Nanocrystalline Al–Fe intermetallics – light weight alloys with high hardness

Nanocrystalline Al–Fe alloys containing 60–85 at.% Al were produced by consolidation of mechanically alloyed nanocrystalline or amorphous (Al85Fe15 composition) powders at 1000 °C under a pressure of 7.7 GPa. The hardness of the alloys varied between 5.8 and 9.5 GPa, depending on the Al content. The specific strength, calculated using an approximation of the yield strength according to the Tabor relation, was between 544 and 714 kNm/kg. Based on the results obtained, we infer that application of high pressure affected crystallisation of amorphous Al₈₅Fe₁₅ alloy, influencing the phase composition of the crystallisation product, and phase changes in nanocrystalline Al₈₀Fe₂₀ alloy, inhibiting them.     

Reactive extrusion synthesis of mechanically activated Ti–50Ni powders

In the present study, an alternative approach to the synthesis of TiNi alloys through powder metallurgy was successfully conducted by mechanically activated reactive extrusion synthesis (MARES) using elemental powders. The production of dense bodies was essentially dependent on the amount of intermetallic phases formed prior to reactive extrusion and on the densification temperature. The mechanically activated powders yielded a well controlled synthetic reaction during heating up to 900 °C with formation of multiphase products. This was possible due to the powder structure developed during mechanical activation. The best densified products were obtained at 700 °C although without a complete conversion into NiTi phase. More homogeneous microstructures and an effective reduction in the amount of secondary intermetallic phases were achieved after heat treatment at 950 °C/24 h followed by water quenching, yielding TiNi as the predominant phase, a relative density of 97%, and a Vickers micro-hardness of 682 H_V.     

The structural and kinetic characteristics of Mg1.9Al0.1Ni alloy synthesized by mechanical alloying

The structural and kinetic characteristics of the mechanically alloyed Mg_1.9Al_0.1Ni were investigated. It was found that Mg_1.9Al_0.1Ni can absorb/desorb about 3.55/3.44 mass% H at a high rate and it has a hexagonal crystal structure as Mg₂Ni. The hydriding/dehydriding (H/D) rates in the two-phase (–β) region of Mg_1.9Al_0.1Ni were measured and studied at temperatures ranging from 553 to 623 K under an approximately isobaric condition. The obtained data of H/D rates indicated that hydrogen diffusion was the rate-controlling step through the hydride phase. A new model was successfully used to calculate the kinetic experimental results. It can be seen that theoretical calculation agrees well with experimental data. The corresponding activation energies are 47 600 and 54 500 J/mol H₂ for H/D processes, respectively.     

The oxidation of nanocrystalline Ni3Al fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

Nanocrystalline Ni₃Al was fabricated through mechanical alloying of elemental powders and spark plasma sintering. The nanocrystalline Ni₃Al has a nearly full density after being sintered at 1223 K for 10 min under a pressure of 65 MPa. Isothermal and cyclic oxidations of nanocrystalline Ni₃Al were tested at 1173–1373 K with intervals of 100 K. The results indicate that nanocrystalline Ni₃Al exhibits excellent isothermal and cyclical oxidation resistance. The oxide scales consist primarily of dense and continuous -Al₂O₃. The grain refinement is beneficial for improving the oxidation resistance of Ni₃Al by providing more nucleation centers for the Al₂O₃ formation, promoting the selective formation of Al₂O₃ and improving the adhesion of oxide scales to the matrix.     

Hydrogen storage properties of Mg100−xNix (x = 5, 11.3, 20, 25) composites prepared by hydriding combustion synthesis followed by mechanical milling (HCS + MM)

We reported the structure and the notable hydrogen storage properties of the composites Mg_100−xNi_x (x = 5, 11.3, 20, 25) prepared from metallic powder mixtures of magnesium and nickel by the process of HCS + MM, i.e., the hydriding combustion synthesis (HCS) followed by mechanical milling (MM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrated that mechanical milling led to drastic pulverization and grain refinement of the composite produced by HCS. All the composites with different compositions showed a remarkable decline in dehydriding temperature comparing with that of the hydride mixtures prepared only by HCS. Furthermore, the hydriding rates of these composites were excellent. At 313 K the composite Mg₈₀Ni₂₀ showed the highest hydrogen capacity of 2.77 wt.% within 600 s among these four composites. The Mg₉₅Ni₅ showed maximum capacity of 4.88 wt.% at 373 K and 5.41 wt.% at 473 K within only 100 s. Some factors contributing to the improvement in hydriding rates were discussed in this paper.     

