Solubility Of Cr Research Articles

Adapting high-speed indentation mapping for investigating microstructure-property correlations in chromium carbide-nickel alloy coatings: Challenges and solutions

This study investigates the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of chromium carbide‑nickel rich alloy coatings produced through laser cladding, detonation spraying, and plasma spraying techniques. While all three processing techniques used the same feedstock powder, each method yields coatings with unique microstructures encompassing varying compositions and length scales. Employing Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) in combination with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and nanoindentation mapping, local microstructure and mechanical properties were assessed at the micrometre length scale. Laser-clad coatings exhibit a typical metal matrix composite microstructure with high carbide content, distinct (MoNb)C2 phases, and Fe in the metallic matrix, while the thermal sprayed coatings showed carbides of varying sizes and metallic matrix with varying degrees of chromium dissolved in it. The instrumented indentation technique helped precisely record the microstructural features in all the coatings. Chromium carbide consistently emerges as the hardest phase across all coatings, with variations in metallic matrix hardness. Higher matrix hardness in thermal sprayed coatings correlates with increased Cr content, attributed to extended solid solubility of Cr and the presence of Mo and Nb. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy provided clearer insight into the microstructure. This study highlights a direct one-to-one correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties mapped using instrumented indentation techniques in chromium carbide‑nickel rich coatings across different deposition methods.

Experimental investigation and thermodynamic modelling of WC-Fe-Ni-Co-Cr cemented carbides

This work investigates the effect of Cr addition into the FeCoNi binder phase of the cemented carbides (WC-FeCoNi) using experimental and computational techniques. Liquid phase formation temperatures and C contents of WC-Fe-Ni-Co-Cr alloys were used as experimental results. Based on this, a thermodynamic modelling was conducted on the W-C-Fe-Ni-Co-Cr system using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) approach. Taking into account the experimental and theoretical results, it was shown that the error in the solidus and liquidus temperatures were lower in the database generated in this work in comparison to the commercial thermodynamic databases for steels and cemented carbides. Using the database developed in the present work, the experimental data can be well reproduced.In addition, the maximum solubility of Cr to avoid the formation of Cr-rich carbides was also deduced from this study.

Realizing low thermal conductivity in Cr-doped nanostructured higher manganese silicide

Higher manganese silicides have evolved as an efficient thermoelectric material because of their exceptional thermoelectric performance at intermediate temperatures. In this work, we report the ultralow-thermal conductivity with improved thermoelectric properties of Mn1-xCrxSi1.8 (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1) prepared by induction melting followed by ball milling and uni-axial induction hot-pressing. Bragg diffraction patterns confirmed that the as-synthesized compound belongs to the Mn15Si26 phase along with the solid solubility of Cr in the HMS lattice. In addition, the backscattered electron micrographs revealed the precipitation of excess Si in the HMS matrix, originating from Si-rich stoichiometry. Furthermore, an elevation in electrical conductivity with increasing Cr content has been observed because of its acceptor dopant behaviour at the Mn site. On the contrary, the Seebeck coefficient decreased upon an increase in Cr content, and bulk MnSi1.8 has shown the highest Seebeck coefficient of 220 μV/K at 773 K. Impressively, nanostructuring along with the generated point defects as a result of Cr dopant facilitates an intensified phonon scattering at the nanostructured grain boundaries that results in a very low κtotal of 0.99 W/mK at 773 K for ball-milled Mn0.9Cr0.1Si1.8, leading to an elevated zT of 0.46 at 773 K.

