微量镁和锆对GH4133B合金缺口持久及低周疲劳性能影响EI

研究了微量镁和锆对ＧＨ４１３３Ｂ合金涡轮盘高温缺口持久性能及使用性能下的高温低循环疲劳性能的影响。采用光学金相、透射电镜和扫描电镜等进行了显微组织和断口分析。结果表明：镁和锆的微合金化改善了合金的晶界状态，对晶界碳化物起细化、分散和球化作用，使晶内和晶界强度及塑性得到很好的匹配。提高了合金的持久强度和塑性，消除缺口敏感性，同时提高了合金的高温低循环疲劳寿命。     

典型事故容错轻水堆燃料包壳候选材料SiCf/SiC复合材料和Mo合金的研究进展

轻水堆是当前核电站应用最为广泛的堆型,其包壳材料均为锆合金。然而,福岛严重核事故的突发,使锆合金包壳的安全性受到质疑,事故容错燃料及其包壳候选材料被提上研究议程。本文综述了轻水堆用SiC_f/SiC复合材料和Mo合金包壳候选材料的研究进展,以及它们在轻水堆工况下的性能评估,指出实际工程应用所面临的挑战。最后展望了SiC_f/SiC复合材料和Mo合金在核燃料包壳中的应用前景。     

氢对核用锆合金力学性能的影响

锆合金因其低热中子吸收截面、优异的高温力学性能和耐腐蚀性能而被广泛应用于核动力反应堆燃料元件包壳及其他堆芯结构材料。但反应堆运行期间锆合金吸氢将影响其力学性能,甚至导致其失效。本文从吸氢机制和吸氢后锆合金力学性能改变两个方面出发,概述了吸氢锆合金力学性能的变化规律。锆合金吸氢更多表现为力学性能的下降,包括拉伸性能、内压爆破性能、蠕变速率和疲劳寿命等;而固溶氢在某些方面上对锆合金表现出与氢化物不同的影响规律,被认为可以通过激活位错运动机制来提高合金的蠕变速率,延长疲劳寿命等,因此可通过控制锆合金中的氢含量而获得力学性能达到工业要求的合金。后续除完善现有实验数据外,有必要分别深入研究氢化物及固溶氢对锆合金力学性能的影响机制。     

基于有限元和烟花算法改进BP网络的核用锆合金管材轧制损伤预测

锆合金包壳产品是核反应堆的第一道安全屏障，特殊的使用环境决定了其加工质量的重要性。如何合理、快捷地评估锆合金管材轧制过程的缺陷损伤和疲劳寿命，是其作为核结构材料应用中必须解决的问题。常规的有限元数值分析方法(FEA),存在着建模过程复杂、计算周期长且计算量巨大等问题。有鉴于此，本工作提出了有限元仿真和机器学习复合应用技术(FEA-ML),即在首先构建锆管轧制有限元模型的基础上，通过提取模型中的剪应力图谱，结合裂纹形貌观察和疲劳试验，拟合得到管材疲劳寿命解析公式；继而借助机器学习算法，利用有限元分析获得的少量数据样本，训练建立不同工艺因素下的管材疲劳寿命预测模型。结果表明，新型FEA-ML预测模型，分析速度快、预测精度高，能够很好地克服传统FEA模型计算过慢的问题；同时，影响管材疲劳寿命的最关键因素是材料的流变应力，孔型设计次之，而轧制车速和管坯送进速度的可控工艺窗口较宽、影响较为平缓。     

缺口应力集中系数对TC4 ELI合金低周疲劳性能的影响

研究了缺口应力集中系数不同的深海潜水器耐压壳用TC4 ELI(Extra-low-interstitial)合金板材在恒总应变幅控制下的低周疲劳行为。结果表明,在应变幅较低(0.7%以下)和应变幅较高(0.8%和0.9%)条件下的光滑试样在循环初期分别发生了循环硬化和循环软化,而缺口试样在0.2%～0.7%应变幅条件下的循环初期均发生了循环硬化。通过循环载荷作用下材料滞回能的变化描述了TC4 ELI合金试样低周疲劳的损伤程度,得到了缺口应力集中系数与低周疲劳性能参数之间的关系,建立了相对裂纹萌生寿命预测模型。利用该模型能较好地预测缺口应力集中系数较低的TC4 ELI合金在高应变幅条件下的相对疲劳裂纹萌生寿命。     

Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金的高温低周疲劳行为

研究了Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金的高温(673K)低周疲行为,结果表明:Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金的循环变形表现出初始硬化、随后软化和最后二次硬化的特征。在高温和较高应变幅((Δε_t/2)1.0%)条件下,材料的疲劳寿命高于室温下的疲劳寿命。随着应变幅的提高,高温673 K材料疲劳变形后形成的位错组态由位错墙逐渐演变成成熟的位错胞。多系滑移开动和塑性变形均匀性增强是高温Ti-2Al-2.5Zr合金疲劳寿命提高的原因。     

TiAl合金高周疲劳行为的基本特征

综述了新型高温结构材料TiAl合金的高周疲劳行为基本特征,包括疲劳极限、疲劳强度和应力-寿命行为。分析TiAl合金高周疲劳S-N曲线特点发现,TiAl合金不具有疲劳极限,合金成分和组织形态是影响TiAl合金疲劳强度的关键因素。总结不同温度下的TiAl合金高周疲劳性能发现,当温度由韧-脆转变温度以下提高至该温度以上时,合金的高周疲劳寿命对循环应力变化的敏感性得到了明显改善。此外,还着重讨论了TiAl合金层片组织的疲劳寿命波动性问题,认为层片组织的随机取向是影响疲劳裂纹形核和小裂纹扩展过程的关键因素,从而导致合金高周疲劳寿命产生明显波动。根据该波动机理,探讨了增加TiAl合金高周疲劳寿命、降低其波动性的组织优化途径。     

交变应力下A356铝合金疲劳行为及微结构演变

对处于交变应力下A356铝合金的单轴疲劳寿命以及变形行为进行了研究,并与单一应力加载下的加载情况进行了对比.发现先进行高应力加载后换用低应力加载将会显著延长合金的疲劳寿命.合金的循环应变值主要与合金的循环加载应力幅值有关.此外,利用透射电镜的方法观察了在不同循环加载历史条件下合金中微观结构的变化情况,尤其是位错以及位错带的演变规律.并发现了沉淀物附近的位错塞积现象.     

轻水反应堆(LWR)用包壳材料研究进展

轻水反应堆(LWR)是国际上多数核电站采用的堆型。锆具有良好的加工性能,优良的机械性能,较高的熔点、优异的耐蚀性能及核性能,被用作燃料包壳和堆芯结构材料,是发展核电及核动力舰船不可替代的关键结构材料和功能材料。随着核电技术的发展,对堆芯包壳材料性能提出了更高的要求,综述了核用锆合金包壳材料的国内外研究和使用现状以及新型SiC包壳材料的研发现状。总体来说,锆合金在未来几十年内仍是核反应堆包壳材料的主要用材,开展新合金的研发,不断提升锆合金的性能是世界各国研究者共同的目标;适时加大投入力度,强化条件建设,就能加快具有国内自主知识产权锆合金的产业化步伐,可最终实现核电及核动力用锆合金材料的自主化;SiC材料具有更高的熔点、更好的耐腐蚀性能,是一种极具应用潜力的材料,有可能成为第4代核反应堆的包壳材料,但还需投入大量研究。     

