Preferred Grain Research Articles

Understanding and Controlling Structural Defects and Disordering in LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Cathodes for Direct Recycling.

Despite significant progress in recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), nondestructive, direct recycling methods still face untenable discrepancies in multiple cathode chemistries, which primarily originate from a variety of structure stabilities during the recycling process. Through systematic investigation of the microstructure evolution during the relithiation treatment, we observed the inevitably induced defects and Li/Mn disordering in the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode, contributing to the sluggish Li+ transport and irreversible capacity loss. Employing a defect engineering approach to achieve twin boundaries and preferred grain orientation, we show the regenerated cathodes demonstrate a substantial enhancement of Li+ diffusion and cycling stability, retaining 97.4% capacity after 100 cycles and 87.96% after 200 cycles at C/3. This work not only elaborates on a systematic investigation of defect inducement and structural restoration mechanism but also provides an effective approach to directly recycle high-voltage spinel-type cathodes, contributing to the sustainability of next-generation LIBs.

Influence of TiC particle size on microstructural evolution and fracture mechanism of TiC/Al-Cu composites

Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and molecular dynamics simulations, this work investigated the microstructure, texture evolution, strengthening mechanisms, and fracture progression of TiC/Al-Cu composites with various particle sizes following hot extrusion and heat treatment. TiC particles significantly refine grain sizes, shifting the dominant coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries from Σ5 to Σ3. The addition of TiC particles alters the preferred grain orientation from (111)/ED to (001)/ED, and modifies the type and intensity of the texture. The primary strengthening mechanisms attributed to TiC include grain boundary strengthening, dislocation strengthening, Orowan strengthening, and load transfer strengthening. However, the strong tendency of smaller TiC particles to agglomerate substantially diminishes these strengthening effects; thus, under a TiC addition of 0.5 wt%, larger TiC particles exhibit better mechanical properties. Fractographic analysis and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that microcracks originate from dissociation at the interfaces between the TiC agglomerates and the Al matrix. The subsequent propagation, expansion, and interconnection of multiple crack initiation sites lead to the formation of macroscopic cracks that result in material failure.

Enhanced grain orientation in Sb2Se3 thin films deposited on Mo/BSG substrates via RF-sputtering and selenization

The alignment of the Sb2Se3 absorber grains along the c-axis, resulting from their quasi-1D ribbon-like growth, has been found to enhance current density, thereby enabling high power conversion efficiencies in Sb2Se3-based thin film solar cells. This study presents a controllable method for depositing Sb2Se3 thin films with highly oriented grains and a compact morphology, making them suitable for large-scale solar cell applications. A combination of magnetron sputtering and post-deposition isothermal selenization techniques was used. This process involved sputtering antimony onto Mo-coated Borosilicate glass (BSG) substrates, followed by selenizing the films at different temperatures in argon-gas filled quartz ampoules. The influence of several partial Ar-gas pressures and selenization temperatures on the grain growth was studied to achieve enhanced preferred grain orientations and compact morphology of the Sb2Se3 thin films. Selenization at 380 °C resulted in dominant vertical grain orientations with respect to the substrate surface of the Sb2Se3, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, without compromising surface compactness. Although occasional micro-voids remain in the films, further optimization could eliminate these imperfections. The developed sequential method, where Sb layer was deposited by RF-sputtering process, followed by an annealing at elevated temperature in the presence of Se and argon gas pressure, holds potential for large-scale production and the fabrication of other quasi-1D chalcogenide thin films.