Sustainable carbon sequestration via olivine based ocean alkalinity enhancement in the east and South China Sea: Adhering to environmental norms for nickel and chromium

Enhancing silicate weathering to increase oceanic alkalinity, thereby facilitating the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), is considered a highly promising technique for carbon sequestration. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and potential of olivine-based ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) for the removal of atmospheric CO2 and its storage in seawater as bicarbonates in the East and South China Seas (ESCS). A particular focus is placed on the potential ecological impacts arising from the release of nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) during the olivine weathering process. We considered two extreme scenarios: one where Ni and Cr are entirely retained in seawater, and another where they are completely deposited in sediments. These scenarios respectively represent the maximum permissible concentrations of Ni and Cr in seawater and sediments during the OAE process. Current marine environmental quality standards (EQS) were utilized as the threshold limits for Ni and Cr in both seawater and sediment, with concentrations exceeding these EQS potentially leading to significant adverse effects on marine life. When all released Ni is retained in seawater, the allowable dosage of olivine varies from 0.05 to 13.7 kg/m2 (depending on olivine particle size, temperature, and water depth); when all released Ni is captured by sediment, the permissible addition of olivine ranges from 0.21 to 2.1 kg/m2 (depending on mixing depth). Given the low solubility of Cr, it is not necessary to consider the scenario where Cr exceeds the limit in seawater. The allowable amount of Cr entirely retained in sediments ranges from 0.69 to 47.2 kg/m2.In most scenarios, the accumulation of metals in sediments preferentially exceeds the corresponding threshold value rather than remaining in seawater. Therefore, we recommend using alkalization equipment to fully dissolve olivine before discharging into the sea, enabling a larger-scale application of olivine without significant negative ecological impacts.

Study on eutectic-oxidation coupling reaction of Cr-Zr system in high temperature steam environment

The isothermal steam oxidation behavior of Cr-coated Zr-1Nb alloy at 1350 ℃ and 1400 ℃ was investigated. The temperatures are above the Cr-Zr eutectic temperature. The reliability of the experimental setup and methodology was confirmed by conducting isothermal steam oxidation experiments on bare Zr-1Nb specimens at 1100∼1400 ℃, and the corresponding oxidation kinetics correlation was obtained. After the eutectic-oxidation reaction, the surface of the coated specimens exhibited a “crocodile skin” morphology composed of “ridges” and “hollows”, which was attributed to the non-uniform eutectic reaction. Due to the much higher O affinity of Zr compared to Cr, and the higher solubility of Cr in β-Zr compared to α-Zr(O) and ZrO2, the ZrO2 and α-Zr(O) layers initially grew on the Cr-Zr eutectic during oxidation. Cr continuously diffused inward and eventually precipitated as Cr-rich phases within the metallic matrix. Three types of Cr-rich phases were observed, with varying oxygen content and reflecting the oxidation process of the Cr-rich phases. The Cr-rich phases were ultimately oxidized into a mixture of Cr2O3 and ZrO2. The parabolic weight gain rates for the oxidation of Cr-Zr eutectic are compared with the oxidation kinetics correlation derived from the bare Zr-1Nb specimens, and the model applicability of the oxidation kinetics correlations of Zr alloys in the simulations of Cr-Zr eutectic-oxidation reaction is discussed.

Thermodynamic assessment of the Cr–Si binary system

A thermodynamic evaluation of the Cr–Si system was performed concerning the latest experimental phase diagram and with the aid of first-principles calculations. The thermodynamic parameters for the Gibbs energy of pure Cr were modified based on the new experimental value of 1861 °C for the melting point of pure Cr, which was previously reported as 1907 °C in the SGTE database. The Gibbs energy descriptions of the Cr3Si and Cr5Si3 phases were revised using Cr3(Cr,Si)- and (Cr,Si)5Si3-type two-sublattice models to reproduce the latest experimental results of their solubility composition ranges, that is, Cr3Si extending toward the Cr-rich side and Cr5Si3 extending toward the Si-rich side from the stoichiometry. The CrSi and CrSi2 phases were considered line compounds with no solubility range, and the solubility of Cr in the Si phase was ignored. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters for the Cr–Si system was obtained using the CALPHAD technique. The phase diagrams calculated using the optimized parameters showed reasonable agreement with the latest phase equilibrium data and thermodynamic property data in the literature, including the enthalpy of mixing, formation enthalpy, and chemical potential diagrams of Cr and Si in the equilibrium phases.

