Cu + TiB2 composite filler for brazing Al2O3 and Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Al₂O₃ and Ti-6Al-4V alloy were brazed using Cu + TiB₂ composite filler, which manufactured by mechanical milling of Cu and TiB₂ powders. Typical interface microstructure of joint was Al₂O₃/Ti₄(Cu,Al)₂O/Ti₂Cu + Ti₃Al + Ti₂(Cu,Al)/Ti₂(Cu,Al) + AlCu₂Ti/Ti₂Cu + AlCu₂Ti + Ti₃Al + Ti₂(Cu,Al) + TiB/Ti(s.s) + Ti₂Cu/Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Based on temperature- and time-dependent compositional change, the formation of intermetallics in joint was basically divided into four stages: formation of interfacial Ti₄(Cu,Al)₂O in Al₂O₃ side, formation of Ti₂Cu, Ti₃Al, TiB, Ti₂Cu, and AlCu₂Ti in layers II and IV, formation of Ti₂(Cu,Al) and AlCu₂Ti in layer III, formation of Ti + Ti₂Cu hypereutectoid organization adjacent to Ti-6Al-4V alloy. TiB in situ synthesized in joint not only acted as low thermal expansion coefficient reinforcement to improve the mechanical properties at room temperature, but also as skeleton ceramic of joint to increase high temperature mechanical properties of Al₂O₃/Ti-6Al-4V alloy joint increasing. When the joint containing 30 vol.% TiB brazed at 930 °C and 10 min of holding time, the maximum room temperature shear strength of joint was 96.76 MPa, and the high temperature shear strength of joint was 115.16 MPa at 800 °C.     

Microstructure characteristics of Ti3Al/TiC ceramic layer deposited by laser cladding

Al + TiC laser cladding coatings were prepared on Ti-6Al-4V alloy by CO₂ laser cladding technique. The microstructure, micro-hardness and phase constitutes of the laser cladding layer were investigated by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microsclermeter. The results indicated that the laser cladding layer solidified into the fine microstructure rapidly, and TiC hard phase was dispersived in the cladding layer. When the mass percent of TiC was 40%, the micro-hardness (1100HV_0.2-1250HV_0.2) of Al + TiC cladding layer was 3 times more than that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrate (350-370HV_0.2). The cladding layer mainly consisted of α-Ti (Al), β-Al (Ti), Ti₃Al, TiAl, Al₃Ti and TiC phase. There phases were beneficial to improve the hardness and wear resistance of the cladding layer.     

Mechanical synthesis and rapid consolidation of a nanocrystalline 3.3Fe0.6Cr0.3Al0.1-Al2O3 composite by high frequency induction heating

Nanopowders of 3.3Fe_0.6Cr_0.3Al_0.1 and Al₂O₃ were synthesized from Fe₂O₃, Cr, and Al powders by high-energy ball milling. A high density nanocrystalline 3.3Fe_0.6Cr_0.3Al_0.1-Al₂O₃ composite was consolidated by a high frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS) method within 3 min from mechanically synthesized powders of Al₂O₃ and 3.3Fe_0.6Cr_0.3Al_0.1. The average grain sizes of Al₂O₃ and 3.3Fe_0.6Cr_0.3Al_0.1 were 84 and 32 nm, respectively.     

The corrosion behavior of plasma sprayed Fe2Al5 coating in molten Zn

Aluminum coating was plasma sprayed on Fe-0.14-0.22 wt.% C steel substrate, and heat diffusion treatment at 923 °C for 4 h was preformed to the aluminum coating to form Fe₂Al₅ inter-metallic compound coating. The corrosion mechanism of the Fe₂Al₅ coating in molten zinc was investigated. SEM and EDS analysis results show that the corrosion process of the Fe₂Al₅ layer in molten zinc is as follows: Fe₂Al₅ → Fe₂Al₅Zn_x (η) → η + L(liquid phase) → L + η + δ(FeZn₇) → L + δ → L. The η phase and the eutectic structure (η + δ) prevent the diffusion of zinc atoms efficiently. Therefore the Fe₂Al₅ coating delays the reaction between the substrate and molten zinc, promoting the corrosion resistance of the substrate.     