Effect of interlayer scan rotation on structure-property relationship of directed energy deposited CoCrNi medium entropy alloy

Laser-based Additive Manufacturing (AM) is sought to be a prevalent technique to synthesize medium to high entropy alloys. However, the anisotropy, temperature distribution, and residual stresses in Laser-based AM are some of the major problems that need to be addressed. The effect of interlayer scan rotation on microstructure, texture evolution, and tensile properties of laser-based directed energy deposited CoCrNi are investigated in this study. The electron backscatter diffraction studies revealed the strong 〈001〉 cubic crystallographic texture along the build direction (YZ-plane) without scan rotation. However, there is no preferred grain orientation observed with interlayer scan rotations. The 〈111〉 fiber texture and 〈111〉〈101〉 fiber texture, respectively, are obtained with 67° and 90° scan rotation strategies. The randomized grain orientation due to fiber texture formation enhanced strength significantly with little improvement in ductility. In addition, the substructure refinement is also observed after incorporating scan rotation. Moreover, the present work suggests that nearly isotropic strength and elongation are obtained with 67° rotations.

Highly enhanced electrothermal properties of 001-textured Pb-free ferroelectric (Ba, Ca) (Ti, Zr, Sn)O3 for energy harvesting and solid-state cooling

Ferroelectric ceramics hold great promise for applications in solid-state cooling and energy harvesting from waste heat due to their electrothermal energy conversion capabilities. Here, we synthesized crystallographically textured (Ba0.95Ca0.05) (Ti0.87Zr0.12Sn0.01)O3 (BCZTSn) ceramics using tape casting and SrTiO3 (ST) single-crystal templates, which resulted in preferred grain orientation with a Lotgering factor as high as ∼90.8 %. The grain morphology, pyroelectric properties and the thermal-to-electrical energy conversion of BCZTSn-ST were characterized in detail. The textured BCZTSn-ST ceramics exhibit a remarkably high thermal-to-electrical energy conversion density of 0.787 J cm−3 in the temperature range of 303–373 K and large electrocaloric (EC) temperature change of ∼2.3 K at 373 K. This works demonstrates that preferred grain orientation is a promising way to improve EC and energy harvesting properties in the Pb-free BaTiO3-based ferroelectric ceramics.

Photocatalytic Activities of Methylene Blue Using ZrO2 Thin Films at Different Annealing Temperatures

Tetragonal ZrO2, synthesized by the sol–gel method and dip-coating technique, was found to be photocatalytically active for the degradation of methylene blue. The ZrO2 thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was carried out with this material. We identified the tetragonal phase in ZrO2 thin film at different annealing temperatures from 400 °C to 550 °C. The XRD study indicated that the films were monocrystalline in nature with preferred grain orientation along (011) plane and exhibited a tetragonal crystal structure. The crystallite size of the films increased with increasing annealing temperature. FTIR explained the bonding nature and confirmed the formation of the composite. UV-Vis showed the optical absorbance was high in the visible region and the optical band gap value increased with annealing temperature. The photocatalytic experimental results revealed that ZrO2 thin films degraded MB by 20%, 24%, 29%, and 36%, with annealing temperatures of 400 °C at 550 °C for 10 h, respectively. Our results provide useful insights into the development of photocatalytic materials and degradation of methylene blue.

Multifactorial impacts of B-doping on Fe81Ga19 alloys prepared by laser-beam powder bed fusion: Microstructure, magnetostriction, and osteogenesis

