To the theory of Ostwald ripening in metallic alloys

The mechanism of growth (dissolution) of nanoparticles controlled simultaneously by the matrix diffusion, diffusion along dislocations, and the rate of the passage of atoms through the interphase boundary (by the rate of formation of interatomic bonds) has been studied in alloys of CuNiAl and AlLi metallic systems at the stage of Ostwald ripening. An expression for the nanoparticle-size distribution function has been obtained, which was calculated based on the dependence of the rate of growth on three fluxes, i.e., diffusion flux j_V, dislocation flux j_d, and kinetic flux j_i. A comparison of the experimental histograms with the theoretically calculated curves indicates their good agreement, which can indicate the opportunity of the realization in practice of the proposed mechanism of growth of nanoparticles in alloys of metallic systems.     

Mechanical and magnetic properties of alloys near the concentration range of the existence of Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>(Al,W) intermetallic compound

An experimental study of the mechanical and magnetic properties of Co–8 at % Al–X at % W (where Х = 4.6; 6.8; 8.5; 10; 12) polycrystalline alloys has been carried out depending on the tungsten content. It has been shown that an increase in the tungsten content induces the following changes: Young’s modulus changes from 240 to 259 GPa and the microhardness HV changes from 290 to 413 MPa. The Curie temperature of the intermetallic γ' phase (L1₂) grows from 1025 to 1049 K, and the saturation magnetization of the alloys decreases. The value of the coercive force also increases, from 1 to 500 Oe. The calculations of the specific heat of the γ' (L1₂)–γ (dcc) phase transition has shown that the highest amount of heat (304 J/g) is absorbed upon the phase transition in the sample containing the largest amount of tungsten (12.6 at %). The results obtained indicate the diffusion character of the transition, the rate of which is controlled by the diffusion of the slowest component of the alloy (in this case, tungsten). It has been found that the solvus temperature of the γ' phase increases from 1009 to 1044°С with an increase in the tungsten content from 4.6 to 12.6 at %.     

Micromechanical properties of Co-W alloys electrodeposited under pulse conditions

Results of the investigation of pulse current frequency influence (rectangular unipolar pulses, i _m = 3 A/dm², relative pulse duration 3, frequency 0.67–333 Hz, Q = 3600 C/dm²) on the properties of Co-W alloys at electrochemical deposition—deposition rate, current efficiency, structure of obtained coatings, and their microhardness (microindentation and sclerometric ones)—are presented. The correlation between the microhardness determined by quasi-static indentation and the “organic” phase content in the alloy is shown (the microhardness decreases as the total content of carbon and oxygen in the deposited layer increases). Sclerometric tests have shown that microhardness increases with an increasing tungsten concentration in the deposited layer.     

Prediction of Martensite Start Temperature for Lightweight Fe-Mn-Al-C Steels

A tailor-made thermodynamic database of the Fe-Mn-Al-C system was developed using the CALPHAD approach. The database enables predicting phase equilibria and thereby assessing the resulting microstructures of Fe-Mn-Al-C alloys. Available information on the martensite start (M_s) temperature was reviewed. By employing the M_s property model in the Thermo-Calc software together with the new thermodynamic database and experimental M_s temperatures, a set of model parameters for the Fe-Mn-Al-C system in the M_s model was optimised. Employing the newly evaluated parameters, the calculated M_s temperatures of the alloys in the Fe-Mn-Al-C system were compared with the available measured M_s temperatures. Predictions of M_s temperatures were performed for the alloys, Fe-10, 15 and 20 wt.% Mn-xAl-yC. The predictability of the M_s model can be further validated when new experimental M_s temperatures of the Fe-Mn-Al-C system are available.     