Nanocrystalline τ2 phase obtained by mechanical alloying of Al60Fe15Si15Ti10 powder mixture followed by consolidation

In the present work an elemental powder mixture of Al60Fe15Si15Ti10 (at.%) was mechanically alloyed in a high-energy ball mill. A part of the milling product was examined in a calorimeter, while another portion was subjected to consolidation by hot-pressing at 1000 °C for 180 s under a pressure of 7.7 GPa. The results obtained show that a nanocrystalline cubic phase with the lattice parameter a₀ = 11.645 Å, isomorphous with the τ₂ (Al₂FeTi) phase, is formed during mechanical alloying process. Heating of the milling product in the calorimeter up to 720 °C causes limited growth of grains, however the τ₂ phase remains nanocrystalline with the mean crystallite size of 28 nm. Grain growth takes place during consolidation of the milling product as well, although the τ₂ phase remains nanocrystalline with the mean crystallite size of 34 nm. The microhardness of the bulk nanocrystalline sample is 1013 HV0.2 and its open porosity is 0.3%. The results obtained show that the quality of compaction with preserving nanometric grain size of the τ₂ phase is satisfactory and its microhardness is relatively high.     

Effect of ball milling on structure and thermal stability of Al84Gd6Ni7Co3 glassy powders

The influence of ball milling on microstructure and thermal stability of the gas-atomized Al₈₄Gd₆Ni₇Co₃ glassy powder has been investigated as a function of the milling time. The results show that the traces of crystalline phases present in the as-atomized powder decrease gradually with increasing the milling time. The thermal stability of the fcc-Al primary phase increases while the thermal stability of the intermetallic phases decreases with increasing milling. Moreover, significant improvement in hardness occurs after milling, which is attributed to the amorphization of the residual crystalline phases present in the as-atomized powder. These results demonstrate that milling is an effective way for amorphizing the residual crystalline present in the amorphous matrix and to control the thermal stability of the material.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of mechanically alloyed and spark plasma sintered amorphous–nanocrystalline Al65Cu20Ti15 intermetallic matrix composite reinforced with TiO2 nanoparticles

Multiphase Al₆₅Cu₂₀Ti₁₅ intermetallic alloy matrix composite, dispersed with 10 wt.% of TiO₂ nanoparticles, has been processed by mechanical alloying, followed by spark plasma sintering under pressure in the temperature range of 623–873 K. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction suggest that equilibrium crystalline phases evolve from the amorphous or intermediate crystalline phases. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the composite sintered at 873 K has partially amorphous microstructure, with dispersion of equilibrium, crystalline, intermetallic precipitates of Al₅CuTi₂, Al₃Ti, and Al₂Cu of 25–50 nm size, besides the TiO₂. The composite sintered at 873 K exhibits little porosity, hardness of 5.6 GPa, indentation fracture toughness in the range of 3.1–4.2 MPa√m, and compressive strength of 1.1 GPa. Indentation crack deflection by TiO₂ particle aggregates causes increase in fracture resistance with crack length, and suggests R-curve type behaviour. The study provides guidelines for processing high strength amorphous–nanocrystalline intermetallic composites based on the Al–Cu–Ti ternary system.     

Preparation of superfine-grained high entropy alloy by spark plasma sintering gas atomized powder

In this work, nanocrystalline CrMnFeCoNi HEAs were prepared by powder metallurgy. It was found mechanical milling can further refine the microstructures and morphologies of the gas-atomized powder, and increase the sintering ability. The HEAs sintered from the mechanically milled powder have much finer microstructures than that from the gas-atomized powder. The original morphology and defects in both the gas-atomized and the mechanically milled powders can be inherited to the bulk forms after the SPS. The SPSed HEAs have a tensile strength as high as 1000 MPa at room temperature and reasonable ductility. The strengthening mechanism can be attributed to the nanocrystalline microstructures, in which grain boundaries block the movement of dislocations. Powder metallurgy can be taken as a promising way for preparing HEAs with high mechanical properties.     

