase composition, the phosphate crystallite size is relatively high for samples treated by SMAT. Compared to the untreated one, a cathodic shift in E_corr with a corresponding decrease in i_corr is observed for SMAT treated EN8 steel after phosphating. For all tested samples, zinc phosphate coatings deposited on EN8 steel after SMAT using 8 mm Ø balls for 30 min offers the highest corrosion resistance. The increase in surface roughness by SMAT is partly compensated by the expected improvement in corrosion resistance.     

表面机械研磨处理对Cu-4Ti合金组织及力学性能的影响

对Cu-4Ti合金分别进行45 min和60 min的表面机械研磨处理(SMAT),采用X射线衍射仪,光学显微镜,扫描电镜,显微硬度计等对处理不同时间的样品组织及力学性能进行了分析。结果表明,Cu-4Ti合金经表面机械研磨处理45 min和60 min后,表层晶粒尺寸分别达到了40.72 nm和17.12 nm,并且都出现了分界层,这与前人研究结果出现的过渡层截然不同。表面机械研磨方法可以强化金属表面,Cu-4Ti合金经SMAT 45 min和60 min后,表面硬度比基体分别提高了51%和56%。     

Fretting wear behaviour of surface mechanical attrition treated alloy 718

Alloy 718 was subjected to surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) using SAE 52100 steel balls of a 5 mm diameter for four different treatment durations (15, 30, 45 and 60 min). Fretting wear tests were conducted at different normal loads on untreated and treated samples for 25,000 cycles using alumina as a counterbody material. Microstructural features of the surface layer of samples treated by SMAT were characterized by cross-sectional optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Hardness, surface roughness and residual stress were determined using a nano-indenter, surface roughness tester and X-ray residual stress analyzer respectively. SMAT resulted in the formation of nanocrystallites on the surface and near surface regions, increased hardness, increased surface roughness and compressive residual stress at the surface. Treated samples exhibited lower tangential force coefficient (TFC) compared to untreated samples. Samples treated for 60 min exhibited higher grain refinement, higher hardness, lower surface roughness and higher TFC compared to the samples treated for 30 min. The wear volume and wear rate of samples treated for 30 min were lower compared to those of the untreated samples, which may be attributed to an optimum combination of hardness and toughness and a low work hardening rate of the nanocrystalline structure at the surface of the treated samples. In contrast, the wear volume and wear rate of the samples treated for 60 min were higher than those of untreated samples, presumably due to the higher hardness and reduced toughness of the samples treated for 60 min.     

表面机械研磨处理后H13钢的等离子渗硼研究

为了提高热作模具钢H13的性能，延长模具的使用寿命，本试验将表面机械研磨（SMA）处理与等离子渗硼相结合。通过显微金相技术、扫描电子显微分析技术（SEM）、X射线衍射分析技术（XRD）以及辉光放电发射光谱技术（GDOS）分别对H13钢渗硼后的渗层厚度、表面相组成以及元素逐层分布情况进行了探讨。研究结果表明在650℃×3h等离子渗硼处理后，纳米化表面便有F02B相出现，次表面为扩散层，总渗入深度为30μm左右；在700℃×3h条件下，出现了F02B和FeB的双相组织。而对于原始表面，在650℃×3h处理后表面没有任何硼化物出现，只产生了一定的扩散层。最终提出了表面纳米化之后实施低温渗硼的新型工艺。     

表面机械研磨对304不锈钢渗氮组织性能的影响

对304不锈钢表面进行表面机械研磨处理(SMAT),再进行不同温度下的低温等离子渗氮。利用光学显微镜、XRD、SEM和EDS,分析渗氮层的物相、显微组织和元素;采用显微硬度计检测渗氮后硬度的变化;采用电化学工作站测试渗氮后试样的腐蚀性能。结果表明,经过1800 s的表面机械研磨处理,材料的渗氮组织性能达到最好,样品表面生成一层晶粒细化层,可以明显促进304不锈钢的低温渗氮。1800 s的表面机械研磨处理后,在350℃下进行渗氮,可以获得一层厚度约3μm的渗氮层,其硬度高达925 HV0.05。和未处理的试样对比,自腐蚀电位升高了0.2 V,自腐蚀电流降低了4.22×10-4A·cm-2。     

表面机械研磨处理对H13钢离子渗氮行为的影响

采用SEM、TEM和显微硬度计等研究了H13钢表面经机械研磨处理后520℃离子渗氮行为.结果表明,经过机械研磨(SMA)处理后H13钢表层形成了一定厚度的变形层,该变形层的晶粒尺寸10～20 nm,表面硬度约800 HV0.2.在直流脉冲渗氮炉中经520℃离子渗氮5 h后,未SMA处理和经SMA处理后的渗氮层厚度分别为65 μm和115 μm,表明机械研磨处理对H13钢离子渗氮具有明显的催渗作用.     

Surface mechanical attrition treatment induced phase transformation behavior in NiTi shape memory alloy

The phase constituents and transformation behavior of the martensite B19′ NiTi shape memory alloy after undergoing surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) are investigated. SMAT is found to induce the formation of a parent B2 phase from the martensite B19′ in the top surface layer. By removing the surface layer-by-layer, X-ray diffraction reveals that the amount of the B2 phase decreases with depth. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) further indicates that the deformed martensite in the sub-surface layer up to 300 μm deep exhibits the martensite stabilization effect. The graded phase structure and transformation behavior in the SMATed NiTi specimen can be attributed to the gradient change in strain with depth.     

