Fraction Of Grain Boundaries Research Articles

Effect of Mn addition in W-Ni-Cu heavy alloy processed through hot press sintering techniques on microstructure, microtexture and grain boundary character evolution

In this current study, the impact of manganese addition to 93 W-4.9Ni-2.1Cu-xMn (where x = 1, 2, 3, and 4 Wt%) on the microstructure, texture development, and grain boundary character distribution of tungsten heavy alloy (WHAs) was examined. The samples were produced through a vacuum hot press sintering, with parameters 50 MPa pressure, 10 °C/min heating rate, and 1450 °C sintering temperature for 20 min holding duration. To study the influence of manganese on the texture development and microstructure in conventional WHAs, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was employed. The important findings from the EBSD analysis reveal that fibre texture (001) 〈111〉 and a higher fraction of low-angle grain boundaries in the Mn unalloyed compact resulted from extensive atomic jumps between the particles at elevated temperatures. Further texture analysis on the Mn-added compacts reveals that manganese oxide (MnO) formation during liquid phase sintering led to lower densification and randomized weak fibre texture development in manganese-alloyed compacts. In addition, the texture degradation in Mn-added compacts is mainly caused by recrystallization followed by sub-structural recovery during liquid phase sintering. This study indicates that increasing manganese content in WHAs stoichiometry led to a heterogeneous distribution of binder matrix (NiCu) in the sintered compact. As a result, W-4.9Ni-2.1Cu-4Mn alloy revealed decreased relative density (90.70%), microhardness (389.5 HV0.5), and electrical conductivity (15.74% of IACS).

Atomistic Investigation of Grain Boundary Fracture in Alumina.

Grain boundary (GB) fracture is a major mechanism of material failure in polycrystalline ceramics. However, the intricate atomic arrangements of GBs have impeded our understanding of the atomistic mechanisms of these processes. In this study, we investigated the atomic-scale crack propagation behavior of an α-Al2O3 ∑13 grain boundary, using a combination of in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning TEM. The atomic-scale fracture path along the GB core was directly determined by the observation of the atomic structures of the fractured surfaces, which is consistent with density functional theory calculations. We found that the GB fracture can be attributed to the weaker local bonds and a smaller number of bonds along the fracture path. Our findings provide atomistic insights into the mechanisms of crack propagation along GBs, offering significant implications for GB engineering and the toughening of ceramics.

Statistics of grain microstructure evolution under anisotropic grain boundary energies and mobilities using threshold-dynamics

This paper investigates the statistics of two-dimensional grain microstructures during grain growth under anisotropic grain boundary (GB) energies and mobilities. We employ the threshold dynamics method, which allows for unparalleled computational speed, to simulate the full-field curvature motion of grain boundaries in a large polycrystal ensemble. Two sets of numerical experiments are performed to explore the effect of GB anisotropy on the evolution of microstructure features. In the first experiment, we focus on abnormal grain growth and find that GB anisotropy introduces a statistical preference for certain grain orientations. This leads to changes in the overall grain size distribution from the isotropic case. In the second experiment, we examine the development of texture and the growth of twin boundaries for different initial microstructures. We find that texture development and twin growth are more pronounced when the initial microstructure has a dominant fraction of high-angle grain boundaries. Our results suggest effective GB engineering strategies for improving material properties.

Chromium partitioning induced evolution of texture, grain boundary constitution, and corrosion behavior of Cu[sbnd]Cr coatings electrodeposited at different temperatures

The corrosion behavior of CuCr coating electrodeposited at three different temperatures (15 °C, 30 °C, 45 °C) was examined. Cr is partitioned in the grain boundaries and as a solute in the Cu matrix. The formation of Cr-oxide at the grain boundaries enhanced the corrosion resistance of the coatings, whereas the presence of Cr as solute significantly altered the matrix micro-texture. The 15 °C deposited coating exhibited the lowest corrosion rate due to higher Cr solute, smaller grain size, (111) surface texture, and a higher fraction of coincidence site lattices. The 45 °C deposited coating exhibited the highest corrosion rate due to lower Cr solute, higher energy (110) surface texture, and higher fraction of high energy grain boundaries.