轻水反应堆（LWR）用包壳材料研究进展

轻水反应堆（LWR）是国际上多数核电站采用的堆型。锆具有良好的加工性能,优良的机械性能,较高的熔点、优异的耐蚀性能及核性能,被用作燃料包壳和堆芯结构材料,是发展核电及核动力舰船不可替代的关键结构材料和功能材料。随着核电技术的发展,对堆芯包壳材料性能提出了更高的要求,综述了核用锆合金包壳材料的国内外研究和使用现状以及新型SiC包壳材料的研发现状。总体来说,锆合金在未来几十年内仍是核反应堆包壳材料的主要用材,开展新合金的研发,不断提升锆合金的性能是世界各国研究者共同的目标;适时加大投入力度,强化条件建设,就能加快具有国内自主知识产权锆合金的产业化步伐,可最终实现核电及核动力用锆合金材料的自主化;SiC材料具有更高的熔点、更好的耐腐蚀性能,是一种极具应用潜力的材料,有可能成为第4代核反应堆的包壳材料,但还需投入大量研究。     

Crystal Structure of the ZrO Phase at Zirconium/Zirconium Oxide Interfaces

Zirconium‐based alloys are used in water‐cooled nuclear reactors for both nuclear fuel cladding and structural components. Under this harsh environment, the main factor limiting the service life of zirconium cladding, and hence fuel burn‐up efficiency, is water corrosion. This oxidation process has recently been linked to the presence of a sub‐oxide phase with well‐defined composition but unknown structure at the metal–oxide interface. In this paper, the combination of first‐principles materials modeling and high‐resolution electron microscopy is used to identify the structure of this sub‐oxide phase, bringing us a step closer to developing strategies to mitigate aqueous oxidation in Zr alloys and prolong the operational lifetime of commercial fuel cladding alloys.     

Fatigue of Magnesium Alloys

Magnesium alloys show a high specific strength and are therefore increasingly used for light‐weight constructions in transportation industry.^[1,2] To predict the behaviour of the material under the influence of cyclic loading it is vital to understand the fatigue behaviour of magnesium alloys. Only when understood properly, it is possible to fully apply the potential weight reduction by using magnesium alloys. A very important aspect in fatigue of magnesium alloys is the influence of a corrosive media and elevated temperatures, of which both are relevant in automotive applications. These two factors tend to have deleterious effects on magnesium alloys and therefore also have to be considered in investigations on the fatigue behaviour of magnesium alloys.     

A STUDY OF FATIGUE AND CREEP BEHAVIOUR OF FOUR HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLDERS

Creep and cyclic deformation behavior of two lead-free high temperature solder alloys, 95Sn-5Ag and 99Sn-1.0Cu, a high lead alloy 97.SPb-1.SAg-1.0Sn, and an Ag-modified eutectic alloy 62.SSn-36.1Pb-1.4Ag, were studied. Room temperature and high (100°C and 150°C) temperature fatigue tests (with cyclic strain amplitude up to 6.0%) for the four solders were conducted, with the fatigue lives ranging from a few cycles to more than 100,000 cycles. It is shown that among the alloys studied, 62.SSn-36.1Pb-1.4Ag (the modified Sn-Pb eutectic alloy) has the lowest fatigue resistance in term of low cycle fatigue life (strain controlled). The high lead alloy, 97.SPb-1.5Ag-1.0Sn, has the highest strain fatigue resistance in the large strain region (Δ > 2.0%). Temperature has a significant effect on alloys 95Sn-5Ag and 99Sn-1.0Cu, but has a negligible effect on the Ag modified Sn-Pb eutectic alloy 62.5Sn-36.1Pb-1.4Ag and 97.5Pb-1.5Ag-1.0Sn. Creep studies show that these alloys generally have a very significant primary creep regime (up to 20%); thus, any realistic constitutive relation has to take such a primary creep phase into consideration. Cyclic deformation of alloy 95Sn-SAg was simulated by using a constitutive relation built upon a 2-cell model, which covers both primary and secondary creep. This model provides a good estimate of the peak stresses (the minimum stress and the maximum stress in each cycle); it agrees with experimental results when the applied cyclic strain is small and/or the applied strain rate is very low.     

