Alloying Elements Research Articles

Effect of water quenching into strength, hardness and microstructure of the welded AA 6061 plates

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find the effect of heat treatment on the mechanical proeprties of aluminum. Aluminum exhibits a good response to heat treatment, especially quenching, according to the mechanical property improvement. The presence and orientation of secondary phases (Al-Fe-Mn-Si) are greatly affected by the quenching process. Design/methodology/approach The present work deals with the effect of water quenching on the mechanical properties of welded AA 6061 plates which were joined by using metal inert gas (MIG) welding, tungsten inert gas welding and friction stir welding (FSW). Three tests like tensile, bending and hardness were considered. The microstructural variation was analyzed by optical microscopy and elemental mapping through field emission scanning electron microscope. Findings A significant enhancement in the tensile strength and hardness was achieved on postquenched specimens. This improvement in mechanical properties is caused by the distribution of fine alloying elements throughout the metal solution rather than precipitation at the grain boundaries. In comparison to the “untreated specimens,” an improvement of 76.7%, 25.32% and 56.81% in the tensile strength of quenched TIGW, MIGW and FSW specimens, respectively, was observed. Originality/value The quenching process has increased the strength of the MIG welded joint over the base metal. The MIG welded joint has a larger flexural modulus than the other two welded plates, according to the results of the bending test. Furthermore, a uniform distribution of hardness was observed in postquenched welded specimens. It was found that welded zone was harder than heat-affected zone. Out of all the specimens, the base metal zone has the lowest hardness.

Exploring the effect of Cr and Mn on the intrinsic strength of the tensile properties of FeCoNi, FeCoNiMn, FeCoNiCr, and FeCoNiCrMn multi-principal element alloys using in-situ EBSD

As the composition elements in multi-principal element alloys increase, it can bring excellent mechanical properties. However, the strengthening mechanism of the additional element is still unclear. In this work, we establish a method based on the in-situ EBSD technology to explore the possible effect of additional elements on the intrinsic strength of tensile properties. We prepared four different multi-principal element alloys, including FeCoNi, FeCoNiMn, FeCoNiCr, and FeCoNiCrMn with similar initial status. We systematically investigated the evolution of the microstructure, dislocation density, twin boundary, grain size, and element distribution during the tensile process by in-situ EBSD and EDS. By carefully analyzing the results of four different multi-principal element alloys, the strength effects of the solid-solution hardening, grain-boundary hardening, twin boundary hardening, precipitate hardening, and dislocation hardening were peeled. The effect of the Cr and Mn element addition on the intrinsic strength can be explored. It is found that the element addition indeed increases the intrinsic strength from quaternary to quinary but not very clear from ternary to quaternary no matter Cr or Mn, which indicated that the intrinsic strength was more related to the number of elements in the alloy than to which element was present. This can be explained using the mixing entropy theory, which states that the intrinsic strength is enhanced when the mixing entropy is over a threshold between the MEA and HEA. This paper presents a method to study the individual factors affecting the tensile properties, which can help other researchers to better investigate HEA.

Role of Mo and Zr Additions in Enhancing the Behavior of New Ti–Mo Alloys for Implant Materials

AbstractThe utilization of Ti–Mo alloys in biomedical applications has gained attention for use in biomedical applications owing to their non-toxicity, reasonable cost, and favorable properties. In the present study, Ti–12Mo–6Zr and Ti–15Mo–6Zr alloys were prepared using elemental blend and mechanical alloying techniques. The effect of alloying elements Mo and Zr of Ti–Mo alloy, as well as the effect of fabrication techniques of Ti–Mo–Zr trinary alloys, were investigated. Thermodynamic calculations supported by CALPHAD analysis revealed that the addition of Zr increases lattice distortion, which contributes to enhancing the strength. Conversely, adding Mo decreases the enthalpy, facilitating improved mixing and solid solution formation. The as-sintered samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, optical microscope, and scanning electron microscopy, and their microhardness, compressive, and corrosion behavior were investigated. Among all the investigated alloys, Ti–15Mo–6Zr alloy prepared by the mechanical alloying technique, milled for six hours at 300 rpm, compacted at 600 MPa, and sintered at 1250 ℃, shows good comprehensive mechanical properties with a preferable compressive strength (− 1710 MPa) and hardness (396 HV5), as well as the lowest wear rate (0.69%) and corrosion rate (0.557 × 10–3 mm/year). This can be related to the solid solution strengthening and relative density, together with dispersion and precipitation strengthening of the α phase. Remarkably, the combination of high mechanical and corrosion properties can be achieved by tailoring the content of the α phase, controlling the density, and providing new fabricating techniques for β Ti alloys. Graphical Abstract