Magnetostrictive Fe-Ga alloys have captivated substantial focus in biomedical applications because of their exceptional transition efficiency and favorable cytocompatibility. Nevertheless, Fe-Ga alloys always exhibit frustrating magnetostriction coefficients when presented in bulk dimensions. It is well-established that the magnetostrictive performance of Fe-Ga alloys is intimately linked to their phase and crystal structures. In this study, various concentrations of boron (B) were doped into Fe81Ga19 alloys via the laser-beam powder bed fusion (LPBF) technique to tailor the crystal and phase structures, thereby improving the magnetostrictive performance. The results revealed the capacity for quick solidification of the LPBF process in expediting the solid solution of B element, which increased both lattice distortion and dislocations within the Fe-Ga matrix. These factors contributed to an elevation in the density of the modified-D03 phase structure. Moreover, the prepared Fe-Ga-B alloys also exhibited a 〈001〉 preferred grain orientation caused by the high thermal gradients during the LPBF process. As a result, a maximum magnetostriction coefficient of 105 ppm was achieved in the (Fe81Ga19)98.5B1.5 alloy. In alternating magnetic fields, all the LPBF-prepared alloys showed good dynamic magnetostriction response without visible hysteresis, while the (Fe81Ga19)98.5B1.5 alloy presented a notable enhancement of ∼30 % in magnetostriction coefficient when compared with the Fe81Ga19 alloy. Moreover, the (Fe81Ga19)98.5B1.5 alloy exhibited favorable biocompatibility and osteogenesis, as confirmed by increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the formation of mineralized nodules. These findings suggest that the B-doped Fe-Ga alloys combined with the LPBF technique hold promise for the development of bulk magnetostrictive alloys that are applicable for bone repair applications.

4‐Phenylthiosemicarbazide Molecular Additive Engineering for Wide‐Bandgap Sn Halide Perovskite Solar Cells with a Record Efficiency Over 12.2%

AbstractThe utilization of wide bandgap (WBG) tin halide perovskites (Sn‐HPs) offers an environmentally friendly alternative for multi‐junction Sn‐HP photovoltaics. Nonetheless, rapid crystallization leads to suboptimal film morphology and substantial creation of defect states, which undermine device efficiency. This study introduces 4‐Phenylthiosemicarbazide (4PTSC) as an additive to achieve a densely packed Sn‐HP film with fewer imperfections. The strong chemical coordination between SnI2 and the functional groups S═C─N (Sn···S═C─N), NH2, and phenyl conjugation enhances solution stability and supports the delay of perovskite crystallization through adduct formation. This process yields pinhole‐free films with preferred grain growth. 4PTSC acts as a strong coordination complex and a reducing agent to passivate uncoordinated Sn2+ and halide ions and reduce the formation of SnI4, thereby reducing defect formation. The π‐conjugated phenyl ring in the 4PTSC facilitates the preferred crystal growth orientation of perovskite grains. Furthermore, the hydrophobic nature of 4PTSC mitigates Sn2+ oxidation by repelling moisture, enhancing stability. The open circuit voltage significantly increased from 0.78 to 0.94 V, resulting in achieving the champion efficiency of 12.22% (certified 11.70%), surpassing all previously reported efficiencies for WBG Sn halide perovskite solar cells. Additionally, the unencapsulated 4PTSC‐1.0 device maintained outstanding stability over 1200 h under ambient atmospheric conditions.

Enhancing sputtered GaN/Si film quality by adding AlGaN buffer layer in a continuous deposition process

In this work we demonstrate the achievement of significative improvements in the structural and morphological quality of wurtzite GaN films (approximately 250 nm thick) by introducing an initial growth step involving an AlGaN buffer layer on p-type Si (100) substrates through a continuous reactive sputtering process. We investigated the influence of using single and multiple AlxGa1-xN buffer layers with varying Al content (x ranging from 0.07 to 0.37) and different thicknesses (from 166 nm to 1 µm). The obtained samples underwent characterization through X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results reveal a slight increase in the c-axis preferred growth direction and grain sizes even with a single and thin (250 nm) Al0.07Ga0.93N buffer layer. Conversely, the use of a single Al0.37Ga0.63N buffer layer led to significant morphological changes and a remarkable improvement in the c-axis preferred orientation. The most favorable outcomes were observed with the implementation of a triple AlGaN buffer layer, featuring decreasing Al content from the substrate, indicating the attainment of a high-quality GaN top layer comparable to epitaxial GaN.