Effect of microstructure on the fatigue of hot-rolled and cold-drawn NiTi shape memory alloys

We present results from a systematic study linking material microstructure to monotonic and fatigue properties of NiTi shape memory alloys. We consider Ni-rich materials that are either (1) hot rolled or (2) hot rolled and cold drawn. In addition to the two material processing routes, heat treatments are used to systematically alter material microstructure giving rise to a broad range of thermal, monotonic and cyclic properties. The strength and hardness of the austenite and martensite phases initially increase with mild heat treatment (300 °C), and subsequently decrease with increased aging temperature above 300 °C. This trend is consistent with transmission electron microscopy observed precipitation hardening in the hot-rolled material and precipitation hardening plus recovery and recrystallization in the cold-drawn materials. The low-cycle pseudoelastic fatigue properties of the NiTi materials generally improve with increasing material strength, although comparison across the two product forms demonstrates that higher measured flow strength does not assure superior resistance to pseudoelastic cyclic degradation. Fatigue crack growth rates in the hot-rolled material are relatively independent of heat treatment and demonstrate similar fatigue crack growth rates to other NiTi product forms; however, the cold-drawn material demonstrates fatigue threshold values some 5 times smaller than the hot-rolled material. The difference in the fatigue performance of hot-rolled and cold-drawn NiTi bars is attributed to significant residual stresses in the cold-drawn material, which amplify fatigue susceptibility despite superior measured monotonic properties.     

Fatigue behavior and modeling of short fiber reinforced polymer composites: A literature review

Applications of short fiber reinforced polymer composites (SFRPCs) have been rapidly increasing and most of the components made of these materials are subjected to cyclic loading. Therefore, their fatigue behavior and modeling have been of much interest in recent years. This literature review presents a broad review of the many factors influencing cyclic deformation, fatigue behavior, and damage development in SFRPCs. These include microstructural related effects as well as effects related to loading condition and their service environment. Microstructural related effects include those related to fiber length, content and orientation, surface treatment, and failure mechanisms. Cyclic deformation and softening, viscous characteristics, and dissipative response used to characterize and model their fatigue damage behavior and accumulation are discussed. The effects of stress concentrations and their gradient on fatigue behavior are also discussed, due to their significant influence. The effects related to the loading condition include mean stress effects which may be accompanied by cyclic creep, variable amplitude loading, and multiaxial stress effects. Since fatigue behavior is substantially influenced by the testing frequency with self-heating as the primary consequence of increased frequency, this effect is also investigated. Environmental effects considered include the effects of moisture content and temperature, as well as thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior. The effect of welded joints in manufactured components made of SFRPCs and fatigue analysis and life estimation techniques used for such components are also included.     

Mechanics and mechanisms of fatigue in a WC–Ni hardmetal and a comparative study with respect to WC–Co hardmetals

There is a major interest in replacing cobalt binder in hardmetals (cemented carbides) aiming for materials with similar or even improved properties at a lower price. Nickel is one of the materials most commonly used as a binder alternative to cobalt in these metal-ceramic composites. However, knowledge on mechanical properties and particularly on fatigue behavior of Ni-base cemented carbides is relatively scarce. In this study, the fatigue mechanics and mechanisms of a fine grained WC–Ni grade is assessed. In doing so, fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior and fatigue limit are determined, and the attained results are compared to corresponding fracture toughness and flexural strength. An analysis of the results within a fatigue mechanics framework permits to validate FCG threshold as the effective fracture toughness under cyclic loading. Experimentally determined data are then used to analyze the fatigue susceptibility of the studied material. It is found that the fatigue sensitivity of the WC–Ni hardmetal investigated is close to that previously reported for Co-base cemented carbides with alike binder mean free path. Additionally, fracture modes under stable and unstable crack growth conditions are inspected. It is evidenced that stable crack growth under cyclic loading within the nickel binder exhibit faceted, crystallographic features. This microscopic failure mode is rationalized on the basis of the comparable sizes of the cyclic plastic zone ahead of the crack tip and the characteristic microstructure length scale where fatigue degradation phenomena take place in hardmetals, i.e. the binder mean free path.     

