Yield Strength Research Articles

Non-Destructive Hardness Indentation Measurement of Residual Stress on Large Aerospace Forged Components at the Engineering Site Based on Impact Hardness Tester.

Large forgings are crucial in aerospace applications; however, the residual stresses generated during their forming and heat treatment seriously affect their serviceability. Therefore, the non-destructive detection of residual stresses in large forgings is of far-reaching significance for ensuring the quality of forgings and realising precision machining. Although a variety of detection methods are available, there is still a lack of a programme that can comprehensively, accurately and non-destructively measure the residual stresses in large forgings. This study is dedicated to exploring the application of the bouncing impact indentation method in the non-destructive testing of residual stresses in large forgings. Through in-depth finite element simulations and orthogonal scheme analyses, we found that the elastic modulus, yield strength and work hardening indexes have significant effects on the impact indentation process. Further, we establish the dimensionless function of residual stress and indentation parameters, and successfully obtain the inversion algorithm of residual stress. The relative error of the calculated values of the indentation curves hm and hr in the simulation with reference values is not more than 3%, and the relative error of the corrected Pm inversion values for most virtual materials is not more than 5%. The folding elastic modulus and apparent elastic modulus obtained by inversion are controlled within 10%, which demonstrates a high value for engineering applications. In addition, we innovatively express the research results in the form of 3D stress diagrams, realising the digital expression of 3D residual stresses in large forgings based on feature point measurements and contour surface configurations, which provides intuitive and comprehensive data support for engineering practice.

Laser Welding of ARMOX 500T Steel.

The article describes the results of the study on laser welding of armor plates with a nominal thickness of 3.0 mm. The plates were made of Armox 500T steel characterized by a hardness of up to 540 HB, a minimum yield strength of 1250 MPa, an ultimate strength of up to 1750 MPa, and an elongation A5 minimum of 8%. The laser used for the welding tests was a solid state Yb:YAG laser. The influence of basic parameters such as laser output power, welding speed, and focal plane position on the weld geometry was determined during bead-on-plate welding tests. The optimal conditions for butt joint welding were determined, and the test joints were subjected to mechanical and impact tests, metallographic analysis, and hardness measurements. It has been shown that it is possible to laser weld Armox 500T armor plates, and at the same time it is possible to provide high quality butt joints, but this requires precise selection of welding parameters. A decrease in HAZ hardness of about 22-35% in relation to the hardness of the base material, ranging from 470 to 510 HV0.2, was found. The ultimate tensile strength of the test joints was approx. 20% lower than the Armox 500T steel. The bending tests revealed the low plasticity of the tested joints because the bending angle was just 25-35°. The results of Charpy V-notch test revealed that the impact toughness of the weld metal at -20 °C was approx. 30% lower than at room temperature.

Second phase and matrix texture evolution influence mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Al composite plate by HPR with annealing temperature

Annealing treatment can determine the quality of heterogeneous composite plate by regulating the matrix and interface structures and interlayer bonding ability. Al-Mg-Al composite plate was used as an example. Al-Mg-Al composite plate was rolled with 50 % reduction by hard plate rolling. After that, it was annealed at 250 ℃, 300 ℃, 350 ℃ and 400 ℃ for one hour respectively. Through microstructure observation and performance test, the results show that the reaction phases of Al3Mg2 and Al12Mg17 were formed at the interface during annealing treatment. As the temperature continued to climb, yield strength and elongation after fracture of Al-Mg-Al composite plate showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, in addition, the tensile strength gradually decreased. As temperature reached 300 °C, its performance reached the best, the tear strength increased to 0.367 KN, and yield strength and elongation reached 172 MPa and 14.5 %, respectively. The study showed that although annealing temperature didn't change types of texture configuration of magnesium alloy, it affected the grain growth, resulting in the change of base surface texture and the overall performance of heterogeneous composite plate. This research provides a theoretical basis for precise regulation of microstructure and comprehensive performance of heterogeneous composite plate by annealing treatment.

