Measurements of the microhardness,electrical and thermal properties of the Al–Ni eutectic alloy

Al–5.7 wt% Ni eutectic alloy was directionally solidified upward with different temperature gradients (0.83–4.02 K/mm) at a constant growth rate (0.008 mm/s) and with different growth rates (0.008–0.483 mm/s) at a constant temperature gradient (4.02 K/mm). Microhardness (HV) and electrical resistivity (ρ) of directionally solidified samples were measured using microhardness test device and a standard d.c. four-point probe technique, respectively. Dependency of the microhardness and electrical resistivity on the solidification processing parameters (temperature gradient, G and growth rate, (V) were analyzed. According to these results, it has been found that the values of HV and ρ increase with the increasing values of G and V. Variations of electrical resistivity and electrical conductivity (σ) for casting Al–Ni eutectic alloy were also measured at the temperature in range 300–720 K. The enthalpy of fusion (ΔH) for the Al–Ni eutectic alloy was determined by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) from heating trace during the transformation from solid to liquid.     

真空感应熔炼Nb-16Si-22Ti-2Hf-2Cr-2Al合金经高温热处理后的组织和性能

用真空非自耗电弧熔炼法制备了Nb-16Si-22Ti-2Hf-2Cr-2Al母合金锭, 用Y₂O₃坩埚真空感应熔炼对母合金锭重熔, 浇注在温度梯度约为4 ℃/mm的模壳里, 制备出Φ 60 mm×170 mm铸锭, 研究了1500 ℃/100 h真空热处理后铸锭的组织特征对室温抗拉强度和高温压缩性能的影响。结果表明, 真空感应熔炼Nb-16Si-22Ti-2Hf-2Cr-2Al合金经过1500 ℃/100 h热处理后, 合金锭的组成相为Nb_SS枝晶, Nb₅Si₃层片或不规则颗粒和残留Nb₃Si块。块状Nb₃Si的尺寸越大, 发生完全共析转变需要的时间越长、温度越高。热处理合金锭的室温抗拉强度在208~355 MPa之间, 室温延伸率变化不大, 均小于0.3%。残留的粗大块状Nb₃Si和热处理过程中析出的HfO₂是导致合金锭拉伸性能较低的重要原因。合金锭的高温压缩强度受到组织中硅化物相含量的影响, 压缩强度与硅化物含量成正比。      

Development of the tandem reciprocating magnetic regenerative refrigerator and numerical simulation for the dead volume effect

In this paper, the development of the tandem reciprocating room-temperature active magnetic regenerative refrigerator and the numerical simulation for the effect of the dead volume are presented. The dead volume effect is analyzed by establishing a one-dimensional time-dependent model for the active magnetic regenerator (AMR). The cooling power at the mass flow rate of 5 g s⁻¹ water and a temperature span of 20 K is reduced from 4 W to 2 W when the length of the dead volume (D_DV = 12 mm) is increased from 15 mm to 30 mm. The numerical results indicate that the minimization of dead volume facilitates the improvement of the AMR performance. In particular, the components and the parameters of AMR system are demonstrated. The printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) are employed as the warm end heat exchangers in order to minimize the dead volume of the system. The experimental apparatus includes two active magnetic regenerators containing 186 g of Gd spheres. The maximum no-load temperature span of 26.8 K and a maximum cooling power of 33 W at a zero temperature span were obtained with the frequency of 0.5 Hz under the maximum field of 1.4 T.     

Investigation of microhardness and thermo-electrical properties in the Sn–Cu hypereutectic alloy

Sn–3 wt% Cu hypereutectic alloy was directionally solidified upward with different growth rates (2.24–133.33 μm/s) at a constant temperature gradient (4.24 K/mm) and with different temperature gradients (4.24–8.09 K/mm) at a constant growth rate (7.64 μm/s) in the Bridgman-type growth apparatus. The measurements of microhardness of directionally solidified samples were obtained by using a microhardness test device. The dependence of microhardness HV on the growth rate (V) and temperature gradient (G) were analyzed. According to these results, it has been found that with the increasing the values of V and G the value of HV increases. Variations of electrical resistivity (ρ) and electrical conductivity (σ) for casting samples with the temperature in the range of 300–500 K were also measured by using a standard dc four-point probe technique. The variation of Lorenz coefficient with the temperature for Sn–3 wt% Cu hypereutectic alloy was determined by using the measured values of electrical and thermal conductivities. The enthalpy of fusion for same alloy was determined by means of differential scanning calorimeter from heating trace during the transformation from eutectic liquid to eutectic solid.     