Microstructure, material characteristics and mechanical properties of CoMoNiTa3 medium-entropy alloys through the vacuum hot pressing process

This work fabricated CoMoNiTa3 medium-entropy alloys using the vacuum hot pressing process of powder metallurgy technology. Micron-grade cobalt (6.3 μm), molybdenum (13.2 μm), nickel (2.4 μm) and tantalum powders (25.0 μm) were combined using ball milling. The experiments utilised various hot pressing temperatures (1000, 1050, 1100, and 1150 °C) and hot pressing pressures (20, 35, and 50 MPa) to identify the optimal parameters for CoMoNiTa3 alloys, while simultaneously investigating the differences in microstructures. The experimental results reveal that the optimal hot pressing parameters of this alloy were 1100 °C at 50 MPa for 1 h. The sintering density was enhanced to 9.65 ± 0.01 g cm−3, while the hardness, transverse rupture strength, and flexural modulus reached 85.5 ± 0.1 HRA, 1370.3 ± 90.1 MPa and 168.6 ± 12.7 GPa, respectively. Moreover, the electrical conductivity was 6.53 ± 0.13 × 104 S cm−1. Furthermore, the electron probe microanalyser, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the face-centred cubic solid solution, Ni3Ta, and μ phases of the CoMoNiTa3 structure, and no preferred grain orientation was found.

Investigating the preferential growth of Bi grains in Sn-Bi based solder under thermal aging

SnBi based solders have attracted widespread attention due to their promising applications in heterogeneous integration and three-dimensional microelectronic packaging. However, the low melting point of SnBi based solder means their high homologous temperature during service, leading to fast coarsening of the microstructure, which can significantly impair the reliability of electron devices. It has been found that Bi grains in SnBi based solder interconnects grow significantly and exhibit a preferred orientation under thermal loading conditions, but the mechanisms underneath the preferential growth of Bi grains is yet to be understood. In this work, a phase field model incorporating the thermal stress effect is developed and employed to investigate the dynamic evolution of the microstructure of SnBi solder under thermal aging, and to capture the morphology changes of the grains with different orientations. It is demonstrated that Bi grains with c-axis parallel to the z-axis preferentially exist in eutectic SnBi solder under thermal aging, and Bi grains with a large angle between the c-axis and the z-axis are swallowed by the preferred grains. Moreover, there is a competitive evolution between grains with different orientations in the polycrystalline eutectic SnBi solder, due to the minimization of system elastic strain energy. Further mechanism analysis elucidates that the Bi grain orientation preference in SnBi solders is caused by the dependence of their Young’s modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion on the grain orientation, the favored grains possess a lower strain energy compared to other grains.

Deformation microstructures of low- and high-strain epidote-blueschist (Ryukyu arc, Japan): Implications for subduction interface rheology

We present field and microstructural data from an exhumed subduction complex in the Ryukyu arc, Japan, where epidote-blueschist, Triassic, Tomuru metamorphic rocks with block-in-matrix structure crop out. With the aim to constrain epidote-blueschist rheology, we investigate fabric development and infer deformation mechanisms of blocks and matrix through microstructural analyses on the main fabric-forming minerals: glaucophane, epidote and albite. The blocks have a poorly developed, discontinuous foliation. In contrast, the matrix has a well-developed, continuous foliation. Glaucophane is the principal foliation-forming phase, arranged in interconnected layers that surround epidote and albite, which suggests that glaucophane controls epidote-blueschist rheology. Deformation mechanisms inferred from petrographic and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis are similar in blocks and matrix, with glaucophane deformed by diffusion creep accompanied by reaction-driven creep, albite by diffusion creep, and epidote by brittle fracture and incipient dislocation creep, based on degrees of internal misorientations, lattice preferred orientation (LPO) development and grain size. During deformation, shear stress must have been relatively low, which is implied by the predominance of diffusion and reaction creep as the dominant deformation mechanisms, and by the small viscosity contrast between blocks and matrix, reflected by their similarity in dominant deformation mechanism.

