FeAl Intermetallic Compound Research Articles

Wire arc additive manufacturing of stainless steel/aluminum bi-metal using roll-bonded transition joint

Wire arc additive manufacturing was employed to produce an AISI316L stainless steel/AA5183 aluminum bi-metal wall using a bi-layer steel/aluminum transition joint fabricated by roll bonding. The transition joint was utilized to minimize the contact between molten aluminum and steel. The study explored the effect of three heat-input levels used for aluminum deposition on the microstructure and mechanical performance of the steel/aluminum interface in the wall. At the minimum heat-input, no defects or Al-Fe intermetallic compounds were observed at the interface, resulting in the highest bi-metal wall fracture strength (∼42 MPa) due to the absence of brittle intermetallic compounds.

Formation of the Interlock Morphology and Its Role in Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding of Aluminum Alloy to Steel

Considering energy conservation and emission reductions, lightweight automobiles have become a research focus in the automotive industry. Steel/aluminum joining is regarded as an ideal lightweight structure, which can not only reduce the energy consumption but also ensure safety and is already attracting extensive attention. In this study, aluminum alloy 6061 and B410LA steel sheets were successfully joined by refill friction stir spot welding. The tensile properties, microhardness distribution and interfacial microstructure characteristics of the steel/Al welded joints were investigated. The maximum tensile load of the steel/Al joint was 4.3 kN. The mechanical properties of the steel/Al refill friction stir spot welded joint were largely determined by the bonding quality of the sleeve-plunging zone. With the stirring of the sleeve and the pin during the refill friction stir spot welding, work hardening occurred in the stir zone (SZ). The microhardness of the SZ was significantly higher than that of the steel base metal (BM) and could be detected on the steel side. The Fe-Al intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was continuously distributed at the interface of the sleeve-plunging zone, revealing good uniformity in the thickness. In particular, a hook-and-vortex-like structure formed during the refill friction stir spot welding process in the sleeve-plunging zone, producing a mechanical interlock effect at the interface. The ideal mechanical properties of the welded joint could be attributed to the good quality of the metallurgical and mechanical bonding at the interface, especially the mechanical interlock effect, thereby depending on the hook-and-vortex-like structure.

Wear mechanisms and failure analysis of a tool used in refill friction stir spot welding of AA6061-T6

Investigating tool wear in refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) is essential for understanding its limitations and improving its efficiency. Increasing the tool's service life is important to push the technology's readiness level and transfer the technology from the laboratory to industrial applications. In this study, the quasi-static lap shear performance of AA6061-T6 similar welded spots was investigated and tool wear was continuously monitored until tool failure at 3450 welding cycles. Furthermore, the fundamentals of the wear mechanisms in RFSSW were further elucidated. The investigation shows that it is possible to achieve steady quasi-static lap shear performance of the spot welds over advancing tool wear by adjusting the heat input to compensate for losses in frictional heat generation efficiency (related to tool profile changes by abrasion). A subsequent tool failure case analysis showed the main causes for the continuous wear degradation of the shoulder. Tool wear was driven by plastic deformation of the hot-work tool steel and subsequent break-out of tool steel ridges, introducing big hard particles into the contact region between the moving and rotating tools. In addition, the formation and detachment of Fe-Al intermetallic compounds counteract with the rotating tools and increase tool wear.

КИНЕТИКА РОСТА ДИФФУЗИОННЫХ ПРОСЛОЕК В СКМ 20880+АД1+ВТ1-0

It is shown that the diffusion zone at the interlayer boundary of steel 20880 + aluminum AD1 consists of two layers: the Fe2Al5 intermetallic compound located on the steel side and constituting the main part of the diffusion zone, and a thin (up to 10 μm) layer of the FeAl3 intermetallic compound on the aluminum side. Microhardness of the diffusion zone ~ 12 GPa. It has been established that the intensity of growth of the diffusion zone at the interlayer boundary of aluminum AD1 + titanium VT1-0 with the phase composition TiAl3 is almost one and a half times lower than at the interlayer boundary of steel 20880 + aluminum AD1. Its microhardness is ~5 GPa.