Influence of grain size on α′ Cr precipitation in an isothermally aged Fe-21Cr-5Al alloy

Cr-rich α′ precipitation during aging typically leads to hardening and accordingly embrittlement of FeCrAl alloys, which needs to be suppressed. The influence of grain size on α′ precipitation was studied by aging coarse-grained (CG), ultra-fine grained (UFG), and nanocrystalline (NC) ferritic Kanthal-D [KD; Fe-21Cr-5Al (wt.%) alloy] at 450, 500 and 550 °C for 500 h. After aging at 450 and 500 °C, less hardening was observed in the UFG KD than in CG KD. Atom probe tomography indicated a lower number density and larger sized intragranular α′ in the UFG versus the CG alloy. The smaller grain size and higher defect (vacancy and dislocation) density in the UFG KD facilitated diffusion and accordingly enhanced precipitation kinetics, leading to coarsening of precipitates, as well as saturation of precipitation at lower temperatures, as compared to those in CG KD. No hardening occurred in UFG and CG KD after aging at 550 °C, indicating that the miscibility gap is between 500 and 550 °C. NC KD exhibited softening after aging owing to grain growth. α′ precipitation occurred in NC KD aged at 450 °C but not at 500 °C, indicating that miscibility gap is between 450 and 500 °C. Thus, the significantly smaller grain size in NC KD decreased the miscibility gap, as compared to that in CG and UFG KD. This is attributed to the absorption of vacancies by migrating grain boundaries during aging, suppressing α′ nucleation and enhancing Cr solubility.

Role of Cr in Mn-rich precipitates for Al–Mn–Cr–Zr-based alloys tailored for additive manufacturing

Novel alloy concepts enabled via additive manufacturing processes have opened up the possibility of tailoring properties beyond the scope of conventional casting and powder metallurgy processes. The authors have previously presented a novel Al–Mn–Cr–Zr-based alloy system containing three times the equilibrium amounts of Mn and Zr. The alloys were produced via a powder bed fusion-laser beam (PBF-LB) process taking advantage of rapid cooling and solidification characteristics of the process. This supersaturation can then be leveraged to provide high precipitation hardening via direct ageing heat treatments. The hardening is enabled with Zr-rich and Mn-rich precipitates. Literature study confirms that Mn-rich precipitates have a notable solubility of Cr, for example, the Al12Mn precipitate. This study aims to clarify the effect of Cr solubility in the thermodynamics and kinetics simulation and compare the precipitation simulations with samples subject to >1000 h isothermal heat treatment, thus creating an equilibrium-like state. The results show that Cr addition to the precipitates stabilizes the Al12Mn precipitate while slowing the precipitation kinetics thus producing a favourable hardening response. Such observations could be insightful while designing such alloys and optimising heat treatments of the current or even a future alloy system.

Revisiting Open Circuit Corrosion of Cr in Unpurified Molten FLiNaK Salts with a Multi-Modal Approach