Microstructure,Phase Occurrence,and Corrosion Behavior of As-Solidified and As-Annealed Al-Pd Alloys

In the present work, we studied the microstructure, phase constitution, and corrosion performance of Al₈₈Pd₁₂, Al₇₇Pd₂₃, Al₇₂Pd₂₈, and Al₆₇Pd₃₃ alloys (metal concentrations are given in at.%). The alloys were prepared by repeated arc melting of Al and Pd granules in argon atmosphere. The as-solidified samples were further annealed at 700 °C for 500 h. The microstructure and phase constitution of the as-solidified and as-annealed alloys were studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The alloys were found to consist of (Al), ε _n (~ Al₃Pd), and δ (Al₃Pd₂) in various fractions. The corrosion testing of the alloys was performed in aqueous NaCl (0.6 M) using a standard 3-electrode cell monitored by potentiostat. The corrosion current densities and corrosion potentials were determined by Tafel extrapolation. The corrosion potentials of the alloys were found between ? 763 and ? 841 mV versus Ag/AgCl. An active alloy dissolution has been observed, and it has been found that (Al) was excavated, whereas Al in ε _n was de-alloyed. The effects of bulk chemical composition, phase occurrence and microstructure on the corrosion behavior are evaluated. The local nobilities of ε _n and δ are discussed. Finally, the conclusions about the alloy’s corrosion resistance in saline solutions are provided.     

Tetragonality and the distribution of carbon atoms in the Fe–C martensite: Molecular-dynamics simulation

In the statistical theory of the ordering of carbon atoms in the z sublattice of martensite, the most important role is played by the parameter of the strain interaction of carbon atoms λ₀, which determines the critical temperature of the bcc–bct transition. The values of this parameter (6–11 eV/atom) obtained in recent years by the methods of computer simulation differ significantly from the value λ₀ = 2.73 eV/atom obtained by A. G. Khachaturyan. In this article, we calculated the value of λ₀ by two methods based on the molecular-dynamics simulation of the ordering of carbon atoms in the lattice of martensite at temperatures of 500, 750, 900, and 1000 K in a wide range of carbon concentrations, which includes c_crit. No tails of ordering below c_crit have been revealed. It has been shown analytically that there is an inaccuracy in the Khachaturyan theory of ordering for the crystal in an elastic environment. After eliminating this inaccuracy, no tails of the order parameter appear; the tetragonality changes jumpwise from η = 0 to η_crit = 0.75 at c_crit = 2.9kT/λ₀ instead of η_crit = 0.5 and c_crit= 2.77kT/λ₀ for an isolated crystal. Upon the simulation, clustering of carbon atoms was revealed in the form of platelike pileups along {102} planes separated by flat regions where no carbon atoms were present. The influence of short-range order in the arrangement of neighboring carbon atoms on the thermodynamics of ordering is discussed.     

Comparative study of Oswald ripening and trans-interface diffusion-controlled theory models: Coarsening of γ′ precipitates affected by elastic strain along a concentration gradient

According to Lifshitz, Slyozov, and Wagner (LSW) and Trans-Interface Diffusion-Controlled (TICD) theoretical models, this paper reports the microstructure and its coarsening behavior of γ′ metastable-coherent precipitates in concentration gradient of Ni-13.75Ti (at%)/Ni generated by diffusion couple. The coarsening of precipitates was evaluated in two different Ti contents (R1-11.4Ti (at%) and R2-13Ti (at%)) generated along the concentration gradient and includes average size, size distributions and growth rate. The solvus and metastable-coherent bimodal lines as determined at 850 °C of 9.16 (at%) and 9.92Ti (at%) respectively by scanning electron microscopy. This paper suggests that elastic strains produced by the matrix/precipitate lattice mismatch caused significant deviations between the experimental results and those predicted by the LSW or TIDC theories. Activation energies for TIDC (Q _i ) and LSW (Q _r ) are Q _r : 219.69 and 172.61 kJ mol^-1 for R1 and R2 regions, respectively, and Q _i : 218.46 and 164.56 kJmol^-1 for R1 and R2 regions, respectively. A concentration gradient allows the study of various alloys with different concentration and volume-fraction in a single sample.     