Characterizing sliding wear behavior of A1100/AlFe (p) composites produced via repeated fold-forging and annealing

Abstract Aluminum matrix/aluminum-iron intermetallic composite materials pose challenges in plastic processing due to the susceptibility of hard intermetallic compound particles to fracture. This study introduces a novel fabrication method involving pure iron mesh, hot-dip aluminum plating, and solidification. Through ten consecutive folding, forging, and intermediate annealing cycles, aluminum matrix and iron undergo diffusion, leading to the formation of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 interface reaction layers, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Subsequent forging cycles cause the breakage or detachment of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 particles from the interface, resulting in the formation of large-sized Fe2Al5 and small-sized Fe2Al5 intermetallic particles. FeAl3 intermetallic particles are observed via microscopic examination. These particles can be uniformly dispersed within the aluminum matrix through plastic flow, enabling the successful fabrication of A1100/Fe2Al5 and AlFe3 composite sheets. Furthermore, the study investigates the impact of intermetallic compound content, sliding speed, and forward load on the dry sliding wear of A1100/FeAl composites. It is found that Fe2Al5 and AlFe3 intermetallic compound particles effectively mitigate adhesive wear, plowing, and oxidative wear of the composites. With an AlFe intermetallic compound content of 4.3 wt.%, the volume wear rate remains low under conditions corresponding to PV = 56.652 (equivalent to a normal load of 19.6 kPa and a sliding speed of 2.87 m s−1).

Interfacial inhomogeneous plastic deformation during rotary friction welding of dissimilar AA2219-SS321 joint combination with AA6061 interlayer

This research investigates the inherent radial non-uniformity within the rotary friction welding process, particularly concerning microstructure attributes like grain size, grain boundaries, misorientation angles, and interlayer presence along the radial axis. SS321-AA2219 rotary friction welding was carried out with and without an AA6061 interlayer. The numerical thermal model suggests increase in temperatures from the center to the periphery, due to non-uniform heat generation. Also, dissimilar material across the interface resulted in an asymmetric temperature profile along axial direction. Plastic deformation on the Aluminum side suggests dynamic recrystallization and grain refinement, whereas pronounced low-angle grain boundary (LAGB) formation near the SS side interface validates dynamic recovery. A radial non-uniformity in microstructure is observed, with metrics such as average grain size, LAGB fraction, and misorientation showing an increase from the center towards the periphery. The insertion of an interlayer alters process dynamics, manifesting in reduced temperatures and heightened forces, resulting in a more consolidated joint by enhancing the strength by 31 %. Interdiffusion of elements across the interface formed Fe-Al intermetallic compounds (IMC) confirmed with X ray diffraction. Fractography analysis elucidates the presence of rubbing marks and facet surfaces in interlayer-less joints, while joints with interlayer display sticking and dimples.

Comparison of iron aluminide Fe3Al with armour steel in ballistic behaviour

Intermetallic aluminide compounds possess several potential advantages compared to alloyed steels, like enhanced oxidation resistance, lower density and the omittance of critical raw materials. Iron aluminides, compared to other transition metal–aluminides of TM3-Al type, although having a higher density compared to titan-aluminides, have a lower density compared to nickel-aluminides, but also a higher ductility than both alternatives, making this material potentially effective in ballistic protection application. Density–wise, this material may be a worthy alternative to armour steels, which was the aim of this study. Two materials, Fe3Al intermetallic compound (F3A-C) and Armox 500 armour steel were ballistically tested against tungsten-carbide (WC) armour-piercing ammunition, in accordance with STANAG 4569. After ballistic testing, microhardness and metallographic testing were performed, revealing differences in strain hardening, crack propagation mode and exit hole morphology. F3A-C ballistic resistance is similar to that of armour steel, in spite of the lower tensile and impact mechanical properties, relying on a considerably higher strain hardening rate, thermal properties and a lower density.