Corrosion and mitigation of environmental degradation of structural materials in high-temperature Gen IV molten salt reactors, are critical issues. However, any corrosion studies have historically been forensic post-test examinations and materials development has occurred mainly by trial and error until recently. Meanwhile, a fundamental understanding can only be achieved by recognizing how the corrosion system of model materials in molten fluoride salts evolves as a function of time. A number of in-situ spectroscopy techniques to identify corrosion product compositions in molten salts have been suggested in recent years. Raman, high-temperature UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy are a few of them [1,2]. These techniques' major limitations include the fact that they are mainly qualitative, and complex hardware requiring a beam focusing inside the glove box is needed. At the same time, electrochemical techniques have been presented which can provide the information on behavior of both metal and its corrosion product in the continuously evolving corrosion system in molten salts. However, use of single isolated methods renders it difficult to obtain mechanistic information on instantaneous, time-dependent processes and phenomena during corrosion. These are needs gaps opportunities. In this work we present a detailed electrochemical analysis of the corrosion of polycrystalline chromium at 600°C in FLiNaK over 50 h including an electrochemical analysis of in-situ near-instantaneous corrosion rates corroborated with other methods.A variety of corroborating methods including (1) in-situ electrochemical diagnostic techniques, (2) static immersion exposure with gravimetric and SEM analysis, (3) electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, (4) XRD, (5) ICP-OES, was utilized to study the corrosion behavior in unpurified FLiNaK at 600°C. The focus was to evaluate the viability of using an external non-reactive electrode to measure the concentration of corrosion products via redox process analysis in order to determine the corrosion rate during the process of OCP corrosion of Cr in FLiNaK. This work reports the possibility of using of electrochemical techniques such as CV for the instantaneous determination of Cr corrosion rates when Cr is exposed to a 600oC FLiNaK salts for 50 h. It was found that the concentration of dissolved corrosion products, in the more likely possible forms of CrF3 - and CrF6 3- , might be calculated by established analytical approaches to CV analysis such as Berzins-Delahay (soluble/insoluble) and Randles-Ševcik equations (soluble/soluble). The calculated values showed the definite concentration of Cr(II)/Cr(III) corrosion products at the distance of the external electrode (due to the static corrosion conditions). These finding supported by XRD and ICP-OES. A semi-infinite diffusion model was employed in this study to adjust the calculated concentrations assuming a stagnant solution and diffusion based one-dimensional concentration diffusion profile in order to calculated the Cr(III) concentration at a fixed position in the Cr(III) concentration gradient. It was shown that the semi-infinite diffusion model helps correctly describe this profile between 10 and 50 h, based on the geometry of the working electrode and corrosion cell. Based on these results the OCP corrosion rate was interpreted to switch over 50 h from initially charge transfer control Cr(II) oxidation at early times with likely HF and Cr(III) reduction, followed by mass transport control regulated by a salt film and then possible stifling due to depletion of HF and Cr(III) solubility limits.The results of half-cell redox potentials and peak currents pertaining to oxidation/reduction of Cr corrosion products were correlated to the concentrations of particular Cr species and compared with the results of mass loss experiment and ex-situ ICP-OES of post-exposed FLiNaK. The mass loss of the Cr(II)/Cr(III) metal that was approximated by spatially integrating the concentration profiles at a selected time, and the result of Cr mass loss separately obtained from gravimetric measurements showed a reasonable agreement. Furthermore, the rate of accumulation of Cr ions in the residual FLiNaK salt after 50 h of exposure determined by ICP-OES, correlated with the electrochemical CV and EIS analysis. In addition to this, the oxidation and reduction peak potentials pertaining to Cr/CrF3 - and CrF3 -/CrF6 3- redox reactions (measured on Pt wire) were compared with the OCP (measured on Cr) to provide insights on the predominant anodic and cathodic reactions. Acknowledgments This research was supported as part of the fundamental understanding of transport under reactor extremes (FUTURE), an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences. Utilization of the Malvern-Panalytical Empyrean diffractometer was supported by Nanoscale Materials Characterization Facility with National Science Foundation under award CHE-2102156. References Y. Liu et al., (2020) Corrosion Science. 169 108636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2020.108636.S. Fayfar, et al., (2022). https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-3nspm.