(Second Best Paper Award) Preferred Grain Orientation to Enhance Interdiffusion at Room Temperature in Atomic Diffusion Bonding: A Fundamental Study Using Ni and Cu Films

Atomic diffusion bonding (ADB) of wafers using thin metal films is a promising process to achieve room-temperature wafer bonding [1,2]. During ADB processing, the bonding performance is enhanced by crystal lattice rearrangement, which occurs when two film surfaces mutually contact at room temperature. It is reasonable to infer that the degree of the interdiffusion of the two films at the bonded interface, including crystal lattice rearrangement, depends on the surface roughness and crystallographic grain orientation of the metal films used for bonding. For this study, after Ni film and Cu film were bonded using ADB, the interdiffusion at the bonded Ni/Cu film interface was examined quantitatively using values of saturation magnetization M s. We assessed the effects of crystallographic preferred grain orientation on the interdiffusion thickness at the bonded interface.The Ni film thickness was fixed at 20 nm, but the Cu film thickness was varied from 5 nm to 300 nm. For both films, Ta underlayer films were used. Surface roughness S a, as estimated using AFM of Ni(20 nm) film, was 0.25 nm. The value of S a for Cu films increased from 0.21 nm to 0.85 nm as the Cu film thickness was increased from 5 nm to 300 nm. XRD findings revealed that both Ni and Cu films showed the (111) preferred grain orientation, but the orientation was degraded at Cu thicknesses of less than 50 nm. Figure 1 presents a STEM cross-section image of bonded Ni(20 nm)/Cu(50 nm) films as an example: no vacancy was observed at the bonded interface. Figure 2 presents values of the interdiffusion thickness T ID for bonded films as a function of the Cu film thickness. T IDshowed a maximum of 6.5 nm for a 50-nm-thick Cu film. S a decreased as the Cu thickness decreased from 50 nm. However, T ID decreased remarkably. Results suggest that deterioration of the (111) preferred grain orientation of Cu films with reduction of film thickness degraded the interdiffusion at the Ni/Cu bonded interface.To support this assumption, Ti underlayers were used underneath Ni(20 nm) and Cu(10, 20 nm) films to enhance the degree of the (111) preferred grain orientation of these films. Results indicate that T ID at the Ni(20 nm)/Cu(10 nm) bonded interface was enhanced to 5.4 nm, which was one order greater than that of the bonded films with Ta underlayers, indicating that enhanced bonding performance of ADB can be achieved with low surface roughness and a high degree of (111) preferred grain orientation. This enhancement is expected to be obtained also via ADB processing using other metal films having an fcc crystal structure, such as Au, Ag, and Al. T. Shimatsu and M. Uomoto, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., B 28, 706 (2010).T. Shimatsu and M. Uomoto, ECS Trans., 33 (4), 61 (2010). Figure 1

Thermal faceting on the ductility-dip cracking fracture surfaces of nickel-based alloys – Occurrence, characterization, and implications for the cracking mechanism

Ductility-dip cracking (DDC) fracture surfaces containing thermal faceting (TF) are documented in this study. Research began with the discovery of TF on the DDC fracture surface in the weld metal of high-chromium nickel (Ni)-based filler metal 52M, a valuable alloy to the nuclear industry. Fracture surfaces were generated using strain-to-fracture (STF) and simulated strain ratcheting (SSR) testing on a Gleeble® thermomechanical simulator. Initial fractography performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed faceting with preferred grain orientations and faceting interacting with void nucleation near grain boundary (GB) triple points. Internal voids were exposed via metallography, where TF was also observed on the free surface. A thin orientation- and site-specific foil was extracted from the faceted fracture surface using focused ion beam (FIB) nanofabrication. Subsequent scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) characterization down to atomic-resolution revealed the facets have perfect crystallographic orientations parallel to close-packed directions. Sharp edges and transitions between individual facets on the scale of individual atomic columns and atomic planes were observed. An analysis of the deformation microstructure and the chemical composition underneath the faceted surface showed a low dislocation density and no evidence of localized segregation or diffusion, respectively. These findings have led to the development of a hypothesis related to the interdependence of TF and DDC and support initial claims regarding TF formation in DDC voids at elevated temperatures.

