Hydrogen-caused phase transformations, relaxation and hysteretic phenomena in fcc alloys Fe55Cr25Ni20 and Fe50Ni50

Hydrogen-induced phases, relaxation and hysteretic phenomena in Fe₅₅Cr₂₅Ni₂₀ and Fe₅₀Ni₅₀ alloys were studied using neutron scattering and internal friction. Substitution of chromium by nickel prevents the hydrogen-induced γ→ transformation, which was used for interpretation of the IF peaks. A new relaxation peak is observed in the hydrogen-charged Fe₅₀Ni₅₀ alloy.     

La–Mg–Ni ternary hydrogen storage alloys with Ce2Ni7-type and Gd2Co7-type structure as negative electrodes for Ni/Mh batteries

Hydrogen strorage alloys with formula La_1.5Mg_0.5Ni₇ were prepared by induction melting followed by different annealing treatments (1073, 1123 and 1173 K) for 24 h. The alloy composition, alloy microstructure and electrochemical properties were investigated, respectively. The results showed that the multi-phase structure of as-cast alloy was converted into a double-phase structure (Gd₂Co₇-type phase and Ce₂Ni₇-type phase) through annealing treatments. Mg atoms were mainly located in Laves unit of Gd₂Co₇-type unit cell and Ce₂Ni₇-type unit cell. The electrochemical capacity of alloy electrodes after annealing treatment could be up to 390 mAh/g. The cyclic stability of alloy electrodes was significantly improved by annealing treatments; After 150 charge/discharge cycles, the capacity retention ratio of alloy annealed at 1173 K was the highest (81.9%). The high rate dischargeability of alloy electrodes was also improved due to annealing treatment.     

The interpolated Tm---Mg phase diagram

The alloying behavior of the different rare earths, which varies according to systematic patterns, can be used to predict constitutional properties of rare earth alloys with the same element. The applicability to prediction of the Tm---Mg phase diagram is presented here. The predicted version is compared with that determined experimentally by analyzing a few key compositions using X-ray powder diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The following phases were identified and their crystal structures confirmed or determined: β phase, ≈Tm₂Mg (cubic, cI2, W type), TmMg (cubic, cP2, CsCl type), TmMg₂ (hexagonal, hP12, MgZn₂ type) and ≈Tm₅Mg₂₄ (cubic, cI58, -Mn type). All the phases show peritectic formation. Two other equilibria were also observed: a eutectic reaction at 575 °C and 89 at.% Mg and the eutectoid decomposition of the β phase at 670 °C and approximately 30 at.% Mg.     

Hydriding kinetics of the La1.5Ni0.5Mg17–H system prepared by hydriding combustion synthesis

An experimental investigation of the hydrogen absorption rate in the two-phase (–β) region of La_1.5Ni_0.5Mg₁₇ powder under the condition of various pressures and temperatures is presented. The results are well interpreted using the Jander diffusion model, [1−(1−ξ)^1/3]²=k(T,P)t, which suggests that the rate-controlling step of hydrogen absorption in La_1.5Ni_0.5Mg₁₇ is three-dimensional diffusion. An apparent activation energy for such diffusion process of 90±1 kJ/mol H₂ has been obtained from the absorption data.     

Synergistic effect between Laves phase and Zr-Ni phases in Zr(MnVNi)2 hydrogen storage alloys

The effect of annealing treatment on the crystal structure and electrochemical properties of Zr(Mn_0.25V_0.20Ni_0.55)₂ and Zr(Mn_0.05V_0.40Ni_0.55)₂ hydrogen storage alloys was investigated by means of XRD analysis and electrochemical tests. The results of XRD analysis showed that the as-cast alloys consist of C15, C14 type Laves phase and Zr₉Ni₁₁ and ZrNi phases. The composition of alloys homogenized after annealing treatment. The C15 type Laves phase is still stable while the Zr₉Ni₁₁ and ZrNi phases decompose and C14 phase disappears partially. The final stable structure of the alloys was a mixture phase of C15 and C14 type Laves phases. The results of the electrochemical tests showed that the discharge capacity and the properties of activation as well as high-rate dischargeability are all decreased after annealing treatment. The exchange current density decreases in some degree too.     

Hydrogen redistribution in the solid solutions ZrV2Dx, 2.2≤x≤2.7: I. Interconnection between hydrogen-ordered phases: intermediate phase instead of phase separation

We have studied, by means of neutron powder diffraction, the temperature evolution of the hydrogen solid solutions ZrV₂D_x in the intermediate range, 2.18≤x≤2.73, separating two hydrogen-ordered phases, ZrV₂D_≤2 with k=(1/2, 1/2, 1/2) and ZrV₂D_≥2.8 with k=(0, 0, 1−δ). Instead of ordinary phase separation, we have found an uncommon phase. This phase is a kind of a disordered one and, simultaneously, it keeps a modulation of hydrogen density with the same k as for the ordered phase, one or another. Under favourable conditions this modulation transforms into the regular ordered phase.     

Electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies of rapidly quenched Zr---Ni and Hf---Ni ribbons with about 90 at.% Ni

The structure of melt-spun ribbons of the alloys Zr₉Ni₉₁, Zr₁₀Ni₉₀ and Hf₁₁Ni₈₉ was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Ribbons of the Zr₉Ni₉₁ and Zr₁₀Ni₉₀ alloys prepared at a high cooling rate (ribbon thickness d=11 μm) were characterized by an amorphous matrix with a few per cent of quenched-in crystallites. The ribbon of the Hf₁₁Ni₈₉ alloy prepared with the same thickness (i.e. at the same cooling rate) exhibited a nanocrystalline grain structure of the HfNi₅ phase. Thicker ribbons of the Zr₉Ni₉₁ alloy (d=17–22 μm), for which the quench rate was correspondingly lower, were obtained as a b.c.c. Ni(Zr) solid solution phase with a grain size of nearly 1 μm. A high resolution (HR) TEM study of one of the Zr₉Ni₉₁ crystalline ribbons revealed a fine structure of the interior of the crystallites which can be attributed to an ordering on the Zr sublattice over distances of several nanometres within the b.c.c. grains.     

Microstructure and tribological properties of laser clad Ti2Ni3Si/NiTi intermetallic coatings

Wear resistant Ti₂Ni₃Si/NiTi full intermetallic composite coatings with a microstructure consisting of ternary metal silicide Ti₂Ni₃Si primary dendrites and interdendritic Ti₂Ni₃Si/NiTi eutectic were fabricated on a substrate of 0.2%C low carbon steel by the laser cladding process using Ti-Ni-Si alloy powders as the precursor materials. Microstructure of the coatings was characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). Wear resistance of the laser clad Ti₂Ni₃Si/NiTi intermetallic coatings was evaluated under dry sliding wear test conditions at room temperature. Results indicate that the Ti₂Ni₃Si/NiTi intermetallic coatings have excellent abrasive and adhesive wear resistance under dry sliding wear test conditions because of the unique combination of high yield strength and toughness of the intermetallic compound NiTi and the high hardness, strong covalent dominant atomic bonds and possible strong hardness anomaly of the ternary metal silicide Ti₂Ni₃Si with MgZn₂ type Laves crystal structure.     

TA2/ Co13Cr28Cu31Ni28/ Q235脉冲TIG焊接头组织与性能

针对钢与钛之间因物化性能差异大,焊接过程易产生大量金属间化合物而难以实现可靠连接的问题,依据焊缝金属固溶高熵化思路,选用Co₁₃Cr₂₈Cu₃₁Ni₂₈高熵合金作为中间过渡层对TA2钛和Q235钢进行脉冲钨极氩弧焊,并对Co₁₃Cr₂₈Cu₃₁Ni₂₈高熵合金及接头的组织和性能进行分析研究. 结果表明,Co₁₃Cr₂₈Cu₃₁Ni₂₈主要是双相面心立方结构,分别为富Cu的晶间和晶内面心立方结构,强度和塑性良好;焊接接头两部分焊缝均成形良好,无气孔、裂纹等缺陷,焊缝组织均为简单的固溶体结构,Q235侧焊缝主要为面心立方结构相,TA2侧焊缝主要由简单的体心立方结构和面心立方结构相构成,以体心立方结构相为主;焊接接头抗拉强度为224 MPa,在TA2侧靠近高熵合金的熔合线处断裂,主要由于生成了脆性的Cr₃O₈,断口有较多韧窝和一部分解理面,为混合断裂,表现出一定的韧性断裂特征.     

Processing, microstructure, and properties of laser remelted Al2O3/Y3Al5O12（YAG） eutectic in situ composite

Laser remelting and rapid solidification were performed in preparing the high-performance Al2O3/Y3Al5O12（YAG） eutectic in situ composite. The microstructure characteristic and solidification behavior were studied using scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）, X-ray diffractometry（XRD） and simultaneous thermal analysis（STA）. The hardness and fracture toughness were obtained using an indentation technique. The results show that the laser remelted Al2O3/YAG composite has a homogeneous eutectic microstructure without microcrack and pore. The component phases of Al2O3 and YAG are three-dimensionally and continuously reticular connected, and finely coupled without grain boundaries, colonies and amorphous phases between interfaces. The eutectic interspacing is greatly refined with increasing the scanning rate and average is only l μm. The synthetically thermal analysis indicates that the eutectic temperature of Al2O3-YAG is 1 824 ℃, well matching the phase diagram of Al2O3-Y2O3 system. The maximum hardness reaches 19.5 GPa and the room fracture toughness is 3.6 MPa.m^1/2.     