Influences of Si-Ti combined alloying on microstructures and properties of laser welded socket joints of molybdenum

This study selected silicon (Si) and titanium (Ti) as alloying elements to explore influences of the Si:Ti mass ratio on performance of molybdenum bead on plate laser welded joints. When the Si:Ti ratio was 1:1, the silicides exhibited a uniform continuous distribution, and significantly increased room temperature tensile strength of molybdenum bead on plate from 48 MPa to 231.6 MPa. In addition, Si-Ti combined alloying was applied to Mo tube-end plug socket joints with the optimal Si:Ti ratio. Results showed that Si and Ti were uniformly distributed in the weld of laser welded socket joints. Addition of Si and Ti in the weld increased the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs), which was conducive to improving the bonding strength of grain boundaries. The second-phase particles Mo3Si and Ti5Si3 were observed in the weld after adding Si and Ti, which played a role in second-phase strengthening. The room-temperature tensile strength of laser welded socket joints of Mo with the Si:Ti mass ratio of 1:1 reached 301 MPa, and the joint showed mixed fractures. The fractures in the FZ exhibited morphologies of cleavage fractures, while those in the heat affected zone (HAZ) showed mixed morphologies of intergranular and cleavage fractures. Finally, the results of high-temperature nanoindentation creep testing showed that after applying a load of 8 mN for 600 s at 400℃, the creep displacement of the LW-socket joint was measured at 20.28 nm, whereas the LW-SiTi socket joint exhibited a creep displacement of only 6.63 nm. The research findings of this paper provide references for alloying methods in laser welding of molybdenum and molybdenum alloys.

Investigation of Microstructures and Tensile Properties of 316L Stainless Steel Fabricated via Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

In this study, a thorough investigation of the microstructures and tensile properties of 316L stainless steel fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) was done. 316L stainless steel specimens with two different thicknesses of 1.5 mm and 4.0 mm fabricated under similar conditions were utilized. Microstructural characterization was performed using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Melt pools and cellular structures were observed using OM, whereas EBSD was utilized to obtain the grain size, grain boundary characteristics, and crystallographic texture. The 1.5 mm thick sample demonstrated a yield strength (YS) of 538.42 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 606.47 MPa, and elongation to failure of 69.88%, whereas the 4.0 mm thick sample had a YS of 551.21 MPa, UTS of 619.58 MPa, and elongation to failure of 73.66%. These results demonstrated a slight decrease in mechanical properties with decreasing thickness, with a 2.4% reduction in YS, 2.1% reduction in UTS, and 5.8% reduction in elongation to failure. In addition to other microstructural features, the cellular structures were observed to be the major contributors to the high mechanical properties. Using the inverse pole figure (IPF) maps, both thicknesses depicted a crystallographic texture of {001} <101> in their as-built state. However, when subjected to tensile loads, texture transitions to {111} <001> and {111} <011> were observed for the 1.5 mm and 4.0 mm samples, respectively. Additionally, EBSD analysis revealed the pre-existence of high-density dislocation networks and a high fraction of low-angle grain boundaries. Interestingly, twinning was observed, suggesting that the plastic deformation occurred through dislocation gliding and deformation twinning.

The effect of heat input on weld-bead geometry, mechanical, phase transformation temperature, and corrosion properties of autogenous double pulse TIG welded nitinol sheets

This research aims to analyze the welding of 1 mm thick NiTinol sheets using an autogenous double pulse tungsten inert gas (DPTIG) welding process. The effect of heat input (HI) on bead geometry, microstructure, hardness, tensile strength, phase transformation temperature (PTT), and corrosion behavior was studied. The lower (111.25 J/mm), and higher (120.14 J/mm) HI produced an average grain size of 26 μm and 36 μm, respectively. The microstructure of the fusion zone (FZ) had coarser columnar grains with intermetallic phases such as Ni3Ti, and TiO2. The grain size in the FZ increased with the increase in HI. Sample P (111.25 J/mm) showed a higher hardness of 280.54 HV and tensile strength of 566 MPa due to a higher proportion of austenite phase (99.4%), the smaller grain size of 26 µm, a larger fraction of high angle grain boundary (HAGB) of 75.8%, and higher kernel average misorientation (KAM) value of 4.93. Compared to base metal (BM), sample P (111.25 J/mm), and sample S (120.14 J/mm) exhibited a reduction in tensile strength of 19.14% and 32.29%, respectively. The decline in hardness and tensile strength was attributed to the formation of intermetallic phases, a decrease in the Ti/Ni ratio, coarser grain formation, and a decrease in HAGB fraction and KAM values. The fractured tensile samples showed a mixed mode of fracture with dimples and cleavage facets. Compared to BM, Sample Q (118.05 J/mm) exhibited lesser variation in temperature hysteresis values for austenite and martensite temperatures, with a deviation of 0.4°C and 3.1°C, respectively. All the welded samples had better corrosion behavior than the BM due to a higher Ti/Ni ratio.