Comparative Study of Room and Cryogenic Deformation Behavior of Additive Manufactured Ti–6Al–4V Alloy

The microstructural evolution and underlaying deformation behavior of Ti–6Al–4V alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF‐Ti64) during room (RT) and cryogenic (CT: −150 °C) temperature are systematically investigated. LPBF‐Ti64 exhibits significantly higher strength at CT (yield strength [YS]: 1339 MPa, ultimate compressive strength [UCS]: 1982 MPa) as compared to RT (YS: 1013 MPa, UCS: 1690 MPa) with reduction in fracture strain. To probe the deformation mechanisms responsible for exceptionally higher strength at CT, LPBF‐Ti64 alloy is compressed to 10% strain at both temperatures and the underlaying strengthening mechanisms are investigated. Dislocation strengthening is emphasized to be the major strengthening mechanisms (1166/1359 MPa for RT‐10 and CT‐10, respectively). The significantly higher dislocation density at CT (3.73 1016 m−2 for CT‐10 and 2.9 1016 m−2 for RT‐10) is attributed to the restricted dislocation movement at low temperature, whereas dislocation nucleation during further deformation will multiply the dislocations interlocking and pinning, hence resulting in higher strength.

Novel Class of Crystal/Glass Ultrafine Nanolaminates with Large and Tunable Mechanical Properties.

The control of local heterogeneities in metallic glasses (MGs) represents an emerging field to improve their plasticity, preventing the propagation of catastrophic shear bands (SBs) responsible for the macroscopically brittle failure. To date, a nanoengineered approach aimed at finely tuning local heterogeneities controlling SB nucleation and propagation is still missing, hindering the potential to develop MGs with large and tunable strength/ductility balance and controlled deformation behavior. In this work, we exploited the potential of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to synthesize a novel class of crystal/glass ultrafine nanolaminates (U-NLs) in which a ∼4 nm thick crystalline Al separates 6 and 9 nm thick Zr50Cu50 glass nanolayers, while reporting a high density of sharp interfaces and large chemical intermixing. In addition, we tune the morphology by synthesizing compact and nanogranular U-NLs, exploiting, respectively, atom-by-atom or cluster-assembled growth regimes. For compact U-NLs, we report high mass density (∼8.35 g/cm3) and enhanced and tunable mechanical behavior, reaching maximum values of hardness and yield strength of up to 9.3 and 3.6 GPa, respectively. In addition, we show up to 3.6% homogeneous elastoplastic deformation in compression as a result of SB blocking by the Al-rich sublayers. On the other hand, nanogranular U-NLs exhibit slightly lower yield strength (3.4 GPa) in combination with enhanced elastoplastic deformation (∼6%) followed by the formation of superficial SBs, which are not percolative even at deformations exceeding 15%, as a result of the larger free volume content within the cluster-assembled structure and the presence of crystal/glass nanointerfaces, enabling to accommodate SB events. Overall, we show how PLD enables the synthesis of crystal/glass U-NLs with ultimate control of local heterogeneities down to the atomic scale, providing new nanoengineered strategies capable of deep control of the deformation behavior, surpassing traditional trade-off between strength and ductility. Our approach can be extended to other combinations of metallic materials with clear interest for industrial applications such as structural coatings and microelectronics (MEMS and NEMS).

Characterization of compressive fatigue behavior and acoustic emission analysis of Ti6Al4V cellular lattice materials fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

AbstractThis study investigates the mechanical properties and fatigue performance of Ti6Al4V cellular lattice materials (CLMs) featuring five distinct unit cell types (BCC‐Z, BCC, Octet, Truncated cuboctahedron [TCO], and Trabecular) at a relative density of 25%. Compression tests were conducted to assess static properties, including Young's modulus and yield strength. Subsequently, compression–compression fatigue tests (R = 0.1) were performed to evaluate fatigue behavior. Acoustic emission analysis was employed during static and fatigue tests to explore the potential for failure prediction. Results reveal that BCC‐Z and TCO exhibit slightly higher Young's moduli, surpassing 20 GPa, while BCC, Octet, and Trabecular display moduli ranging from 6 to 12 GPa. Regarding normalized fatigue behavior, BCC‐Z demonstrates superior fatigue resistance, followed by TCO. Notably, the acoustic emission parameters significantly correlate with the unit cell type. Lastly, a strong relationship between the initiation of failure and changes in acoustic emission parameters is observed, establishing a meaningful link between the static and fatigue curves and acoustic emission results.

