Two-phase Alloys Research Articles

Multimodal deep learning framework to predict strain localization of Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys

This study proposes a method for predicting three-dimensional (3D) local strain distribution under compressive deformation of as-cast Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys from 3D microstructure images. The 3D local strain distribution was obtained by applying the digital volume correlation method to X-ray CT images before and after compression tests. Three microstructure descriptors were extracted from the 3D microstructure images around each strain measurement point: volume fractions of the phases, persistent diagrams that can express the connectivity of the phases, and two-phase spatial correlation that can express the spatial distribution of the phases. A deep learning model was then constructed to predict local strain from the three microstructure descriptors. Since two types of descriptors were used in this study, numerical data and image data, multimodal deep learning was employed to make predictions. Thus, the use of multiple microstructure descriptors enabled predictions to be made with higher accuracy than when predictions were made from a single descriptor. Feature importance of the descriptors was assessed through correlation analysis and occlusion sensitivity analysis. The results revealed that high strain tended to occur in the region where the hard phase, LPSO phase, had a large elongated phase oriented at a 45° direction to the loading direction. This result is consistent with other previous studies and indicates that the proposed method is effective in elucidating the relationship between the microstructure and the deformation behavior of the material.

Potassium Alloy Reference Electrodes for Potassium-Ion Batteries: The K-In and K-Bi Systems.

Potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are a promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries with reduced critical mineral dependency but accurate three-electrode characterization is hindered by the lack of a suitable reference electrode. Potassium metal is frequently used as a reference electrode out of necessity, but its high reactivity and unstable potential limit its reliability. Here we investigate the K-In and K-Bi alloy systems, synthesize two-phase In-In4K and Bi-Bi2K alloys, and identify Bi-Bi2K as a promising material owing to its stable potential of 1.07 V vs K+/K. We prove the use of Bi-Bi2K as a reference electrode by cycling graphite in three-electrode cells and demonstrate that it results in significantly less electrolyte reduction than potassium metal, facilitating the accurate electrochemical characterization necessary to accelerate KIB development.

Cryogenic Investigations into the Effect of Impact-Oscillatory Loading on Changes in the Mechanical Properties and Structural Condition of VT23M Two-Phase Titanium Alloy.

Impact-oscillatory loading of variable intensity was applied to the VT23M high-strength sheet two-phase titanium alloy in liquid nitrogen. This was carried out to investigate the effect of this loading type on changes in the mechanical properties and structural condition of the alloy upon subsequent static tensioning at normal temperature. Dynamic non-equilibrium process (DNP) realized at a temperature of liquid nitrogen proved to be unable to impair the strength properties of the VT23M titanium alloy compared to room temperature; however, they caused a significant decrease in ductility (down to 16%). The impaired plastic properties of the alloy were shown to entail additional defects in the structural components of the alloy. The authors have found patterns of damage accumulation in the structural components of the alloy depending on the DNP parameters. They are in good agreement with the findings of the fractographic research.

Atomic-scale wear behavior of two-phase TiAl alloys by vibrational horizontal friction

To investigate the influence of vibrational horizontal friction on the microscopic distortion of γ/α2 biphasic TiAl alloys, a molecular dynamics approach was used for simulation by analyzing the mechanical properties, atomic displacements, shear strains, and defect distributions of the substrate in vibrational horizontal friction and conventional friction. The friction force and coefficient of friction in vibrational horizontal friction were found to be less than conventional friction. Vibrational horizontal friction has a shallower depth of abrasion marks and a larger wear area compared to conventional friction. At the same time, this γ/α2 phase boundary changes the direction of motion of the atom so that they move in the same orientation as parallel to the interfacial boundary. Vibrational horizontal friction has a larger strain concentration area than conventional friction. The existent γ/α2 interface impedes the strain transmission so that some of the stresses are concentrated near the interface, and the γ-phase accumulates a large proportion of dislocations, which leads to work-hardening of the material. The slip of the horizontal stacking faults in the vibrational horizontal friction releases internal stresses. The formation of structures such as stacking fault tetrahedrons has a significant strengthening effect on the material.

Understanding the mechanical properties of two-phase nanocrystalline AlCrFeMoNbNi high-entropy alloy evaluated by nanoindentation

Understanding the mechanical properties of two-phase nanocrystalline AlCrFeMoNbNi high-entropy alloy evaluated by nanoindentation

Effect of Electrolysis Conditions on Electrodeposition of Cobalt-Tin Alloys, Their Structure, and Wettability by Liquids.