Correlation of microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of friction stir welded Joints of AA7075-T6 plates using a flat tool pin profile

This study investigates the influence of square and hexagon tool pin profiles on the butt joint of AA7075-T6 plates through friction stir welding. In contrast to the AA7075-T6 base metal with a grain size of 32.736 μm, both square (4.43 μm) and hexagon (5.79 μm) pin profiles led to a significant reduction in grain size within the stir zone (SZ) of the weld cross-section. The SZ region exhibited a gradient in recrystallization and a notable fraction of high angle grain boundaries, attributed to continuous dynamic recrystallization influenced by variations in temperature and strain rate. Pole figure analysis revealed predominant shear texture elements (B/ B‾ and C) with minor A1*/A2* and A/ A‾, indicating elevated strains within the SZ. Orientation distribution function (ODF) analysis identified recrystallization texture elements such as Goss {110} <001>, cube {001} <101>, and P {011} <112>, along with shear texture components F {111} <112> and rotating cube (H) {001} <110>. Tensile and nanoindentation analyses demonstrated that the weld joint using a square-shaped pin profile exhibited higher strength, elongation, and elastic modulus compared to other weld joints. These findings suggest that the square tool pin geometry enhances material flow and grain refinement during welding, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the joint.

Effects of grain size and dislocation density on thermally-induced martensitic transformation of nanocrystalline NiTi alloys

Nanoscale grain and high dislocation density are the most common microstructures of nanocrystalline NiTi alloy. Although grain size and dislocation density influence the functional properties of NiTi alloy significantly, their effects on martensitic transformation have not been investigated quantitatively. In this work, the effects of grain size and dislocation density on thermally-induced martensitic transformation of nanocrystalline NiTi alloys are studied based on experiment, molecular dynamics simulation and theoretical analysis. Firstly, the drop of martensite-start-temperature and austenite-finish-temperature with decreasing grain size is determined, which is attributed to the increased fraction of grain boundary and the enhanced disordering of austenite near grain boundary via molecular dynamics simulation. Secondly, the positive correlation between dislocation density and transformation temperatures is verified by experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, which is ascribed to the enhanced stability of correspondence variant pair with habit plane of (−0.4138 0.8684 0.2688) and invariant shear direction of [−0.4432 −0.458 0.77706] under the dislocation-induced stress field. At last, a novel thermodynamic model of nanocrystalline NiTi considering grain size and dislocation density is proposed to predict martensite-start-temperature and austenite-finish-temperature. Prediction results accord to experimental data reasonably with the error generally less than 15 K. This study provides a basis for regulating the functional properties of nanocrystalline NiTi alloys through microstructural manipulation.

Effect of Single Crystal Growth and Solidification Grain Boundaries on Weld Solidification Cracking Behavior of CMSX-4 Superalloy

Single-crystal superalloys have been popularly employed in high-temperature parts of gas turbines, such as blades. However, the welds of such alloys are highly susceptible to solidification cracking, which limits their applicability to high-temperature turbine blades. In this study, the effects of characteristics of weld solidification on solidification cracking susceptibilities (solidification brittle temperature range, BTR) were fundamentally investigated for the CMSX-4 single-crystal superalloy. We applied a transverse-Varestraint test procedure for both the linear and oscillated arc welds by changing the weld solidification characteristics, such as the degree of single crystal growth and formation of solidification grain boundaries. The BTR for the CMSX-4 alloy is 336 K for linear welding condition, whereas the values are 434 K and 342 K for 0.6 and 1.5 Hz oscillated welds. Interestingly, the BTR continuously increases with the weld oscillation frequency. By contrast, almost no changes in the weld mushy-zone temperature range are theoretically calculated for each welding condition via the diffusion-controlled Scheil model. The mechanism underlying the increase in BTR under oscillation welding is clarified based on the relationship between the achievement ratio of the weld single crystal growth and fraction of high-angle (&gt;15&lt;sup&gt;o&lt;/sup&gt;) solidification boundaries, which affect severe dendrite coalescence undercooling. The lower fraction of the high-angle weld solidification grain boundaries attributed to the superior achievement ratio of weld single crystal growth, which reduces the dendrite coalescence undercooling and BTR. Consequently, it enhances the solidification crack propagation resistance.

