Precipitate strengthening mechanisms in magnesium zinc alloy single crystals

The mechanical behaviour of Mg-5.1 wt % Zn alloy single crystals was studied in the 4.2 to 300° K temperature range. Quenched crystals have activation energies and volumes best associated with the cutting of small clusters of Zn atoms by dislocations. Fully hardened crystals contain fine ₁ and occasional ₂ precipitates with an average ₁ interparticle spacing of 330 to 660 Å. Strengthening in these crystals is mainly ascribed to the cutting of ₁ particles by dislocations. In the overaged condition ₁, ₂ and equilibrium particles are present and lead to a considerable temperature-dependence unusual for an overaged condition. Analysis of this temperature-dependence suggests that below 77° K the relatively easy cutting of ₁ particles by dislocations takes place in addition to the cutting of ₂ and particles. Above 77° K the difficult cutting of ₂ and particles alone controls the deformation, ₁ being more easily cut with the aid of thermal fluctuations.     

Negatively isotone optimal policies for random walk type Markov decision processes

Summary This paper considers a random walk type Markov decision process in which the state spaceI is an integer subset of IR ^m , and the action spaceK is independent ofi I. The natural order, overI, and a quasi order,, overK, is assumed, together with aconditional convexity assumption on the returns {r _i ^k }, and certain other assumptions about these rewards and the transition probabilities in relationship to the orders and.A negatively isotone policy is one for whichi i(i))(i) (i.e.(i) (i) or(i) i)). It is shown that, under specified conditions, a negatively isotone optimal policy exists. Some consideration is given to computational implications in particular relationship to Howard's policy space method.

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Zusammenfassung Wir betrachten einen Markovschen Entscheidungsprozeß vom random walk Typ. Der ZustandsraumI sei eine Teilmenge des IR^m, wobeii I ganzzahlige Komponenten habe. Die MengeK der zulässigen Aktionen ini I sei unabhängig voni I. Sei die natürliche Ordnung aufI und sei eine Quasiordnung aufK. Die Erträge {r _i ^k }seienbedingt konvex, darüberhinaus seien weitere Voraussetzungen über diese Erträge und die Übergangswahrscheinlichkeiten in Bezug auf die Ordnungen und erfüllt. Eine Politik heißt negativ isoton, falls ausi i folgti(i) (d. h.(i) (i) oder(i)(i)). Wir zeigen, daß unter gewissen Voraussetzungen einenegativ isotone optimale Politik existiert: Auch diskutieren wir einige Folgerungen für die Numerik, insbesondere hinsichtlich Howards Politikiteration.

     

State space formulation to viscoelastic fluid flow of magnetohydrodynamic free convection through a porous medium

Summary In this work we formulate the state space approach for one-dimensional problems of viscoelastic magnetohydrodynamic unsteady free convection flow through a porous medium past an infinite vertical plate. Laplace transform techniques are used. The resulting formulation is applied to a thermal shock problem and to a problem for the flow between two parallel fixed plates both without heat sources. Also a problem with a distribution of heat sources is considered. A numerical method is employed for the inversion of the Laplace transforms. Numerical results are given and illustrated graphically for the problem considered.Notation C specific heat at constant pressure - g acceleration due to gravity - density - time - u velocity component parallel to the plate - H _x induced magnetic field - x, y coordinates system - T temperature distribution - T _o temperature of the plate - T temperature of the fluid away from the plate - ₀ limiting viscosity at small rates to shear - v _o ^* / - v _m magnetic diffusivity - Alfven velocity - ^* coefficient of volume expansion - thermal conductivity - ^* thermal diffusivity - G Grashof number - Pr Prandtl number - L some characteristic length - k _o the elastic constant - K permeability of the porous medium     

Morphological and crystallographic features of γ-γ′ Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Ti two-phase bicrystals

Several- Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Ti two-phase bicrystals were made by the solid-state diffusion couple method. Each couple consisted of a-phase single crystal and a pure-Ni polycrystal, and was annealed at 1473 K in an Ar gas atmosphere. Single crystal layers of-phase with uniform thickness always grow into the parent-phase single crystals. The resultant/ interface has no voids or facets regardless of the orientation of interface and the chemical composition of the-phase. Porosity formation due to the Kirkendall effect is observed in the diffused region. Concentration profiles exhibit nearly constant gradients in-phase. The orientation relationship between both phases is found to be 001//001, that is, the-phase grows epitaxially along the crystal orientation of-phase.     