The aim of this study was a systematic analysis of the influence of anions (chloride and sulfate) on the electrochemical behavior of the Co-Sn system during codeposition from gluconate baths. The pH-dependent multiple equilibria in cobalt-tin baths were calculated using stability constants. The codeposition of the metals was characterized thermodynamically considering the formation of various CoxSny intermetallic phases. The alloys obtained at different potentials were characterized in terms of their elemental (EDS and anodic stripping) and phase compositions (XRD), the development of preferred orientation planes (texture coefficients), surface morphology (SEM), and wettability (water; diiodomethane; surface energy). The mass of the deposits and cathodic current efficiencies were strongly dependent on both the deposition potential and the bath composition. The morphology and composition of the alloys were mainly dependent on the deposition potential, while the effect of the anions was less emphasized. Two-phase alloys were produced at potentials -0.9 V (Ag/AgCl) and lower, and they consisted of a mixture of tetragonal tin and an uncommon tetragonal CoSn phase. The preferential orientation planes of tin grains were dependent on the cobalt incorporation into the deposits and anion type in the bath, while the latter did not affect the preferential orientation plane of the CoSn phase. The surface wettability of the alloys displayed hydrophobicity and oleophilicity originating from the hierarchical porous surface topography rather than the elemental or phase composition. The codeposition of the metals occurs within the progressive nucleation model, but at more electronegative potentials and in the presence of sulfate ions, a transition from progressive to instantaneous nucleation can be possible. This correlated well with the partial polarization curves of the alloy deposition and the texture of the tin phase.

Hydrogenation features of TiZrHfNbTa high-entropy alloy produced by calcium-hydride synthesis

A high-entropy alloy TiZrHfNbTa has been synthesized by a method of the mutual reduction of the higher oxides of corresponding metals with calcium hydride. The alloy structure was characterized and hydrogen absorption properties were studied. The alloy of overall equiatomic composition TiZrHfNbTa consists of two BCC phases with unit cell parameters of 3.419 and 3.328 Å. The distribution of the elements was established as follows: Ti0.21Zr0.24Hf0.24Nb0.25Ta0.06 (BCC-I) and Ti0.15Zr0.05Hf0.10Nb0.08Ta0.62 (BCC-II). The hydrogenation behavior of the alloy under different conditions was thoroughly studied. It was shown that complete hydrogenation resulted in the formation of FCC-type (H/M → 2) and BCT-type hydrides (H/M → 1) from BCC-I and BCC-II, respectively. Under low hydrogen pressure (< 212.8 Torr), BCC-I absorbed up to 0.33 at. H/M within a solid solution without changing the structural type. According the kinetic analysis, this process can be described as a second order reaction with activation energy of 102 kJ/mol. The BCC-I-based solid solution is capable of retaining hydrogen in a deep vacuum at a temperature of 430 °C. The fast kinetics of hydrogen absorption and high thermal stability allow us to suggest the studied two-phase TiZrHfNbTa alloy as a promising getter for vacuum devices.

Severe plastic deformation of two-phase TiNiCuNb shape memory alloy

(Ti54Ni34Cu12)90Nb10 alloy with initial two-phase structure of B19 martensite and β-Nb phase was subjected to high-pressure torsion (HPT) process at room temperature. HPT leads to the formation of nanocrystalline bands of β-Nb phase alternating with amorphous matrix. Nanocrystalline debris of B2 phase was found to be embedded into the amorphous matrix. Refinement of β-Nb phase upon HPT is much greater compared to that for pure Nb alloy.

Peritectic solidification patterns in the Zn–Ag system captured in three- and four-dimensions

Microstructure selection in two-phase peritectic alloys has been a long-standing topic of fundamental importance. The bicontinuous microstructures arising from peritectic solidification have presented significant challenges for analysis due (in part) to our reliance on two-dimensional (2D) sections, which limits our ability to interpret the full three-dimensional (3D) complexity. Additionally, understanding growth mechanisms based solely on postmortem data has proven to be challenging because the extent of the solid-state peritectic transformation is unknown. Here, we employed X-ray imaging techniques to acquire detailed 3D data and visualize in real-time the dynamics of peritectic solidification in a model system of composition Zn-9.53 wt.% Ag. This paper offers a detailed examination of the origin of two-phase (Zn) + AgZn3 microstructures during directional solidification: specifically, our work investigates the influence of velocity, thermal gradient, and sample size on microstructure selection, namely, rod-like, singly-banded, and multiply-banded structures. Importantly, we find at low velocities V (0.07–0.1 μm/s) and a low thermal gradient G (3 K/mm) the emergence of peritectic (Zn) channels, interwoven within and between primary AgZn3 columnar grains. While these microstructures are suggestive of coupled growth morphologies, real-time imaging proves that the two solids are instead decoupled at the growth front. Meanwhile, at thermal gradients 10× higher, we observe a partially dendritic and partially banded structure that has not been reported before, to the best of our knowledge. We initiate a discussion on the formation of such structures, with broad implications to a wide range of metallic, semi-metallic, and organic peritectic alloys.