Interfacial microstructure characteristics and failure mechanism of the laser welding-brazing steel-Al joints with various welding parameters

The microstructure details of the interface, mechanical properties and failure mechanism of laser welding-brazing (LWB) steel-Al joints with various welding parameters were comparatively investigated. The emergence of ternary Fe–Al–Si intermetallic compounds (IMCs) was observed in the interfacial area of the joints prepared utilizing ER4047 filler. In contrast, only the binary Fe–Al IMCs were formed in the interfacial area of the joints prepared employing ER5356 filler. With the same laser tilt angle, the IMCs layer of the joints prepared with ER4047 was thinner than that of the joints prepared with ER5356, implying the rapid growth of the IMCs welded via the ER5356 filler. The tensile strength exhibited by the former surpassed that of the latter. Employing the same filler metal, the average thickness of the IMCs layer of the joints with laser tilt angle of 10° was smaller than that of the joints with laser tilt angle of 20°. The strength of the joints with smaller tilt angle was better than that of the ones with bigger tilt angle. The tensile test outcomes revealed that there existed failure competition among the Al alloy base metal (Al-BM), weld metal (WM) and interface structure. If the interface structure was Fe–Al IMC with high brittleness, the cracks propagated along the interface, and finally fractured at the interface. If the interface structure was Fe–Al–Si IMC with good toughness, the crack propagation in the interface region could be hampered. In this case, the joint was prone to occur via WM failure or even Al-BM failure modes.

Integrating interfacial bonding and coordinated deformation in steel/Al bilayers via a pin-less friction stir-assisted synchronous joining-forming approach

The potentials of steel/Al alloy laminated structures for lightweighting in the automotive industry are increasingly recognized, particularly for reducing energy consumption. However, optimal formability and high-temperature stability in these hybrid structures remain a persistent challenge during the current manufacturing process. This challenge arises from the intricate control required over the Fe-Al intermetallic compounds (IMCs) layer at the dissimilar interface. In this work, steel/Al alloy bilayer laminated structures were fabricated by a thermomechanical joining-forming approach involving pin-less friction stir-assisted incremental sheet forming with synchronous bonding technology. These structures exhibit desirable shear bonding strength of 129 MPa (equivalent to 93.5 % of the shear strength of the AA5052-H32 base material). Mechanisms of local plastic flow, viscoplastic flow, and fast inter-atomic diffusion are evaluated using quasi-static elements. A phenomenological bond fraction model is proposed to describe the collapse of interfacial ellipsoidal microvoids. Cohesive numerical simulation reveals that the interfacial plastic strain is dispersedly distributed with slight cohesive damage due to stable heat-force conditions. Experimental results with confirmed models demonstrate the stability of the programmable process for mechanical-metallurgical bonding and coordinated deformation. Furthermore, a cyclic thermomechanical loading mode is proven effective in tuning interfacial diffusion and inhibiting the growth of the IMC layer. This integrated joining-forming strategy is also applicable to other challenging metallic pairs that are prone to brittle IMCs.

Carbon diffusivity by means of Snoek relaxation in ternary Fe-26 at%(Al+Ga) alloys with different Al/Ga ratio

Anelastic relaxation in the temperature range from 0 to 300°C (0.1–30 Hz) in ternary Fe-26(Al+Ga)-0.1Tb alloys is experimentally studied and analysed with respect to binary Fe3Al and Fe3Ga intermetallic compounds. The Snoek-type relaxation due to cyclic stress-induced carbon atom jumps between octahedral interstices in the α-Fe based solid solution (Fe-C-Al,Ga) is recorded and analysed. The Snoek-type effect in the ternary Fe-26(Al+Ga)-0.1Tb alloys has a higher activation energy (up to ∼1.2 eV) in comparison to α-Fe-C (0.83 eV). The relaxation effect demonstrated significant broadening with respect to Debye peak with a single relaxation time and splitting into two separated peaks at a certain ratio Al/Ga. Snoek-type effect provides a unique opportunity to measure C atom diffusivity at relatively low temperatures. Influence of the chemical composition and the measuring frequency on the activation parameters in Fe-26(Al+Ga)-0.1Tb alloys are reported and analysed to estimate the impact of Al and Ga atoms on C atom diffusivity in α-Fe based solid solution.

