SEM in-situ investigation on fatigue cracking behavior of P/M Rene95 alloy with surface inclusions

The low-cycle fatigue behavior of powder metallurgy Rene95 alloy containing surface inclusions was investigated by in-situ observation with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The process of fatigue crack initiation and early stage of propagation behavior indicates that fatigue crack mainly occurs at the interface between the inclusion and the matrix. The effect of inclusion on the fatigue crack initiation and the early stage of crack growth was very obvious. The fatigue crack growth path in the matrix is similar to the shape of inclusion made on the basis of fatigue fracture image analysis. The empiric relation between the surface and inside crack growth length, near a surface inclusion, can be expressed. Therefore, the fatigue crack growth rate or life of P/M Rene95 alloy including the inclusions can be evaluated on the basis of the measurable surface crack length parameter. In addition, the effect of two inclusions on the fatigue crack initiation behavior was investigated by the in-situ observation with SEM.     

Influence of γ' precipitate on deformation and fracture during creep in PM nickel-based superalloy

FGH96 is a powder metallurgy nickel based superally used for turbine disk of aero-engines. In the present study FGH96 alloy with four different γ' precipitate microstructures were produced via solution heat-treatment with different cooling rates, and the maximum cooling rate reached 400°C/min which was a super cooling rate for Nickel-based superalloy. The creep tests were conducted for PM FGH96 alloy under the testing condition of 704°C and 690 MPa. The relationship between the creep properties and the distribution of γ' precipitate was established. The creep mechanism was analyzed by using TEM and ACTEM, and the dislocation movement was studied at the atomic scale. The creep strain rate was calculated through a physically based crystal slip model established based on crystal plasticity. The calculated results were consistent with the test ones, illustrating the validity of the model. The fracture mechanism was also investigated, and the results showed that the creep cracks generated on the surface due to the oxidation. It was observed that the cracks propagated in different ways depending on the different average diameters of γ' precipitate. With the decrease of the average γ' precipitate size,the critical shearing stress increased and the resistance of the dislocation slipping increased. The fracture mechanism for the primary stage transformed from intragranular to intergranular due to the change of dislocation slipping.     

Fatigue characteristics and microcosmic mechanism of Al-Si-Mg alloys under multiaxial proportional loadings

With the increasing use of Al-Si-Mg alloys in the automotive industry, the fatigue performance of Al-Si-Mg alloy has become a major concern with regard to their reliability. The fatigue characteristics and microcosmic mechanism of an Al-Si-Mg alloy under multiaxial proportional loadings were investigated in this research. As low cycle fatigue life and material strengthening behavior are closely related, the effect of equivalent strain amplitude on the multiaxial fatigue properties was analyzed. Fatigue tests were conducted to determine the influence of equivalent strain amplitude on the multiaxial proportional fatigue properties. The fatigue life exhibits a stable behavior under multiaxial proportional loadings. The dislocation structures of the Al-Si-Mg alloy were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dislocation structure evolution of the Al-Si-Mg alloy under multiaxial proportional loadings during low cycle fatigue develops step by step by increasing fatigue cycles. Simultaneously, the dislocation structure changes with the change in equivalent strain amplitude under multiaxial proportional loadings. The experimental evidence indicates that the multiaxial fatigue behavior and life are strongly dependent on the microstructure of the material, which is caused by multiaxial proportional loadings.     

Deformation and damage features of a Re/Ru-containing single crystal nickel base superalloy during creep at elevated temperature

The deformation and damage features of a 4.5%Re/3.0%Ru-containing single crystal nickel-based superalloy during the creep in the temperature range of 1040–1070 °C and stress range of 137–180 MPa was investigated by means of creep properties measurement and contrast analysis of dislocation configuration. The results showed that the alloy exhibited a better creep resistance in the range of the testing temperatures and stresses, the deformation mechanism of the alloy during steady state creep was dislocations climbing over the rafted γ′ phase.In the latter period of creep, the deformation mechanism of the alloy was dislocations shearing into the rafted γ′phase. It is believed that the dislocations shearing into γ′ phase may cross-slip from {111} to {100} planes for forming the K-W locks to restrain the slipping and cross-slipping of dislocations on {111} plane. As the creep goes on, the alternate slipping of dislocations results in the twisted of the rafted γ′ phase to promote the initiation and propagation of cracks along the γ/γ′ interfaces up to creep fracture, which is considered to be the damage and fracture feature of alloy during creep at high temperature.     