Oxidation resistance of TiAl3-Al composite coating on orthorhombic Ti2AlNb based alloy

The TiAl₃-Al composite coating on orthorhombic Ti₂AlNb based alloy was prepared by cold spray. Oxidation in air at 950 °C indicated that the bare alloy exhibited poor oxidation resistance due to the formation of TiO₂/AlNbO₄ mixture and intended to scale off at the TiO₂ rich zone. A nitride layer about 2 µm was formed under the oxide layer. The oxygen invaded deeply into the alloy and caused severe microhardness enhancement in the near surface region. The TiAl₃-Al composite coating exhibited parabolic oxidation kinetics and showed no sign of degradation after oxidized up to 1098 h at 950 °C in air under quasi-isothermal condition. No scaling of the coating was observed after oxidized at 950 °C up to the tested 150 cycles. The major oxide in the oxidized coating was Al₂O₃. The AlTi₂N, TiAl and small amount of TiO₂ were also observed in the oxidized coating. The EPMA and microhardness tests showed that inward oxygen diffusion was prevented by the interlayer, which was formed between the composite coating and the substrate during heat-treatment. Microstructure analyses demonstrated that the interlayer play a major role in protecting the substrate alloy from high temperature oxidation and interstitial embrittlement.     

Effect of a magnetron sputtered (Al2O3-Y2O3)/(Pt-Au) laminated coating on hot corrosion resistance of 8Nb-TiAl alloy

Novel (Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃)/(Pt-Au) laminated coatings were prepared on 8Nb-TiAl alloy by magnetron sputtering methods. (Na₂SO₄-NaCl)-induced hot corrosion and cyclic oxidation tests were adopted to investigate the high-temperature corrosion behaviours and the mechanical properties of the as-prepared laminated coatings. The results revealed that the multi-sealed (Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃) and (Pt-Au) layers can effectively suppress the inward diffusion of oxygen and corrosive fused salt to an extremely low level at 1000 °C and 900 °C respectively. Consequently, the high-temperature corrosion resistance of the 8Nb-TiAl alloy can be significantly improved. In addition, cyclic tests revealed the (Al₂O₃-Y₂O₃)/(Pt-Au) laminated coating can exhibit enhanced spallation and fracture resistance, which are attributable to the brittle/ductile laminated composite structure by means of energy release mechanisms and the increased thermal expansion coefficient of the coating by the addition of Pt-Au alloy.     

Coke formation and metal dusting of electroplated Ni3Al-CeO2-based coatings in CO-H2-H2O

Coke formation and metal dusting of electrodeposited pure, 5 μm CeO₂-dispersed, and 9-15 nm CeCO₂-dispersed Ni₃Al coatings were investigated in CO-H₂-H₂O at 650 °C for a period of 500 h. All Ni₃Al coatings showed the inferior long-term resistance to coke formation and metal dusting to the Fe-Ni-Cr alloy due to failure to form a continuous Al₂O₃ scale. CeO₂-dispersed Ni₃Al coatings, especially 9-15 nm CeCO₂-dispersed coatings, exhibited more severe coke formation and metal dusting than the pure Ni₃Al coating. The detrimental effect of CeO₂ is believed to be caused by the enhanced formation of NiO/Ni crystals on the coating surfaces or at the grain boundaries, which catalysed the carbon deposition and promoted the carbon attack on Ni₃Al coatings.     

Cyclic oxidation behavior and thermal barrier effect of YSZ-(Al2O3/YAG) double-layer TBCs prepared by the composite sol-gel method

Novel YSZ (6 wt.% yttria partially stabilized zirconia)-(Al₂O₃/YAG) (alumina-yttrium aluminum garnet, Y₃Al₅O₁₂) double-layer ceramic coatings were fabricated using the composite sol-gel and pressure filtration microwave sintering (PFMS) technologies. The thin Al₂O₃/YAG layer had good adherence with substrate and thick YSZ top layer, which presented the structure of micro-sized YAG particles embedded in nano-sized α-Al₂O₃ film. Cyclic oxidation tests at 1000 °C indicated that they possessed superior properties to resist oxidation of alloy and improve the spallation resistance. The thermal insulation capability tests at 1000 °C and 1100 °C indicate that the 250 μm coating had better thermal barrier effect than that of the 150 μm coating at different cooling gas rates. These beneficial effects should be mainly attributed to that, the oxidation rate of thermal grown oxides (TGO) scale is decreased by the “sealing effect” of α-Al₂O₃, the “reactive element effect”, and the reduced thermal stresses by means of nano/micro composite structure. This double-layer coating can be considered as a promising TBC.     