Analysis on surface morphology formation process of Al-Si coated 22MnB5 steel during laser welding

A special morphology is formed on the upper surface of an Al-Si coated steel laser welded joint. Due to the uneven mixing of the coating element and the base metal (BM), the brittle phase is formed at the fusion line on the upper surface of the welded joint, resulting in its mechanical properties not meeting the requirements. In this study, the surface morphology formation process of Al-Si-coated steel laser-welded joints is analyzed. The results show that a wavy structure is formed at the edge of the weld under the action of the Karman vortex street. On the one hand, a multiphase microstructure of δ-ferrite, lath martensite (LM) and Fe-Al intermetallic compounds (Fe-Al IMCs) is formed at the convexity of the wavy structure. The brittle phase of the fusion line at the upper surface of the welded joint is δ-ferrite. On the other hand, since the melting point of the Al-Si coating at the concavity (between the adjacent convexity) is much lower than the temperature of the surrounding liquid metal, the Al-Si coating at this position is melted into the molten pool under the action of heat conduction and flows to the weld center under the action of gravity, forming river-like Fe-Al IMCs on the surface of the weld. By removing the coating layer or reducing the welding speed, the formation of a Karman vortex street can be effectively avoided, and finally, δ-ferrite precipitation at the weld surface fusion line can be inhibited.

First-principles study for quasi-static growth model in FeAl intermetallic based on Wulff cluster model.

In order to investigate the structure of FeAl mesoscopic crystals segregating in liquid state alloys, we have determined their equilibrium structures (Wulff shape) based on the Wulff cluster model. For non-stoichiometric surface terminations, the chemical environment is taken into account through the chemical potential of the constituents. In this case, different cluster shapes change as a function of the chemical environment. In order to model the growth process in more detail, we propose a quasi-static growth model based on the sequential addition of (sub-)monolayers in the most favorable surface directions. Thus, a sequence of different Wulff shapes results in the growth process, as illustrated for the FeAl intermetallic compound. This model is proved preliminarily by calculating the concentration trend of Al/Fe atoms on both Al-terminated and Fe-terminated surfaces, and by simulating the most stable layer adsorbed on these two surfaces. This model might be helpful in analyzing the growth processes including nucleation barriers during nucleation processes theoretically.

A critical comparative review of generalized gradient approximation: the ground state of Fe3Al as a test case

Quantum-mechanical calculations have become an indispensable tool for computational materials science due to their unprecedented versatility and reliability. Focusing specifically on the Density Functional Theory (DFT), the reliability of its numerous implementations was tested and verified mostly for pure elements. An extensive testing of binaries, ternaries and more-component phases is still rather rare due to a vast configurational space that is nearly infinite already for binaries. Importantly, there are well known cases of theoretical predictions contradicting experiments. In this paper, we analyze the failure of theory to reproduce correctly the ground state of the Fe3Al intermetallic compound. Namely, most exchange-correlation (xc) energies within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) predict this material in the L12 structure instead of the experimentally found D03 structure. We test the performance of 36 combinations of 6 different GGA parametrizations and 6 different Fe and Al potentials. These combinations are evaluated employing a multi-dimensional multi-criteria descriptor {, a, {}, {C ij }} consisting of fundamental thermodynamic properties (energy difference between the D03 and L12 structures), a structural aspect (lattice parameter a), electronic-structure related magnetic properties (local magnetic moments of Fe atoms {}) and elastic properties (a complete set of second-order elastic constants {C ij }). Considering the thermodynamic stability as the most critical aspect, we identify the Perdew–Wang (1991) GGA xc-functional parametrization as the optimum for describing the electronic structure of the Fe3Al compound.