A Reliability Assessment Method for Natural Gas Pipelines with Corroded Defects That Considers Detection Cycles

With the development of natural gas pipelines, the proportion of aged pipelines in service has been increasing, and corrosion remains a primary cause of pipeline failure. Regular inspections and reliability assessments are crucial to ensure the safe operation of pipelines. This study investigated an efficient reliability assessment method for corroded pipelines that considers in-line inspection intervals. First, this study compared the commonly used limit state equations for corrosion defects to select one suitable for X80-grade steel pipelines. Additionally, a Tail-Fit Monte Carlo Simulation (TF-MCS) algorithm was proposed to improve the computational speed by 30 times compared to traditional Monte Carlo simulations. Then, this study explored the inspection intervals used for reliability assessments of corroded pipelines. Finally, the parameter sensitivity was analyzed considering the yield strength, maximum operating pressure, and pipe diameter. This study ensures the reliable operation of corroded gas pipelines.

Finite Element Analysis of the Mechanical Response for Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Batteries with the Double-Layer Windings

The plastic properties for the jellyroll of lithium-ion batteries showed different behavior in tension and compression, showing the yield strength in compression being several times higher than in tension. The crushable foam models were widely used to predict the mechanical responses to compressive loadings. However, since the compressive characteristic is dominant in this model, it is difficult to identify distributions of the yield strength in tension. In this study, a simplified jellyroll model consisting of double-layer windings was devised to reflect different plastic characteristics of a jellyroll, and the proposed model was applied to an 18650 cylindrical battery under compressive loading conditions. One winding adopted the crushable foam model for representing the compressive plastic behavior, and the other winding adopted the elastoplastic models for tracking the tensile plastic behavior. The material parameters in the crushable foam model were calibrated by comparing the simulated force–displacement curve with the experimental one for the case where the cell was crushed between two plates when the punch was displaced by 7 mm. A specific cut-off value (10 MPa) was assigned to a yield stress limit in the elastoplastic model. Further, the computational model was validated with two more loading cases, a cylindrical rod indentation and a spherical punch indentation, as the punch was displaced by 6.3 mm and 6.5 mm, respectively. For three loading cases, deformed configurations and plastic strain distributions were investigated by finite element analysis. It was found that the proposed model clearly provides the plastic behavior both in compression and tension. For the crush simulation, the maximum compressive stress approached 222 MPa in the middle of the jellyroll, and the maximum effective plastic strain approached 60% in the middle of the layered roll. For indentation with the cylindrical and the spherical punch, the maximum effective plastic strain approached 52% and 277% in the layered roll, respectively. The local crack or location of a short circuit could be predicted from the maximum effective plastic strain.

A Reliability Assessment Method for Natural Gas Pipelines with Corroded Defects That Considers Detection Cycles

With the development of natural gas pipelines, the proportion of aged pipelines in service has been increasing, and corrosion remains a primary cause of pipeline failure. Regular inspections and reliability assessments are crucial to ensure the safe operation of pipelines. This study investigated an efficient reliability assessment method for corroded pipelines that considers in-line inspection intervals. First, this study compared the commonly used limit state equations for corrosion defects to select one suitable for X80-grade steel pipelines. Additionally, a Tail-Fit Monte Carlo Simulation (TF-MCS) algorithm was proposed to improve the computational speed by 30 times compared to traditional Monte Carlo simulations. Then, this study explored the inspection intervals used for reliability assessments of corroded pipelines. Finally, the parameter sensitivity was analyzed considering the yield strength, maximum operating pressure, and pipe diameter. This study ensures the reliable operation of corroded gas pipelines.

Multi-material structures of Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al4V-B4C through directed energy deposition-based additive manufacturing

The demand for advanced materials has driven innovation in titanium alloy design, particularly in the aerospace, automotive, and biomedical sectors. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the construction of multi-material structures, offering potential improvements in mechanical properties such as wear resistance and high-temperature capabilities, thus extending the service life of components such as Ti6Al4V. Directed energy deposition (DED)-based metal AM was used to manufacture radial multi-material structures with a Ti6Al4V (Ti64) core and a Ti6Al4V-5 wt.% B4C composite outer layer. X-ray diffraction analysis and microstructural observation suggest that distinct B4C particles are strongly attached to the Ti6Al4V matrix. The addition of B4C increased the average hardness from 313 HV for Ti6Al4V to 538 HV for the composites. The addition of 5 wt.% B4C in Ti6Al4V increased the average compressive yield strength (YS) to 1440 MPa from 972 MPa for the control Ti6Al4V, i.e., >48% increase without any significant change in the elastic modulus. The radial multi-material structures did not exhibit any changes in the compressive modulus compared to Ti6Al4V but displayed an increase in the average compressive YS to 1422 MPa, i.e., >45% higher compared to Ti6Al4V. Microstructural characterization revealed a smooth transition from the pure Ti6Al4V at the core to the Ti64-B4C composite outer layer. No interfacial failure was observed during compressive deformation, indicating a strong metallurgical bonding during multi-material radial composite processing. Our results demonstrated that a significant improvement in mechanical properties can be achieved in one AM build operation through designing innovative multi-material structures using DED-based AM.

