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The research results conducted on binderless tungsten carbide (WC) ceramics obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) of WC powders with different average particle sizes (0.095, 0.8, 3 μm) are presented. Nonuniform distribution of crystalline phases and microstructure of the WC ceramics was studied using layer-by-layer XRD analysis and SEM. Surface layers of the WC-based ceramics are characterized by nonuniform distribution of W2C crystalline phase and grain sizes, including the appearance of abnormally large grains. Thickness of the nonuniform layer was at least 50 μm. The effect under study is associated with an intense carbon diffusion from graphite foil. On the one hand, this contributed to a decrease in the intensity of W2C phase particle formation, which is transformed into α-WC phase due to the carbon. On the other hand, it caused abnormal grain growth in the layer where the carbon diffused. The obtained value of the carbon diffusion depth exceeds the values known from the literature (up to 1 μm in the case of volume diffusion even at temperature of 2370℃ and exposure time of ~ 60 h). The use of boron nitride (BN) as a protective coating on graphite mold parts did not prevent the formation of nonuniform layer on the ceramic surface.

This paper investigates the density, phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties (microhardness, fracture toughness) of binderless WC + SiC ceramics obtained by conventional pressureless sintering (CPS) and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). α-WC nanopowders obtained by DC arc plasma chemical synthesis and β-SiC powders have been used as raw materials. The content of SiC particles was 1, 3, 5% wt. Excess graphite (0.3, 0.5% wt.) was added to α-WC nanopowders to decrease the volume fraction of W2C particles that negatively affect the mechanical properties of ceramics. WC + 1% wt. SiC + 0.3% wt. C ceramics are shown to have a homogeneous fine-grained microstructure, high relative density, increased microhardness and Palmquist fracture toughness. The CPS and SPS activation energies of WC + SiC nanopowders at an intensive shrinkage stage are determined using the Young-Cutler model. The effect of carbon and SiC particles on the CPS and SPS activation energies of tungsten carbide nanopowders has been analyzed. The CPS activation energies of WC, WC + C and WC + SiC + C nanopowders are shown to be closer to the carbon diffusion activation energy along α-WC grain boundaries. The SPS activation energies of WC and WC + SiC nanopowders turn out to be lower than the carbon grain boundary diffusion activation energy of α-WC.

Cardiac surgery of the aortic valve in pediatric patients is an urgent problem. Performing an open aortic commissurotomy and planar resection of the valves during the newborn period allows to obtain suboptimal results and postpone subsequent interventions indefinitely. With an unsatisfactory result of open aortic commissurotomy in children of the first years of life, the need to search for optimal surgical tactics arises. The presented article describes the technique of replacing the aortic root with a decellularized valve-containing allograft in a child of 14 months of life. A good immediate result of the operation is associated with the ability of the allograft to provide physiological hemodynamics in the aortic position. The advantages of the described technique are the reduction in the time and complexity of surgical intervention, the possibility of preserving own pulmonary valve, the probability of recellularization and the possibility of graft growth with the growth of the child. That is precisely why the presented technique should be considered as an alternative to Ross surgery, especially if there are anatomical contraindications to it.

The present work was aimed at the investigation of effect of High Energy Ball Milling (HEBM) time on the sintering kinetics, structure, and properties of heavy tungsten alloy (HTA) W-7%Ni-3%Fe. The HTA samples were obtained from the nanopowders (20-80 nm) by conventional liquid phase sintering (LPS) in hydrogen and by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) in vacuum. The HTA density was shown to depend on the HEBM time non-monotonously that originates from the formation of non-equilibrium solid solutions in the W-Ni-Fe systems during HEBM. The SPS kinetics of the HTA nanopowders was shown to have a two-stage character, the intensity of which depends on the Coble diffusion creep rate and on the intensity of diffusion of the tungsten atoms in the crystal lattice of the -phase. The kinetics of sintering of the initial submicron powders have a single-stage character originating from the intensity of the grain boundary diffusion in the -phase. The dependencies of the hardness and of the yield strength on the grain sizes were found to obey the Hall-Petch relation. The hardness, strength, and dynamic strength in the compression tests of the fine-grained tungsten alloys obtained by SPS and LPS were studied.