Evaluation of dissimilar metal joining of Al/steel by in-situ formation of a copper barrier interlayer

The utilization of pure copper powder as a filler material in dissimilar metal laser welding of Al/steel was investigated in this study. The microstructure and tensile properties of the welded joint were analyzed, and the thermodynamics of microstructure formation within the weld zone were discussed. The results revealed that pure Cu powder successfully facilitated the in-situ formation of a barrier interlayer between aluminum and steel, effectively impeding the generation of Fe-Al intermetallic compounds. Notably, the weld zone near the Al base metal exhibited a eutectic zone comprising α-Al + Al2Cu eutectic structures, along with a thin layer of Al4Cu9 phase. Consequently, the dissimilar joint achieved a well-formed weld and exhibited a tensile strain capability of ∼ 6 %, with the fracture occurring in the Al base metal.

Research on Thermal Properties and High Temperature Exposure Behavior of Non-Skid Coating Fabricated by Twin Wire Arc Spraying

Conventional non-skid coatings for marine construction contain polymeric materials. These materials are generally susceptible to high temperature environments because of their low thermal conductivity and thermal resistance. A metal-based non-skid coating has great potential for high temperature applications, yet, there has only been limited research. In this study, twin wire arc spray (TWAS) was used to fabricate Al and Al-3%Ti coatings on a high strength low alloyed (HSLA) steel substrate. The purpose of this study is to confirm the feasibility of TWAS Al-based coating for non-skid areas on marine construction. The static coefficient friction of TWAS Al-based coatings exhibited excellent and uniform values compared with a conventional epoxy-based non-skid coating. The specific heat and thermal conductivity of TWAS Al-based coating was measured and compared with that of the substrate. The thermal property values of the TWAS Al-based coating were reported for the first time in this study. The TWAS Al-based coating had A continuous interface with the substrate and the general microstructural features of a thermal-sprayed metal coating. After exposure to 500℃ for 24 hours, the an Fe-Al intermetallic compound and oxide were formed inside of the coating and coating-substrate interface. The adhesion strength indicated that the TWAS Al-based coating sustained its strength after the isothermal exposure test. The Vickers hardness of the TWAS Al-3%Ti coating was higher than that of the Al coating. The solid solution hardening of Ti atoms in the as-deposited coating and the precipitation hardening of the TiAl3 compound in the heat-treated coating contributed to the improvement of in Vickers hardness. Thus, the TWAS Al-3%Ti coating is proven to be a promising nonskid coating for high temperature applications.

Identifying intrinsic factors for ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures in Fe–Al intermetallics via machine learning

The determination of ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures (DBTT) in intermetallic compounds is crucial for assessing their practical applications. In this study, we investigate the intrinsic factors influencing the DBTT of Fe–Al intermetallic compounds through feature engineering. We developed and evaluated two machine learning strategies for this task. Comparing the strategy that incorporates all features, including alloy compositions and atomic features, with the strategy utilizing selected features, it is found that the latter demonstrates superior computational efficiency and reduces overfitting. Specifically, surrogate models based on two selected features, namely cohesive energy and ionization energy, enable accurate prediction of the DBTT of Fe–Al intermetallics, achieving an accuracy of 95%. Additionally, through symbolic regression, we derived a functional expression that captures the relationship between variations in the DBTT and the selected features of intermetallic compounds. These findings have the potential to serve as a valuable guide for optimizing intermetallic compounds.

Effects of Material Structure on Stress Relaxation Characteristics of Rapidly Solidified Al-Fe Alloy.