The influence of biaxiality of loading on the form of caustics in cracked plates

Summary The optical method of reflected caustics was applied up-to-now to problems of cracked plates under uniaxial loading. Only the problem of the biaxial tension of the plate has been considered for the particular case where the crack is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the plate which coincided with the loading axis. In this paper the influence of a biaxial loading of the plate on the form and orientation of the caustic was studied in connection with the orientation of the crack. New modified relations were given for the evaluation of the complex stress intensity factorK=K _I –iK _II in terms of the angle of the angular displacement of the caustic axis. For the accurate evaluation ofK _I andK _II nomograms of correction factors _y ^max , _x ^max and _x ^max were given in terms of the angle of inclination of the crack =(90–) and the biaxiality factork. Experimental evidence with PMMA internally cracked plates corroborated the results of theory.List of Symbols (z), (z) complex-stress function of Muskhelishvili - _xx , _yy , _xy crack tip stress referred to Cartesian coordinate system - r, polar coordinate system centered at crack tip - K _I ,K _II stress intensity factors for ModeI andII loading, respectively - angle of inclination of the crack - 90°- - k ratio of stresses at infinity - ₁, ₂ principal stresses at crack tip - a crack length - stress applied at infinity along the transverse boundaries of the plate - X _r,f ,Y _r,f parametric equations of the reflected caustics referred to the Cartesian systemOXY on the reference screen: (r) reflected caustics from rear face of the specimen and (f) reflected caustics from the front face of the specimen - r ₀ radius of the generatrix curve on the specimen around the crack tip (initial curve) - c _r,f optical constants of the material for reflections from the rear and front faces of the specimen respectively - _m magnification ratio of the optical set-up - z ₀ distance between the reference-screen and the middle plane of the specimen - z _i distance between the focus of the light beam and the middle plane of the specimen - d thickness of specimen - 2 for the reflected caustics from the rear face of the specimen and 1 for the reflected caustics from the front face of the specimen - C _r,f z ₀ dc _r,f / _m (2)^1/2 - v Poisson's ratio - E elastic modulus of the material - A (1+k)+(1–k) cos 2 - B (1–k) sin 2 - C 1+k ²+(1–k ²) cos 2 2 tan^–1 (B/A)=2 tan^–1 (K _II/K_I) - D _y ^max ,D _x ^max ,D _x ^min the maximum and the ninimum diameter of caustics along the axisOy andOx of the crack respectively - _y ^max , _x ^max , _x ^min the correction factors forD _y ^max ,D _x ^max andD _x ^min respectively - D _t ^max ,D _l ^max the maximum transverse and longitudinal diameters of the caustics respectively - _t ^max , _l ^max the correction factors forD _t ^max ,D _l ^max respectively With 13 Figures     

Coarsening of δ′ (Al3Li) and composite precipitates in an Al-2.5% Li-0.15% Zr alloy

The early stage coarsening behaviour of (Al₃Li) precipitates and composite precipitates, consisting of (Al₃Zr) core enveloped by a shell, in an Al-2.5% Li-0.15% Zr alloy has been studied at 443, 473 and 503 K by conventional transmission electron microscopy using superlattice dark-field images. Coarsening kinetics of precipitates was found to exhibit considerable deviation from the t ^1/3 law corresponding to diffusion control at 473 and 503 K. This deviation may be explained either by the operation of a surface-reaction controlled coarsening mechanism represented by t ^1/2 law, or by the presence of a slower precoarsening stage preceding diffusion-controlled coarsening. The particle-size distributions of precipitates were not in accordance with either the earlier theoretical predictions or the normal distribution. They were symmetrical or slightly skewed to the left, and particle sizes twice the average were observed. The coarsening kinetics of composite precipitates, was found to be rather different from that of ; a diffusion model which yields t ^1/n law with n changing from 1/4 to 1/6 as the coarsening progresses, was predicted. The composite precipitates have exhibited quite a narrow and rather symmetrical size distribution.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of metastable lath martensite wires in the Fe-Ni-Cr-Al-C system produced by melt spinning in rotating water