Simultaneously improving the strength and ductility of an Ag-free 2195 Al-Li alloy by T8 treatment with cryogenic pre-rolling

Zn has promise to substitute Ag in Al-Li alloys, but an equal atomic amount substitution of Ag with Zn generally reduces both strength and ductility. In this work, we demonstrated that T8 treatment with a cryogenic pre-rolling (CPR) can simultaneously improve the strength and ductility of Zn micro-alloyed, Ag-free 2195 model Al-Li alloys. The optimal combination of an ultimate tensile strength of 664.1 MPa and an elongation of 8.1% was achieved for the Al-4Cu-1Li-0.4Mg-0.25Zn-0.1Zr (wt%) alloy under T8 with a 10% CPR. The improved strength and ductility can be attributed to a higher fraction of low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs), a higher precipitation density of T1, and a more uniform distribution of dislocations and T1. Similar as Ag, Zn is more energy-favored to segregate to the T1/Al interface than to the θ'/Al interface, which helps promote the precipitation of T1 in preference to θ'. Besides, Zn or Ag segregation at the T1/Al interface has no negative impact on the adhesion strength.

Refinement mechanism of large heat-input welding CGHAZ microstructure by N addition and its effect on toughness of a V-Ti-N microalloying weathering steel

The large heat input welding performance of uncoated weathering steel remains a great challenge since their coarse grain heat-affected zones (CGHAZs) are usually occupied by coarse and brittle microstructure consisting of granular bainitic ferrite (GBF) and martensite/austenite (M/A) constituents. In this article, a V-Ti-N microalloying weathering steel suitable for large heat input welding was achieved through the N addition, and the mechanism dominating the modified microstructure and the enhanced impact toughness of CGHAZ was deeply elucidated mainly by HRTEM. The results indicated that in the simulated CGHAZ with large heat input of 80 kJ/cm, the increase of N content from 0.0030 wt% to 0.0075 wt%, and 0.0115 wt% elevated the density of nano- and submicron-sized particles of (Ti, V)(C, N) containing VN, which in turn resulted in the refinement of prior austenite grains (PAGs) by the improved grain boundary pinning effect and the enhancement in heterogeneous nucleation of intragranular ferrite (IGF) by the decreased lattice disregistry (δ) between (Ti, V)(C, N) and IGF. The fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) with misorientation tolerance angles (MTAs) higher than 15° was thereby increased while the mean equivalent diameter (MED) of ferritic grains with HAGBs was decreased. Simultaneously, the N addition scattered the M/A constituents, promoted the internal substructure of dislocation-type M/A at the expense of twin-type M/A, and accordingly reduced the hardness difference between the M/A constituents and the matrix. All these factors retarded brittle crack initiation and propagation, and low-temperature impact toughness of simulated CGHAZ increased from 62.8 J to 141.2 J.

Effect of arc mode on laser-arc hybrid additive manufacturing of Al–Cu alloy: Pore defects, microstructure and mechanical properties

Laser-arc hybrid additive manufacturing (LAHAM) of Al–Cu alloy was carried out to investigate the effects of different arc modes on pore formation, microstructure characteristics, and tensile properties. The introduction of high-frequency pulse current and cyclic polarity reversal in the CMT-PADV mode was found to be beneficial for reducing pores. Compared with CMT and CMT-P modes, the CMT-PADV mode exhibited a transformation from columnar grains to equiaxed grains, with the smallest grain size of 26.6 μm, the highest fraction of high-angle grain boundaries of 84.2 %, and the longest length of grain boundaries reaching 14.9 cm. Moreover, the eutectic structure along the grain boundaries was observed in the samples fabricated by CMT and CMT-P modes, while it appeared disrupted and intermittently distributed in the CMT-PADV mode. In this case, the excellent mechanical properties were obtained for CMT-PADV mode, with tensile strength and elongation 276.6 MPa and 23.82 % in horizontal directions, 262.9 MPa and 20.9 % in vertical directions, respectively.