An Al-Fe alloy which was produced by hot extrusion of rapidly solidified powder is a possible solution to substitute copper-based electrical conductor material due to its high strength and high electrical conductivity. However, the stress relaxation characteristic-an essential parameter as a conductor material-and the effect of the material structure have not been reported, which was the aim of the present paper. An Al-5%Fe alloy was selected as the test material. The material structures were controlled by hot extrusion practice, annealing, and cold rolling. The Al-Fe intermetallic compound particles controlled the residual stress after the stress relaxation test via the Orowan mechanism. Decreasing the mean inter-particle distance reduces the electrical conductivity. The increase in the number of dislocations by the cold rolling increased strength at room temperature without changing electrical conductivity; however, it did not have a positive effect on the stress relaxation characteristics. The stress relaxation characteristics and the electrical conductivity of the Al-Fe alloy were superior to conventional C52100 H04 phosphor bronze when compared with the case of the same mass.

Non-destructive evaluation and corrosion study of magnetic pulse welded Al and low C steel joints

Dissimilar material (Al and steel) tubes have been successfully joined together using magnetic pulse welding technique by setting optimized parameters i.e., discharge voltage and standoff distance. The welded interface has revealed an irregular wavy morphology with melt pockets (max. width ∼20 μm) consisting of intermetallic compound embedded in elemental mixture. High resolution electron microscopy and compositional analysis through energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) have revealed the formation of 2–3 μm long rod-shaped Fe-Al intermetallic compound. Non-destructive ultrasonic C-scans of the sample welded at 15.5 kV discharge voltage and 1.25 mm air gap have indicated sound welds between the two materials depicting 80% joint integrity while considering the backwall reflection threshold at 50%. The corrosion behaviour at the weld interfaces has been investigated in aqueous solution of 3.5 wt. % NaCl using both potentiodynamic and immersion tests revealing the influence of the intermetallic compound layer on corrosion.

Study on Al migration, microstructure and hardness in fusion zone of Al-Si coated press-hardened steel by various laser powers

In this paper, the influence of Al distribution in the fusion zone (FZ) on microstructures and properties of welded joints was studied under 13 different laser powers (300 W→3000 W). The results show that Al can quickly accumulate at the upper surface of the FZ and the fusion line. Due to the stirring action of the beam and the dilution of the molten pool metal, Al becomes gradually uniform with the increase of laser power. This work guides the welding process parameters of lap welding the second layer steel plate to obtain uniform weld. In addition, with the decrease of Al content, the microstructure and hardness of the FZ change as follows: Al-based solid solution (Al > 60.2 wt%, 80 ∼ 120 HV) →Fe-Al intermetallic compound (IMC) (10 wt% < Al < 60.2 wt%, 340 ∼ 980 HV) →Fe-based solid solution (Al < 10 wt%, 350 ∼ 530 HV). Therefore, this work revealed the relationship between the distribution-microstructure-hardness of Al and gave the possible microstructures and properties database of Fe/Al welding joints.

Improvement of Microstructure and Sliding Wear Property of Cold-Sprayed FeAl Intermetallic Compound Coating by Annealing Treatment

Nanograin Fe(Al) solid solution alloy coating was firstly produced through cold-spraying technology using mechanically alloyed powder. Then, the above-mentioned coating was annealed at different temperatures to explore its influence on the phase constitution, microstructure, microhardness and dry sliding wear property of the coatings. Results exhibited that an FeAl phase appeared in the coatings after 500 °C treatment and remained stable with increasing annealing temperature. The annealing temperature had a considerable effect on the microstructure, microhardness and wear behavior of the FeAl coating. The existing laminated structure in the as-sprayed coating gradually faded away with increasing temperature and finally obtained a dense coating microstructure with no particle interface when annealed above 950 °C. Nanograin began to evidently grow at temperatures over 800 °C. The microhardness of the FeAl coating stayed at 400 Hv0.1 at temperatures below 800 °C, then it quickly dropped to 300 Hv0.1 at 950 °C and remained nearly unchangeable up to 1100 °C. The dry sliding wear mechanism of the FeAl coating annealed at low temperatures below 700 °C was mainly delamination of the oxide layer and showed a high wear rate within the order of magnitude range of 10−4, whereas FeAl coatings annealed at high temperatures above 950 °C were worn by microploughing and little oxidation and exhibited very low wear rates within the order of magnitude range of 10−6.