Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Fe-40Al Intermetallic with High Boron Content

The effects of B addition up to 0.4 wt% (i.e., 1.61 at%) to Fe-40Al alloy on microstructures and tensile properties were investigated. The vacancy-annealed specimens following casting and extrusion were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy and thermal neutron-induced microradiography. The addition of a large amount of B resulted in grain refinement and changed the fracture mode from intergranular to transgranular to increase the tensile elongation. Especially, the alloy containing 0.3wt% B exhibited the elongation of 16.4% under the strain rate of 1x100s-1 at room temperature. The increase in elongation with increasing strain rate was discussed in terms of suppression of hydrogen embrittlement.