A multi-scale assessment of the impact of salinity on the desorption of chromate from hematite: Sea level rise implications

The solubility and transport of Cr(VI) is primarily controlled by adsorption-desorption reactions at the surfaces of soil minerals such as iron oxides. Environmental properties such as pH, ionic strength, and ion competition are expected to affect the mobility and fate of Cr(VI). Sea level rise (SLR), and consequent seawater intrusion, is creating a new biogeochemical soil environment at coastal margins, potentially impacting Cr(VI) retention at contaminated sites. We employed in-situ ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and DFT calculations to investigate at the molecular level the adsorption of Cr(VI) on the hematite surface and its desorption by sulfate, as a function of pH and ionic strength. We further used a batch experiment to assess Cr(VI) desorption at varying artificial seawater (ASW) concentrations. IR results demonstrate the complexity of Cr(VI) adsorption, showing a combination of monodentate inner-sphere complexation at high pH and dichromate outer-sphere (∼75%) at low pH. The Cr(VI)-complexes exhibited desorption induced by increasing pH values (58% of desorption) and sulfate competition (∼40% desorption). ASW desorbed ∼20% more Cr(VI), even at just 1% concentration. Our findings provide insight into Cr(VI)-adsorption complexation that controls the retention and remobilization of Cr(VI) on Fe-oxide minerals. The results point to an elevated risk of Cr(VI) mobilization in contaminated soils affected by SLR.

Thermodynamic assessment of the Cr–Mo–Si ternary system

Based on the experimental isothermal sections at 1000 and 1200 °C and the liquidus projection from the measurements by the present authors, the Cr–Mo–Si ternary system is thermodynamically assessed using the CALculation of PHAse Diagram method (CALPHAD). The parameters of the thermodynamic descriptions of all the phases in the Cr–Mo–Si ternary system are optimized on the basis of the reported thermodynamic data and the constitution models of the Cr–Mo, the Cr–Si and the Mo–Si terminal binary systems. Two solution phases, liquid and bcc_A2, were described as substitutional solutions. The intermetallic phases, CrSi, CrSi2 and MoSi2, were modeled by two sublattices, (Cr,Mo):Si, (Cr,Mo):Si2 and (Mo,Cr):Si2, respectively, while βCr5Si3 was modeled by three sublattices (Cr,Mo,Si)2:(Cr,Si)3:Cr3. Cr3Si and Mo3Si have the same crystal structure (cP8, Pm-3n) and present a continuous intermetallic phase M3Si with the two sublattice model (Cr,Mo,Si)3:(Cr,Si)1. Similarly, αCr5Si3 and Mo5Si3 with the same crystal structure (tI32, I4/mcm) form a continuous intermetallic phase M5Si3 with the three sublattice model (Cr,Mo)4:(Cr,Mo,Si)1:(Mo,Si)3. Since the very small solubilities of Cr and Mo, the Diamond-Si phase was treated as a pure element phase. Using the current optimized parameters, the isothermal sections, the liquidus projection and the reaction sequence chart are calculated. The comparison between the calculated results and the experimental investigations, including the isothermal sections, the liquidus projection, and the solidification processes of the as cast alloys, shows that the present calculation can well reproduce the experimental equilibria. The present modeling can finely describe the experimental information of the Cr–Mo–Si ternary system.

1H‐Perfluorohexane—An efficient modifier for ethylene tri‐/tetramerization

Silicon‐bridged/N, P (PNSiP) ligand/Cr (III) catalyst system based on different fluorinated hydrocarbons as modifiers have been explored for ethylene selective tri‐/tetramerization. Modifiers like 1H‐Perfluorohexane (1H‐PFH), Hexafluorobenzene (HFB), and Perfluorobiphenyl (PFB) have been proven to show a significant influence on ethylene oligomerization toward 1‐hexene and 1‐octene of the catalytic system. Among them, 1H‐PFH showed the most significant promotion effect in improving activity from 0.95 × 106 g·(mol Cr·h)−1 to as much as 5.66 × 106 g·(mol Cr·h)−1 at high temperature 90°C. Through the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and ultraviolet visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) results, we concluded that 1H‐PFH can react with an amount of trimethylaluminum (TMA) contained in the cocatalyst modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) and the solubility of Cr (III) in solvent can be increased after adding 1H‐PFH. Furthermore, the possible reaction routes of 1H‐PFH with TMA and MMAO were proposed.