激光熔覆B4C-TiO2-Al粉末制备原位TiB2+TiC/Fe复合涂层（英文）

采用B4C、TiO2、Al以及Fe基自熔合金粉末为前驱体,利用激光熔覆技术在钢基体上制备TiB2+TiC颗粒增强Fe基复合涂层。结果表明,激光熔覆过程通过B4C-TiO2-Al反应生成了均匀分布于基体的TiB2-TiC复合陶瓷相。TiB2颗粒呈长条块状,TiC以不规则形状分布于基体中。涂层具有比基材1045钢更好的耐磨性能,但涂层的摩擦因数小。     

Effects of C/B4C ratio on microstructure and property of Fe-based alloy coating reinforced with in situ synthesized TiB2-TiC

The Fe-based alloy coatings reinforced with in situ synthesized TiB₂-TiC were prepared on Q235 steel by reactive plasma cladding using Fe901 alloy, Ti, B₄, and graphite(C) powders as raw materials. The effects of C/B₄C weight percentage ratio(0-1.38) on the microstructure, microhardness, and wet sand abrasion resistance of the coatings were investigated. The results show that the coatings consist of (Fe, Cr) solid solution, TiC, TiB₂, Ti₈C₅, and Fe₃C phases. The decrease of C/B₄C ratio is propitious to the formation of TiB₂ and Ti₈C₅. Increasing the C/B₄C ratio can help to refine the microstructure of the coatings. However, the microhardness of the middle-upper of the coatings and the wet sand abrasion resistance of coatings degenerate with the increase of C/B₄C ratio. The coating exhibits and the wet sand abrasion resistance at C/B₄C=0 and its average mass loss rate per unit wear distance is 0.001 2%/m. The change of the wet sand abrasion resistance of the coatings with C/B₄C ratio can be mainly attributed to the combined action of the changes of microhardness and the volume percentage of the ceramic reinforcements containing titanium in the coatings.     

The study of NiAl-TiB2 coatings prepared by electro-thermal explosion ultrahigh speed spraying technology

NiAl-TiB₂ composite coatings with 0, 10 and 20 wt.% TiB₂ were synthesized on the Ni-based superalloy substrate using electro-thermal explosion ultrahigh speed spraying technology. The microstructure analysis shows that the coatings consist of submicron grains. The bond between coatings and substrate is metallic cohesion. TiB₂ as a powerful reinforcement is doped in NiAl for increasing its hardness. The isothermal oxidation test is carried out for the composite coatings at 1100 °C in air. The result shows that the oxidation resistance of NiAl coating is higher than that of NiAl-10TiB₂ and NiAl-20TiB₂ coatings. The phases of oxides on the coatings during the process at high temperature have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The results show that Al₂O₃ and Cr₂O₃ coexistence on surface of NiAl coating, while Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, TiO₂ and a small amount of NiO form on surface of NiAl-10TiB₂ and NiAl-20TiB₂ coatings after oxidation for 4 h.     

Proposal of self-healing coatings for nuclear fusion applications

Avoiding cracks in ceramic coatings is one of the most important problems to be solved for the thermally sprayed tritium permeation barriers in fusion reactor. In this paper, a self-healing composite coating composed of TiC + mixture (TiC/Al₂O₃) + Al₂O₃ was developed to address this problem. The coating was deposited on certain martensitic steel by plasma spraying. The morphology and phase of the coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) while the porosity was analyzed by using Image Pro software. The thermal shock resistance test and residual stress measurement of the coating were also performed. In the experiment, NiAl + TiC + mixture (TiC/Al₂O₃) + Al₂O₃ and mixture (TiC/Al₂O₃) + Al₂O₃ films were also fabricated and studied respectively. The results showed that the TiC + mixture (TiC/Al₂O₃) + Al₂O₃ coating exhibited the best mechanical integrity and self-healing ability among the three samples with the porosity decreased by 90% after heat-treatment under normal atmosphere. The oxidation/expansion of TiC in the coating played an important role in the sealing of pores. This self-healing coating made by thermal spraying is proposed as a good candidate for tritium permeation barrier in fusion reactors.     