Metastable lath martensite ( _L ) phase wires with high strengths have been produced in the Fe-Ni-Cr-Al-C alloy system by melt spinning in rotating water. These wires have a circular cross section and a white lustre and the wire diameter is in the range of 100 to 140m. The width and length of each lath in the _L phase are as small as about 0.3 and 2m, respectively. The _y, _f and _p are about 900 and 1650 MPa and 2.0% for the _L wires. The subsequent annealing causes an increase in _p as well as _y and _f and the attained values are about 1000 and 1700 MPa and 3.0% for Fe-10Ni-10Cr-6.5 Al-1.0C wire annealed at 773 K for 1 h owing to the precipitation strengthening of a very fine unidentified carbide and to a high density of dislocations and lath boundaries in the _L phase. Further annealing causes a significant decrease in _p through decomposition of _L to+M₇C₃+M₂₃C₆. Therefore, the high strength combined with relatively good ductility for the _L wires is interpreted as due to the suppression of the phase transformation of _L to a mixed structure of+M₇C₃+M₂₃C₆ by melt quenching.     

o′-β′ sialon ceramics

Powders of Si₃N₄, Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ were mixed with Y₂O₃ as sintering aid and hot-pressed to form o- sialon. During sintering, the o phase preferentially precipitated in the temperature region of 1550 to 1600 °C, and the phase precipitated at temperatures of 1700 °C and above. The resultant microstructure consisted of dual phases of o and . The mechanical properties of o- sialon were improved with increasing amount of the phase. When SiO₂ required for the formation of the o phase was all included in the grain boundary phase, o- sialon exhibited a three-point bending strength as much as 1400 MPa. The oxidation resistance of o- sialon is expected to improve due to the presence of the o phase, but actually was not so good due to the presence of the grain-boundary glassy phase and impurities.     

The tensile strength and ductility of continuous fibre composites

The plastic instability approach has been applied to the tensile behaviour of a continuous fibre composite. It is shown that the combination of two components with different strengths and degrees of work-hardening produces a new material with a new degree of work-hardening, which may be determined by the present analysis. Expressions for the elongation at rupture and the strength of a composite have been obtained and the results of the calculation are compared with some experimental data.List of symbols V _f volume fraction of fibres in composite - , , true strain of fibre, matrix and composite - s true stress - , , nominal stress on fibre, matrix and composite - _*, _*, _* critical stress of fibre, matrix and composite (ultimate tensile strength) - _*, _* critical strain of separate fibre and matrix - _* critical strain of composite - Q external load - A cross-sectional area - A ₀ initial value of area     

Structure and decomposition behaviour of rapidly solidified AI-Cu-Li-Mg-Zr alloys

The microstructural characteristics of AI-Cu-Li-Mg-Zr alloys have been studied after rapid solidification by melt spinning and after subsequent annealing at temperatures in the range 160 to 500°C, by using a combination of optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and microhardness measurements. The as-melt-spun alloys consist of a cellular microstructure with fine scale precipitates and icosahedral particles distributed within the cells and at cell boundaries. The icosahedral structure is equivalent to the T₂ phase reported by Hardy and Silcock. Annealing the melt-spun alloys leads to a complex precipitation sequence: + I + + I + S + + I + + T₁ + T₂ (bcc) + two other phases. The icosahedral particles coarsen progressively during annealing, especially at higher annealing temperatures. Fine-scale precipitates grow during annealing at low temperature, dissolve at higher annealing temperatures below 500°C, and then reprecipitate during cooling after annealing at 500°C. During annealing at low temperature, plates of and S precipitate and then dissolve, providing solute atoms for icosahedral particle growth. Stable T₁, T₂ (bcc) and two other phases precipitate after decomposition of the icosahedral particles during annealing at 500°C.     

The reversion of martensite to austenite in certain stainless steels

An investigation has been made of the reversion of martensite () to austenite () in two stainless steels (i) Fe-16 wt% Cr-12 wt% Ni (of low interstitial content) (ii) Fe-15 wt% Cr-8 1/2 wt% Ni-2 wt% Mo-0.09 wt% C. The alloys were refrigerated to produce 12 to 15% martensite () and then heated for short times at various temperatures ranging from below A _s to above A _f. With rapid heating the reversion of to occurs largely by a shear mechanism. In the Fe-16Cr-12Ni alloy individual grains of transform to grains of reversed of similar size and shape. In the carbon-containing alloy there is evidence of break-up of the grains on reversion. An increase in the strength results from reversion and this is attributable mainly to the high dislocation density of the reversed .     