Thermal Properties Investigation of FeCr Alloy Using Lammps Simulation: A Preliminary Study

At present, nuclear reactor technology that is widely used because of its proven reliability is the gen-III + nuclear reactor. Even if it is seen from the aspect of safety and reliability of this generation reactor, it has been proven, but because nuclear energy plays a vital role to meet the growing world energy needs, it is necessary to have a type of nuclear reactor that is tailored to those needs.The next generation of nuclear reactors must meet the requirements of fulfilling safety requirements, be flexible, a longer operating life (more than 60 years), more economical. In order for a reactor to produce higher power, a longer operating life and more economical, reactor structure materials which are capable of being operated at high temperatures are needed. The types of materials that are expected to meet these requirements include various types of ferritic / martensite steel, austenite, alloy steel containing nickel, and metal glass materials and ceramic materials. FeCr metal alloys are alloys that form the metals mentioned above, so it is important to conduct research both in simulation and experiment. Molecular Dynamics simulation of FeCr alloys using Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) has been done to explore their thermodynamic characteristics such as heat treatment, solubility of Cr, atomic radial distribution function (RDF). The results of the simulation are illustrated using Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) code.
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Formation kinetics and reaction behavior of pentavalent chromium formed in the cement kiln co-processing of solid waste

Cement kiln co-processing is becoming the main strategy to dispose of hazardous waste containing Cr. A newly-discovered pentavalent Cr compound, which was proved to be formed during cement kiln co-processing of solid waste, is partly responsible for the water-soluble Cr released from the cement. However, the formation characteristics and the solubility of Cr(V) are still unclear to date. In this study, the reaction kinetics and further redox reactions of Cr(V) at high temperature were examined, and its crystal structure and solubility were also explored. At the temperature range of 1000–1200 °C, the formation rate of Ca5(CrO4)3O0.5 reached over 90 % within 10 min, and then slowly increased to near 100 % from 10 min to 10 h. shows that Ca5(CrO4)3O0.5 is formed by interface reaction at an early period, and by diffusion at a later period. The kinetic analysis indicates that Ca5(CrO4)3O0.5 is initially formed through an interface reaction and subsequently through diffusion. Ca5(CrO4)3O0.5 was identified and assigned as hexagonal crystal group (P63/m). Approximately 0.55 g and 0.15 g of Ca5(CrO4)3O0.5 dissolve in neutral water at 100 °C and 50 °C, and the concentrations of Cr(V) in water reach 550 and 150 mg/L, respectively. Additionally, this study finds that at the temperature range of 400–700 °C Ca5(CrO4)3O0.5 can be oxidized into CaCrO4, and at the temperature higher than 1400 °C, it can be further converted into Ca3(CrO4)2 and reduced into CaCr2O4. This study gives a deep insight into Cr oxidation-reduction reaction during thermal treatment of solid waste. These insights provide a comprehensive understanding of Cr oxidation-reduction reactions during the thermal treatment of solid waste, offering valuable guidance for waste management strategies.

Microstructure evolution of as-cast CoNiCrAl bond coat alloys after isothermal heat treatments

In this paper, the microstructure evolution of two as-cast CoNiCrAl bond coat alloys after various isothermal heat treatments were investigated. The CoNiCrAl bond coat alloys were prepared by vacuum induction melting and casting process. The as-cast alloys were subjected to heat treatments from 550 °C to 1300 °C for periods up to 100 h to study the effects of temperature on the microstructure and phase distribution. The microstructure of heat treated CoNiCrAl bond coat alloys was characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). The CoNiCrAl alloys exhibited a two phase γ + β structure, with the β phase acting as the primary phase. It was shown that the precipitation of needle-like secondary γ phase was slow at temperatures below 600 °C but became rapid above 900 °C. It was found that the morphology of the secondary γ phase changed from needle-like to rod-like at 1100 °C. A homogeneous γ + β two phase structure was obtained at 1300 °C even after 2 h heat treatment. It was revealed that the heat treatment temperature had a significant influence on the formation and distribution of the secondary γ phase. In addition, the precipitation of sub-micron Cr-rich particles occurred at 1300 °C in both CoNiCrAl alloys, which was due to the low solubility of Cr in the β phase and rapid coalescence of γ phase at elevated temperatures.