Hot top design and its influence on feeder channel segregates in 100-ton steel ingots

The influence of hot top design on feeder channel segregates (F-CS) and centerline shrinkage porosities (C-SP) were investigated both experimentally and numerically. Two 100-ton 30Cr2Ni4MoV steel ingots with different insulating hot tops were longitudinally sectioned. The experimental results showed few channel segregates but severe shrinkage porosities appeared in the ingot with poorly insulated hot top, while it was the opposite case after the improved hot topping practice. By employing the finite element numerical simulation, the critical condition for the formation of F-CS in 30Cr2Ni4MoV steel was verified to be R^2.1G ≤ 1.0 × 10^− 5 °C mm^1.1 s^− 2.1. Through coupling with the published C-SP criterion (GR^− 0.5 ≤ 2.5 °C mm^− 1.5 s^0.5), it was found out that the increase of hot-top height and preheating temperature would aggravate F-CS while alleviate C-SP contrarily. Hence, to comprehensively control those two defects, the optimum hot-top height and preheating temperature for 100-ton ingot were suggested to be 700 mm and 600 °C, respectively. Ultimately, the ratio of the solidification time for the whole ingot to the ingot body (t_f/t_b) was proposed as a novel criterion for hot top design. This practical criterion has been successfully utilized to optimize the hot top of a 5-ton steel ingot.     

Impact of fin spacing on temperature distribution in adsorption cooling system for vehicle A/C applications

Effects of fin spacing on the temperature distribution in a finned tube adsorber bed are studied to decrease the temperature gradient inside the adsorber bed and minimize the adsorber bed to adsorbent mass ratio (AAMR) for vehicle air conditioning applications. Finned tube adsorber beds have shown higher specific cooling power and coefficient of performance, and low AAMR among the existing adsorber beds. A single-adsorber bed ACS with interchangeable heat exchangers is built and equipped with hermetic type T thermocouples. Two copper heat exchangers with 6.35 mm (1/4″) and 9.5 mm (3/8″) fin spacing are custom-built and packed with 2–4 mm silica gel beads. The experimental results show that by decreasing the fin spacing from 9.5 mm to 6.35 mm, the temperature difference between the fin and adsorbent reduces by 4.6 °C under the cycle time of 600 s and an adsorption to desorption time ratio (ADTR) of one. A greater reduction in the temperature gradient inside the adsorber bed with smaller fin spacing is observed for short cycle time operation, e.g. 600 s, compared to long cycle time operation, e.g. 1400 s. Finally, simultaneous comparison of the temperature gradient between the fins and AAMR against fin spacing indicates that the optimum fin spacing for a finned tube heat exchanger packed with 2–4 mm silica gel beads is about 6 mm.     

Investigation of mechanical,electrical, and thermal properties of a Zn–1.26 wt% Al alloy

Zn–1.26 wt% Al alloy was directionally solidified upward with a constant growth rate (V = 16.6 μm/s) in a wide range of temperature gradients (1.94–5.15 K/mm) and with a constant temperature gradient (G = 5.15 K/mm) in a wide range of growth rates (8.3–500 μm/s) with a Bridgman-type directional solidification furnace. The microhardness (HV) and tensile strength (σ) of alloy were measured from directionally solidified samples. The dependency of the microhardness, tensile strength for directionally solidified Zn–1.26 wt% Al alloy on the solidification parameters (G, V) and microstructure parameters (λ₁, λ₂) were investigated and the relationships between them were experimentally obtained using regression analysis. According to present results, the microhardness and tensile strength of directionally solidified Zn–1.26 wt% Al alloy increase with increasing solidification processing parameters and decrease with the microstructure parameters. Variations of electrical resistivity (ρ) with the temperature in the range of 300–650 K were also measured using a standard dc four-point probe technique for cast samples. The enthalpy of fusion and specific heat for same alloy was also determined by means of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) from heating trace during the transformation from solid to liquid.     