The effect of Ag additions on the microstructure of aluminium–lithium alloys

Minor quantities of Ag have been added to Al–Li–Cu–Mg–Zr alloys. Their microstructure has been studied by means of optical metallography, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In the high Li, low Cu : Mg ratio alloys the main phases found were , , S and T₁, while fewer T₂ and Al₇Cu₂Fe precipitates were also observed. The addition of up to 0.5 wt% Ag diminishes the and T₁ precipitates size. This is attributed to a small increase of Li solubility in the matrix. In the low Li, high Cu : Mg ratio alloy the addition of 0.2 wt % Ag resulted in the precipitation of phase simultaneously with , , S and T₁ phases. Due to the low Li concentration an unusual growth of the / precipitates at the expense of the precipitates was also observed.     

Critical phenomena of liquid4He in the vicinity of the upper λ point

We determinedC _p along six isobars near T in the vicinity of the upper superfluid transition point (upper point) from measurements ofC _v and (P/T) _v along six isochores.C _p was analyzed with the functionC _p =(A/)^–(1+D^–)+B for T>T, and the same function with primed coefficients for T, whereD denotes the strength of the effect of the irrelevant variable. The present work clarified the effect of the pressure (irrelevant variable) on the critical behavior of ⁴ He near T, that is, the correction term due to the irrelevant variable increases with pressure even in the small range 3×10^–3. This indicates that the pressure depresses the true critical region. The universality of the amplitude ratioA/A was confirmed even in the vicinity of the upper point by specific heat measurements. With constraints ==–0.02, ==–0.5, andB=B the pressure-independent amplitude ratiosA/A=1.088±0.007 andD/D=0.85±0.2 were obtained.AD/AD=0.93±0.2 implies that the pressure has a similar effect onC _p in the normal fluid and superfluid regions, within experimental errors.     

Band-theoretical calculation for the anomalous resistivity of Ni near the Curie temperature

The anomalous resistivity of nickel near the Curie temperature T _c is investigated using the itinerant model of the magnetic electron. The 3d-band wave functions are used to calculate the form factor. The temperature derivative of resistivity diverges positively when T approaches T _c from below and negatively when it approaches from above. The calculation of the correlation function shows that both short-range and long-range orders exist. The critical exponents = 1/2 and = 0 are equal to the Ornstein—Zernike values in the paramagnetic region, but in the ferromagnetic region in addition to these values ₁ = 1/2 and ₁ = 0 there is simultaneously a second set of values ₂ = and ₂ = –1.     

The dielectric properties of glass-ceramic-on-metal substrates for microelectronics packaging

The dielectric properties of some glass-ceramic-on-metal substrates have been determined over the frequency range 500 Hz to 5 MHz using a.c. bridge techniques. The substrates consisted of cordierite-based glass-ceramics screen printed on molybdenum. For glass layers of thickness greater than 100 m both the permittivity, and the dielectric loss, , are frequency independent over this frequency range at room temperature giving the value of =6.5 and tan =8×10^–3; the room-temperature data are consistent with the universal law of dielectric response. The variation of permittivity with temperature has also been examined and, below 120 °C, the temperature coefficient [(–1) (+2)]^–1 (/T)_p, was found to be 1.3×10^–5 K^–1. The results are compared with those previously reported for Al₂O₃ and AIN substrates.     

Microstructural study of ε-iron-carbonitrides formed by a glow discharge technique

The microstructure and phase transformations occurring in-iron-carbonitrides have been studied by means of X-ray and electron diffraction, electron microscopy and Mössbauer spectrometry. Ordering of the interstitial atoms, N or C, results in a hexagonal unit cell for Fe₃(C, N) with parametersa=a3 andc=c wherea andc are the lattice parameters of the hexagonal close-packed (h c p) iron unit cell. Stacking faults on (0001) planes and partial dislocations with Burgers vector b=1/31 0 ¯1 0 are observed in quenched-Fe₄ (C, N). After quench-aging, the carbonitrides show a structural hardening due to the precipitation of a metastable phase. Slow cooling of-carbonitrides with less than 25 at% interstitials leads to the precipitation of-carbonitride and ferrite in-phase grains which allows the orientation relationships between the-,- and-phases to be defined and a model of the-phase--phase transformation to be proposed.     