Effect of temperature on superplastic deformation behavior of 2198 Al–Cu–Li alloy

Al–Li alloy possesses remarkable advantages such as low density, high specific strength and specific elastic modulus, making it an exceptional aerospace structural material with considerable application potential. However, Al–Li alloy suffers from poor formability, which restricts its broader engineering applications. Alternatively, superplastic forming at high temperatures is widely applied for producing such components. Temperature is a key factor affecting the thermal deformation properties of Al–Li alloy. In this study, tensile tests of 2198 Al–Cu–Li alloy were conducted at different temperatures, and dedicated characterizations were performed to reveal the underlying mechanisms responsible for the hot deformation behavior. Results reveal that three distinct stages are observed in the superplastic deformation process of this alloy. Specifically, in the initial low-temperature range (400 °C–450 °C), incomplete dynamic recrystallization (DRX), accompanied by grain rotation and elongation plays a dominant role in the hot deformation mechanism. In the middle temperature stage (450 °C–500 °C), both DRX and grain boundary sliding (GBS) occur. At the high-temperature stage (500 °C–550 °C), diffusion creep emerges as the prominent mechanism. Moreover, optimum superplasticity is achieved at 500 °C, which results from a synergistic combination of several factors, including grain refinement by DRX, an increased fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs), reduced dislocation density and weak texture.

Effect of Distributions of Low Angle Grain Boundary and Dislocation Density on Strength of Al-3mass%Mg by SPD

Al-Mg alloys processed by Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) have higher strength due to grain refinement by dynamic recrystallization. Generally, the relationship between grain size and strength is expressed by the Hall-Petch relationship, but the strength of Al-Mg alloys processed by SPD is higher than expected from the Hall-Petch extrapolation. This phenomenon is called ``Extra-Hardening. In this study, Al-3mass%Mg alloys processed by SPD were annealed, and the fraction of grain boundaries was measured by EBSD to determine the effect of grain boundaries on the strength. The results suggest that Extra-Hardening may be an effect of strengthening by SGB, which changes significantly with the number of passes and annealing, and constant LAGB strengthening. Strength predictions using the fraction of grain boundaries were in good agreement.

Tensile creep mechanisms of Al-Mn-Sc alloy fabricated by additive manufacturing

The incorporation of Sc/Zr elements into aluminum (Al) alloys provides great opportunities for high temperature applications, due to the high coherency with the Al matrix, the high thermal stability and the high strengthening potentials of the generated Al3(Sc,Zr) precipitates. In this study, the microstructure, thermal stability, high temperature tensile and creep behaviors of additively manufactured Al-Mn-Sc alloy were systematically evaluated. The Al-Mn-Sc alloy demonstrated sound high temperature yield strength as compared with other reported Al alloys made by additive manufacturing. However, the formed large area fraction (approximately 60%) of fine grain boundaries significantly promoted the dislocation annihilation and reduced the creep threshold stress, though the inherent thermally stable solutes and/or precipitates contributed to its high creep activation energy. On the other hand, the primary Alx(Mn,Fe) and Aly(Sc,Zr) particles and the fine grain boundaries severed as the potential cavity nucleation sites, enhancing the cavity kinetics during creep loading. The cavity nucleation and coalescence process, which basically dominated the tertiary stage of the creep lifetime and led to the final fracture, were further revealed through a cavity evolution model. Future creep-resistant Al alloy design outlook, especially for the inoculates modified Al alloys with fine grain structures, were proposed based on the present findings.

Influence of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Direct-Quenched Fe-0.06C-0.2Si-2.0Mn Steel

In this study, the effect of subsequent heat treatment applied to high-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA) on the structure–property relationships was investigated. Tempering and intercritical annealing processes are introduced to elucidate the influence of subsequent heat treatment on mechanical properties of direct-quenched Fe-0.06C-0.2Si-2.0Mn steel from a microstructural perspective. The tempering process results in a typical tempered martensite with uniformly dispersed cementite, whereas the intercritical annealing process forms a dual-phase microstructure composed of soft ferrite and hard martensite for the direct-quenched steel. In the intercritical annealed steel, a number of mobile dislocations at the interphase (martensite/ferrite) boundary significantly decrease the yield strength, and the large difference in strength between ferrite and martensite enhances work hardening. Charpy V-notch impact test results indicate that the tempering and intercritical annealing processes improved the absorbed energy by more than 100 J compared to the direct-quenched steel at room temperature, and at −50 °C, the intercritically annealed steel exhibited the highest absorbed energy of approximately 140 J. Additionally, the high fraction of high-angle grain boundaries and fine grains of the intercritically annealed steel increase the resistance to cleavage crack propagation, thereby reducing the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature.