Multi-material structures of Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al4V-B4C through directed energy deposition-based additive manufacturing

The demand for advanced materials has driven innovation in titanium alloy design, particularly in the aerospace, automotive, and biomedical sectors. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the construction of multi-material structures, offering potential improvements in mechanical properties such as wear resistance and high-temperature capabilities, thus extending the service life of components such as Ti6Al4V. Directed energy deposition (DED)-based metal AM was used to manufacture radial multi-material structures with a Ti6Al4V (Ti64) core and a Ti6Al4V-5 wt.% B4C composite outer layer. X-ray diffraction analysis and microstructural observation suggest that distinct B4C particles are strongly attached to the Ti6Al4V matrix. The addition of B4C increased the average hardness from 313 HV for Ti6Al4V to 538 HV for the composites. The addition of 5 wt.% B4C in Ti6Al4V increased the average compressive yield strength (YS) to 1440 MPa from 972 MPa for the control Ti6Al4V, i.e., >48% increase without any significant change in the elastic modulus. The radial multi-material structures did not exhibit any changes in the compressive modulus compared to Ti6Al4V but displayed an increase in the average compressive YS to 1422 MPa, i.e., >45% higher compared to Ti6Al4V. Microstructural characterization revealed a smooth transition from the pure Ti6Al4V at the core to the Ti64-B4C composite outer layer. No interfacial failure was observed during compressive deformation, indicating a strong metallurgical bonding during multi-material radial composite processing. Our results demonstrated that a significant improvement in mechanical properties can be achieved in one AM build operation through designing innovative multi-material structures using DED-based AM.

On Strain-Hardening Behavior and Ductility of Laser Powder Bed-Fused Ti6Al4V Alloy Heat-Treated above and below the β-Transus.

Laser powder bed-fused Ti6Al4V alloy has numerous applications in biomedical and aerospace industries due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. The brittle α'-martensite laths confer both the highest yield and ultimate tensile strengths; however, they result in low elongation. Several post-process heat treatments must be considered to improve both the ductility behavior and the work-hardening of as-built Ti6Al4V alloy, especially for aerospace applications. The present paper aims to evaluate the work-hardening behavior and the ductility of laser powder bed-fused Ti6Al4V alloy heat-treated below (704 and 740 °C) and above (1050 °C) the β-transus temperature. Microstructural analysis was carried out using an optical microscope, while the work-hardening investigations were based on the fundamentals of mechanical metallurgy. The work-hardening rate of annealed Ti6Al4V samples is higher than that observed in the solution-heat-treated alloy. The recrystallized microstructure indeed shows higher work-hardening capacity and lower dynamic recovery. The Considère criterion demonstrates that all analyzed samples reached necking instability conditions, and uniform elongations (>7.8%) increased with heat-treatment temperatures.

Study of the effects on the Strengthening Mechanism and Wear Behavior of Wear-Resistant Steel of Temperature Controlling in Heat Treatment

To improve the wear resistance of the materials used for blades in engineering machinery, this study focused on the microstructural characteristics, mechanical properties, and wear behavior of HB500 grade wear-resistant steel developed using an optimized heat treatment system. To improve the temperature uniformity of the heat treatment furnace, the method of cyclic heating was used to heat the components. Carefully designing the quenching equipment, such as using a cross-shaped press, was employed to enhance the quenching effect and reduce the deformation of the steel plates. The crystal orientation analysis revealed a uniform and fine-grained microstructure, primarily characterized by plate-type tempered martensite, which indicated a good hardenability. The microstructure observations showed that the width of martensite is approximately 200 nm, with a significant presence of dislocations and carbides. Tensile tests and multi-temperature gradient impact tests indicated superior mechanical properties compared to similar grade wear-resistant steels, including a Rockwell hardness of 53, tensile strength of 1610 MPa, yield strength of 1404 MPa, and total elongation around 12.7%. The results of friction and wear experiments indicate that the wear rate decreases as the load increases from 100 N to 300 N, demonstrating an excellent wear resistance under a large load. Observations of the worn surfaces indicated that the wear mainly involved adhesive wear, fatigue wear, and oxidative wear. The properties’ improvements were attributed to microstructure refinement and precipitation strengthening. This study indicates that designing a heat treatment system to control temperature uniformity and stability is feasible.