Green manuring relocates microbiomes in driving the soil functionality of nitrogen cycling to obtain preferable grain yields in thirty years.

Fertilizers are widely used to produce more food, inevitably altering the diversity and composition of soil organisms. The role of soil biodiversity in controlling multiple ecosystem services remains unclear, especially after decades of fertilization. Here, we assess the contribution of the soil functionalities of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling to crop production and explore how soil organisms control these functionalities in a 33-year field fertilization experiment. The long-term application of green manure or cow manure produced wheat yields equivalent to those obtained with chemical N, with the former providing higher soil functions and allowing the functionality of N cycling (especially soil N mineralization and biological N fixation) to control wheat production. The keystone phylotypes within the global network rather than the overall microbial community dominated the soil multifunctionality and functionality of C, N, and P cycling across the soil profile (0-100 cm). We further confirmed that these keystone phylotypes consisted of many metabolic pathways of nutrient cycling and essential microbes involved in organic C mineralization, N2O release, and biological N fixation. The chemical N, green manure, and cow manure resulted in the highest abundances of amoB, nifH, and GH48 genes and Nitrosomonadaceae, Azospirillaceae, and Sphingomonadaceae within the keystone phylotypes, and these microbes were significantly and positively correlated with N2O release, N fixation, and organic C mineralization, respectively. Moreover, our results demonstrated that organic fertilization increased the effects of the network size and keystone phylotypes on the subsoil functions by facilitating the migration of soil microorganisms across the soil profiles and green manure with the highest migration rates. This study highlights the importance of the functionality of N cycling in controlling crop production and keystone phylotypes in regulating soil functions, and provides selectable fertilization strategies for maintaining crop production and soil functions across soil profiles in agricultural ecosystems.

Significantly enhanced reversibility and mechanical stability in grain-oriented MnNiGe-based smart materials

Materials that undergo a magnetostructural transition (MST) usually exhibit fascinating magnetoresponsive properties, making them an important class of smart materials. However, practical application of this class of smart materials has been hindered by structural degradation as well as large irreversibility of the MST during consecutive thermal and field cycles. Here we report a significant improvement of the reversibility and mechanical stability in grain-oriented MnNiGe-based alloys that were fabricated using a directional solidification method. The preferred grain orientation enables synergistic deformations between neighboring grains during the MST, leading to a substantial reduction in the transition-induced stress concentration. As a result, in situ and ex situ microscopic observations demonstrate a good mechanical stability of the textured alloys across the MST, in strong contrast to conventional MM'X (M, M’ = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni; X = Si, Ge) materials with randomly-oriented grains. The detailed transition stages of the MST have also been observed at the microscopic scale, and are reported for the first time in the MM'X family. Besides, a low thermal hysteresis (ΔThys) of ∼ 4 K was obtained in the textured alloys, which is the lowest ΔThys in the MM'X material family. Textured MnNiGe-based alloys show a large reversible isothermal entropy change (≥ 35.9 Jkg−1K−1) in a 5 T field change, which is the highest among typical magnetocaloric materials. Consequently, this work provides a promising strategy for enhancing the cyclic stability of materials with a MST, which may boost their practical applications in solid-state refrigerators, energy harvesters and high-precision actuators.