A diffusion welding of coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained (UFG) specimens of titanium near-α alloy Ti-5Al-2V used in nuclear power engineering was made by Spark Plasma Sintering. The failure of the welded specimens in the conditions of hot salt corrosion and of electrochemical corrosion were shown to have preferentially intercrystalline character. In the case of presence of macrodefects, crevice corrosion of the welded joints was observed. The resistance of the alloys against the intercrystalline corrosion was found to be determined by the concentration of vanadium at the titanium grain boundaries, by the size and volume fraction of the β-phase particles and by the presence of micro- and macropores in the welded joints. The specimens of the welded joints of the UFG alloy have higher hardness, hot salt corrosion resistance and the electrochemical corrosion.

The conductor aluminum alloys Al-0.25wt.%Zr doped additionally with Х = Er, Si, Hf, and Nb were the objects of investigations. The fine-grained microstructure in the alloys was formed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing and Rotary Swaging. The thermal stability of the microstructure, specific electrical resistivity, and microhardness of the novel conductor aluminum alloys was investigated. The mechanisms of nucleation of the Al3(Zr,X) secondary particles during annealing the fine-grained aluminum alloys were determined using Jones-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov equation. Using Zener equation, the dependencies of the mean secondary particle sizes on the annealing time were obtained on the base of analysis of the data on the grain growth in the aluminum alloys. The secondary particle nucleation during long-time low-temperature annealing (300 оC, 1000 hrs) was shown to go preferentially at the cores of the lattice dislocations. The Al-0.25%Zr-0.25%Er-0.20%Hf-0.15%Si alloy subjected to long-time annealing at 300 оC has the optimal combination of the microhardness and electrical conductivity (59.8%IACS, Hv = 480 ± 15 MPa).

The research was undertaken to study the way deformation behaves in ultrafine-grained (UFG) conducting Al-Zr alloys doped with Sc, Hf, and Yb. All in all, 8 alloys were studied with zirconium partially replaced by Sc, Hf, and/or Yb. Doping elements (X = Zr, Sc, Hf, Yb) in the alloys total 0.4 wt.%. The choice of doping elements is conditioned by possible precipitation of Al3X particles with L12 structure while annealing these alloys. Such particles provide higher thermal stability of a nonequilibrium UFG microstructure. Initial coarse-grained samples were obtained by induction casting. The UFG microstructure in the alloys was formed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) at 225°C. Superplasticity tests were carried out at temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 °C and strain rates varying between 3.310-4 and 3.310-1 s-1. The highest values of elongation to failure are observed in Sc-doped alloys. A UFG Al-0.2%Zr-0.1%Sc-0.1%Hf alloy has maximum ductility: at 450 °C and a strain rate of 3.310-3 s-1, relative elongation to failure reaches 765%. At the onset of superplasticity, stress–strain curves are characterized by a stage of homogeneous strain and a long stage of localized plastic flow. The dependence of homogeneous strain (eq) on test temperature in UFG Sc-doped alloys is increasing uniformly, which is not the case for other UFG alloys with eq(T) dependence peaking at 350-400 оС. Strain rate sensitivity coefficient of flow stress m is small and does not exceed 0.26-0.3 at 400-500 °C. In UFG alloys containing no scandium, m coefficient is observed to go down to 0.12-0.18 at 500 оС. It has been suggested that lower m values are driven by intensive grain growth and pore formation in large Al3X particles, which develop specifically at the ingot crystallization stage.

Al-6%Mg-Sc-Zr alloys with the total ratio of Sc + Zr = 0.32 wt.% make up the target of this research. The content of scandium and zirconium varied with an increment of 0.02%. The alloys were produced by induction casting. Their ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure was formed with Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP). Such cast alloys have a homogeneous macrostructure formed by small equiaxed grains in the central part of the ingot and columnar crystals along the edges of the cross section. After ECAP, the average grain size in the alloy specimens is 0.5–1 µm. The average grain size does not depend on the ratio of Sc and Zr in these alloys. Superplasticity tests were performed at temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 °C and at a strain rate varying between 3.3·10-3 and 3.3·10-1 s-1. UFG Al-6%Mg-0.20%Sc-0.12%Zr and Al-6%Mg-0.18%Sc-0.14%Zr alloys exhibit the highest superplasticity. It was suggested that changes in Sc:Zr ratio affect spatial distribution and composition of the following precipitating particles: Al3Sc, Al3Zr, Al3(ScxZr1-x). An increase in Zr concentration is shown to reduce the susceptibility of UFG alloys to cavitation fracture.