温度梯度溶液法生长的Cr掺杂的ZnTe晶体的表征

以CrTe作为掺杂源、以Te作为溶剂, 用温度梯度溶液法生长了Cr掺杂的ZnTe晶锭。晶锭头部的晶粒尺寸较大(>10 mm×10 mm), 且Te夹杂相较少。Te夹杂相的大小、形状和分布可以反映晶锭中的温场分布。晶锭的径向非对称温场导致富Te相沿径向非对称分布。Te夹杂相在温度梯度作用下的热迁移会导致其相互融合长大、变长。Te夹杂相也会在晶体中引入裂纹和空洞等缺陷。部分未被掺入ZnTe中的CrTe富集于固液界面处, 表明温度梯度溶液法生长晶体时具有一定的排杂作用。Cr掺杂的ZnTe晶体的电阻率(约1000 Ω·cm)高于未掺杂的ZnTe(约300 Ω·cm)。Cr掺杂晶体在约1750 nm处的吸收峰表明Cr²⁺离子被成功地掺入了ZnTe中。但是Cr掺杂后晶体的红外透过率降低, 表明Cr掺杂引入了较多的缺陷。     

Influence of temperature gradient and growth rate on the mechanical properties of directionally solidified Sn–3.5 wt% Ag eutectic solder

The Sn–3.5 wt% Ag eutectic alloy was directionally solidified upward with a constant growth rate (V = 16.5 μm/s) at different temperature gradients (G = 1.43–4.28 K/mm) and with a constant temperature gradient (G = 3.93 K/mm) at different growth rates (V = 8.3–500 μm/s) in a Bridgman-type directional solidification furnace. The rod spacings (longitudinal section, λ _L and transverse section, λ _T ) and mechanical properties (microhardness, HV and ultimate tensile strength, σ _UTS ) of Sn–3.5 wt% Ag eutectic alloy were measured. The dependency of the microhardness, ultimate tensile strength on the temperature gradient, growth rate and rod spacings were determined. According to experimental results, the microhardness and ultimate tensile strength of the solidified samples increase with increasing G and V, but decrease with the increasing the rod spacing.     

Investigation of the effect of solidification processing parameters on the rod spacings and variation of microhardness with the rod spacing in the Sn–Cu hypereutectic alloy

Sn–3 wt% Cu hypereutectic alloy was prepared in a graphite crucible under the vacuum atmosphere. The samples were directionally solidified upwards under argon atmosphere with different temperature gradients (G = 4.24–8.09 K/mm) at a constant growth rate (V = 7.64 μm/s) and with different growth rates (V = 2.24–133.33 μm/s) at a constant temperature gradient (G = 4.24 K/mm) by using a Bridgman type directional solidification apparatus. The microstructure of directional solidified Sn–3 wt% Cu alloy seems to be rod eutectic structure. The influence of the growth rate (V) and temperature gradient (G) on the rod spacing (λ) and undercooling (ΔT) were analysed. The values of λ²V, λ²G, ΔTλ, ΔTV^−0.5 and ΔTG^−0.5 were determined by using the Jackson–Hunt eutectic theory. The dependence of microhardness (HV) on the rod spacing (λ) was analyzed. According to present results, it has been found that the value of HV increases with the increasing the value of λ.     

The effect of composition on microhardness and determination of electrical and thermal properties in the Sn-Cu alloys

Tin-copper of (99.99%) high purity alloys were directionally solidified upward with different compositions, C _o , Sn-(1.2, 3, 6 and 15)wt% Cu under two different solidification conditions (temperature gradient (G) = 8 K/mm, growth rate (V) = 7 μm/s and G = 4 K/mm, V = 130 μm/s) using a Bridgman type directional solidification apparatus. The measurements of microhardness of directionally solidified samples were obtained by using a microhardness test device. The dependence of microhardness HV (Vickers Hardness) on composition was analyzed. According to these results, it has been found that the values of HV increase with the increasing Cu content (C _o ). Variation of electrical resistivity (ρ) and electrical conductivity (σ) with the temperature were also measured by using a standard d.c. four-point probe technique. The enthalpy of fusion (∆H) and specific heat (Cp) of the Sn-Cu alloys were determined from heating curve during the transformation from solid to liquid phase by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC).     