Changes in Microstructure, Mechanical and Electrical Properties with Progress of Cold Wire-Drawing for AA1070

Commercial AA1070 alloy for electrical wire is severely deformed by the drawing process when a rod with a diameter of 2 mm is greatly reduced to 0.4 mm by multi-pass. Changes in the microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical properties of the Al alloy during the wire-drawing process were investigated in detail. The as-drawn Al wires showed a deformation structure in which the grains are greatly elongated in the drawing direction, even though recovery and/or partial recrystallization occurred more actively in the specimens which had more than 84% in reduction of cross-sectional area (&lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;). In addition, the fraction of high angle grain boundaries tended to increase with the increase of &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;. For all drawn specimens, the fiber texture of the {110}&lt;111&gt; and {112}&lt;111&gt; components was mainly developed, and their maximum intensity tended to increase with increasing &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;. Recrystallization texture of (001)[100] and (110)[001] began to appear at an &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; higher than 84%. The hardness tended to increase with increasing &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; due to work hardening. In particular, increasing &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; to 84% resulted in a great rise in hardness, accompanied by a distinct non-uniformity in hardness in the thickness direction. However, the average hardness hardly changed at &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; above 84%, even when &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; was increased to 96%. The strength also tended to increase stepwise as &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; increased, very similar to the change in hardness. The specimen with an &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; of 93% showed the highest tensile strength of 192 MPa, 2.8 times higher than that of the specimen before drawing. The electric conductivity did not decrease significantly, even with extreme increases in &lt;i&gt;R&lt;sub&gt;A&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt;, and remained at an average value of 61.6 %IACS.

Enhancement of the resistance to hydrogen embrittlement by tailoring grain boundary characteristics in a low carbon high strength steel

In this work, the feasibility of using “grain boundary engineering” to reduce the susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement in a low carbon low alloy steel was examined. By adding Cu element, the fraction of random grain boundary (RGB) exhibited the highest value in the steel with 1%Cu, while the fraction of special grain boundary (SGB) showed a monotonical decline. The slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) test revealed that the elongation loss presented an increase with Cu addition increasing from 1 % to 3 %. This can be explained in terms of hydrogen diffusion, hydrogen trap and crack propagation. The steel with 1%Cu had a higher fraction of high angle grain boundary (HAGB), which contributed to a higher density of hydrogen traps and a lower hydrogen diffusion rate. Moreover, the steel with 1%Cu had the highest fraction of SGB (∑3, ∑5, ∑7 and ∑≥9), which was beneficial to the resistance to crack propagation. Under the combined effect of RGB and SGB, a higher resistance to hydrogen embrittlement was achieved in the steel with 1%Cu.

Refining the mechanistic understanding of microstructural decay during rolling contact fatigue in 52100 bearing steel tempered at high temperature

Subsurface rolling contact fatigue (RCF) failure occurs beneath heavily loaded hard contacts like gears, bearings, and cams. This study investigates microstructural decay beneath a RCF-tested surface in AISI/SAE 52100 bearing steel tempered at 240 ℃. RCF tests were conducted at 100 ℃ with a maximum Hertzian contact pressure of 4 GPa for four stress cycles. Microstructural characterization utilized scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, transmission Kikuchi diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Due to high tempering temperature, white etching bands (WEBs) were observed without preceding dark etching regions. The microstructural decay sequence involved: (1) formation of elongated ferrite and ferrite microbands, (2) complete dissolution of tempered carbides and partial dissolution of residual cementite, (3) formation of WEBs composed of nano-sized ferrite grains (100–300 nm) transformed from ferrite microbands, and (4) appearance of lenticular carbides. Within the WEBs, most nano-sized grains had high-angle grain boundaries, while the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries increased in later stages of RCF. Lenticular carbides formed alongside elongated ferrite and coalesced nano-sized ferritic grains.