Ceramic armour materials are designated to protect personnel and vehicles against ballistic damage. The main effort is now focused on developing ceramics with difficult-to-obtain properties, such as high ballistic performance and light weight. Over the past 30 years, the development of ceramic materials has led to a sustained improvement in their properties and structural homogeneity. Nevertheless, the relation of these properties with the ballistic performance of ceramics remains unclear. This paper reviews the current understanding regarding the failure stages of ceramic armour and the methods used to evaluate ballistic performance. A comparison of alumina with silicon carbide and boron carbide was performed.

We have studied the hydrolytic stability of Y2.5Nd0.5Al5O12-based garnet ceramics produced by spark plasma sintering. The ceramics have been tested under hydrothermal conditions in an autoclave and, for comparison, in static mode at room temperature. The mechanisms of yttrium and neodymium leaching from the ceramics have been identified.

t—The diffusion welding of ultrafine-grained pseudo-α-titanium Ti–4.73% Al–1.88% V alloy specimens has been performed by spark plasma sintering. It has been shown that the destruction of welded joints in the ultrafine-grained (UFG) specimens under hot salt corrosion (HSC) conditions has a two-stage character: intercrystallite corrosion (ICC) is developed at the first stage to turn into pitting corrosion at the following stage. It has been established that the resistance to intercrystallite corrosion is governed by the concentration of vanadium on grain boundaries, the size and volumetric content of β-phase particles, and the existence of pores in a welded joint. It has been demonstrated that the welded joints of the ultrafine-grained specimens have higher hardness and resistance to intercrystallite corrosion as compared to coarse-grained specimens.

The Y0.95Gd0.05PO4 phosphate with the xenotime structure has been synthesized in powder form and as ceramics. Ceramics with a relative density of ~99% have been produced by spark plasma sintering. The sintering temperature was 1140°C and the sintering time was ~18 min, without isothermal holding. We have assessed the radiation resistance of the ceramics under irradiation with 132Xe26+ ions and investigated the restoration of the obtained metamict phase to a crystalline one via high-temperature heat treatment. No complete amorphization of the samples has been reached at the fluences used in this study. The calculated critical fluence is (9.2 ± 0.1) × 1014 cm–2, and the calculated latent track radius is ~2.8 nm. Hydrolytic tests have shown that the phosphate under study is stable in water under dynamic conditions. The observed Y and Gd leaching rates were Ri = 1.68 × 10–6 and 1.5 × 10–7 g/(cm2 day), respectively.

New NZP-type solid solutions, Na1+2xZr2–xNix(PO4)3 and Ca0.5+xZr2–xNix(PO4)3 with x = 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50, have been prepared by solid-state reactions. The synthesized samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy. Crystal structure of the compound CaZr1.5Ni0.5(PO4)3 has been refined by full-profile X-ray diffraction analysis method, reliability factors is Rp = 4.78% and Rwp = 6.45%, respectively. Thermal expansion of the phosphates has been studied by high-temperature X-ray diffraction in the temperature range 25–700°C. The synthesized compounds have been shown to be intermediate- and low-thermal-expansion materials. Using SPS method we have produced ceramic samples with a high relative density (ρrel > 97%), based on phosphate powders. Strength characteristics (microhardness and fracture toughness) of the ceramics have been determined.

The shrinkage of the WC nanopowders with increased oxygen content during Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) was shown to be limited by the grain boundary diffusion with abnormally low activation energy. It was found that the reduction of the SPS activation energy may originate from the effect of oxygen on the diffusion permeability of the grain boundaries in tungsten carbide at the intensive compaction stage as well as from an abnormal grain growth at the high-temperature sintering stage. The kinetics of SPS of the WC-W2C–WO3–W nanopowders at the intense compaction stage is controlled by the sintering rate of the oxide particles with simultaneous transformation of these ones into the W2C particles and then, at the high-temperature sintering stage – by the plastic flow of the W2C particles in the presence of tungsten ones. The ceramic specimens with high density (98–99%) and ultrafine grained structure (mean grain size