Effect of solidification parameters on the microstructure of Sn-3.7Ag-0.9Zn solder

In this work, Sn–Ag–Zn alloy of eutectic composition (Sn-3.7wt.%Ag-0.9wt.%Zn) was directionally solidified upward at a constant temperature gradient (G = 4.33 K/mm) in a wide range of growth rates (V = 3.38–220.12 μm/s) and a constant growth rate (V = 11.52 μm/s) with different temperature gradients (G = 4.33–12.41 K/mm) using a Bridgman type directional solidification furnace. The microstructure was observed to be a rod Ag₃Sn structure in the matrix of β–Sn from the directionally solidified Sn-3.7wt.%Ag-0.9wt.%Zn samples. The values of eutectic spacing (λ) were measured from transverse section of samples. The dependency of eutectic spacing on the growth rate (V) and temperature gradient (G) were determined with linear regression analysis. The dependency of λ on the values of V and G were found to be λ = 10.42V ^? 0.53 and λ = 0.27G ^? 0.48, respectively. The values of bulk growth were also determined to be λ²V = 86.39 μm³/s by using the measured values of λ and V. The results obtained in present work were compared with the previous similar experimental results obtained for binary and ternary alloys.     

Critical current density and stability of Tube Type Nb3Sn conductors

The critical current densities (J_c) and stabilities of Tube Type Nb₃Sn conductors have been measured. The strands had superconducting subelement counts ranging from 192 to 744, and flat-to-flat filament sizes (for 0.7 mm OD wire) of from 35 μm down to 15 μm. These Tube Type conductors had a very simple structure: prior to heat treatment the filaments consist of a Sn core surrounded by a thin Cu tube, itself surrounded by a Nb or Nb alloy tube. Eight different strand types were investigated using various techniques including SEM, residual resistance ratio (RRR), transport J_c, and stability measurement. Most strands were studied at 0.7 mm OD, with one representative at 0.42 mm. The transport measurements were made at 4.2 K in fields up to 14 T. Numerous heat treatment schedules were investigated, with reaction temperatures ranging from 615 °C to 650 °C, and times ranging from 36–500 h. The highest J_cs were seen for the lowest reaction temperatures, with 12 T transport J_c values as high as 2450 A/mm² observed. The RRRs were lower for longer time and higher temperature reactions and ranged from 4 to 180. Strand stability was a strong function of the effective filament diameter, d_eff, and RRR. The most stable strands showed stability currents, J_s, of 8700 A/mm² and 15,300 A/mm² for 0.7 mm OD and 0.42 mm OD conductors, respectively.     

Dependence of electrical and thermal conductivity on temperature in directionally solidified Sn–3.5 wt% Ag eutectic alloy

Sn–3.5 wt% Ag alloy was directionally solidified upward with a constant growth rate (V = 16.5 μm/s) and a temperature gradient (G = 3.3 K/mm) in a Bridgman-type growth apparatus. The variations of electrical resistivity (ρ) with temperature in the range of 293–476 K for the directionally solidified Sn–3.5 wt% Ag eutectic alloy was measured. The measurements indicate that the electrical resistivity of the directionally solidified Sn–Ag eutectic solder increases with increasing temperature. The variations of thermal conductivity of solid phases versus temperature for the same alloy was determined from the Wiedemann-Franz and Smith-Palmer equations by using the measured values of electrical conductivity. From the graphs of electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity versus temperature, the temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity (α _TCR ) and the temperature coefficient of thermal conductivity (α _TCT ) for the same alloy were obtained. According to experimental results, the electrical and thermal conductivity of Sn–Ag eutectic solder linearly decrease with increasing the temperature. The enthalpy of fusion (ΔH) and the change of specific heat (ΔC _P ) during the transformation at the studied alloy were determined from heating curve during the transformation from eutectic solid to eutectic liquid by means of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC).     

溶剂熔区移动法生长Cd0.9Zn0.1Te晶体的工艺优化研

为了解决Cd_0.9Zn_0.1Te(CZT)晶体生长温度高、单晶率低、成分不均匀等问题, 采用溶剂熔区移动法(THM)在优化工艺参数下生长了掺In的CZT晶体, 在优化晶体的生长温度、固液界面处的温度梯度、原位退火过程等生长条件后, 生长出直径为45 mm的低Te夹杂浓度、高电阻率、高透过率、均匀的高质量CZT晶体。 X射线衍射结果显示, 晶体的结晶性较好、Zn成分轴向偏析小。红外透过光谱测试结果显示, 晶体内部的杂质、缺陷水平相对较少, 晶体整体的红外透过率在60%左右。紫外-可见光吸收光谱测试结果也进一步表明, 晶体的均匀性良好。采用红外显微镜对晶体内部的Te夹杂形貌及其尺寸进行观察, 结果表明Te夹杂的尺寸主要分布在0~10 μm之间。采用直流稳态光电导技术测得电子的迁移率寿命积约为8×10^-4 cm²/V。     

