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Bulk Ti–Al based alloys with an approximate mass of 30 g are first prepared by electromagnetic levitation. The microstructures and the compression properties of Ti‐45%Al‐z%V alloys (z = 4, 8, and 12, atomic percent) at room and high temperatures are studied by experiments. The relationship between V content and the mechanical properties of γ and α2 intermetallics has been investigated by first‐principle calculations. It is clarified that V addition controls the phase contents and the microstructure characteristics. With the increase of V content, the microstructures of Ti‐45%Al‐4%V and Ti‐45%Al‐12%V are dominated by the phase transformations of α → γ and α → α2, respectively. Ti‐45%Al‐4%V alloy is mainly constituted of fine full lamellar γ phase while Ti‐45%Al‐12%V alloy is composed of coarsening lath α2 phase. Besides, the Young's modulus of Ti‐45%Al‐12%V alloy is smaller than that of Ti‐45%Al‐4%V alloy at 300 K, but the yield stress and ultimate compression stress are larger than that of Ti‐45%Al‐4%V alloy. The differences are attributed to the change of the main phase from γ to α2 and the mechanical properties of crystals changed by V addition. In addition, V addition changes the Young's modulus of α2 crystal from isotropy to anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength and ductility trade‐off dilemma has limited the wide application of TiAl‐based alloys. Here, a new insight into the potential for increasing the strength and ductility of a hypoperitectic Ti–48 at% Al–8 at% Nb alloy is accomplished by the electromagnetic levitation (EML) technique. Moreover, a systematic analysis of the primary and subsequent peritectic solidification kinetics is conducted in the undercooling range of 308 K. Assisted by a high‐speed camera, in situ observation of the liquid–solid (primary β‐Ti phase and peritectic α‐Ti phase) interface migration is accomplished. When the alloy melt is undercooled to 240 K, high‐ordered nanotwins are observed in the Ti–48 at% Al–8 at% Nb alloy, which form a unique hierarchical microstructure. Upon further increasing the undercooling, the density of these nanotwins is significantly enhanced. The room‐temperature compression results reveal that the strength and ductility increase up to 140% and 150%, respectively. This is mainly ascribed to the remarkable grain refinement, formation of nanotwins with various orientations, accumulation of dislocations and stacking faults, and retention of the metastable γ‐phase. The superior combination of strength and ductility indicates the possibility to fabricate high‐ordered nanotwins via rapid solidification, thus improving the performance of γ‐TiAl‐based alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid solidification of highly undercooled Fe–Co–Ni alloys is realized by drop tube technique. The microstructures of Fe–10%Co–10%Ni, Fe–15.6%Co–12%Ni, and Fe–10%Co–20%Ni alloys are all composed of single α(Fe) solid solution phase, which are confirmed by the results of XRD and DSC. With the decrease of droplet diameters, the cooling rate and undercooling increase, meanwhile, the microstructural characteristic of α(Fe) phase transforms from coarse dendrites to equiaxed grains. The size of coarse dendrites decreases to one tenth for the refined equiaxed grains. Employing the Vickers hardness and nano indenter techniques, the mechanical properties of α(Fe) dendrites are investigated. The average Vickers microhardness of α(Fe) phase is remarkably enhanced with the decrease of the grain size. Due to the more homogenous solute distribution in the dendrite trunks, the nanohardness presents a gentle fluctuation. Once the droplet diameter exceeds a critical value, the solutes concentrate at the grain boundaries. As a result, the closer the indenters to the grain boundary, the larger the nanohardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high undercooling and rapid solidification of Ni-10%Cu-10%Fe-10%Co quaternary alloy were achieved by electromagnetic levitation and glass fluxing techniques. The maximum undercooling of 276 K (0.16TL) was obtained in the experiments. All the solidified samples are determined to be α-Ni single-phase solid solutions by DSC thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis. The microstructure of the a-Ni solid solution phase transfers from dendrite to equiaxed grain with an increase in undercooling, accompanied by the grain refinement effect. When the undercooling is very large, the solute trapping effect becomes quite significant and the microsegregation is suppressed. The experimental