The article discusses the features of the acceptance of garments produced for the needs of the penal system. A detailed analysis of the process of assessing the compliance of the quality indicators of clothing items with the terms of the concluded contract, which is currently an urgent issue in the activities of logistics services, was carried out. Due to the fact that in the list of clothing supplied for the needs of the penal system, most of the items are garments, they have been chosen as the object of the research. Since the generalized system of controlled objects, assessed during the procedure of acceptance and quality control of garments, has not yet been defined, in the course of the experiment a systematization was carried out and a project was proposed for grouping into six categories the quality indicators monitored during the expert examination of garments supplied for the needs of the Penal system. On their basis, the main stages of the process of acceptance of clothing items were modeled and considered in detail, recommendations were given on the organization and establishment of its compliance with the terms of the concluded contract. When evaluating the results of the study, it has been noted that the developed procedure for the acceptance of clothing items, supplied for the needs of the penitentiary system of the Russian Federation, intended for assessing the compliance with the terms of the concluded contract, does not require additional financial costs and can be recommended for practical use in institutions of the penitentiary system. Key words: penal system, employees, clothing items, garments, acceptance, quality.

High-density (95.3–95.8%) CeO2–xα-SiC (x = 10, 20 vol %) composite ceramics have been produced for the first time by spark plasma sintering (SPS) as promising mineral-like materials for inert fuel matrices. The SPS of CeO2–SiC ceramics has been shown to be a three-stage process. The addition of α-SiC particles shifts characteristic temperatures of CeO2 sintering to higher values. SPS leads to an increase in the hardness, fracture toughness, and thermal conductivity of cerium dioxide-based ceramics.

We have synthesized Na1 ¿ xZr2(PO4)3 ¿ x(¿O4)x and ¿a0.5 ¿ xZr2(PO4)3 ¿ x(¿O4)x (X = Mo, W; 0 ¿ x ¿ 0.5) compounds with the NZP structure. Their thermal expansion has been studied in the temperature range 25¿800°C using high-temperature X-ray diffraction and shown to have a tendency to decrease as the occupancy of the extraframework sites in their structure decreases. Ceramic samples with a relative density above 97.5% have been prepared from the synthesized phosphate molybdates and phosphate tungstates by spark plasma sintering. Their strength characteristics (microhardness and fracture toughness) have been determined and they have been characterized by hydrolytic stability tests.

Spark plasma sintering and a standard sintering method are used to manufacture ceramic plates with a diameter of 30 mm from aluminum oxide powder with a fraction size approximately equal to 3 µm. Dynamic strength of the ceramics obtained is studied. Dynamic loading is carried out by a hardened steel impactor. It is shown that energy dissipation in a material obtained using spark plasma sintering is substantially larger than that in a material produced using standard sintering, which means that it is more resistant to dynamic loads.

The research results of the microstructure and corrosion resistance of Ti and Ti-Al-V Russian industrial titanium alloys obtained by spark plasma sintering (SPS) are described. Investigations of the microstructure, phase composition, hardness, tensile strength, electrochemical corrosion resistance and hot salt corrosion of Ti-Al-V titanium alloy specimens were carried out. It was shown that the alloy specimens have a uniform highly dense microstructure and high hardness values. The studied alloys also have high resistance to electrochemical corrosion during tests in acidic aqueous solution causing the intergranular corrosion as well as high resistance to the hot salt corrosion. The assumption that the high hardness of the alloys as well as the differences in the corrosion resistance of the central and lateral parts of the specimens are due to the diffusion of carbon from the graphite mold into the specimen surface was suggested.

The paper demonstrates the prospects of spark plasma sintering (SPS) for the high-speed diffusion bonding of the high-strength ultrafine-grained (UFG) near-α Ti–5Al–2V alloy. The effect of increased diffusion bonding intensity in the UFG Ti alloys is discussed also. The bonding areas of the UFG near-α Ti–5Al–2V alloy obtained by SPS are featured by high density, strength, and corrosion resistance. The rate of bonding in the UFG alloys has been shown to depend on the heating rate non-monotonously (with a pronounced maximum). At the stage of continuous heating and isothermic holding, the bonding kinetics was found to be determined by the exponential creep rate, the intensity of which in the coarse-grained alloys is limited by the diffusion rate in the crystal lattice α-Ti. In the UFG alloy, the exponential creep processes associated with gliding and climb of dislocations, the activation energy of which corresponds to the diffusion activation energy in the lattice dislocation nuclei, may take place simultaneously with the grain boundary sliding and Coble creep, the activation energy of which corresponds to the grain boundary diffusion activation energy.