Phase transformations during deformation of Fe-Ni and Fe-Mn alloys produced by mechanical alloying

Compositions of Fe_{(100 ? x)}Mn _x (x = 10 and 12 at. %) and Fe_{(100 ? y)}Ni _y (y = 18 and 20 at. %) were produced by combined mechanical alloying of pure-metal powders and annealed in the austenitic field. After annealing and cooling to room temperature, the alloys had a single-phase austenitic structure. During deformation, the γ phase partially transforms into the α ₂ phase (and/or ? phase in Fe-Mn alloys). The phase composition of the alloys after deformation depends on the amount of alloying elements and the predeformation annealing regime. The amount of martensite in the structure of a bulk alloy obtained by powder compacting grows proportionally to the degree of deformation of the sample.     

Effect of Immersion Time and Cooling Mode on the Electrochemical Behavior of Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel in Sulfuric Acid Medium

In this work, we investigated the influence of galvanizing immersion time and cooling modes environments on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of hot-dip galvanized steel, in 1 M sulfuric acid electrolyte at room temperature using potentiodynamic polarization technique. In addition, the evolution of thickness, structure and microstructure of zinc coatings for different immersion times and two cooling modes (air and water) is characterized, respectively, by using of Elcometer scan probe, x-ray diffraction and metallography analysis. The analysis of the behavior of steel and galvanized steel, vis-a-vis corrosion, by means of corrosion characteristic parameters as anodic (β _a) and cathodic (β _c) Tafel slopes, corrosion potential (E _corr), corrosion current density (i _corr), corrosion rate (CR) and polarization resistance (R _p), reveals that the galvanized steel has anticorrosion properties much better than that of steel. More the immersion time increases, more the zinc coatings thickness increases, and more these properties become better. The comparison between the two cooling modes shows that the coatings of zinc produced by hot-dip galvanization and air-cooled provides a much better protection to steel against corrosion than those cooled by quenching in water which exhibit a brittle corrosive behavior due to the presence of cracks.     

Structure,magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of nonstoichiometric TbCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ni<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> compounds

The structure and magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of new nonstoichiometric TbCo₂Ni _x compounds (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) have been studied. The alloys with х ≤ 0.1 have been shown to be single-phase with the MgCu₂-type structure; in alloys with х > 0.1, an additional phase with a PuNi₃-type structure has been formed. It has been found that the concentration dependences of the Curie temperature and magnetic moment of the 3d-metal sublattice have a maximum at x = 0.025. The magnetocaloric effect magnitude for the TbCo2Nix compounds has been estimated using the results of magnetic and heat-capacity measurements.     

Properties of the Ti<Subscript>40</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>10</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>36</Subscript>Pd<Subscript>14</Subscript> BMG Modified by Sn and Nb Additions

The results of investigation of the influence of additions of 2 and 3 at.% of Sn and simultaneously of Sn and 3 at.% Nb on microstructure and properties of the bulk metallic glasses of composition (Ti₄₀Cu_36?x Zr₁₀Pd₁₄Sn _x )_100?y Nb _y are reported. It was found that the additions of Sn increased the temperatures of glass transition (T _g), primary crystallization (T _x ), melting, and liquidus as well as supercooled liquid range (ΔT) and glass forming ability (GFA). The nanohardness and elastic modulus decreased in alloys with 2 and 3 at.% Sn additions, revealing similar values. The 3 at.% Nb addition to the Sn-containing amorphous phase decreased as well all the T _g, T _x , T _L, and T _m temperatures as ΔT and GFA; however, relatively larger values of this parameters in alloys containing larger Sn content were preserved. In difference to the previously published results, in the case of the amorphous alloys containing small Nb and Sn additions, a noticeable amount of the quenched-in crystalline phases was not confirmed, at least of the micrometric sizes. In the case of the alloys containing Sn or both Sn and Nb, two slightly different amorphous phase compositions were detected, suggesting separation in the liquid phase. Phase composition of the alloys determined after amorphous phase crystallization was similar for all compositions. The phases Cu₈Zr_3, CuTiZr, and Pd₃Zr were mainly identified in the proportions dependent on the alloy compositions.     