Grain Boundary Precipitation and Self-Organization in Two-Phase Alloys Under Irradiation: Phase Field Simulations and Experiments in Al-Sb

Grain Boundary Precipitation and Self-Organization in Two-Phase Alloys Under Irradiation: Phase Field Simulations and Experiments in Al-Sb

Preparation of a hard AlTiVCr compositionally complex alloy by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis

In this study, an AlTiVCr compositionally complex alloy with a high hardness of 865 ± 34 HV was prepared by a one-step self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method using TiO2, V2O5, Cr2O3, and Al as starting materials. Experimental results confirmed the formation of a two-phase alloy having BCC solid solution dendritic grains reinforced by a Ti-rich intermetallic phase. Elemental analysis results confirmed that the Ti at.% in the synthesized alloy was lower than other elements. The addition of extra TiO2 to the reactants, pre-milling of the TiO2-Al mixture, and using the Rutile polymorph of TiO2 instead of Anatase as the starting material increased the atomic percent of Ti. The composition of the proper synthesized alloy was formulated as Al27.3Ti17.2V28.7Cr26.8 which is close to the desired AlTiVCr alloy. To clarify the reaction sequence during the SHS, the binary mixtures were analyzed by thermal analysis. It was postulated that the melting of Al facilitated the reduction reaction of Cr2O3 and VxOy compounds, while TiO2 was the last oxide compound reduced by Al. This hindered the completion of the TiO2 reduction reaction and as a consequence, the unreacted TiO2 entered the slag which lowered the concentration of Ti in the composition of the final alloy.

Temperature induced strengthening in TiNiCuNb shape memory alloy

Mechanical behavior of two-phase (Ti54Ni34Cu12)90Nb10 alloy with B2–B19–B19’ martensitic transformation types was studied by tensile test in wide temperature range. A temperature-dependent stress diagram was obtained based on experimental data, from which the influence of temperature on the different critical stresses was determined. It was shown that the increasing in testing temperature leads to the increasing in dislocation yield of martensite and ultimate fracture stresses, while the dislocation yielding stresses of austenite are stabilized. It was proposed that the phase hardening caused by difference in thermal expansion coefficients between B19 and β-Nb phases may be a possible reason for the temperature induced strengthening. High dislocation density near B19/β-Nb interface supports this assumption.

First-principles calculation of phase transitions and mechanical properties of (CoCrNi)100−xAlx (0 ≤ x ≤ 28 at. %) high-entropy alloys

In the two-phase high-entropy alloys (HEAs) (i.e., FCC, BCC), the modulation of the BCC phase is crucial for improving the mechanical properties of FCC-type HEAs. The stability of the phase of (CoCrNi)100−xAlx (0 ≤ x ≤ 28 at. %) HEAs is studied using first-principles calculations. The Al content on the phase transition of CoCrNi HEAs is discussed. The theoretical values of lattice parameter a (x) increase with increasing Al concentration, which is consistent with the earlier experimental findings. The crystal structure transitions from the FCC to BCC crystal structure as the Al content increases. At x &amp;lt; 11.8 at. %, Al alloying lowers the elastic stability of the BCC and FCC phases, whereas excessive Al doping causes the FCC phase to BCC phase transition (x &amp;gt; 21.4 at. %). The crystal structure has an ideal mix phase of BCC and FCC at x = 18.8 at. %, which results in excellent strength-ductility synergy of HEAs. There is a phase transition point at x = 11.8 at. %, where there may be a competition between phase transition and dislocation nucleation, which improves strength. The work in this paper provides new ideas for the design of future high-performance duplex phase HEAs.