The study focuses on corrosion fatigue processes taking place in an ultrafine-grained (UFG) near-α-titanium alloy Ti-2.5Al-2.6Zr (Russian industrial name PT7M) used in nuclear engineering. UFG structure formed with Rotary Swaging is found to increase resistance to corrosion fatigue. Parameters of the Basquin's equation are defined and the slope of the fatigue curve σa-lg(N) is shown to depend (nonmonotonic dependence) on the UFG alloy annealing temperature. This effect can be explained with the patterns of microstructural evolution in a UFG alloy PT7M during annealing: (1) reduced density of lattice dislocations, (2) precipitation and dissolution of zirconium nanoparticles, (3) release of α′′-phase particles causing internal stress fields along interphase (α-α′′)-boundaries, and (4) intensive grain growth at elevated annealing temperatures. It is shown that the fatigue crack closure effect manifested as changing internal stress fields determined using XRD method may be observed in UFG titanium alloys.

The research aims to analyze the impact that severe plastic deformation arising during Rotary Swaging has on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of a near-α-titanium alloy Ti-2.5Al-2.6Zr (Russian industrial name PT7M). The nature of corrosion decay in fine-grained alloys caused by hot salt corrosion is known to vary from pit corrosion to intercrystalline corrosion at the onset of recrystallization processes. Resistance to hot salt corrosion in a fine-grained titanium alloy Ti-2.5Al-2.6Zr is shown to depend on the structural-phase state of grain boundaries that varies during their migration as a result of “covering” corrosive doping elements (aluminum, zirconium) distributed in the crystal lattice of a titanium alloy.

Spark Plasma Sintering has been used to obtain first ever fine-grained SrWO4 and NaNd(WO4)2 ceramics with the scheelite structure and high density (95.8–99%) that are promising as materials for nuclear waste immobilization. It has been demonstrated that the densification intensity in tungstates at the initial sintering stage is determined by the agglomeration degree of input powders. The activation energy of fine-grained ceramics with the scheelite structure has been established to correlate at high temperatures with the activation energy of grain-boundary diffusion. Rapid sintering of fine-grained NaNd(WO4)2 ceramic results in internal tensile stress fields that lead to lowered hardness and fracture toughness of the ceramic.

This paper is a study of sintering mechanisms, structure, and mechanical properties of ultrafine-grained 95W-Ni-Fe tungsten heavy alloys. Powder particle sizes were controlled by mechanical activation (MA) of original coarse-grained components and by addition of ultrafine particles. W-Ni-Fe alloys were obtained by sintering in hydrogen and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) in a vacuum. The dependence of ultrafine-grained (UFG) alloy density on sintering temperatures has been found to be non-monotonic with a maximum corresponding to the optimal sintering temperature. It has been demonstrated that the sintering activation energy of UFG alloys is significantly lower than that of coarse-grained alloys. It has been shown that the optimal SPS temperature for mechanically activated nanopowders goes down by 350–400 °C in comparison with the optimal sintering temperature in hydrogen for coarse-grained 95W-Ni-Fe powder composition. The reason for a lower optimal sintering temperature lies in a decreased activation energy of grain-boundary diffusion and formation of a non-equilibrium solid solution of nickel and iron in the surface layer of tungsten α-W particles during high-energy MA. High-energy MA and SPS were used to obtain samples of UFG tungsten alloys with high mechanical properties: macro-elastic limit – up to 2250 MPa, yield stress – up to 2500 MPa.

We have studied the feasibility of preparing high-density (98.6–99.5%) Y2.5Nd0.5Al5O12 (YAG)–xMgO (x = 5, 10, 20 vol %) composite ceramics by spark plasma sintering. YAG–MgO powder materials have been prepared via MgO precipitation from an aqueous solution of magnesium nitrate, Mg(NO3)2, on the surface of garnet particles. The sintering rate of the YAG–MgO composites has been shown to be controlled by volume diffusion at low temperatures and by grain-boundary diffusion at elevated temperatures.