Controlled Crystallographic Texture Orientation in Structural Materials Using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process—A Review

Advantages of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process over conventional processing methods include microstructural control capability and complex geometry parts fabrication. For most alloys, the microstructure–property relationship typically guides the LPBF process toward achieving application‐specific properties. Nonetheless, the LPBF process produces a high degree of anisotropy, primarily from the epitaxial preferred grain growth mechanisms during solidification and the consequent highly textured microstructures produced. The crystallographic texture‐controlled build concept through the LPBF process is a material design and processing approach gaining a lot of interest because of the promising unique and superior properties offered by the anisotropy accompanying the LPBF process. The numerous attempts at intentional texture‐controlled building or parts fabrication from structural materials using the LPBF process warrant an up‐to‐date review. Thus, this review presents solidification mechanisms that influence texture evolution during the LPBF process such as the melting mode, melt pool shape, influence of thermal gradient, and solidification rate. Furthermore, this review delves into the influence of LPBF process parameters on texture, accompanying microstructural evolution, and the intentional control of texture effects on properties such as mechanical, corrosion, and oxidation resistance.

Performance of broiler chickens fed compound feeds with various of cereal grains

Maize and wheat are the main cereal forage crops cultivated at a global scale. They are among preferred forage grains for poultry nutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of broiler chickens, whose compound feeds contained either maize, or wheat alone and maize +wheat combination. The experiment was performed with 120 day-old male ROSS hybrid chicks reared on the floor for 49 days. The birds were divided into three groups, each one consisting of two subgroups, as follows: group Е1 – fed forage with maize and wheat; group Е2 – fed forage with wheat and group Е3 – forage with maize. The live weight, feed intake, feed conversion and slaughter traits were investigated. By the 49th day of age, the live weight of chickens from groups Е1 and Е2 fed diet with maize and wheat (35.99%+28%), and only wheat without maize (66%) were the heaviest, 3147.18 g and 3361.32 g, respectively. Chicks from group E3 fed the diet containing only maize (64.12%) without wheat had the lowest average live weight (2587.75 g at Р<0.0001). Wheat, as a single cereal in broiler compound feeds, and its combination with maize had the most beneficial effect on weight gain and feed conversion over the entire fattening period (P<0.001). The improved weight gain of birds fed these diets was accompanied with higher feed intake (P<0.001) compared to birds fed forage with maize only. The slaughter yield and the breast with bone cut increased statistically significantly in the wheat-fed groups (P<0.001).

Microstructural features and corrosion behavior of Inconel 625 components fabricated using Wire and Arc Additively Manufacturing (WAAM)

Wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is the predominant technique to process Nickel-based superalloys due to its low cost and high flexibility. This article discusses the microstructural features and corrosion resistance of two Inconel 625 parts manufactured using the WAAM technique. Using the WAAM process, two single-walled Inconel 625(IN625) components were produced additively for inter-pass layer temperatures (IPT) of 200 °C and 300 °C. The grain size changed with a change in IPTs, according to an investigation using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The preferred grain orientation changed from the texture {001} < 001> to {001} < 101> as the IPT increased. Potentiodynamic polarization was used to evaluate the corrosion behavior. The corrosion rate of the IPT 300 °C sample is 0.007255 mmpy, while the corrosion rate of the IPT 200 °C sample is 0.01315 mmpy. Tafel’s extrapolation technique calculated the corrosion current density and corrosion current potential. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) explored the corroded area, and the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope examined the elemental composition.

Effect of Plastic Deformation and Acidic Solution on the Corrosion Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V ELI Titanium Alloy

This study investigated the tensile deformation of Ti-6Al-4V ELI titanium alloy and its effect on corrosion performance. The results showed that the structural morphology of the samples’ strain levels of 0%, 5%, and 10% had minimal changes under an optical microscope. Further investigation of grain orientation information was conducted using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), revealing that tensile deformation induced grain rotation, resulting in the diversity of originally preferred orientation grains and a decrease in texture strength. A small amount of {10–12}&lt;−1011&gt; extension twinning formed during the tensile deformation process. The electrochemical properties of Ti-6Al-4V ELI samples with different strain levels were evaluated in 3.5% NaCl solution with pH values of 7 and 1.5. The results indicated that both plastic deformation and acidic environments were detrimental to the passivation film on the titanium alloy surface, leading to reduced corrosion resistance.