Growth kinetics and microstructure transition of undercooled Fe7(CoNi)75B18 eutectic muti-principal element alloy

The mechanism of rapid solidification behavior of eutectic muti-principal element alloys (EMPEAs) is an eye-catching field. In this study, the novel Fe7(CoNi)75B18 EMPEA was undercooled via rapid solidification and B2O3 glass purification method and the maximum undercooling up to 190 K was achieved. A clear microstructure evolution path was identified with the undercooling: fully regular eutectic → primary dendrite and regular eutectic → primary dendrite and divorced eutectic. The orientation relationship (OR) between the primary (Fe, Co, Ni) phase and secondary B-rich phase was revealed both at low and medium undercoolings by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The results show that the OR disappears at high undercooling (190 K) owing to the microstructure fragment and rotation during the post-recalescence. Furthermore, the growth velocity exponentially raised with the increase of undercooling. The maximum growth velocity of the primary phase was 1.152×10−1 m/s, which is significantly lower than binary alloys due to the sluggish kinetics effect of EMPEAs. This study helps to understand the solidification kinetics and microstructure transition of the novel EMPEA and has important implications for controlling the solidification process of more complex alloys.

Characteristic deformation microstructure evolution and deformation mechanisms in face-centered cubic high/medium entropy alloys

Face-centered cubic (FCC) high/medium entropy alloys (HEAs/MEAs), novel multi-principal element alloys, are known to exhibit exceptional mechanical properties at room temperature; however, the origin is still elusive. Here, we report the deformation microstructure evolutions in a tensile-deformed Co20Cr40Ni40 representative MEA and Co60Ni40 alloy, a conventional binary alloy for comparison. These FCC alloys have high/low friction stresses, fundamental resistance to dislocation glide in solid solutions, respectively, and share similar other material properties, including stacking fault energy. The Co20Cr40Ni40 MEA exhibited higher yield strength and work-hardening ability than in the Co60Ni40 alloy. Deformation microstructures in the Co60Ni40 alloy were marked by the presence of coarse dislocation cells (DCs) regardless of grain orientation and a few deformation twins (DTs) in grains with the tensile axis (TA) near 〈1 1 1〉. In contrast, the MEA developed three distinct deformation microstructures depending on grain orientations: fine DCs in grains with the TA near 〈1 0 0〉, planar dislocation structure (PDS) in grains with other orientations, and a high density of DTs along with PDS in grains oriented 〈1 1 1〉. Three-dimensional electron tomography revealed that PDS in the MEA confined dislocations within specific {1 1 1} planes, indicating suppression of cross-slip of screw dislocations and dynamic recovery. In-situ X-ray diffraction during tensile deformation showed a higher dislocation density in the MEA than in the Co60Ni40 alloy. These findings demonstrate that FCC HEAs/MEAs with high friction stresses naturally develop unique deformation microstructures which is beneficial for realizing superior mechanical properties compared to conventional materials.

Improving strength-ductility balance of a brittle Al-doped FeCrNi multi-principal element alloy by introducing a heterostructure with hard phase enveloping soft phase

In the present work, a heterostructure was created in a brittle Al-doped FeCrNi multi-principal element alloy via thermomechanical treatment. This heterostructure consists of a hard phase surrounding a soft phase, with the soft defect-free face-centered cubic (FCC) phase formed through phase transformation evenly distributed within the hard body-centered cubic (BCC) matrix. This unique heterostructure promotes more uniform deformation, thereby enhancing the deformability of the original hard BCC matrix. As a result, the elongation was increased from 2.4 % to 17 %, while the ultimate tensile strength was just decreased from 1076 MPa to 1021 MPa. The maintenance of strength is primarily attributed to the hetero-deformation-induced (HDI) strengthening effect provided by this distinctive heterostructure. Overall, this special heterostructure formed through phase transformation opens up new possibilities for developing alloys with both high strength and ductility.