Effects of Al and Al4C3 contents on combustion synthesis of Cr2AlC from Cr2O3-Al-Al4C3 powder compacts

Preparation of the ternary carbide Cr₂AlC was conducted by combustion synthesis in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from the Cr₂O₃-Al-Al₄C₃ powder compact. Effects of the contents of Al and Al₄C₃ on the product composition and combustion behavior were studied by formulating the reactant mixture with a stoichiometric proportion of Cr₂O₃:Al:Al₄C₃ = 3:5x:y, where x and y varied from 1.0 to 1.5. When compared to those of the powder compact with Cr₂O₃:Al:Al₄C₃ = 3:5:1 (i.e., x = y = 1.0), the combustion temperature and reaction front velocity increased with content of Al, but decreased with that of Al₄C₃. Besides Cr₂AlC and Al₂O₃, the final products always contained a secondary phase Cr₇C₃ that was substantially reduced by adopting additional Al and Al₄C₃ in the reactant compacts. For the sample with Cr₂O₃:Al:Al₄C₃ = 3:7.5:1 (x = 1.5), solid state combustion reached a peak temperature of 1245 °C and yielded Cr₂AlC with a trivial amount of Cr₇C₃. Although Cr₇C₃ was lessened by introducing extra Al₄C₃, the increase of Al₄C₃ from y = 1.1 to 1.5 produced almost no further reduction of Cr₇C₃ in the final product. This is partly attributed to the low combustion temperature in the range of 1065-1095 °C for the samples with additional Al₄C₃, and in part, due to the role of Al₄C₃ which might react with Cr to form Cr₇C₃, Cr₂Al, and Cr₂AlC.     

Al–Ti–B grain refiners via powder metallurgy processing of Al/K2TiF6/KBF4 powder blends

The response to thermal exposure of ball-milled Al/K₂TiF₆/KBF₄ powder blends was investigated to explore the potential of PM processing for the manufacture of Al–Ti–B alloys. K₂TiF₆ starts to be reduced by aluminium as early as 220 °C when ball-milled Al/K₂TiF₆/KBF₄ powder blends are heated. The reaction of KBF₄ with aluminium follows soon after. The Ti and B thus produced are both solutionized in aluminium before precipitating out as Al₃Ti and TiB₂. All these reactions take place below the melting point of aluminium. The ball-milled Al/K₂TiF₆/KBF₄ powder blends heat treated at approximately 525 °C can be compacted to produce Al–Ti–B pellets with in situ formed Al₃Ti and TiB₂ particles. These pellets are shown to be adequate grain refiners for aluminium alloys.     

Role of Al2O3 layer in oxidation resistance of Cu-Al dilute alloys pre-annealed in H2 atmospheres

Copper was alloyed with small amounts of Al (0.2, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mass%) to improve the oxidation resistance. Copper (6 N) and the Cu-Al alloys were oxidized at 773-1173 K in 0.1 MPa oxygen atmosphere after hydrogen annealing at 873 K. Continuous very thin Al₂O₃ layers were formed on the surface of all Cu-Al dilute alloys during the hydrogen annealing. Oxidation resistance of Cu-Al alloys was improved especially for Cu-2.0Al at 773-973 K, while it decreases on increasing the oxidation temperature. Cu-Al alloys followed the parabolic rate law at 1173 K, but most of other cases do not at and below 1073 K. Oxidation resistance for Cu-Al alloys was found relevant to the maintenance of the thin Al₂O₃ layer at the Cu₂O/Cu-Al alloy interface.     

Analysis of the electrochemical reaction behavior of alloy AZ91 by EIS technique in H3PO4/KOH buffered K2SO4 solutions

The EIS technique was used to analyze the electrochemical reaction behavior of Alloy AZ91 in H₃PO₄/KOH buffered K₂SO₄ solution at pH 7. The corrosion resistance of Alloy AZ91 was directly related with the stability of Al₂O₃ · xH₂O rich part of the composite oxide/hydroxide layer on the alloy surface. The break down of the oxide layer was estimated to occur mainly on the matrix solid solution phase in Alloy AZ91. The mf capacitive loop arose from the relaxation of mass transport in the solid oxide phase in the presence of Al₂O₃ · xH₂O rich part and from Mg⁺ ion concentration within the broken area in the absence of Al₂O₃ · xH₂O rich part in the composite oxide structure on the alloy surface. The lf inductive loop had tendency of disappear when the dissolution rate of the alloy decreased as a result of the formation of the protective oxide layer.     

