Grain growth in porous two-dimensional nanocrystalline materials

Grain growth in two-dimensional polycrystals with mobile pores at the grain boundary triple junctions is considered. The kinetics of grain and pore growth are determined under the assumption that pore sintering and pore mobility are controlled by grain boundary and surface diffusion, respectively. It is shown that a polycrystal can achieve full density in the course of grain growth only when the initial pore size is below a certain critical value which depends on kinetic parameters, interfacial energies, and initial grain size. Larger pores grow without limits with the growing grains, and the corresponding grain growth exponent depends on kinetic parameters and lies between 2 and 4. It is shown that for a polycrystal with subcritical pores the average grain size increases linearly with time during the initial stages of growth, in agreement with recent experimental data on grain growth in thin Cu films and in bulk nanocrystalline Fe.     

抑制剂对WC-Co硬质合金涂层性能的影响

利用原位还原碳化反应合成的超细WC-12Co复合粉末作为原料, 分别添加1.0wt%晶粒长大抑制剂即VC、Cr₃C₂和NbC, 经团聚造粒和超音速火焰(HVOF)喷涂制备了超细结构的硬质合金涂层。研究了不同晶粒长大抑制剂对涂层的显微组织结构、物相、硬度、耐磨性能和耐蚀性能的影响。结果表明, 与未添加晶粒长大抑制剂涂层相比, 添加1.0wt% VC或Cr₃C₂制备的硬质合金涂层中WC颗粒的平均尺寸降低了约49%, 涂层硬度明显提高, 磨损速率降低了约52%~55%。添加1.0wt% NbC对制备涂层中WC颗粒尺寸的抑制作用不明显, Co粘结相中由于形成了(W, Nb)C化合物, 其耐蚀性获得显著提高, 但该化合物脆性大, 导致涂层耐磨性不及添加VC和Cr₃C₂制备的涂层。     

Quantitative analysis of the effect of the binder phase composition on grain growth in WC-Co sintered materials

Microstructural evolution of WC-Co materials with different compositions and WC grain sizes is discussed from SEM observations and quantitative image analyses of intercept length distributions in the WC phase. Effect of the C/W ratio in the binder phase and of V- or Cr-dopants is particularly studied. Microstructural coarsening is shown to be more rapid and less abnormal when the C/W ratio is increased in the two-phase field {WC + liquid} and up to the three-phase field {WC + C + liquid}. The V-dopant does not completely suppress this effect. The composition dependence of the liquid stability—analysed from the calculated Gibbs energies of the phases—could explain the trend of the experimental results.     

Synthesis and processing of nanostructured WC-Co materials

In this study a novel approach, termed the integrated mechanical and thermal activation (IMTA) process, was used to synthesize nanostructured WC-Co powder. As a result of the integration of mechanical and thermal activation, nanostructured WC-Co powder was synthesized below 1000°C, starting from WO₃, CoO and graphite powder mixtures. Furthermore, consolidation of the nanostructured WC-Co powder via high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying and solid state sintering was investigated. The results demonstrated the feasibility of converting the nanostructured WC-Co powder to coatings and bulk components, the properties of which are either comparable to or better than that of the conventional coarse-grained counterparts.     

Factors affecting the surface quality of the ground WC-Co alloy

We study the influence of the interelectrode and anode voltages applied to the abrasive instrument, its pressure, and the sizes of abrasive particles and the rate of treatment on the surface roughness and topography of sintered WC-Co alloy after mechanical and electrochemical grinding. The optimal values of the parameters of treatment are determined. Published in Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 117–121, March–April, 2007.     

Grain growth

Abstract

The processes and mechanisms controlling grain growth in crystalline solids are reviewed. The driving forces governing the overall process are considered, and a distinction is made between normal and anomalous grain growth. The influence of solutes and dispersions (soluble and insoluble, coherent and incoherent) is discussed. Recent experimental studies of grain growth in model and commercial materials are surveyed.

MST/1297     

A finite element study of crack growth in WC-Co

A finite element analysis of crack growth in tungsten carbide cobalt has been used to study the plastic deformation of binder ligaments bridging the crack faces in the wake of a matrix crack. A multiligament zone observed on the intersection of an arrested crack with a free surface is used to model the crack tip region. The plane stress results demonstrate that plasticity is confined to a band linking the ligament tips well in accordance with experimentally found deformation patterns. The plane strain calculations for the same microstructure supply information about hole nucleotion and growth which are known to control the failure process of the ligaments. It is concluded from a recent analysis of void growth in homogeneous materials, that plastic deformation in the binder of WC-Co is concentrated in the neck between a blunting crack tip and a void growing ahead of it. Thus in both cases, plane stress and plane strain, non bridging binder regions deform purely elastically in contrast to the results of recent finite element calculations. It is seen that the previously used concept of a plastic zone size in the binder of cemented carbides equal to or larger than the mean intercept length of the binder, 305-1, must be modified. 305-2 constitutes only an upper limit for the mean size of the plastic zone while the actual extension of plasticity is smaller.