Design of novel structural eutectic high entropy alloys (EHEAs) containing high-temperature resistant alloying elements

This article employs the “Simple Mixing Enthalpy Method” to add high-temperature alloying elements Mo/V and Nb to the Fe-Co-Cr-Ni-based alloy system, and utilizes a model of the relationship between elements and phase structures. Finally, EHEAs are successfully designed with the help of phase diagrams, namely FeCoNi2.0Cr1.2Mo0.2Nb0.63 (Mo0.2Nb0.63) and FeCoNi2.0Cr1.2V0.2Nb0.68 (V0.2Nb0.68). In EHEAs, a typical fully eutectic microstructure is observed, consisting of alternating FCC (face-centered cubic) and HCP (hexagonal close-packed) phases. Evaluation of mechanical performance indicators reveals that nano-hardness and elastic modulus increase from the FCC phase to the HCP phase, while the hardness and elastic modulus of the eutectic phase originate from modulation of these two phases. Meanwhile, the microhardness of both alloy systems increases linearly with increasing Nb content. In addition, EHEAs exhibit high strength and ductility but with differences attributed to the significant influence of Mo and V elements on eutectic phase spacing and phase size. Different phase interface types and strain gradients during deformation affect the mechanical properties. This study tests the high-temperature compression performance and fracture morphology of novel high-entropy alloys, paving the way for subsequent research on high-temperature performance.

Improving strength-conductivity synergy of Al-Cu-(Sn/Er) alloy with nanoscale substructure

As a conductive material for power transmission, Al-Cu alloy is widely used in power engineering, microelectronics and other fields. In view of the contradiction between the conductivity and strength of aluminum alloy, Sn and Er elements were selected to micro-alloy Al-Cu alloy. Al-Cu, Al-Cu-Sn and Al-Cu-Sn-Er alloys were prepared by near-liquidus casting. After solution treatment, it was subjected to three-stage alternating process of rolling and aging. The effects of micro-alloying and alternating process on the microstructure and properties of Al-Cu alloy were studied. The results show that the precipitated phase Al2Cu of Al-1.12 Cu alloy is rod-shaped after the first-stage process, and the average size is about 278±87 nm. The precipitated phases in the Al-Cu-Sn alloy are Al2Cu (average size of about 206±79 nm) and nano-sized β-Sn particles. The fine β-Sn nanoparticles in the Al-Cu-Sn-Er alloy heterogeneously nucleated on Al8Cu4Er (average size of about 167±45 nm), making Al8Cu4Er grow into particles. After secondary processing, stacking faults (SFs) appeared in the substructures of the three alloys, and the precipitated phases were further refined. The size of most precipitated phases in Al-1.13Cu-0.12Sn and Al-1.01Cu-0.15Sn-0.22Er alloys is reduced to nanometer level. After the three-stage process, some of the Al2Cu precipitates in the Al-Cu alloy are also refined to the nanometer level, and the precipitates in the other two alloys are all refined to the nanometer level. Nanotwins also appear in Al-1.01Cu-0.15Sn-0.22Er alloy. The tensile strength of Al-1.13Cu-0.12Sn and Al-1.01Cu-0.15Sn-0.22Er alloys after three-stage alternating process is 303 MPa and 327 MPa, respectively. The elongations are 21.6 % and 23.3 %, respectively. The relative conductivity was 61.7 %IACS and 59.8 %IACS, respectively. The synergistic effect of microalloying of Sn and Er elements and three-stage alternating processing technology not only reduces the size of precipitates and twins in the alloy to the nanometer level, but also adjusts the distribution of dislocation tangles and stacking faults (SFs), improves the substructure configuration, and improves the mechanical and electrical properties of conductive aluminum alloys.

Recrystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of cold-rolled and annealed CoCrFeNi multi-principal element alloy

The microstructure and mechanical properties have been investigated in a CoCrFeNi alloy cold-rolled to 80 % thickness reduction and subsequently annealed at 600 °C. It is observed that the as-rolled microstructure comprises extended regions of different dominant crystallographic orientations along with layers of mixed orientations. Shear bands are also present in this microstructure, with the susceptibility to shear banding varying significantly from region to region. Shear bands are most pronounced in extended regions containing narrow deformation twins, and are a crucial source of recrystallization nuclei. Analysis of the recrystallization kinetics indicates that the Avrami exponent is ∼1.6 for the first 30 min at 600 °C and that it decreases during further annealing. Tensile test data provide evidence that the sample annealed for 8 min, with a recrystallized fraction (fRX) of 13 % and an average recrystallized grain size of 0.8 μm, does not show any significant improvement in ductility compared to that in the as-rolled condition. However, the ductility is considerably improved in the sample annealed for 15 min, where fRX is 43 % and the average recrystallized grain size is 1.1 μm. This sample demonstrates a yield strength of 850 MPa and a total elongation to failure of 25 %. The data obtained in this work and in previous publications on partially recrystallized CoCrFeNi indicate that for samples annealed after 80–85 % deformation optimized combinations of strength and ductility are obtained when the recrystallized fraction is in the range 30 % < fRX ≤ 50 %.

Simultaneously improving strength and corrosion resistance of CoCrNi-based multi-principal element alloys via alloying with Mo content

Simultaneously improving strength and corrosion resistance of CoCrNi-based multi-principal element alloys via alloying with Mo content

Influence of doping elements X (X= Hf, Zr, Y, Re, Pd, Ir) on the structural stability and tension property of α-Al2O3/PtAl2-S interfaces

Pt-Al coatings are promising materials for protective materials for turbine blades in new-generation aero-engines. Therefore, it is worth noting that the interface stability and tension property between Pt-Al and the oxide layer, prolonging coating service time. However, systematic studies of doping elements effects on interface adhesion of α-Al2O3/PtAl2 with and without impurity S are still lacking. In this paper, the site preference of the six elements (Hf, Zr, Y, Re, Pd, and Ir) in the PtAl2 alloy, effects of doping elements on the interface adhesion and tension properties of the α-Al2O3/PtAl2-S interface are further explored, performing the first-principles calculation method. Considering comprehensively, Y doping has an excellent enhancement effect on the static interface adhesion and dynamic tensile strength, regardless of whether impurity element S exists in the α-Al2O3/PtAl2 interface. This study will provide necessary theoretical guidance for the composition design of Pt-Al coating and the research of new metal protective coating materials.

Empowering the Sustainable Development of High-End Alloys via Interpretive Machine Learning.

The extensive use of scarce, expensive, and toxic elements in high-performance metal alloys restricts their sustainable development. Here we propose a novel alternative alloying-element design strategy that combines physicochemical-factor screening, a "black-box" interpretative method based on SHapley Additive exPlanation analysis, and sensitivity analyses of elemental influence. A "white-box" model of alloy compositions and properties is therefore established that enables the rational selection of abundant elements and the efficient designs of alloys with substitution for scarce alloying elements. The success of this design strategy is demonstrated by reducing the Co content in the C70350 alloy series (e.g., Cu-1.3Ni-1.4Co-0.56Si-0.03Mg (wt.%)). Indeed, Cu-1.95Ni-0.5Co-0.6Si-0.2Mg-0.1Cr (wt.%) is obtained as an ultra-low-Co-containing alloy by substituting only a trace amount of Cr for Co in the Cu-Ni-Co-Si-Mg system, followed by compositional optimization. Although the Co content is reduced by 64% (i.e., from 1.4 to 0.5 wt.%), the properties of the alloy (ultimate tensile strength and electrical conductivity of 850MPa and 47.2%IACS, respectively) are comparable to those of the C70350 alloy. This study contributes to the sustainable and green development of metallic materials by providing a new avenue for substituting abundant elements for scarce and undesired elements in metal alloys.

