Anisotropic Microstructure and Hydrogen Permeability of Nb-Ti-Ni Duplex Phase Alloy Prepared by Hot Forging-Rolling Technique

Abstract

AbstractIt has been demonstrated that the as-cast Nb40Ti30Ni30 duplex phase alloy, which consists of the primary (Nb, Ti) solid solution and the fine lamellar type eutectic {TiNi+(Nb, Ti)} phase, shows higher hydrogen permeability ¶ than that of pure Pd without the hydrogen embrittlement at 673K. In this alloy, the eutectic phase contributes to the suppression of the hydrogen embrittlement, while the primary one does mainly to the hydrogen permeation. It is important to note that even if the eutectic microstructure disappears and is replaced by the small spherical (Nb, Ti) phase embedded in the TiNi matrix by rolling and subsequent annealing, its high hydrogen permeability and large resistance to the hydrogen embrittlement are sustained. Furthermore, the present authors have observed that the primary (Nb, Ti) phase is largely elongated along the rolling direction. Consequently, it is expected that rolled and annealed Nb-Ti-Ni alloys show the large anisotropy of the microstructure and the hydrogen permeability. In the present work, the microstructure and hydrogen permeability ¶nof the Nb40Ti30Ni30 alloy after rolling and annealing treatments are examined in order to develop highly hydrogen permeable alloys utilizing the anisotropic microstructure.The primary (Nb, Ti) phase and the very fine eutectic {TiNi+(Nb, Ti)} phase are observed in the as-cast Nb40Ti30Ni30 alloy by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) indicates that this alloy consists of the B2-TiNi intermetallic compounds and the bcc- (Nb, Ti) solid solution. The primary (Nb, Ti) phase is largely elongated along the rolling direction by forging and subsequent rolling at 1173 K. On the other hand, the eutectic microstructure becomes unclear with increasing the rolling reduction. The composite alloys in which the (Nb, Ti) phase is elongated along to the rolling direction are obtained by 69 % rolling reduction. ¶n of this sample is four times higher than that of as-cast one. On the other hand, ¶ for the sample vertical to the rolling direction is reduced to about one third of that of as-cast one. Thus, the hydrogen permeability of the Nb40Ti30Ni30 alloy varies about ten times or more depending on the direction of the primary¡]Nb, Ti¡^ phase. We conclude that it is possible to produce highly hydrogen permeable Nb-Ti-Ni alloys using the anisotropy of the microstructure prepared by hot forging and rolling.