Microstructure and thermoelectric properties of as-cast Ag2Te/AgBiTe2 and Ag2Te/Bi2Te3 two-phase alloys

The microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Ag2Te/AgBiTe2/Bi2Te3 eutectic alloys in the Ag-Bi-Te system were investigated in the present study. A self-consistent, thermodynamically optimized database of the Ag-Bi-Te system was developed to explain the microstructural features in the investigated alloys. Samples namely B0 (Bi2Te3 – 0 at.% Ag), B1 (Bi2Te3 – 5 at.% Ag), B2 (Bi2Te3 – 18.35 at.% Ag), B3 (Bi2Te3 – 28.35 at.% Ag), and B4 (Bi2Te3 – 38.35 at.% Ag) were synthesized by flame melting. Scanning electron micrographs of alloys reveal lamellar eutectic structures in which alloys B1 and B2 exhibit two distinct phases, consisting of β-Bi2Te3 and AgBiTe2, whereas alloys B3 and B4 display phase compositions corresponding to Ag2Te and AgBiTe2 phases. The X-ray diffraction reveals that the solidified alloys have hexagonal (AgBiTe2, Bi2Te3) and cubic β-Ag2Te crystal structures. The Scheil cooling calculations of these alloys using the developed thermodynamic database explain the microstructural features of the alloys. Furthermore, the mechanical characteristics of eutectic alloys B1 and B3 demonstrated improved hardness values, measuring 1.1 GPa and 1.2 GPa, respectively. Moreover, the transport characteristics show favourable attributes for thermoelectrics in high-temperature applications. It is important to highlight that all these alloys showcase transport properties that are highly advantageous for thermoelectrics. Notably, alloy B2 distinguishes itself with a remarkable ZT value of 0.42 at 540 K.

A method for crystallographic mapping of an alpha-beta titanium alloy with nanometre resolution using scanning precession electron diffraction and open-source software libraries.

An approach for the crystallographic mapping of two-phase alloys on the nanoscale using a combination of scanned precession electron diffraction and open-source python libraries is introduced in this paper. This method is demonstrated using the example of a two-phaseα/β titanium alloy. The data were recorded using a direct electron detector to collect the patterns, and recently developed algorithms to perform automated indexing and analyse the crystallography from the results. Very high-quality mapping is achieved at a 3nm step size. The results show the expected Burgers orientation relationships between the α laths and β matrix, as well as the expected misorientations betweenα laths. A minor issue was found that one area was affected by 180° ambiguities in indexing occur due to this area being aligned too close to a zone axis of the α with twofold projection symmetry (not present in 3D) in the zero-order Laue Zone, and this should be avoided in data acquisition in the future. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates a good workflow for the analysis of nanocrystalline two- or multi-phase materials, which will be of widespread use in analysing two-phase titanium and other systems and how they evolve as a function of thermomechanical treatments.

Thermal deformation behavior investigation of Ti–10V–5Al-2.5fe-0.1B titanium alloy based on phenomenological constitutive models and a machine learning method

The two-phase titanium alloy Ti–10 V–5Al-2.5Fe-0.1 B was taken as the experimental material, and thermal compression experiments were carried out at a deformation temperature of 770–920 °C and a strain rate of 0.0005–0.5 s−1. An Arrhenius model, a modified Johnson-Cook model, and an improved BP neural network model based on the sparrow search algorithm (SSA-BP) model were established to predict the high temperature rheological stress of the alloy. A comparison of the prediction accuracy of the three models was made. When the partial random data in the rheological curves was used for model building and relatively independent data were used for predicting the rheological stress, the SSA-BP model had higher prediction accuracy, which exhibits the highest mean square correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.9992 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and average absolute relative error (AARE) values of 1.3031, and 2.0947 %, respectively. The ability of three models to predict the rheological stress for the new process parameters was verified. Results show that the SSA-BP model still has better prediction ability, which exhibits the highest mean square correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.9720 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and average absolute relative error (AARE) values of 5.0099, and 6.0382 %, respectively. The predicted values of SSA-BP for the rheological stress were used to construct the hot processing map. Results show that the trend of the power dissipation factor (η) value from the hot processing map predicted by SSA-BP can well agree with the microstructure evolution of the alloy.

Effect of microstructure on the deformation of as-cast [formula omitted]-Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys: An integrated SEM-DIC and crystal plasticity study

The present work investigates the plastic deformation of as-cast Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys with varying LPSO phase volume fractions through a combination of SEM-DIC and CPFE simulations. To this end, the same microstructures observed experimentally were numerically deformed and the predicted strain fields were compared to the experimental ones. The reasonable agreement between the simulations and the experiments confirmed that basal slip in LPSO grains is the prevalent deformation mechanism. Besides, analysis of the experimental strain field in LPSO grains suggested that the relevant length scales governing the strength of basal and non-basal slip in LPSO grains were the LPSO length parallel to the basal plane and the LPSO width perpendicular to it. Finally, discrepancies in terms non-basal slip activity were suggested to be due to an overestimation of the strength of prismatic slip combined with the omission of first-order pyramidal slip in the modeling hypotheses. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between microstructure and deformation mechanisms in Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys. It emphasizes the importance of considering multiple slip modes and accurate CRSS values when modeling such systems. Additionally, it highlights the valuable insights that can be gained through a combination of experimental and computational approaches in understanding localized strain behavior.