Mechanical properties of fine-grained Al-(1, 2, 3)%Zn alloys obtained by Equal Channel Angle Pressing were studied. The recrystallization activation energy was found to decrease with increasing Zn content. The Hall-Petch coefficient for the Al-Zn alloys was found to change nonmonotonously during annealing. An increased Zn concentration at the grain boundaries was shown to result in altering the creep and superplasticity mechanisms of the Al-Zn alloys. The corrosion rate of the Al-Zn alloys was found to depend on the annealing temperature nonmonotonously. The corrosion rate in the Al-(2,3)%Zn alloy was shown to decreasing down to 8–9 mm/year with increasing the annealing temperature up to 200 оC. The increasing of the annealing temperature up to 300 оC leads to the increasing of the corrosion rate up to 11.4–11.9 mm/year. The obtained results were analyzed on the base of a concept of solid phase wetting of the grain boundaries in the Al by Zn. The effect of solid state wetting of the grains boundaries was shown to allow explaining majority of anomalia observed in the Al-Zn alloys: (i) the effect of the reduction of the recrystallization activation energy; (ii) the effect of a non-monotonous variation of the Hall-Petch coefficient during annealing; (iii) an increasing of plasticity of the Al-Zn alloys in the creep regime, etc. In order to describe the anomalia in the corrosion resistance of the Al-Zn alloys, one should also take into account a nonuniform Zn distribution in the specimens.

Fine-grained ceramics based on solid solutions of ZrO2-x-Ln2O3 (where Ln = Sm, Yb), which are used to simulate inert matrix fuel (IMF), were obtained by colloidal chemical synthesis of powders and their Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). It has been established that the SPS activation energy (Qs) for fine-grain ceramics based on ZrO2 corresponds to the activation energy of oxygen diffusion on grain boundaries of zirconium oxide (zirconia). We have demonstrated that introducing oxides of samarium (Sm2O3) and ytterbium (Yb2O3) into zirconia decreases SPS activation energy and stabilizes the phase composition of zirconia. Ceramics with densities up to 100% were obtained by the following modes of SPS: sintering temperature 1000–1250 °C, sintering time 6–10 min. Hydrolysis testing in the static mode (Т = 20 °C, P = 1 atm) in distilled water revealed no leaching of lanthanide ions at detection thresholds of 5 ppm for Sm ions and 0.1 ppm for Yb ions.

Mineral-like matrix Na x (Ca/Sr) 1-2x Nd x WO 4 ( x = 0, 0.1 and 0.2) for radwaste is proposed. Powder samples of complex tungstates have been synthesized by coprecipitation from aqueous solutions of Na, Ca, Sr, Nd salts. Crystallographic characteristics of compounds have been calculated and a monotonous change observed in them along with some x value changes. Monophasic ceramics with high relative density (97–100%) from these powders have been obtained through Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). SPS of tungstates has been shown to occur in multiple stages, with the sintering kinetics at the final stage of sealing controlled by diffusion both in the crystal lattice and along grain boundaries. Activation energies have been determined for sintering of tungstates at different x values. The reduced activation energy of sintering at the third heating stage (at high temperatures) could be ascribed to the grain growth.

The research has been conducted into the impact that structural-phase state of grain boundaries in α-titanium alloy Ti-5Al-2V has on strength, plasticity and susceptibility to intercrystalline corrosion (ICC). It is found that during Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) performed at elevated temperatures there is a change in local concentration of alloying elements (aluminum, vanadium) along α-Ti grain boundaries. The current study proves that by controlling the structure of α-titanium alloy Ti-5Al-2V through ECAP it is possible to enhance its strength and resistance to hot salt intercrystalline corrosion. Plasticity of ultrafine-grained (UFG) alloy samples at room temperature is comparable with plasticity of a coarse-grained material, while plasticity of an UFG alloy at elevated temperatures is 2–3 times bigger than plasticity of a coarse-grained material.