Inverse magnetocaloric effect in the uniaxial paramagnet with non-Kramers ions

It has been shown that, in a uniaxial paramagnet with non-Kramers ions with a spin of S = 1 and single-ion anisotropy of the easy-plane type (DS _Z ² ), there is a low-field (μ₀ H ≤ D) and low-temperature (k _B T < 0.68D) region in which the isothermal magnetization along the hard direction H||OZ increases the magnetic entropy by ΔS _M (T, ΔH = H _f - H _i > 0) > 0 and the adiabatic magnetization along the same direction reduces the sample temperature by ΔT _ad(T, ΔH > 0) < 0 (inverse magnetocaloric effect (MCE)). The main features of the inverse MCE in uniaxial paramagnets with large spins (S = 2, 3, …) of the non-Kramers ions have been discussed.     

Phase Equilibria of the Ternary Al-Cu-Zn Alloys on Al-Zn Rich Side

Phase equilibria of the Al-Cu-Zn system on Al-Zn rich side was experimentally determined with 16 alloys annealed at 360 °C. The annealed alloys were examined by means of x-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Five single-phase regions and seven two-phase regions as well as three three-phase regions, i.e. α-(Al)?+?θ-Al₂Cu?+?τ′-Al₄Cu₃Zn, α-(Al)?+?τ′-Al₄Cu₃Zn?+?ε-CuZn₄ and α-(Al)?+?ε-CuZn₄?+?(Zn), were determined. The partial isothermal section of the Al-Cu-Zn system on Al-Zn rich side at 360 °C was constructed based on the obtained experimental data in this work. It was observed that the solid solution phase α-(Al) would easily decompose into ε-CuZn₄, (Zn) and α′-(Al) at the ambient temperature in the early stages. The ternary phase τ′-Al₄Cu₃Zn would form and ε-CuZn₄ would disappear gradually along with the extension of aging time.     

Co-Cu alloys produced by mechanical alloying of powder precursors characterized by different contact surface and energy excess

Co-Cu alloys were prepared by mechanical alloying using different reaction mixtures (mechanical mixture of Co and Cu powders, composite powders (Co_{(100 ? y)}P_(y))_{100 ? x} /Cu _x with a crystalline core, and composite powders (Co_{(100 ? y)}P_(y))_{100 ? x} /Cu _x with an amorphous core). The use of a complex of structural and magnetostructural methods showed that these alloys are nonuniform nanocomposite materials consisting of two phases, namely, copper- and cobalt-based solid solutions. During the mechanical alloying of the composite powders, parameters that are sensitive to the short-range-order structure of both phases were found to be changed, namely, the lattice parameter in the Cu-based solid solution as determined from X-ray diffraction patterns, and the Bloch constant that is sensitive to the short-range order in the Co-based solid solution change. In the alloys prepared by mechanical alloying of composite powders with an amorphous core, the lattice parameter a and the Bloch constant B reach values corresponding to metastable Co_{100 ? x} Cu _x solid solutions in milling times of 1.5–2.0 h. These times are lower by 1–2 orders of magnitude than the typical times that are necessary for forming metastable Co-Cu solid solutions by standard methods of mechanical alloying from mixtures of powders.     

Changes in the temperatures of phase transformations of the Ni<Subscript>2</Subscript>MnGa alloy upon substitution of nickel for manganese

Temperatures of phase transformations of a number of Ni₂MnGa-based alloys (four compositions), which are characterized by substitution of nickel for manganese at an unchanged gallium content (25 at %), have been determined. As the nickel concentration increases with respect to the stoichiometric composition (or the electron concentration e/a increases), the liquidus (T _liq), solidus (T _sol), and martensitic transformation (T _mart) temperatures increase, whereas the magnetic transformation temperature (T _C) decreases slightly.     

Experimental Investigation and Thermodynamic Calculation of the Phase Equilibria in the Co-Cu-V Ternary System

The phase equilibria of the Co-Cu-V ternary system at 900, 1000, 1100 and 1200 °C have been experimentally determined by optical microscopy and electron probe micro-analysis of the equilibrated alloys. The phase transformations were investigated by means of the differential scanning calorimetry. Based on the experimental data of phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties, the thermodynamic assessment of the Co-Cu-V ternary system was carried out by using the calculation of phase diagrams method. A consistent set of the thermodynamic parameters leading to reasonable agreement between the calculated results and experimental data was obtained in the Co-Cu-V ternary system. Meanwhile, the calculated results show that the critical temperature of metastable magnetically induced miscibility gap of (α _f Co) and (α _p Co) phases in the Co-V system gradually decreases with increasing Cu composition in the range of 0-3 wt.% additions.     