Corrosion behaviour of the magnesium-cerium binary alloy designed for degradable medical implants

ABSTRACT Magnesium (Mg) alloys containing rare earths (RE) gained special attention as promising candidates for degradable implant applications. Cerium (Ce) is one of the RE elements which can be tolerated by the human physiological system when used as an alloying element in Mg alloys. In this current research work, Mg-Ce binary alloys (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% Ce by weight) were prepared by the stir-casting method. The developed alloys were characterised, and corrosion performance was assessed by immersion experiments in normal saline solution and by electrochemical experiments. The degradation rate of the developed alloys was measured as decreased with the increased Ce content up to 1.5%. From the polarisation studies, lower corrosion current density values 3.5 × 10−5 A/cm2 and 4.1 × 10−5 A/cm2 were observed for Mg-1.5%Ce and Mg-2%Ce alloys, respectively compared with the other samples. The surface morphologies after removing the corrosion products revealed more degraded regions for Mg and alloys with lower Ce content (0.5% and 1%) compared with 1.5% and 2% Ce. From the results, it is concluded that developing an Mg-Ce alloy with an optimum fraction of Ce (1.5%) is promising to produce degradable Mg-based medical implants with controlled degradation.

Refinement of microstructure and improvement of mechanical properties of directed energy deposited titanium alloys by adding Fe

Elemental alloying is a validated strategy for enhancing the mechanical properties of directed energy deposited titanium alloys. However, it is still a challenge to obtain titanium alloys with both high strength and high ductility. In this work, to balance strength and ductility, the alloying element Fe was in-situ added to the TC4 melt pool during the directed energy deposited process and the effects of its content on the microstructure and mechanical performance of the TC4 alloy deposits were investigated. The results showed that the Fe additive ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 wt% were completely solid-solved in the retained β phase of TC4 alloys. Moreover, the primary β columnar grains were transformed into fully equiaxed grains. Meanwhile, the presence of Fe refined the α-laths, increased the proportion of the retained β phase, and the continuous grain boundary α (GB-α) became discontinuous. The tensile strength of the deposited alloys was continually improved with increasing Fe content, while the elongation had a peak value. When the Fe content was 1.0 wt%, the deposited alloy exhibited the best comprehensive performance, with an ultimate tensile strength of 1071 MPa and an elongation of 9.3 %. The enhancement of tensile strength was attributed to the solid solution strengthening and the refinement of α-laths and primary β grains. The increased proportion of retained β phase and the formation of discontinuous GB-α were beneficial for the alloy ductility. However, increased α/β interfaces inhibited dislocation movements, resulting in a decrease in ductility. The development of this alloy is important for aerospace and other fields that require high strength, high ductility and lightweight.

First-principles study on the failure and doping strengthening mechanisms at the interface of high-alumina ferritic heat-resistant steel/oxide film

This study employs first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to explore the failure mechanisms and enhancement strategies for the interface between high-aluminum ferritic heat-resistant steel and oxide film (α-Fe/Al₂O₃ interface). Establishing an interface model at the lowest-energy densely packed plane and performing tensile tests determined that fracture behavior manifests as ductile fracture at the interface. Further analysis of the charge density and differential charge density maps for various doped models confirmed the feasibility of strengthening the α-Fe/Al₂O₃ interface structure through alloy element doping. The results demonstrate that effective dopant elements (such as V, Mn, and Mo) can induce more electrons to transfer to the interface, increase electron concentration, and alter the chemical bonding nature of the interface, thereby significantly enhancing its bonding performance. This study proposes a method to enhance the interface of high-aluminum ferritic heat-resistant steel through doping, providing a theoretical foundation for further research on similar heat-resistant steel surfaces with Al₂O₃ films.

Influence of the oxidizing technique on the biocompatible and corrosion properties of Ti6Al4V in a physiological environment

This work aims to evaluate the corrosion and biocompatibility properties of oxide films generated on Ti6Al4V alloys using both traditional and novel methods. Oxide films were generated by anodization and plasma treatment to achieve a blue surface finish. The oxide films were then characterized and compared to a native film formed on the Ti6Al4V.Electrochemical tests, incorporating potentiodynamic tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, were employed to define the electrochemical resistance of oxides in an environment simulating biological exposure. In vitro tests were conducted to study ion release and biocompatible properties over a 6-week period of exposure to a 0.9 wt% NaCl solution, at body temperature. Various spectroscopic techniques, including ToF-SIMS, XRD, and Raman analysis, were used to study the structure and chemistry of the oxide films. The sub-surface layer was analysed by microstructural investigation.The type of oxidation was found to have a key influence on the oxide composition, especially with respect to the depth distribution of the individual alloy elements through the oxide film. The oxidation process determines which of the alloying elements are released into the environment, as a result of the corrosion reactions.