measurement of α-Ni dendrite growth velocity indicates that it increases with undercooling according to the relation, V=8x10-2xΔT1,2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High undercooling rapid solidification process has a significant impact on the solidified microstructure and mechanical properties of materials. In this study, particles with a diameter range between 100 and 1100 µm of ternary Zr 50 Cu 40 Al 10 and Zr 49 Cu 46 Al 5 alloys were prepared by a drop tube. The evolution process of particle-solidified microstructure with decreasing particle diameter was analyzed using XRD, SEM, and TEM. For Zr 50 Cu 40 Al 10 alloy, the solidified microstructure in the particle diameter ranges of 200–1100 µm is composed of an amorphous phase and a primary B2-ZrCu high-temperature metastable phase. As the particle diameter reduces, the retained crystalline phase in the solidified microstructure decreases progressively, and the dendrite grain length gradually becomes finer. When the particle diameter is reduced to below 200 µm, the crystalline phase has completely disappeared, and the solidified microstructure evolves into a completely amorphous structure. For Zr 49 Cu 46 Al 5 alloy, in the particle diameter range of 400–1100 µm, the solidified microstructure consists of primary B19'-ZrCu phase, a small amount of Cu 10 Zr 7 phase and Zr 14 Cu 51 phase. As the particle diameter reduces, a grain refinement phenomenon also occurs in the solidified microstructure and the dendritic morphology changes from equiaxed grain to rod-shaped dendrite. The amorphous phase appears when the particle diameter is lowered to 470 µm and solidified microstructure evolves into a completely amorphous structure as the particle diameter is reduced to 146 µm. The nanoindentation results show that the micromechanical properties of amorphous composite microstructures are superior to the single component composition of crystalline or amorphous phase for Zr 50 Cu 40 Al 10 and Zr 49 Cu 46 Al 5 alloys. The reinforcement effect on the amorphous phase is related to the content of the second crystalline phase. Moreover, under similar particle diameters, the mechanical properties of Zr 50 Cu 40 Al 10 particles are always better than those of Zr 49 Cu 46 Al 5 particles. • In-situ preparation of amorphous composite particles using containerless rapid solidification technique. • Comparison of the amorphous forming ability between the two Zr-Cu-Al alloys. • Characterization of the phase constitution and solidified microstructure evolution under different diameters. • Amorphous composite materials exhibit higher hardness and elastic modulus properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present work, a multiphase Ni 3 Al-based intermetallic alloy with complex components of γ'+γ dendrite comprising extremely high volume fraction (81 vol %) of γ′ phase and interdendritic β phase is investigated, the microstructure evolution and phase transformation behavior tailored by different solution cooling rates are studied by applying different cooling methods of water cooling (WC, 138 °C/s), air cooling (AC, 72 °C/s), and furnace cooling (FC, 0.05 °C/s) after solution treatment at 1200 °C for 10 h. Results show that the cubic degree, size and volume fraction of cuboidal primary γ′ as well as size of spherical secondary γ′ particles in the γ'+γ dendrite are improved by decreasing cooling rates, and the average sizes of the primary and secondary γ′ particles are found to meet logarithmic relationships with cooling rates. There are three kinds of precipitates in the interdendritic β phase resulted from different cooling methods, i.e., the rod-like Cr 3 C 2 carbides, the semi-spherical α-Cr particles, and the long acicular γ′ precipitates. The lower cooling rate decreases the number of rod-like Cr 3 C 2 carbides, increases the number and size of the semi-spherical α-Cr particles, and promotes the formation of long acicular γ′ precipitates in the interdendritic β-matrix. The semi-spherical α-Cr particles play the role of pinning dislocations in the β-matrix and have the orientation relationship of [‾110] α-Cr //[‾110] β-matrix. In addition, the precipitation of semi-spherical α-Cr particles in β-matrix is observed to accomplish in two sequential stages and grow in an onion-like ordered way. Stacking faults existed in partial of α-Cr particles due to the nanotwins in β-matrix. Microtwins are observed in the interdendritic β-matrix after water cooling, which have a bimodal configuration of nanotwins at the microtwinning boundaries and interior stacking faults. Besides, γ′-envelope formed between the γ'+γ dendrite and interdendritic β phase dependent on the solution cooling processes. Image 1 • Re-precipitation sizes of primary and secondary γ′ particles have the logarithmic relationship with solution cooling rates. • Microtwins in the β-matrix have a bimodal configuration of nanotwins at their boundary and interior stacking faults. • Precipitation pattern and growth mode of semi-spherical α-Cr particles in β-matrix phase after air cooling. • Precipitation behaviors influenced by solution cooling rates of precipitates in the interdendritic β. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon/carbon (C/C) composites with multiple matrixes were fabricated by impregnation/carbonization and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) using 2-dimensional (2D) carbon felts preform. In order to study the effects of microstructure on mechanical properties, C/C composites with single matrix of pitch based carbon were prepared for comparison. The mechanical properties were tested on CMT5304-30KN universal testing machine. Polarization microscope and scanning electron microscope were used to investigate the microstructures and fracture surface of C/C composites. It was resulted that the flexural strength of C/C composites with multiple matrixes was improved by 83% compared with that of C/C composites with single matrix. Meanwhile, better toughness and pseudo-plastic fracture behaviors were also obtained with multiple matrixes. Multi-layer interfaces between different constituents were formed in the composites which supplied variety of extension paths for cracks. This microstructure character improved the mechanical properties of C/C composites, especially the toughness, as more energy could be dissipated during cracks spread along multiple paths, such as the interface of different components or among the matrixes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Substantial undercooling up to 550 K (0.386T E, with T E as the melting point) was achieved in eutectic Ni78.6Si21.4 alloy melt using glass fluxing combined with cyclic superheating. Accordingly, a particular refined microcrystalline morphology is obtained in the as-solidified structure. The physical mechanism of the grain refinement subjected to high undercooling is interpreted in terms of the classical nucleation theory and LKT/BCT model. It was concluded that the above refinement can be ascribed to the substantially increased nucleation rate under high undercooling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In present work, the unique envelope structure (about 1.1 μm in width, and ~3 vol%) in an as-cast multiphase Ni 3 Al-based intermetallic alloy was characterized in detail, its formation mechanism during solidification and widening behavior during long-term aging process were analyzed, and relevant effects on creep behaviors of this Ni 3 Al-based intermetallic alloy under 800 oC/220 MPa were evaluated. Results show that the envelope structure located between the γ'+γ dendrite and interdendritic β phase is γ′-Ni 3 Al phase with ordered face-centered L1 2 structure, which plays a vital role in adjoining the heteroid γ'+γ dendrite/interdendritic β phases. The γ′-envelope possesses a coherent orientation relationship of [101] γ'-envelope //[01‾1] dendritic-γ with the dendritic-γ phase (face-centered A1 structure) due to their similar face-centered lattice type, while there exists a semi-coherent transition region between the γ′-envelope (face-centered L1 2 structure) and interdendritic β phase (body-centered B2 structure) to accommodate their relative lattice mismatching. The formation of γ′-envelope during solidification process is induced by nickel enrichment in the residual liquidoid after interdendritic β phase, and its widening during long-term aging at 800 oC is mainly controlled by the diffusion of Ni, Al, Hf and Mo atoms at the interfaces between γ'+γ dendrite/γ′-envelope/interdendritic β phase under thermal activations, involving the relevant phase transformation of β (NiAl) + γ (Ni) → γ' (Ni 3 Al). The widening of γ′-envelope resulted in a decrease of interdendritic β phase and an increase of γ′ phase in volume fraction, benefited in the improved creep rupture life and reduced steady-state creep rate. However, the γ′-envelope widening also plays a positive role in crack initiation during creep deformation, since besides the GBs and the semi-coherent interfaces of the γ′-envelope/interdendritic β, cracks are also found to initiate near the Cr 23 C 6 carbides surrounded by the widened γ′-envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]