Fatigue of rare‐earth containing magnesium alloys: a review

Lightweighting in ground vehicles is today considered as one of the most effective strategies to improve fuel economy and reduce anthropogenic environment‐damaging and climate‐changing emissions. Magnesium (Mg) alloy, as a strategic ultra‐lightweight metallic material, has recently drawn a considerable interest in the transportation industry to reduce the weight of vehicles due to their high strength‐to‐weight ratio, dimensional stability, good machinability and recyclability. However, the hexagonal close‐packed crystal structure of Mg alloys gives only limited slip systems and develops sharp deformation textures associated with strong mechanical anisotropy and tension–compression yield asymmetry. For the vehicle components subjected to dynamic loading, such asymmetry could exert an unfavourable influence on the material performance. This problem could be conquered through weakening the texture via addition of rare‐earth (RE) elements. Thus, a number of RE‐containing Mg alloys have recently been developed. To guarantee the structural integrity, durability and safety of highly loaded structural components, understanding the characteristics and mechanisms of cyclic deformation and fatigue fracture of such RE‐Mg alloys is of vital importance. In this review, the available fatigue properties including stress‐controlled fatigue strength, strain‐controlled cyclic deformation characteristics and fatigue crack propagation behaviour are summarized, along with the microstructural change and crystallographic texture weakening in the RE‐containing Mg alloys in different forms (cast, extruded and heat‐treated states), in comparison with those of RE‐free Mg alloys.     

Cyclic inelasticity and high-cycle fatigue of metals with consideration of the stress gradient effect*

Cyclic deformation behavior of metals and alloys under high-cycle loading in the nonuniform stress state is considered. A significant effect of the stress gradient on the cyclic inelastic deformation of the metal surface layers is shown. A model explaining the difference between the fatigue limits in the uniform and nonuniform stress states is proposed, which is based on accounting for the distinctions between cyclic stress–strain diagrams in the uniform and nonuniform stress states and for the fact that the fatigue limit is equal to the cyclic elasticity limit found for inelastic deformation typical of this class of materials.     

Twin boundary: Controllable interface to fatigue cracking

Twin boundaries(TBs) are key factors influencing the mechanical properties of crystalline materials. We have investigated the intrinsic fatigue cracking mechanisms of TBs during the past decade. The effects of TB orientations on the fatigue cracking mechanisms were revealed via cyclic deformation of a series of grown Cu bicrystals with a sole TB. Furthermore, the combined effects of crystallographic orientation and stacking fault energy(SFE) on the fatigue cracking mechanisms were clarified through cyclic deformation of polycrystalline Cu and Cu alloys. Both developments were reviewed in this report which will provide implications to optimize the interfacial design for the improvement of fatigue performance of metallic materials.     

Fatigue life estimation of ultrasonic spot welded Mg alloy joints

Lightweight magnesium alloys are increasingly used in automotive and other transportation industries for weight reduction and fuel efficiency improvement. The structural application of magnesium components requires proper welding and fatigue resistance to guarantee their durability and safety. The objective of this investigation was to identify failure mode and estimate fatigue life of ultrasonic spot welded (USWed) lap joints of an AZ31B-H24 magnesium alloy. It was observed that the solid-state USWed joints exhibited a superior fatigue life compared with other welding processes. Fatigue failure mode changed from interfacial failure to transverse-through-thickness crack growth with decreasing cyclic load level, depending on the welding energy. Fatigue crack initiation and propagation occurred from both the notch tip inside the faying surface and the edge of sonotrode indentation-footprints due to the presence of stress concentration. A life prediction model for the spot welded lap joints developed by Newman and Dowling was adopted to estimate the fatigue lives of the USWed magnesium alloy joints. The fatigue life estimation, based on the fatigue crack growth model with the global and local stress intensity factors as a function of kink length and the experimentally determined kink angle, agreed fairly well with the obtained experimental results.