Weld Pool Flow Characteristics in Double-Wire Arc Welding of Aluminum Alloys: Research by Numerical Simulations

Double-wire arc welding involves simultaneously feeding two wires into a molten pool, improving the efficiency and flexibility of traditional welding techniques. However, the interactions between the two wires and the molten pools are complex, which increases the difficulties in process and composition control. This work focuses on the weld pool flow characteristics in double-wire TIG arc welding. A CFD model incorporating a liquid bridge transfer model was developed to simulate the fluid flow phenomenon. Results show that the bead-forming appearances and flow characteristics of double-wire arc welding show no significant differences from single-wire arc welding. Welding current and welding speed have significant effects on the weld bead dimensions, while only welding current has effects on the flow characteristics. Wire feed XOZ angles show no significant influences on weld bead forming appearances and molten pool flow characteristics. Wire feed XOY angles influence the symmetry of the weld bead and the fluid flow. In 5B71/7055 heterogeneous double-wire arc welding, achieving a uniform distribution of alloy elements is difficult due to the complex convection patterns within the molten pool.

Effect of grain size on high-temperature corrosion performance of laser cladding inconel 625 coating

As the calorific value of waste-to-energy incineration continues to rise, the corrosion damage to boilers becomes increasingly severe. The impact of the grain size on the high-temperature corrosion resistance of Inconel 625 coating was investigated. The results indicated that the corrosion performance of the coating in 1:1 NaCl–KCl salts at 700 °C for 120 h was highly dependent on the grain size of the coating. The coating fabricated with a laser power of 1800 W and an overlapping distance of 1.5 mm had an average grain size of 13.7 μm and highest hardness, exhibiting the best corrosion performance, with a corrosion weight loss of 1.4 mg/cm2. Coatings processed under different conditions all formed a three-layered structure, with a NiO outermost layer, a Cr2O3 intermediate layer, and an innermost Cr-depletion zone. Coatings with finer grains formed a continuous and dense protective oxide layer of NiO and Cr2O3 due to the rapid diffusion of alloy elements, effectively preventing the invasion of corrosive media and protecting the substrate from corrosion.

Enhancing cryogenic mechanical properties of a cost-effective FeCrNi dual-phase multi-principal element alloy by fully constrained heterostructure and deformation twinning

This paper reports a cost-effective Fe40Cr40Ni20 (at%) dual-phase multi-principal element alloy with excellent cryogenic mechanical properties. The high strength primarily originated from an ideal fully constrained heterostructure, which enhanced back stress strengthening and dislocation strengthening. Twinning enhanced the deformability and the strength of the alloy simultaneously.

Novel as-cast HfNbTaTiAl refractory multi-principal element alloys with superior strength-ductility combination at room temperature

Refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs) have attracted much attention due to their excellent high temperature mechanical properties. However, extremely low room temperature tensile ductility hinders further engineering applications. In this work, we designed novel HfNbTaTiAl RMPEAs and studied the structure-properties relation and deformation mechanism at room temperature. Results show that the yield strength of the as-cast alloy is up to 1029 MPa and the tensile ductility at room temperature is between 17.8 % and 22.8 %. The high yield strength is mainly attributed to the solid solution strengthening effect. Cross-slip provides ultimate tensile strength while maintaining the tensile ductility. Kink bands have been observed in Al9.0Hf30.3Nb15.0Ta15.3Ti30.3 alloy, which is the main reason for its excellent tensile ductility at room temperature. Overall, this study elucidated the deformation mechanism of Al9.0Hf30.3NbxTa30.3-xTi30.3 (x = 0, 10, 15) as-cast RMPEAs at room temperature, and provides meaningful insights for developing RMPEAs with excellent strength-ductility combinations.