Alloying behavior and novel properties of CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

An equiatomic CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloy was synthesized by mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). During MA, a solid solution with refined microstructure of 10 nm which consists of a FCC phase and a BCC phase was formed. After SPS consolidation, only one FCC phase can be detected in the HEA bulks. The as-sintered bulks exhibit high compressive strength of 1987 MPa. An interesting magnetic transition associated with the structure coarsening and phase transformation was observed during SPS process.     

Refining alloy zinc-iron with intermetallic phases ZnnFem by formation phases AlnFem

Results on research work on hard zinc refining with aluminium on a laboratory and a commercial scale have been presented. The research was carried out according to a fractorial experiment design with the determination of four processes variables. Distribution of Al, Fe and Zn was examined by the X-ray micro-analyser and also intermetallic phases were identified. As a result of the formation of intermetallic phases which, lighter than zinc, were coming to the metal surface, a refined zinc containing 0.02 wt.% Fe and suitable for re-use in the processes of steel products coated with zinc, was obtained.     

The high-entropy alloys with high hardness and soft magnetic property prepared by mechanical alloying and high-pressure sintering

The equiatomic multiprincipal CoCrFeCuNi and CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) were consolidated via high pressure sintering (HPS) from the powders prepared by the mechanical alloying method (MA). The structures of the MA'ed CoCrFeCuNi and CoCrFeMnNi powders consisted of a face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase and a minority body-centered cubic (BCC) phase. After being consolidated by HPS at 5 GPa, the structure of both HEAs transformed to a single FCC phase. The grain sizes of the HPS'ed CoCrFeCuNi and CoCrFeMnNi HEAs were about 100 nm. The alloys keep the FCC structure until the pressure reaches 31 GPa. The hardness of the HPS'ed CoCrFeCuNi and CoCrFeMnNi HEAs were 494 Hv and 587 Hv, respectively, much higher than their counterparts prepared by casting. Both alloys show typical paramagnetism, however, possessing different saturated magnetization. The mechanisms responsible for the observed influence of Cu and Mn on mechanical behavior and magnetic property of the HEAs are discussed in detail.     

Physical and mechanical properties of sintered NdFeB type permanent magnets

Effective application of the Nd---Fe---B type permanent magnets in electrotechnical products, instruments, aviation and space devices demands knowledge of their proper service parameters. In this connection, a comprehensive study of a wide spectrum of sintered Nd---Fe---B type permanent magnets with various additions of rare earth (RE) and 3-d metals (14 compositions, including so-called commercial and laboratory permanent magnets) was carried out. The mechanical (elastic and strength properties) and physical (magnetic and thermal properties, and electrical resistivity) properties of the studied magnets are tabulated, and the data are discussed. The results obtained allow selection of the optimal permanent magnet composition, depending on required properties and the application. Moreover, the results obtained for various permanent magnets are discussed, taking into account the influence of the factors which are sensitive or insensitive to structure and/or composition changes of the magnets.     

A new semiconductor Al2Fe3Si3 with complex crystal structure

Al₂Fe₃Si₃, a new semiconductor with complex triclinic structure was synthesized by arc melting and spark plasma sintering, followed by heat treatment. The nominal compositions of samples have been changed to compensate Al evaporation during synthesis process, and single Al₂Fe₃Si₃ phase has been obtained with the nominal composition of Al: Fe: Si = 26: 37: 37 (6 at.% Al excess against stoichiometry). In this study, we measured the sound velocity, thermal expansion coefficient, Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity of the new semiconductor Al₂Fe₃Si₃. The Al₂Fe₃Si₃ sample displayed positive Seebeck coefficient from 300 to 850 K, with a maximum Seebeck coefficient of 110 μV/K at 430 K. The Debye temperature of Al₂Fe₃Si₃ was 640 K, which was similar to or higher than those of other Al, Fe, Si based thermoelectric materials, but the lattice thermal conductivity was lower, 4–5 W/mK, due to the complex crystal structure of Al₂Fe₃Si₃. The maximum ZT value was 0.06 at 580 K.     