Preparation of high-strength Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Fe alloy via heat treatment and rolling

An Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Fe alloy was solid-solution treated at 560°C for 3 h and then cooled by water quenching or furnace cooling. The alloy samples which underwent cooling by these two methods were rolled at different temperatures. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the rolled alloys were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and tensile testing. For the water-quenched alloys, the peak tensile strength and elongation occurred at a rolling temperature of 180°C. For the furnace-cooled alloys, the tensile strength decreased initially, until the rolling temperature of 420°C, and then increased; the elongation increased consistently with increasing rolling temperature. The effects of grain boundary hardening and dislocation hardening on the mechanical properties of these rolled alloys decreased with increases in rolling temperature. The mechanical properties of the 180°C rolling water-quenched alloy were also improved by the presence of β″ phase. Above 420°C, the effect of solid-solution hardening on the mechanical properties of the rolled alloys increased with increases in rolling temperature.     

TEM Study on Hydrogen-Induced Cracking of Fe3Al Alloy

Hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) of Fe₃Al alloy was studied by in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM). Electron transparent specimens were mounted onto a constant displacement device. Stress was applied to the specimen by using a bolt through the device. The results showed that hydrogen enhanced the dislocation emission and motion in Fe₃Al alloy. A dislocation free zone (DFZ) was formed following the dislocation emission. Microcrack initiated in the DFZ or at the main crack tip when the emission reached a critical extension. Hydrogen played an important role in the process of brittle fracture of Fe₃Al alloy.     

Role of Mg on Structure and Mechanical Properties in Alloy 718

The role of Mg in alloy/718 has been systematically investigated. Mg raises not only high temperature tensile and stress-rupture ductilities but also increases considerably smooth and notch stress-rupture life. Mg containing alloy 718M is free of stress-rupture notch sensitivity. Mg improves creep and fatigue interaction properties (LCF or cyclic stress rupture) at any grain size. The basic role of Mg is equilibrium segregation at grain boundaries which helps to change continuous grain beundary (5-Ni3Nb morphology to discrete globular form which has a retardation effect on intergranular fracture. Mg promotes the change from intergranular to transgranular fracture mode.     

Unique cyclic deformation behavior of a heavily alloyed Al–Si piston alloy at different temperatures

The cyclic deformation behavior of a near-eutectic Al–Si piston alloy with a variety of alloying elements is investigated. Due to the distinctive microstructure, the alloy exhibited various cyclic deformation characteristics at different temperatures. Unique double-stage cyclic hardening occurred at room temperature, while the first hardening was mainly caused by the interaction between the dislocations and the finely dispersive precipitates, and the dislocation/dislocation interaction resulted in the second hardening. At elevated temperatures (200 1C and 350 1C), the alloy mainly presented cyclic softening because of the fact that the thermally activated dislocations could bypass or shear the obstructive precipitates.     

Microstructure and texture evolution in commercial-purity Zr 702 during cold rolling and annealing

Microstructure and texture evolution in commercial-purity Zr 702 during cold rolling and annealing was investigated by optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that crystallographic slip was the predominant deformation mechanism in the early stage of deformation. Deformation twins started to form when the rolling reduction was larger than 38.9%; both the dislocation density and the number of twins increased with increasing rolling reduction. The initial texture of the Zr 702 plate consisted of the basal fiber component. During cold rolling the strength of the basal fiber first decreased and then increased with increasing rolling reduction. The cold-rolled sheets were fully recrystallized after being annealed at 550°C. The recrystallization temperature and the size of recrystallized grains decreased with increasing rolling reduction. A larger rolling reduction resulted in a higher grain growth rate when the annealing temperature increased from 550°C to 700°C. The recrystallization texture was characterized by a major basal fiber and a minor {0113}<2110> component. The strength of the recrystallization texture increased with increasing rolling reduction.     

Microscopic phase-field simulation including elastic strain energy for early precipitation process of Ni-Al alloys with medium Al content

The early precipitation process of Ni-Al alloy was studied on the atomic scale based on the microscopic phase-field kinetic model. We investigated the effect of elastic strain energy on precipitation mechanism and morphological evolution of the alloy. Simulation results show that at the early stage of precipitation, γ′ ordered phase presents non-directional and irregular shape during the process of aging, the γ′ ordered phases change into the quadrate shape and their orientations become more obvious; at the later stage, the γ′ precipitates present quadrate shape with round corner and align along the [ 100 ] and [ 010 ] directions. The mechanism of early precipitation for Ni-13at. % Al alloy is the mixed mechanism of non-classical nucleation growth and spinodal decomposition and near to non-classical nucleation growth, and the mechanism of early precipitation for Ni-15.8at. % Al alloy is the mixed mechanism of non-classical nucleation growth and spinodal decomposition and near to spinodal decomposition.     