Unidirectional solidification of a Zn-rich Zn–2.17 wt%Cu hypo-peritectic alloy

Unidirectional solidification of a Zn-rich Zn–2.17 wt%Cu hypo-peritectic alloy has been carried out to investigate the microstructure evolution over the growth velocity range 0.02–4.82 mm/s at a temperature gradient of 15 K/mm by means of the Bridgman technique. Regular and plate-like two-phase cellular structures were observed in samples grown at growth velocities V above 0.48 and 2.64 mm/s, respectively. The dominant microstructure in samples grown below 0.22 mm/s was dendrites of primary ε in a matrix of secondary η. Intercellular spacing Λ decreased with increasing growth velocity V such that ΛV^1/2 is a constant of 316±55 μm^3/2/s^1/2. Secondary dendrite arm spacing λ₂ of primary ε decreased with increasing V such that λ₂V^1/3 is a constant of 14.9±0.9 μm^4/3/s^1/3. The observed transition from regular cells to plate-like cells of η is discussed on the basis of competitive growth and crystallographic effect.     

Control of substrate surface temperature in millisecond annealing technique using thermal plasma jet

Temporal variations of substrate surface temperature in scanning Ar thermal plasma jet has been investigated based on an analysis of transient changes in optical reflectivity. The accuracy of the temperature measurement has been evaluated to be 30 K at temperature around 1760 K. The maximum surface temperature (T_max) is controlled in the range from ∼ 960 to ∼ 1780 K with keeping the annealing duration (t_a) around ∼ 3 ms by changing the Ar gas flow rate (f) and distance between the plasma jet and the substrate (d) under a constant scanning speed (ν) of 500 mm/s.     

Microstructural, mechanical and magnetic properties of shape memory alloy Ni55Mn23Ga22 thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering

The near-stoichiometric Ni₂MnGa ferromagnetic alloys are one of the smart materials, that are of a great interest when they are deposited as a thin film by r.f. sputtering. These thin films of shape memory alloys are prospective materials for micro and nanosystem applications. However, the properties of the shape memory polycrystalline thin films depend strongly on their structure and internal stress, which develop during the sputtering process as well as during the post-deposition annealing treatment. In this study, about 1 μm Ni₅₅Mn₂₃Ga₂₂ thin films were deposited in the range 0,45 to 1,2 Pa of Ar pressure and P = 40 to 120 W. Their composition, crystallographic structure, internal stress and stress gradient, indentation modulus, hardness, deflection induced by magnetic field and magnetic properties were systematically studied as a function of the temperature of the silicon substrate ranging from 298 to 873 K and the vacuum annealing treatment at 873 K for 21,6 ks and 36 ks. A silicon wafer having a native amorphous thin SiO_x buffer layer was used as a substrate. This substrate influences the microstructure of the films and blocks the diffusion process during the heat treatment.The crystal structure of the martensitic phase in each film was changed systematically from bct or 10 M or 14 M. In addition, the evolution of the mechanical properties such as mean stress, stress gradient, roughness, hardness and indentation modulus with the temperature (of substrate or of heat treatment) were measured and correlated to crystal structure and morphology changes.Moreover, it has been shown that it is necessary to associate a high temperature (873 K) annealing during a long time (21 ks and 36 ks) to obtain good ferromagnetic properties. Thus, for the well annealed films (36 ks at 873 K) the magnetostrain is about - 170 ppm for a magnetic field of 1 MA m^- 1 applied along the beams.As a conclusion, the response of free-standing magnetic shape memory films to a magnetic field of 0,2 MA m^- 1 depends strongly on the martensitic structure, internal mechanical stress (mean and gradient) and magnetic properties. The free-standing annealed film at 873 K for 36 ks points out a considerable magnetic actuation associated with bct or 10 M or 14 M martensitic structures.     

Electron transport properties of some new 4-tert-butylcalix[4]arene derivatives in thin films

Temperature dependences of electric conductivity and thermoelectric power of some recently synthesized organic compounds, 4-tert-butylcalix[4]arene derivatives, are studied. Thin-film samples (d = 0.10–0.40 μm) spin-coated from chloroform solutions onto glass substrates were used. Organic films with reproducible electron transport properties can be obtained if, after deposition, they are submitted to a heat treatment within temperature range of 295–575 K.