Structure,Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Nonstoichiometric TbCo<Subscript>2</Subscript>Mn<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> Compounds

TbCo₂Mn_x (x ≤ 1) alloys were synthesized and their crystal structure, heat capacity, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were studied. Single-phase compounds with the MgCu₂-type structure were formed at х < 0.4. In alloys with х > 0.4, additional phases with the PuNi₃- and Th₆Mn₂₃-type structures form. It was shown that there is a substantial increase in the Curie temperature and magnetic moment of 3d?metal sublattice of the nonstoichiometric compounds when compared to those of the TbCo₂ binary compound. The magnetocaloric effect of single- and multiphase alloys were estimated based on magnetic and heat capacity measurements.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg-8Li-(0, 1, 2)Ca-(0, 2)Gd Alloys

A series of new Mg-8Li-xCa-yGd (x = 0, 1, 2; y = 0, 2; wt.%) alloys were prepared, and the microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The mechanical properties were characterized by tensile, compression and bending tests at room temperature. The results show that Mg-8Li-1Ca alloy is composed of alpha(Mg), beta(Li) and CaMg₂ phases. In addition to the same phases in Mg-8Li-1Ca, there also exists CaLi₂ phase in Mg-8Li-2Ca. In addition to the same phases in Mg-8Li-2Ca, GdMg₅ phase is also formed in Mg-8Li-1Ca-2Gd alloy due to the addition of Gd. Both Ca and Gd have refining effect in the alloys, and the refining effect of Ca is better than that of Gd. The additions of Ca and Gd can improve the tensile strength and yield strength, but decrease the elongation and the bending strength. Comparing the mechanical properties of the investigated alloys, Mg-8Li-1Ca-2Gd possesses the best mechanical properties.     

Superior Mechanical Properties of AlCoCrFeNiTi<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> High-Entropy Alloys upon Dynamic Loading

High-entropy alloys with composition of AlCoCrFeNiTi _x (x: molar ratio; x = 0, 0.2, 0.4) under quasi-static and dynamic compression exhibit excellent mechanical properties. A positive strain-rate sensitivity of yield strength and the strong work-hardening behavior during plastic flows dominate upon dynamic loading in the present alloy system. The constitutive relationships are extracted to model flow behaviors by employing the Johnson-Cook constitutive model. Upon dynamic loading, the ultimate strength and fracture strain of AlCoCrFeNiTi _x alloys are superior to most of bulk metallic glasses and in situ metallic glass matrix composites.     

Influence of Zinc on Coarsening of δ-Ni<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si Particles,Aging Behavior and Hardness in a Cu-Ni-Si Alloy

In the present paper, the aging precipitation and coarsening of disk-like δ-Ni₂Si particles in Cu and Cu-10Zn alloys aged at 450 °C have been investigated by hardness, electric resistivity measurement and transmission electron microscopy observation. The coarsening dynamics of the average diameter of the δ-Ni₂Si particles coincides with the t ^1/3 time law for both alloys. The coarsening of the diminution of supersaturation related to aging time t coincides with the t ^?1/3 time rule. Adding Zn to the Cu-Ni-Si alloy increases the growth and coarsening rate of the particles mainly because of the increased diffusivity D of the δ-Ni₂Si particles in the matrix. The value of D of the δ-Ni₂Si particles in the Cu-xZn (x = 0, 10 wt.%) matrix and the Cu/δ-Ni₂Si interfacial energy γ are independently calculated by using the Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner theory which was extended to include disk-like particles by Boyd and Nicholson. The values of D and γ increase from 0.77 × 10^?19 to 2.21 × 10^?19 m²/s and 0.19 to 0.63 J/m², respectively, when Zn is added to the Cu-Ni-Si alloy. These calculations and the analysis show that the properties of Cu-Ni-Si-Zn alloy can significantly be enhanced by reducing the aging temperature.