Coarsening of precipitates and dispersoids in aluminium alloy matrices: a consolidation of the available experimental data

Experimental data on the coarsening of precipitates and dispersoids in aluminium-based matrices are reviewed. Available data are tabulated as K=(r ³–r ₀ ³ )/t where r ₀ is the initial particle radius and r is its value after time t at temperature T, and then plotted as log (KT) against 1/T for consolidation and assessment. The considerable body of data for -A₃Li in Li-containing alloys is well represented by K=(K ₀/T) exp (–Q/RT) with K ₀=(1.3 _–0.5 ^+3.0 ) × 10^–13m³Ks^–1 and Q=115±4kJ mol^–1. The relatively limited data for and in Cucontaining alloys are representable by the same relationship with K ₀4 × 10^–8 and — 4 × 10^–10 m³ Ks^–1, respectively, and Q — 140 kJ mol^–1. Available data for coarsening of L1₂ ^– Al₃(Zr, V) and related phases in Zr-containing alloys and of Al₁₂Fe₃Si and related phases in Al-Fe based alloys indicate (i) rates of coarsening at 375 to 475 °C (0.7 to 0.8T_m) five to eight orders of magnitude less than would be expected for , and in this temperature range, and (ii) high activation energies of 300 and 180 kJ mol^–1, respectively.     

Fatigue behaviour of precipitation-hardening medium C steels containing Cu

The presence of Cu precipitates counteracts the cyclic softening present in ordinary quenched and tempered steels. This is expected to result in an increase in fatigue limit. The fatigue crack propagation rate (dc/dN) at constant K in the Cu-C steels was shown to depend on heat-treatment and carbon content. To maximize yield strength and minimize ¦da/dN¦_K for tempering at 500° C, one must choose a low C content and temper for a short time; ¦da/dN¦_K in 0.28 wt % C-1.45 wt % Cu tempered for 13 min was one-third that for 0.45 wt % C-1.45 wt% Cu tempered for 200 min. There is also an advantage in adding Cu while simultaneously lowering the Ccontent. The dc/dN data are discussed in terms of the yield strength and the energy to form a unit area of fatigue crack, U, which was measured using foil strain gauges. The quantity (¦dc/dN ¦_{K y} ² U) where _y is the cyclic yield stress, was found to be nearly constant. In the 0.28 wt % C-1.45wt % Cu alloy, short ageing times at 500° C resulted in greater resistance to initiation of cracks at notches for low Ks than long ageing times.     

Effect of precipitate type and morphology on high-temperature creep and internal stress in Al-Li based alloys

The tensile creep of a series of aluminium-lithium-based alloys, two binary alloys containing precipitate, and the 2090 alloy containing and T₁ precipitate, has been studied over a range of stresses at 150°C. In some cases the internal stress developed during creep has been determined using the strain transient dip test. The results have been compared with similar data previously obtained for the 8090 alloy containing and S precipitates. The solid solution alloy and the binary alloy containing shearable particles exhibited normal Class II behaviour, with the development of sub-grains and a stress dependence of the creep rate given by a single stress exponent,n, between 4 and 5 at all applied stresses. The alloys containing particles not easily sheared by dislocations, coarse , S and T₁, exhibited similar stress dependencies of the creep rate at low stresses but exhibited large values ofn, between 18 and 35 at high stresses. The internal stress, _i, in these alloys was found to be approximately constant at high stresses possibly due to partial shearing of the coarse , T₁, and the S on sub-boundaries. The stress dependence of the minimum creep rate, , could be represented at all applied stresses, _a, by , where (_a–_i) is the effective stress driving dislocations during creep, andn is a single stress exponent of between 5 and 6 for all applied stresses. The internal stress, which increases with applied stress, at least at a low applied stress, arises from inhomogeneity of plastic deformation, due to hard sub-boundaries or hard particles which are Orowan looped. These two types of contribution to the internal stress are of similar magnitude in the alloys containing coarse and T₁ but the majority of the internal stress in the 8090 alloy may arise as a result of the hardening of sub-boundaries by the S precipitate.     

Microstructure and properties of supersaturated ZA27 alloy during natural ageing

The decomposition of the supersaturated solid solution of ZA27 alloy at room temperature has been investigated by X-ray diffraction, TEM and mechanical properties testing. Based on the results obtained, both continuous precipitation and cellular reaction occur during the decomposition process. The continuous precipitation follows the sequence: ₁ + spherical GP zones ₂ + elliptical GP zones ₃ + R + . The cellular reaction can be written: + + . The properties of the alloy depend on the microstructure. After 1 month of ageing, a series of changes of microstructure have taken place. The properties of the alloy are: _b=500 MPa, =13%,H _v=148.