Laser surface cladding of MRI 153M magnesium alloy with (Al+Al2O3)

Laser surface cladding was carried out on a creep-resistant MRI 153M magnesium alloy with a mixture of Al and Al₂O₃ powders using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at scan speeds of 21, 42, 63 and 84 mm/s. The Al₂O₃ particles partially or completely melted during laser irradiation and re-solidified with irregular shapes in the size range of 5-60 µm along with a few islands as large as 500 µm, within the grain-refined Mg-rich dendritic matrix. More than an order of magnitude improvement in wear resistance after cladding was attributed to the presence of ultra-hard Al₂O₃ particles, increased solid solubility of Al and other alloying elements, and a very fine dendritic microstructure as a result of rapid solidification in the cladded layer. However, corrosion resistance of the laser cladded alloy was reduced by almost an order of magnitude compared to that of the as-cast alloy mainly due to the presence of cracks and pores in the cladded layer.     

Al2O3-nanodiamond composite coatings with high durability and hydrophobicity prepared by aerosol deposition

We attempted the room-temperature fabrication of Al₂O₃-based nanodiamond (ND) composite coating films on glass substrates by an aerosol deposition (AD) process to improve the anti-scratch and anti-smudge properties of the films. Submicron Al₂O₃ powder capable of fabricating transparent hard coating films was used as a base material for the starting powders, and ND treated by 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTES) was added to the Al₂O₃ to increase the hydrophobicity and anti-wear properties. The ND powder treated by PFOTES was mixed with the Al₂O₃ powder by ball milling to ratios of 0.01 wt.%, 0.03 wt.%, and 0.05 wt.% ND. The water contact angle (CA) of the Al₂O₃-ND composite coating films was increased as the ND ratio increased, and the maximum water CA among all the films was 110°. In contrast to the water CA, the Al₂O₃-ND composite coating films showed low transmittance values of below 50% at a wavelength of 550 nm due to the strong agglomeration of ND. To prevent the agglomeration of ND, the starting powders were mixed by attrition milling. As a result, Al₂O₃-ND composite coating films were produced that showed high transmittance values of close to 80%, even though the starting powder included 1.0 wt.% ND. In addition, the Al₂O₃-ND composite coating films had a high water CA of 109° and superior anti-wear properties compared to those of glass substrates.     

WC和Al2O3对氩弧熔覆FeAlCoCrCuTi0.4高熵合金涂层组织和耐冲蚀性能影响

利用氩弧熔覆技术制备了FeAlCoCrCuTi_0.4,WC/Al₂O₃-FeAlCoCrCuTi_0.4高熵合金涂层,并通过XRD,SEM,EDS,硬度测试和冲蚀磨损测试等方法,探究了WC和Al₂O₃的添加对FeAlCoCrCuTi_0.4高熵合金涂层显微组织和性能的影响.结果表明,通过氩弧熔覆技术所制备的合金涂层表面成形性良好,无孔洞、裂纹等缺陷产生,与基体呈高强度冶金结合.WC和Al₂O₃的添加对涂层稀释率的降低有显著作用.三种涂层都是主要由Bcc相（Fe-Cr固溶体）构成,晶粒以胞状树枝晶形式存在.添加WC后,晶粒细化明显,在各种强化作用下涂层硬度为685.8 HV.且WC和Al₂O₃的添加显著提高了涂层耐冲蚀磨损性能,耐磨性几乎可以达到FeAlCoCrCuTi_0.4高熵合金涂层的2倍.     

Fast consolidation of a nanocrystalline Al2O3 reinforced 3.7Fe0.54Cr0.18Al0.26Si0.016 composite from mechanical synthesized powder through pulsed current activated heating

Nanopowders of Fe_0.54Cr_0.18Al_0.26Si_0.016 and Al₂O₃ were synthesized from Fe₂O₃, Cr, Si, and Al powders using high-energy ball milling. A high-density nanocrystalline 3.7Fe_0.54Cr_0.18Al_0.26Si_0.016-Al₂O₃ composite was consolidated with mechanically synthesized powders of Al₂O₃ and 3.7Fe_0.54Cr_0.18Al_0.26Si_0.016-Al₂O₃ through a pulsed current activated sintering (PCAS) method within 1 min. The hardness of the composite and the average grain sizes of Al₂O₃ and Fe_0.54Cr_0.18Al_0.26Si_0.016 were investigated.