Experimental kinetic study of interdiffusion behavior and intermetallic compound Zr(Fe,Cr)2 formation at the Cr/Zry4 interface under elevated temperatures

Interdiffusion behavior at the Cr-Zr interface under elevated temperatures in Cr-coated Zr-based accident tolerant fuel cladding is a key phenomenon for understanding its microstructural stability during the reactor's long-term operation. The interdiffusion behavior of the Cr/Zircaloy-4 (Zry4) diffusion couple and microstructural evolution at the interface were studied under vacuum conditions in the temperature range 973 K to 1323 K. Results show that interdiffusion results in the formation of a Zr(Fe,Cr)2 intermetallic compound layer irrespective of the annealing temperature. Segregation of Fe in the Zr(Fe,Cr)2 interlayer is confirmed, which is enhanced by annealing temperature within the α-Zr phase temperature regime and dropped greatly within the β-Zr temperature regime. The kinetic growth model for Zr(Fe,Cr)2 is found to follow the parabolic law in both α-Zr and β-Zr phase regions, and the diffusion activation energy (Q) of Cr in Zr(Fe,Cr)2 is determined as 7.23×104Jmol−1 for α-Zr phase annealing. Extrapolation of the diffusion coefficients measured within the α-Zr phase predicts a much lower value within the β-Zr phase compared to the experimental result, indicating that the α→β(Zr) phase transformation promotes the growth rate of Zr(Fe,Cr)2 interlayer formation, likely due to the enhancement in both diffusion ability and solubility of Cr in β-Zr relative to α-Zr. The insights obtained in this study will help to improve the understanding of the cladding's microstructure stability and its related degradation behaviors during practical application.

Experimental investigation and thermodynamic calculation of the Cu–Cr–Ti ternary system

The phase equilibria of the Cu–Cr–Ti ternary system were investigated based on key experiments coupled with thermodynamic modeling. Eighteen ternary alloys were prepared to determine the isothermal sections of the Cu–Cr–Ti system at 600 and 800 °C by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Seven three-phase regions have been determined. A ternary compound τ1 was confirmed. The solubilities of Cr in the Cu–Ti binary compounds and Cu in the Cr–Ti binary compounds were measured. The substitutional and sublattice models were used to describe the solution phases and intermediate phases, respectively. Based on the thermodynamic descriptions of three binary systems as well as the experimental phase equilibria data available from the literature and the present work, thermodynamic assessment of the Cu–Cr–Ti system was carried out using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) approach. A set of thermodynamic parameters was obtained and the isothermal sections and the liquidus projection of the Cu–Cr–Ti system were calculated. The calculated results agree well with the experimental data.

Comparative study of phytoremediation of chromium contaminated soil by Amaranthus viridis in the presence of different chelating agents