Study of the Effects on the Strengthening Mechanism and Wear Behavior of Wear-Resistant Steel of Temperature Controlling in Heat Treatment.

To improve the wear resistance of the materials used for blades in engineering machinery, this study focused on the microstructural characteristics, mechanical properties, and wear behavior of HB500 grade wear-resistant steel developed using an optimized heat treatment system. To improve the temperature uniformity of the heat treatment furnace, the method of cyclic heating was used to heat the components. Carefully designing the quenching equipment, such as using a cross-shaped press, was employed to enhance the quenching effect and reduce the deformation of the steel plates. The crystal orientation analysis revealed a uniform and fine-grained microstructure, primarily characterized by plate-type tempered martensite, which indicated a good hardenability. The microstructure observations showed that the width of martensite is approximately 200 nm, with a significant presence of dislocations and carbides. Tensile tests and multi-temperature gradient impact tests indicated superior mechanical properties compared to similar grade wear-resistant steels, including a Rockwell hardness of 53, tensile strength of 1610 MPa, yield strength of 1404 MPa, and total elongation around 12.7%. The results of friction and wear experiments indicate that the wear rate decreases as the load increases from 100 N to 300 N, demonstrating an excellent wear resistance under a large load. Observations of the worn surfaces indicated that the wear mainly involved adhesive wear, fatigue wear, and oxidative wear. The properties' improvements were attributed to microstructure refinement and precipitation strengthening. This study indicates that designing a heat treatment system to control temperature uniformity and stability is feasible.

Influence of post-processing on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-strength Ni–Co-base wrought superalloy

In this study, the influence of post-processing on the microstructure and mechanical property of the novel Ni–Co-base wrought high-strength superalloy with a composition of Ni-(24.0–26.0)Co-(2.3–2.7)Al-(2.8–3.3)Ti-(1.3–1.8)Nb-(12.0–14.0)Cr-(2.6–3.0)Mo-(1.0–1.5)W-(0.01–0.03)B-(0.01–0.05)C-(0.01–0.05)Zr (wt.%) was investigated. Two post-processing routes were carried out on the superalloy, in which one is solid-solution and double-aging (S1-SA), and the other adds a cold-rolling between them (S2-SRA). It is found that both the FCC-γ matrix grains and the precipitated trimodal γ′ particles are not sensitive to the post-processing, showing a comparable distribution in these two states. However, a large amount of dislocations, stacking faults, Lomer-Cottrell locks, and deformation twins induced by the cold-rolling, were not eliminated by subsequent double-aging in S2-SRA. The superalloy exhibits high yield strength at both room and elevated temperatures in both states, as exampled by 1126 MPa at RT and 912 MPa at 1023 K in S1-SA and 1855 MPa at RT and 1086 MPa at 1023 K in S2-SRA, respectively. The high strength was further discussed with various strengthening mechanisms, in which the precipitation strengthening is dominant. And the much higher strength in S2-SRA is attributed to the contributions from both high-density dislocations and deformation twins.

High-Performance 2319 Aluminum Alloy via CMT-WAAM: Microstructure, Porosity, and Mechanical Properties

The process of cold metal transfer (CMT) wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) for 2319 aluminum alloy was studied. The research investigated the coarse and fine equiaxed grain bands and porosity of the 2319 alloy after solution aging treatment, with a focus on the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of the aluminum alloy at different positions and orientations. Pores and coarse second phases mainly appeared at grain boundaries but were also observed within coarse equiaxed grains. The yield strength of the top horizontal samples reached 325.5 MPa, one of the highest yield strengths reported for 2319 aluminum alloy in the literature. The coarse brittle second phases at grain boundaries were the main crack sources during the failure process of the samples. In the fine equiaxed grain layer, cracks propagated along the grain boundaries connected to the second phases, and the presence of pores accelerated crack propagation; in the coarse equiaxed grain layer, cracks directly penetrated through the grains.