机械合金化制备AgCu20Ni2合金的组织和性能

研究了机械合金化诱发AgCu20Ni2过饱和合金粉末的形成及粉末冶金方法制备AgCu20Ni2合金的过程,对获得的AgCu20Ni2合金的组织和物理性能关系进行了分析,探讨了制备工艺和冷压变形对合金综合性能的影响。结果表明：采用高能球磨30 h,可获得纳米晶的过饱和合金粉末;合金粉末制备的AgCu20Ni2合金由富Ag的基体α相和均匀分布的析出β相构成,析出相界面结构能有效阻碍基体中位错的运动,强化效果明显。合金断口的SEM、EDS分析表明,AgCu20Ni2合金的断裂类型为韧性断裂。     

Structural and magnetic properties of nanocrystalline NiFeCuMo powders produced by wet mechanical alloying

The NiFeCuMo nanocrystalline soft magnetic powders were successfully obtained by wet mechanical alloying route in a planetary ball mill using benzene (C₆H₆) as process control agent (PCA). The milling time used was ranging from 2 up to 20 h. The synthesis conditions and alloy formation have been investigated by X-ray and neutron diffraction as well as their influence on the intrinsic physical properties. Nanometer scale (≈10 nm) crystallites were obtained. A decrease of the samples magnetization has been observed and attributed to the stresses induced during the milling and to the benzene adsorbed on the powders surface. Differential scanning calorimetry investigation shows the presence of an exothermic peak related to the presence of benzene. The adsorbed benzene, internal stresses and crystalline defects removal took place during the heat treatment at 350 °C for 4 h, leading to an improvement of the powders magnetization.     

Designing a novel functional-structural NiTi/hydroxyapatite composite with enhanced mechanical properties and high bioactivity

Clinical applications require porous biomaterials, however, higher porosity levels and hydroxyapatite (HA) content hampers the mechanical properties like superelasticity. Here, a functional-structural composite consisting of a central NiTi shape memory alloy core with an outer macro-porous NiTi/HA layer was fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The central NiTi alloy provides desirable mechanical properties like high strength and superelasticity, while the outer layer with controllable pore size and bioactive HA, which strongly boosts the bioactivity. This work might provide a strategy for designing and fabricating multifunctional biocompatible materials that could be promising for bone implants.     

Powder metallurgy preparation of Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystals using mechanical alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering

This work is devoted to the preparation of ultrafine material based on Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline phase by powder metallurgy using mechanical alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering. The dependence of microstructure and phase composition of powders on the conditions of mechanical alloying was described. It was found that the Al₆₀Cu₃₀Fe₁₀ quasicrystalline phase forms directly already after 2 h of milling under optimized conditions. The stability of this quasicrystalline phase was studied at various temperatures of Spark Plasma Sintering compaction process.     

Density functional study of the mechanical and phonon properties of Al12X (X = Mo,Tc, Ru,W, Re,and Os) compounds

By means of first principles calculations, we have studied the structural, elastic, and phonon properties of the Al₁₂X (X = Mo, Tc, Ru, W, Re, and Os) compounds in cubic structure. The elastic constants of these compounds are calculated, then bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Possion's ratio, Debye temperature, hardness, and anisotropy value of polycrystalline aggregates are derived and relevant mechanical properties are compared with the available theoretical ones. Furthermore, the phonon dispersion curves, mode Grüneisen parameters, and thermo-dynamical properties such as free energy, entropy and heat capacity are computed and the obtained results are discussed in detail.     

High carrier concentration in Mg2Si1−xSbx (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) prepared by a combination of liquid-solid reaction,ball milling,and spark plasma sintering

Ternary compounds of Mg₂Si_1−xSb_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) are prepared by a combination of liquid-solid reaction, ball milling, and spark plasma sintering. The carrier concentration of Mg₂Si_1−xSb_x increases with the Sb content x and reaches 1.1 × 10²¹ cm⁻³ at x = 0.10, which is approximately ten times higher than that previously reported. The high carrier concentration is attributed to the facilitation of Sb-doping by ball milling and the suppression of Mg vacancy formation by short-time sintering. No decrease in the carrier concentration of Mg₂Si_0.90Sb_0.10 is observed after annealing at 773 K for 100 h in a semi-closed system, which suggests that the compound is stable at 773 K under a high partial pressure of Mg.