Effects of temperature and stress on the creep behavior of a Ni3Al base single crystal alloy

The creep behavior and microstructure of a Ni3Al base single crystal alloy IC6SX with [001] orientation under the testing conditions of 760 ℃/593 MPa, 980 ℃/205 MPa, and 1100 ℃/75 MPa were investigated. The experimental results showed that Alloy IC6SX had good creep resistance and its creep resistance at elevated temperatures was similar to the second generation nickel-base single crystal alloy containing Re. TEM analysis indicated that the dislocation configuration and movement pattern were different under different temperature and stress conditions. It has been found that under the test condition of 1070 ℃/137 MPa the dislocations moved within the γ channel during the primary creep stage, and the motion of dislocations were prevented by the matrix of γ′ phase, which reduced the creep rate of the alloy. In the secondary creep stage, dislocations cut into the γ′ phase from the γ/γ′ interface. However in the third creep stage, the dislocation pileups were observed in both γ and γ′ phase, and dislocation multiplication occurred when the dislocations with different Burgers vector met and reacted each other.     

Influence of ECAP on the fatigue behavior of age-hardenable 2xxx aluminum alloy

The fatigue behavior under load control and the mechanical properties of commercial 2011 aluminum as an age-hardenable Al alloy was studied. To estimate the effects of the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) process, solution heat treatments, and aging on the fatigue life, tests were conducted at four different stages:furnace cooling; furnace cooling plus one ECAP pass; solid solution heat treatment, quenching, one ECAP pass plus aging at peak age level; and the T6 condition. Only one pass was possible at room temperature because of the high strength of the material. The fracture surface morphology and microstructure after fatigue were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results revealed that the optimum fatigue life under load control, the tensile strength, and the Vickers hardness of the material were interdependent. The optimum fatigue life under load control was achieved by increasing the tensile strength and hardness of the material.     

基于红外热像和稳态棘轮效应的6061铝合金疲劳极限评估

To quickly predict the fatigue limit of 6061 aluminum alloy, two assessment methods based on the temperature evolution and the steady ratcheting strain difference under cyclic loading, respectively, were proposed. The temperature evolutions during static and cyclic loadings were both measured by infrared thermography. Fatigue tests show that the temperature evolution was closely related to the cyclic loading, and the cyclic loading range can be divided into three sections according to the regular of temperature evolution in different section. The mechanism of temperature evolution under different cyclic loadings was also analyzed due to the thermoelastic, viscous, and thermoplastic effects. Additionally, ratcheting strain under cyclic loading was also measured, and the results show that the evolution of the ratcheting strain under cyclic loading above the fatigue limit undergone three stages: the first increasing stage, the second steady state, and the final abrupt increase stage. The fatigue limit of the 6061 aluminum alloy was quickly estimated based on transition point of linear fitting of temperature increase and the steady value of ratcheting strain difference. Besides, it is feasible and quick of the two methods by the proof of the traditional S–N curve.     

Strain localization and damage development in 2060 alloy during bending

The microstructure evolution and damage development of the third-generation Al–Li alloy 2060 (T8) were studied using in situ bending tests. Specimens were loaded with a series of punches of different radii, and the microstructure evolution was studied by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and digital image correlation (DIC) methods. The evolution of the microscopic fracture strain distribution and microstructure in 2060 alloy during bending was characterized, where the dispersion distribution of precipitates was recorded by backscattered electron imaging and later inputted into a DIC system for strain calculations. The experimental results showed that strain localization in the free surface of bent specimens induced damage to the microstructure. The region of crack initiation lies on the free surface with maximum strain, and the shear crack propagates along the macro-shear band in the early stages of bending. Crack propagation in the later stages was interpreted on the basis of the conventional mechanism of ductile fracture.     

Microstructure studies of air-plasma-spray-deposited CoNiCrAlY coatings before and after thermal cyclic loading for high-temperature application

In the present study, bond-coats for thermal barrier coatings were deposited via air plasma spraying (APS) techniques onto Inconel 800 and Hastelloy C-276 alloy substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the phases and microstructure of the as-sprayed, APS-deposited CoNiCrAlY bond-coatings. The aim of this work was to study the suitability of the bond-coat materials for high temperature applications. Confirmation of nanoscale grains of the γ/γ′-phase was obtained by TEM, high-resolution TEM, and AFM. We concluded that these changes result from the plastic deformation of the bond-coat during the deposition, resulting in CoNiCrAlY bond-coatings with excellent thermal cyclic resistance suitable for use in high-temperature applications. Cyclic oxidative stability was observed to also depend on the underlying metallic alloy substrate.     