Diffusion of chromium in nanocrystalline iron produced by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment

By means of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) to a pure iron plate, a nanometer-grained surface layer without porosity and contamination was fabricated. The average grain size in the top surface layer (of 5 μm thick) is about 10–25 nm, and the grain size stability can be maintained up to 653 K. Cr diffusion kinetics in the nanocrystalline Fe phase was measured by using second ion mass spectrometry within a temperature range of 573–653 K. Experimental results showed that diffusivity of Cr in the nanocrystalline Fe is 7–9 orders of magnitude higher than that in Fe lattice and 4–5 orders of magnitude higher than that in the grain boundaries (GBs) of α-Fe. The activation energy for Cr diffusion in the Fe nanophase is comparable to that of the GB diffusion, but the pre-exponential factor is much higher. The enhanced diffusivity of Cr may originate from a large volume fraction of non-equilibrium GBs and a considerable amount of triple junctions in the present nanocrystalline Fe sample processed by means of the SMAT technique.     

Formation of nanostructured surface layer on AISI 304 stainless steel by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment

A nanostructured surface layer was formed on an AISI 304 stainless steel with low stacking-fault energy by means of the surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The microstructure of the surface layer of the SMATed sample was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cross-sectional TEM observation was performed to reveal the deformation-driven grain refinement mechanism for the f.c.c. materials with very low stacking-fault energy during SMAT. The grain refinement process in the surface layer involves formation of planar dislocation arrays and twins in deformed grains, twin–twin intersections leading to grain subdivision and a martensite transformation as well, and formation of randomly orientated refined crystallites. The formation of nanocrystallites in the top surface layer was ascribed to the much large strain and strain rate, as well as the multidirectional repetitive loading.     

纯铜表面纳米化对镍扩散的影响

利用表面机械研磨处理(SMAT)在纯铜表面制备出纳米结构表层,并对其表面进行了电镀镍处理,采用扫描电子显微镜分析了镍原子在纳米晶铜中的扩散行为.结果表明:表面纳米晶层内存在有大量非平衡态缺陷和晶界,尤其是三叉晶界数量增加,降低了镍原子扩散的激活能,提高了其扩散系数,从而加快了镍原子的扩散.     

Wear and corrosion properties of a low carbon steel processed by means of SMAT followed by lower temperature chromizing treatment

A duplex lower temperature chromizing treatment at 600 °C for 120 min followed by 860 °C for 90 min was performed on a low carbon steel plate with a nanostructured surface layer, induced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) [Z.B. Wang, J. Lu, K. Lu, Acta Mater. 53 (2005) 2081]. Microhardness, wear and corrosion resistances of the chromized SMAT sample were measured, in comparison with those of the chromized coarse-grained counterpart and the as-annealed coarse-grained sample. Experimental results showed that these properties were improved markedly. The much enhanced properties of the chromized SMAT sample relative to the chromized coarse-grained counterpart might originate from its superior microstructures, i.e., a much thicker chromized surface layer with smaller grains and more homogenous phase-distribution, due to the employed processes of the SMAT and the duplex lower temperature chromizing treatment.     

An investigation of surface nanocrystallization mechanism in Fe induced by surface mechanical attrition treatment

By means of surface mechanical attrition (SMA), a nanostructured surface layer was formed on a pure Fe plate. Microstructure features of various sections in the surface layer, from the strain-free matrix to the treated top surface, were systematically characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. Based on the experimental observations, a grain refinement mechanism induced by plastic deformation during the SMA treatment in Fe was proposed. It involves formation of dense dislocation walls (DDWs) and dislocation tangles (DTs) in original grains and in the refined cells (under further straining) as well, transformation of DDWs and DTs into subboundaries with small misorientations separating individual cells or subgrains, and evolution of subboundaries to highly misoriented grain boundaries. Experimental evidences and analysis of the grain refinement mechanism indicate that high strains with a high strain rate are necessary for formation of nanocrystallites during plastic deformation of metals.     

Thermal stability of nanocrystalline layer prepared by surface mechanical attrition in 0Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel

By means of surface mechanical attrition (SMA), a nanostructured surface layer was formed on a 0Cr18Ni9Ti austenite stainless steel plate. A strain-induced martensite transformation was observed during SMA treatment, and a single magnetic martensite phase layer with thickness of about 30 μm was gotten. The grain growth and phase transformations in the nanocrystalline layer are investigated during heating. The grain growth exponent for nanocrystalline polycrystalline steel is estimated. The kinetics mechanism governing the grain growth in the nanocrystalline layer is discussed. The martensite in the surface layer is quite stable and the temperature at which the reverse transformation of martensite to austenite starts during heating is about 500 ℃.     

Chromizing behaviors of a low carbon steel processed by means of surface mechanical attrition treatment

A nanostructured surface layer of about 20 μm thick was produced in a low carbon steel plate by means of the surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). Chromizing behaviors of the SMAT sample were investigated by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Experimental results showed that a much thicker Cr-diffusion layer was obtained in the SMAT sample than in the coarse-grained one after the same chromizing treatment, especially at low temperatures. In the SMAT sample, the formation temperature of chromium compounds was found to be much lower and the amount of chromium carbides was higher than those in the coarse-grained counterpart. The enhanced chromizing kinetics originates from numerous grain boundaries with a high excess stored energy in the nanostructured surface layer due to severe plastic deformation during the SMAT.