Contributions of multimodal microstructure in the deformation behavior of extruded Mg alloys containing LPSO phase

The unique control mechanisms of the plastic deformation of two-phase extruded alloy composed of Mg and long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase were clarified by comparison with those of other Mg solid-solution alloys, focusing on the question “why do the Mg/LPSO two-phase alloys exhibit both large elongation and high strength?”. The stress-strain curves for each grain in the alloys could be imaginary estimated using neutron diffraction analysis during the tensile test. The results demonstrate that the deformation behaviors of the worked and recrystallized grains are significantly different in all the Mg-extruded alloys owing to the strong plastic anisotropy in Mg with hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. Therefore, the deformation behavior is controlled by a composite-like deformation mechanism, even in single-phase Mg solid-solution alloys. In Mg-Y-Zn ternary alloys, the recrystallized Mg grains exhibited significant lattice softening at the initial stage of yielding owing to the escape of basal dislocations from the Y/Zn dragging atmosphere. However, the worked grains acted as strengthening components. In the Mg/LPSO two-phase alloy, the composite-like deformation behavior was enhanced, and the LPSO phase significantly contributed to the strengthening of the alloy. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the LPSO phase contributes not only to the alloy's strength but also to its elongation by increasing the work-hardening rate. We proposed the new concept “Anisotropic Mechanical property-Induced Ductilization (AMID)” by multimodal microstructure, to explain this phenomenon. As the physical origin for inducing AMID, kink-band strengthening in the LPSO phase is believed to be one of the reasons for the increase in the work-hardening rate of the extruded LPSO-phase grains in the Mg/LPSO two-phase alloy, resulting in an improved ductility.

Precision machining performance and mechanism of Ni/Ni3Al alloy under cryogenic temperature

Nickel-based superalloys are extensively used in extreme environments due to their excellent mechanical properties, which are attributed to the large volume fraction of the γ' phase. However, the manufacturing process of these alloys is still challenging and can be improved by cryogenic machining. Despite numerous experimental studies on this topic, experimental methods are not sufficient to analyze the ultra-precision machining of Ni-based alloys at low temperatures. There is a lack of mechanistic understanding of the low-temperature nano-cutting process of Ni-based alloys. Thus, we performed a simulation analysis of cryogenic nano-cutting on a Ni/Ni3Al alloy using molecular dynamics (MD). We investigated the stability of cutting forces and microstructural evolution of this two-phase single-crystal alloy. We found that appropriate low temperatures can significantly improve the cutting performance of Ni/Ni3Al two-phase single-crystal alloy. Specifically, we found that the stability of cutting at 123 K is the best for workpiece A, while the cutting stability at 173 K is the best for workpiece B. Additionally, we calculated the machined surface roughness and precision. The minimum surface roughness is observed at 123 K in workpiece A, followed by 223 K. In workpiece B, the minimum roughness is observed at 223 K, while the roughness at 123 K is considerably higher compared to other temperature levels. This study outlines a reference method for determining the optimal temperature during the material removal process. This approach is significant as it helps in understanding the micro-removal mechanism of Ni-based alloys better.

Structural Stability of Titanium-Based High-Entropy Alloys Assessed Based on Changes in Grain Size and Hardness

The thermal stability of the grain structure and mechanical properties of the high-entropy two-phase TiCoCrFeMn alloy produced by powder metallurgy, assessed based on microhardness measurements, was analyzed in this work. For this purpose, material obtained via sintering using the U-FAST method was subjected to long-term heating at a temperature of 1000 °C for up to 1000 h in an argon atmosphere. For homogenization times of 1, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 1000 h, grain size changes in the identified phase components of the matrix were assessed, and microhardness measurements were conducted using the Vickers method. It has been shown that the changes in the analyzed parameters are closely correlated with non-monotonic modifications in the chemical composition. It was found that the tested alloy achieved structural stability after 100 h of annealing. A stable grain size was obtained in the BCC solid solution of approximately 2 µm and the two-phase BCC+C14 mixture of roughly 0.4 µm. Long-term heating for up to 1000 h caused the grain structure to grow to 2.7 µm and 0.7 µm, respectively, with a simultaneous decrease in hardness from 1065 HV to 1000 HV. The chromium and titanium diffusion coefficient values responsible for forming the BCC solid solution and the Laves C14 phase, including the material matrix, were also determined at this level to be DCr = 1.28 × 10−19 (m2·s−1) and DTi = 1.04 × 10−19 (m2·s−1), demonstrating the sluggish diffusion effect typical of high-entropy alloys.