Comparative Analysis of Tribological Behavior of 45 Steel under Intensive Quenching-High-Temperature Tempering and Queenching-Tempering Process

The intensive quenching process compared to traditional methods results in a lower quenching cracking tendency. The comprehensive mechanical properties of an intensive quenching workpiece has good advantages. In order to improve the performance and product quality of a 45 steel workpiece, the hardening–tempering treatment used in the traditional quenching process is replaced by an intensive quenching process. This study investigates the tribological properties of 45 steel and their differences and connection under the intensive quenching and high-temperature tempering process in comparison to when under the traditional hardening–tempering process. Both intensive quenching and tempering and hardening–tempering workpieces are composed of carburized particles and ferrite. Compared with hardening–tempering workpieces, intensive quenching and high-temperature tempering workpieces have a finer and more uniform microstructure and higher hardness, impact toughness, and yield strength. Wear tests show that intensive quenchingand tempered specimens have better wear resistance. At the same frequency, the coefficient of friction and relative wear rate of the intensive quenching and tempering specimens were lower than those of the hardening–tempering treatment, and the wear surface was flatter. The wear morphology shows that the main wear mechanisms of the intensive quenching and tempering workpieces and those of hardening–tempering are abrasive and adhesive wear, and that the main wear mechanism changes from adhesive wear to abrasive wear as the frequency increases.

The reliability assessment of the seismic demands of beams in chevron-braced frames and the factors affecting them

According to AISC 341–16, beams in chevron-braced frames should be designed for unbalanced forces. Several factors including the yield strength of steel materials, earthquake magnitude, the number of stories, and the details of the member connections affect the force applied to the beam. In this regard, the present study assessed the reliability of the seismic demand of beams in chevron-braced frames by considering the mentioned effective factors. First, 4-, 8-, and 12-story buildings representing low-, medium-, and high-rise buildings, respectively, were designed based on AISC 341–16. The beam-to-column connections and gusset plates were designed and modeled according to the capacity of the members. Then, one frame was selected from each building for stochastic seismic time-history analysis. For the stochastic analysis, 550 earthquake records were first chosen according to the considered characteristics of the site. Then, 100 ground motions were randomly selected and each braced frame was subjected to them. The yield and ultimate strengths of the steel materials were randomly selected based on the probability density function in each analysis. The results showed that a significant amount of the forces was generated in the beam-to-column connections contrary to the design assumptions. The results in the three frames showed that the resistance of the braced beams was on average higher than the demand forces. Moreover, the force distribution did not show an identical trend in different stories and the effect of the number of stories should also be considered in estimating the unbalanced forces of the braced beams.

Comparative Analysis of Tribological Behavior of 45 Steel under Intensive Quenching-High-Temperature Tempering and Queenching-Tempering Process

The intensive quenching process compared to traditional methods results in a lower quenching cracking tendency. The comprehensive mechanical properties of an intensive quenching workpiece has good advantages. In order to improve the performance and product quality of a 45 steel workpiece, the hardening–tempering treatment used in the traditional quenching process is replaced by an intensive quenching process. This study investigates the tribological properties of 45 steel and their differences and connection under the intensive quenching and high-temperature tempering process in comparison to when under the traditional hardening–tempering process. Both intensive quenching and tempering and hardening–tempering workpieces are composed of carburized particles and ferrite. Compared with hardening–tempering workpieces, intensive quenching and high-temperature tempering workpieces have a finer and more uniform microstructure and higher hardness, impact toughness, and yield strength. Wear tests show that intensive quenchingand tempered specimens have better wear resistance. At the same frequency, the coefficient of friction and relative wear rate of the intensive quenching and tempering specimens were lower than those of the hardening–tempering treatment, and the wear surface was flatter. The wear morphology shows that the main wear mechanisms of the intensive quenching and tempering workpieces and those of hardening–tempering are abrasive and adhesive wear, and that the main wear mechanism changes from adhesive wear to abrasive wear as the frequency increases.

Modification of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Extruded AZ91-0.4Ce Magnesium Alloy through Addition of Ca.

The effect of the addition of alkali earth element Ca on the microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded AZ91-0.4Ce-xCa (x = 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 wt.%) alloys was studied by using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and tensile tests. The results showed that the addition of Ca could significantly refine the second phase and grain size of the extruded AZ91-0.4Ce alloy. The refinement effect was most obvious when 0.8 wt.% of Ca was added, and the recrystallized grain size was 4.75 μm after extrusion. The addition of Ca resulted in the formation of a spherical Al2Ca phase, which effectively suppressed the precipitation of the β-Mg17Al12 phase, promoted dynamic recrystallization and grain refinement, impeded dislocation motion, and exerted a positive influence on the mechanical properties of the alloy. The yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and elongation (EL) of the AZ91-0.4Ce-0.8Ca alloy were 238.7 MPa, 338.3 MPa, and 10.8%, respectively.