Chromium is a harmful heavy metal to the environment due to the toxicity induced by it to plants and other living organisms. High concentration of Cr in soil poses severe toxicological problems ecosystem. Phytoremediation using different plants is an economical and environment-friendly method for removing Cr from soil. The addition of chelating agents augments the phytoextraction using plants.The present study aimed to augment the Cr phytoremediation capacity of Amaranthus virdis, a predominant plant species in the Cr-contaminated open dumpsites of Bangalore. . Phytoextraction of Cr by Amaranthus viridis was studied in the presence of different chelating agents viz. ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid (CA), growth promoting hormone- indoleacetic acid (IAA) and NPK fertiliser. A. viridis grown under different concentrations (5, 10 and 20 mg/Kg) of Cr were treated with 0.5g EDTA/Kg of soil, 0.5g CA/Kg of soil, 1mg IAA/Kg of soil and NPK (125 mg of nitrogen, 45 mg of phosphorous and 156 mg of potassium per Kg of soil). Results indicated that CA, at 10 mg/kg Cr supply, induced the highest uptake (up to 29.25 µg/plant). Furthermore, the study revealed that CA amendment induced maximum Cr uptake in A. viridis at all levels of Cr supply as compared to other amendments. This was due to the increased solubility of Cr in the presence of citric acid and the amelioration of oxidative stress due to Cr to plants by citric acid. This study inferred that the non-hyperaccumulating plant, A. virdis could be used as a phytoremediator for Cr in the presence of citric acid in the places where it is grown abundantly.

Microstructure uniformity control of CuCr alloy prepared in-situ by aluminothermic reduction coupled with permanent magnetic stirring

CuCr alloy with Cr contents of 50 wt% was synthesized in-situ by aluminothermic reduction under magnetic/temperature coupling, and the uniformity of the microstructure and its regulation were studied. The effect of different slagging coefficients on the composition and microstructure uniformity of the alloy was investigated. The microstructural evolution of the alloy and the effects of heat treatment on the microstructure and properties (conductivity and hardness) of as-cast CuCr50 alloys were researched. The results showed that when n(CaO/Al2O3)= 0.2, the microstructure of the alloy is uniform, the Cr-rich phase solidifies rapidly under the coupling field, and the grains can be refined to 25 µm. The supersaturated solid solution with a Cr solution of 2.44 % is produced in the matrix. After heat treatment, the Cr particles are refined to 20 µm and the microstructure tends to exhibit uniform growth. The supersaturated phase was precipitated, and the solid solubility of Cr is reduced to 1.27 %. The hardness increased by 15.43 % (87.5 HB to 101 HB) and the electrical conductivity increased by 1.46 times (13.82 MS/m to 20.03 MS/m). This method is expected to provide an effective method for the preparation of Cu-based immiscible alloys.

Chromium removal from aqueous solution using bimetallic Bi0/Cu0-based nanocomposite biochar.

Chromium (Cr), due to its greater contamination in aquifers and distinct eco-toxic impacts, is of greater environmental concern. This study aimed to synthesize nanocomposites of almond shells biochar (BC) with zerovalent bismuth and/or copper (Bi0/BC, Cu0/BC, and Bi0-Cu0/BC) for the removal of Cr from aqueous solution. The synthesized nanocomposites were investigated using various characterization techniques such as XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and EDX. The Cr removal potential by the nanocomposites was explored under different Cr concentrations (25-100mg/L), adsorbent doses (0.5-2.0g/L), solution pH (2-8), and contact time (10-160min). The above-mentioned advanced techniques verified successful formation of Bi0/Cu0 and their composite with BC. The synthesized nanocomposites were highly effective in the removal of Cr. The Bi0-Cu0/BC nano-biocomposites showed higher Cr removal efficiency (92%) compared to Cu0/BC (85%), Bi0/BC (76%), and BC (67%). The prepared nanocomposites led to effective Cr removal at lower Cr concentrations (25mg/L) and acidic pH (4.0). The Cr solubility changes with pH, resulting in different degrees of Cr removal by Bi0-Cu0/BC, with Cr(VI) being more soluble and easier to adsorb at low pH levels and Cr(III) being less soluble and more difficult to adsorb at high pH levels. The experimental Cr adsorption well fitted with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model (R2 > 0.99) and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Among the prepared nanocomposites, the Bi0-Cu0/BC showed greater stability and reusability. It was established that the as-synthesized Bi0-Cu0/BC nano-biocomposite showed excellent adsorption potential for practical Cr removal from contaminated water.