Temperature memory effect of Ti50Ni30Cu20 (at.%) alloy

After the reverse thermal induced martensitic transformation process of shape memory alloy is arrested at a temperature between the reverse transformation start and finish temperatures (A_s and A_f), and then cooled to a temperature below M_f, a kinetic stop will occur in the next heat flow curve during the heating process. The kinetic stop is closely related to the arrested temperature. This phenomenon is called temperature memory effect (TME). TME of Ti₅₀Ni₃₀Cu₂₀ (at.%) shape memory alloy with phase transformation between B2 austenite and B19 martensite has been investigated by differential scanning calorimeter in this paper. The results indicate that TME of Ti₅₀Ni₃₀Cu₂₀ alloy only exists in the heating process.     

Structure relaxation and crystallization of Al83Ni10Ce7 metallic glass

Structure relaxation and crystallization of Al₈₃Ni₁₀Ce₇ metallic glass were studied by different scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). According to the DSC scan, it is interesting to find that the second exothermic peak changes with pre-annealing temperatures (below glass transition temperature), suggesting a change in the amorphous structure upon relaxation. Continuous heating crystallization and isothermal crystallization exhibit different crystallization mechanism of the present alloy. fcc-Al and a metastable phase precipitate simultaneously in the first stage crystallization during continuous heating; however, only a metastable phase precipitates during isothermal annealing below glass transition temperature (T_g).     

Infrared brazing of Ti50Ni50 shape memory alloy using pure Cu and Ti–15Cu–15Ni foils

Infrared brazing of Ti₅₀Ni₅₀ using two brazing filler metals was investigated in the study. Three phases, including Cu-rich, CuNiTi (Δ) and Ti(Ni,Cu), were observed in the Ti₅₀Ni₅₀/Cu/Ti₅₀Ni₅₀ joint after brazing at 1150 °C. The Cu-rich phase was rapidly consumed in the first 10 s of brazing, and the eutectic mixture of CuNiTi and Ti(Ni,Cu) phases were subsequently observed in the joint. Samples brazed for longer time resulted in less CuNiTi and more Ti(Ni,Cu) phases in the joint. The existence of CuNiTi phase deteriorated the shape memory effect of the joint, but Ti(Ni,Cu) could still preserve shape memory behavior even alloyed with a large number of Cu. Therefore, higher shape recovery ratio was observed for specimens brazed for a longer time period. Extensive presence of Ti₂(Ni,Cu) phase was observed in Ti₅₀Ni₅₀/Ticuni^®/Ti₅₀Ni₅₀ joint upon brazing the specimens up to 1150 °C. The bending test could not be performed due to the inherent brittleness of Ti₂(Ni,Cu) matrix. Moreover, the stable Ti₂(Ni,Cu) phase was difficult to be removed completely by increasing either brazing time and/or temperature.     

Microstructure studies of Zr65Cu17.5Al7.5Ni10 and Zr65Cu15Al10Ni10 glass forming alloys: Phase morphologies and undercooled melt solidification

Zr₆₅Cu_17.5Al_7.5Ni₁₀ (at.%) and Zr₆₅Cu₁₅Al₁₀Ni₁₀ (at.%) glass forming alloy microstructures have been investigated by means of optical and electron microscopies. They are composed of a fine eutectic matrix with eutectic dendrites (EDs) that have peculiar morphologies. Al and Cu concentrations, in these alloys, favour primary dendrites and determine the ED morphologies and compositions. Their locations within the microstructures suggest a two-step solidification process of the two undercooled melts. The identified crystalline phases indicate the occurrence of solid state phase transformations in agreement with the structural defects observed in the grains. The crystalline phases can be classified into Zr-rich, Cu-rich, Ni-rich and Al-rich compounds resulting from competing diffusion between Cu, Ni, and Al in the melts.     

硅含量对一种耐蚀合金组织与耐蚀性能的影响

设计并熔炼了不同硅含量的三种耐磨耐蚀合金30Ni-35Cr-6.5Mo-1Nb-0.25N-xSi(x=1、2、3)-Fe,分别命名为1Si、2Si、3Si合金,利用SEM、XRD、硬度测试以及电化学测试研究了三种合金的组织和性能。结果表明,三种合金均为双相结构,两相分别为γ相和σ-Cr₁₃Ni₅Si₂相,且随着硅含量的增加,σ-Cr₁₃Ni₅Si₂相所占的比例逐渐增加,合金的洛氏硬度也逐渐增大。动电位极化曲线以及电化学阻抗谱结果表明,3Si合金在10%H₂SO₄溶液中的耐蚀效果最优,而1Si合金的耐蚀性最差。合金硬度和耐蚀能力的提高主要得益于合金中σ相比例的增大。     

Analyzing the Effects of Milling and Sintering Parameters on Crystalline Phase Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Al86Ni8Y6 and Al86Ni6Y4.5Co2La1.5 Amorphous Ribbons