Fatigue small crack growth threshold determination of a high-Nb TiAl alloy at different temperatures by in-situ observation

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the fatigue crack growth threshold of a high-Nb TiAl alloy at the different temperatures based on scanning electron microscopy （SEM） in-situ observation. The results indicated that the fatigue crack growth threshold △Kth of a nearly lamellar high-Nb TiAl alloy with 8% Nb content at room temperature and 750℃ was determined as 12.89 MPa.m^1/2 and 8.69 MPa.m^1/2, respectively. The effect of the elevated temperature on the fatigue crack growth threshold cannot be ignored. At the same time, the early stage of fatigue crack propagation exhibited multicrack initiation and bridge-link behavior.     

Effect of cyclic recovery heat treatment on surface recrystallization of a directionally solidified superalloy

Microstructural evolution and micro-har dness of a directionally solidified Ni-bas e superalloy subjected to shot-peening during cyclic recovery heat treatment was studied. It was found that γ′ dissolved and dislocation annih ilation occurred during heating, while γ′ re-precipitated when temperature dropped. Due to the formation of a stable dislocation network at γ/ γ′ interface, full recovery and therefore complete elimination of the surface recrystallization are difficult by the present cyclic recovery heat treatment .     

Oxidation behavior of the Fe-36Al-0.09C-0.09B-0.04Zr alloy at 1250℃

<正>To explore and study the Fe-Al system alloy presenting exceptional oxidation resistance at high temperature,the Fe-36Al-0.09C-0.09B-0.04Zr alloy was designed and developed.The microstructure and hardness of the backing at 1250℃were analyzed and measured.Thermodynamics and kinetics of the oxidation behavior were also analyzed by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques.The results show that the microstructure of the Fe-36Al-0.09C-0.09B-0.04Zr alloy is FeAl phase at ambient temperature and is stable at 1250℃.It displays the excellent property of oxidation resistance because the oxide film has only the Al_2O_3 layer,and its oxidation kinetics curve obeys the parabolic law at 1250℃.The oxidation mechanism at 1250℃is presumed that in the early oxidation period,the alloy oxidizes to form a large number of Al_2O_3 and a little Fe_2O_3,then,the enrichment of Al caused by Fe oxidization combines with O to form Al_2O_3.     

Failure analysis of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets based on the extended GTN damage model

Based on the Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model and Hill’s quadratic anisotropic yield criterion, a combined experimental-numerical study on fracture initiation in the process of thermal stamping of Mg alloy AZ31 sheets was carried out. The aim is to predict the formability of thermal stamping of the Mg alloy sheets at different temperatures. The presented theoretical framework was implemented into a VUMAT subroutine for ABAQUS/EXPLICIT. Internal damage evolution due to void growth and coalescence developed at different temperatures in the Mg alloy sheets was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the thermal effects on the void growth, coalescence, and fracture behavior of the Mg alloy sheets were analyzed by the extended GTN model and forming limit diagrams (FLD). Parameters employed in the GTN model were determined from tensile tests and numerical iterative computation. The distribution of major and minor principal strains in the specimens was determined from the numerical results. Therefore, the corresponding forming limit diagrams at different stress levels and temperatures were drawn. The comparison between the predicted forming limits and the experimental data shows a good agreement.     

Surface grain refinement mechanism of SMA490BW steel cross joints by ultrasonic impact treatment

Ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) is a postweld technique for improving the fatigue strength of welded joints. This technique makes use of ultrasonic vibration to impact and plastically deform a weld toe and can achieve surface grain refinement of the weld toe, which is considered as the main reason for the improvement of fatigue strength. In this paper, the microstructure of the surface of a treated weld toe was observed by metallographic microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that UIT could produce severe plastic deformation on the surface layer of the weld toe and the maximum depth of plastic deformation extended to approximately 260 μm beneath the treated surface. Repeated processing could exacerbate the plastic deformation on the surface layer, resulting in finer grains. We can conclude that the surface grain refinement mechanism of SMA490BW welded joints is related to the high density of dislocation tangles and dislocation walls.