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Résumé On utilise une analyse par éléments finis de la croissance d'une fissure dans un alliage Cobalt-Carbure de Tungstène pour l'étude de la déformation plastique des ligaments de liaison entre les faces d'une fissure prenant naissance dans une matrice. Pour représenter la région à l'extrémité de la fissure, on utilise la zone multiligamentaire observée à l'intersection d'une fissure ouverte et d'une surface libre. Les résultats correspondent à un état plan de tension démontrant que la plasticité est confinée à une bande reliant les extrémités des ligaments, ce qui est bien en accord avec les aspects de déformation trouvés expérimentalement. Les calculs en état plan de déformation pour la même microstructure fournissent une information sur le processus de nucléation et de croissance des lacunes, qui est connu pour contrôler le processus de rupture d'un ligament. On conclut de l'analyse pour des matériaux homogènes que la déformation plastique dans une liaison de WC-Co est concentrée dans la position rétrécie entre l'extrémité arrondie d'une fissure et une lacune en croissance en amont de celle-ci. Dès lors, dans les deux cas de tension plane ou de déformation plane, les régions de liaison qui ne relient pas les faces de la rupture se déforment de manière purement élastique, ceci en contraste avec les résultats de calculs récents par éléments finis. On constate que le concept de taille de zone plastique égale ou supérieure à la longueur moyenne 317-3 de la liaison doit être modifié. 317-4 ne représente qu'une limite supérieure pour la taille moyenne de la zone plastique, tandis que l'étendue réelle de la plasticité est plus petite.

     

Grain growth and strength degradation of SiC monofilaments at high temperatures

The microstructural stability of SCS-6 SiC monofilaments was determined by measuring the average grain size, tensile strength and critical length of the fibres as a function of various annealings in vacuum (0.1 Pa) at different temperatures (1400–1600 °C). The average grain size, calculated from X-ray diffraction line broadening, increased from 23 nm for the as-received fibres to 46 nm for fibres annealed for 2 h at 1600 °C. The corresponding tensile strength measured at room temperature dropped from 3.6 GPa for the as-received fibres to 2 GPa for the treated fibres. Simultaneously, the average critical lengths, measured using the glass-slide technique decreased from 0.37 mm for the as-received fibres to an average of 0.23 mm for the heat-treated fibres. The degradation of the mechanical properties was attributed to a combination of coarsening of the -SiC grains as well as interactions with the annealing environment, namely the vacuum hot-press chamber.     

Reflection of plane waves at the free surface of a fibre-reinforced elastic half-space

The propagation of plane waves in fibre-reinforced, anisotropic, elastic media is discussed. The expressions for the phase velocity of quasi-P (qP) and quasi-SV (qSV) waves propagating in a plane containing the reinforcement direction are obtained as functions of the angle between the propagation and reinforcement directions. Closed form expressions for the amplitude ratios for qP and qSV waves reflected at the free surface of a fibre-reinforced, anisotropic, homogeneous, elastic half-space are obtained. These expressions are used to study the variation of amplitude ratios with angle of incidence. It is found that reinforcement has a significant effect on the amplitude ratios and critical angle     

Grain size effect on wear resistance of WC-Co cemented carbides under different tribological conditions

The grain-size dependence of wear resistance of WC-Co cemented carbides(with mean WC grain sizes of 2.2 μm,1.6 μm,0.8 μm and 0.4 μm,respectively) was investigated under different tribological conditions.The results showed that the grain size had opposite effects on wear resistance of the cemented carbides in dry sliding wear and microabrasion tests.In the former condition,with decrease of WC grain size hence the increase of hardness,plastic deformation,fracture,fragmentation and oxidation were all mitigated,leading to a drastic decrease in the wear rate.In the latter condition,pull-out of WC grains after Co removal dominated the wear,so that the hardness of cemented carbide was not a core factor.As a result,the wear resistance of the cemented carbide generally showed a decreasing trend with decrease of the grain size,except for a slight increase in the ultrafine-grained cemented carbide.Single-pass scratching of the cemented carbides under various loads indicated the same failure mechanism as that in the sliding wear tests.Furthermore,the reasons for severe surface oxidation of the coarse-grained cemented carbides were disclosed.