The effect of Sc on plasticity at elevated temperatures(from 300 to 500 °C) and strain rates(from 10−3 to 10−1 s−1)of ultrafine-grained (UFG) Al–0.5%Mg–Sc alloyswas investigated. In the UFG alloys with 0.4% and 0.5%Sc at 500 °C and strain rate 1·10−1 s−1, high elongation to failure (~1060%) was achieved. The fractographic analysis of the fracturesin the Al–0.5%Mg alloy demonstrated the crack growth zone to occupy almost whole fracture area.The self-destruction in the crack growth zone has a viscous character.In the UFG alloys with Sc, numerous pits formed as a result of micropore junction were observed. Dependencies of dynamic grain growth (DGG) rate on the temperature and strain rate were determined. The DGG in the Al–0.5%Mg–Sc alloys was found. The kinetics of the DGG in the Al–0.5%Mg–0.2%Sc alloy was shown to be limited by mobility of junction disclinations. In the Al–0.5%Mg–0.5%Sc alloy, it is limited by mobility of oriented misfit dislocations. Al3Sc particles were shown to be possible origin of the micropore formation and of accelerated destruction of the Al–0.5%Mg–Sc alloys at high temperature deformation.

The paper dwells on the research conducted into high-rate consolidation of pure tungsten carbide (WC) nanopowders using the Spark Plasma Sintering technology. Studies included the effect that the original size of WC nanoparticles and their preparation modes have on density, structure parameters, and mechanical properties of tungsten carbide. Samples of high-density nanostructured tungsten carbide characterized by high hardness (up to 31–34 GPa) and improved fracture toughness (4.3–5.2 MPa m 1/2 ) were obtained. It has been found that materials that show abnormal grain growth during sintering have lower values of sintering activation energy as compared to materials the structure of which is more stable during high-rate heating. A qualitative model is proposed that explains this effect through the dependence of the grain boundary diffusion coefficient on the grain boundary migration rate.

The thermal stability of a fine-grained (FG) aluminum wire has been studied in Al-0.6Mg-Zr-Sc alloys with various scandium and zirconium contents. Specimens were obtained by induction casting followed by cold deformation. The FG alloys have been demonstrated to have high thermal stability of the structure and properties due to the annealing pretreatment (320 °C, 2 h, before drawing), which results in deposition of Al3(ScxZr1−x) intermetallic particles. It has been determined that following a prolonged annealing treatment (400 °C, 100 h), the alloys retain a uniform fine-grained structure with an average grain size of 2.4⁻2.8 μm whereas their microhardness measures 405⁻440 MPa.

NaxSr1 – 2xNdxMoO4 (x = 0–0.5, Δx = 0.1) solid solutions with the scheelite structure have been synthesized for the first time and their crystallographic parameters have been determined as functions of composition and temperature. Their thermal expansion coefficients have been determined in the temperature range 25–1000°C: αa = (12.9–14.9) × 10–6 °C–1 and αc = (24.9–25.9) × 10–6 °C–1. Using spark plasma sintering at tmax ≈ 872–985°C and τ ≈ 650–750 s, we have prepared ceramics with relative densities in the range 97–99%., This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 16-13-10464: Promising Mineral-Like Ceramic Materials with Improved and Controlled Functional Characteristics: Development, Synthesis, and Characterization.

The results of investigations of spark plasma sintering (SPS) kinetics of tungsten carbide nanopowders with different Co content (0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 wt%) and graphite (0.3 and 0.5 wt%) are described. The α-WC nanopowders were obtained by direct current (DC) arc plasma synthesis followed by annealing in hydrogen. Ultrathin Co layers were deposited onto the nanoparticles by a chemical-metallurgical method from a salt solution. The excess carbon was introduced by mixing the WC-Co powders with graphite that resulted in the increase of the oxygen concentration. The carbonization of the tungsten carbide hard alloy specimens was demonstrated to take place in SPS. It resulted in different phase compositions, along with hardness within surface and central layers of sintered ceramic specimens. The effects of the initial particle size, of the Co concentration, and of the graphite one on the stages of the SPS of the ultra-low Co hard alloys were studied. The specimens with uniform fine-grained structure, increased density, and improved mechanical characteristics were obtained. The hardness Hv for WC-0.6%Co-0.3%C hard alloy with averaged grain size 1.0–1.5 μm was 20.2–20.5 GPa at the minimum fracture toughness coefficient KIC = 9.2–10.4 MPa m1/2.