In the present study, Al₈₆Ni₈Y₆ and Al₈₆Ni₆Y_4.5Co₂La_1.5 bulk amorphous nanocomposites were synthesized by spark plasma sintering of milled melt spun ribbon particles. The as-cast ribbons were of near amorphous nature with minute amount of FCC Al embedded in the amorphous matrix. Milling of the ribbons resulted in partial devitrification due to mechanical crystallization. The milled ribbon particles were sintered in the temperature and pressure range of 300-500 °C and 500-700 MPa, respectively. It was observed that nominal amount of amorphous phase was retained at 500 °C and 500 MPa. With increase in sintering pressure and decrease in sintering temperature, the amount of crystalline phase evolution decreased, and maximum amount of amorphous phase was retained at 300 °C and 700 MPa. The microstructure consisting of amorphous phase embedded with hard intermetallic phases led to increase in the nanohardness of Al₈₆Ni₈Y₆ and Al₈₆Ni₆Y_4.5Co₂La_1.5 as-cast ribbons from 3.26 ± 0.59 GPa and 3.81 ± 0.58 GPa to 6.06 ± 0.70 GPa and 6.14 ± 0.82 GPa, respectively, for the corresponding consolidated amorphous nanocomposite. Microhardness of the three and five component system bulk samples was 4.19 ± 0.13 GPa and 3.6 ± 0.13 GPa, respectively.     

Hydrogen redistribution in the solid solutions ZrV2Dx, 2.2≤x≤2.7.: II. Structure of the intermediate phase: ‘Lattice liquid crystal’. A neutron-diffraction study

We have studied the crystal structure of the uncommon phase with k=0 in ZrV₂D_x, 2.2<x<2.5, which is an intermediate between the hydrogen-disordered phase and two hydrogen superstructures, ZrV₂D_<2 with k=(1/2 1/2 1/2) and ZrV₂D_>2.7 with k=(001). This phase is a primary superstructure combining the features of the disordered phase and, depending on the hydrogen concentration, one or another superstructure with k≠0. Its lattice (translational symmetry) is the same as in the disordered phase, which is k=0. Simultaneously, the lattice sites (the hydrogen arrangement in them) are prototypes of the sites of the subsequent superstructure with k≠0. Specifically, each site of the primary superstructure with k=0 is a mix of the sites with different spatial orientation of the superstructure with k≠0. In this sense the primary superstructure can be considered as a ‘lattice liquid crystal’ whereas usual superstructure with k≠0 is a ‘lattice crystal’. In addition, we have determined the crystal structure of the ‘ordered’ phase with k=(001) in ZrV₂D_2.73. It is a transitional state between the primary superstructure and the regular superstructure with the same k.     

退火温度对CrFeCoNiTi1.5高熵合金微结构与性能的影响

为研究中低温热处理对CrFeCoNiTi_1.5高熵合金性能的影响,分别在200、400及600 ℃下对高熵合金进行10 h退火处理。通过X射线衍射仪、扫描电镜(SEM)、能谱仪(EDS)、显微硬度计和电化学工作站对高熵合金的组织结构、表面形貌以及元素的偏析程度进行分析,并测试了高熵合金的动电位极化曲线以及维氏硬度。结果表明:退火温度的提高有利于CrFeCoNiTi_1.5高熵合金中HCP结构相的析出;随着温度的升高Cr、Fe、Co和Ni逐渐向晶内聚集分布,Ti逐渐向晶间聚集。600 ℃中低温退火处理时合金耐腐蚀性能最好,硬度为914 HV0.5。     

Electrochemical properties of Mg-based alloys containing carbon nanotubes

In this work, effects of partial substitution of Mg, Ni with AB₂ in Mg-based alloy and subsequent surface modification by further ball-milling with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on electrochemical properties were investigated. Mg_1.9(AB₂)_0.1Ni_0.8 (AB₂=LaNi₂, LaNiCo and LaNiMn) alloys were prepared by solid-state diffusion method, the nanocrystalline Mg-based alloys were prepared by ball-milling the mixture of obtained Mg_1.9(AB₂)_0.1Ni_0.8 alloys and nickel powder. It was found that the electrochemical capacities of nanocrystalline Mg_1.9(AB₂)_0.1Ni_1.8 alloys were measured to be 460–490 mAh/g. The nanocrystalline Mg-based alloys containing carbon nanotubes (10 wt.%) obtained by ball-milling after 60 min were demonstrated to show improved electrochemical properties with respect to the original nanocrystalline Mg-based alloys. The electrochemical reaction activity was detected by electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) proved the interaction between Mg_1.9(AB₂)_0.1Ni_1.8 alloys and carbon nanotubes after ball-milling, which resulted in an increase in the surface Ni/Mg ratio.