On the role of alloying elements in nitrogen implanted iron

The role of alloying elements such as Cr and Al in the stability of the nitride phases formed due to nitrogen implantation in metallic iron was studied by using conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS). The thermal stability of nitride phases was greatly increased by alloying elements as compared to pure α-Fe implanted with nitrogen.     

Effect of alloying elements on room temperature tensile ductility in magnesium alloys

The impact of alloying elements on the room temperature tensile behaviour was investigated for a wide range of strain rates using eight types of extruded Mg-0.3 at.% X (X = Ag, Al, Li, Mn, Pb, Sn, Y and Zn) binary alloys with an average grain size of 2–3 μm. The solid solution alloying element affected not only tensile plasticity but also rate-controlling mechanism for these fine-grained magnesium alloys. Most of the alloys exhibited an elongation-to-failure of 20–50% , while the alloys with a high m-value exhibited large tensile plasticity, such as an elongation-to-failure of 140% in a strain rate of 1 × 10^?5 s^?1 for the Mg–Mn alloy. This elongation-to-failure is more than two times larger than that for pure magnesium. This is due to the major contribution of grain boundary sliding (GBS) on the deformation. Microstructural observations reveal that grain boundary segregation, which is likely to affect gain boundary energy, plays a role in the prevention or enhancement of GBS. The present results are clearly expected to open doors to the development of magnesium alloys with good secondary formability at room temperature through the control of alloying elements.     

Cr-Ni-Mo-Co surface alloying layer formed by plasma surface alloying in pure iron

Using double glow plasma alloying technique, a multi-elements alloyed layer containing elements of Cr, Ni, Mo and Co was formed on the surface of pure iron. After undergoing suitable aging treatment followed solid solution treatment, the formed alloying layer keeps a good combination of corrosion resistance and wear resistance. The relationship between the process parameters of heat treatments and the properties of the formed Cr-Ni-Mo-Co alloying layer, such as the chemical composition, hardness, corrosion resistance and wear resistance, was investigated in this study. It was revealed that the formed alloying layer exhibits a better behavior than that of 304 stainless steel and pure iron by employing a suitable heat treatment system. The temperature employed in solid solution treatment is 1453 K (1180 °C) followed by water quenching and the aging temperature is 813 K (540 °C) followed by water cooling.     

Spectroscopy of alloying and low-pressure elements with the thermionic diode

We describe a simple modification of the thermionic heat-pipe diode which allows to study spectroscopically alloying and low-pressure elements. The function and the potential of the modified diode is demonstrated by measuring Doppler-free two-photon lines in gallium, indium and thallium.     

Microstructure evolution during surface alloying of ductile iron and austempered ductile iron by electron beam melting

Alloying and microstructural modification of surfaces by electron beam has become popular to tailor the surface properties of materials. Surface modification of as-received ductile iron, Ni-plated ductile iron and Ni-plated austempered ductile iron was carried out by electron beam melting to improve the surface properties. Martensitic structure evolved in the heat affected zone and ledeburite structure was produced in the molten zone of the ductile iron. Microhardness of the melted specimens enhanced considerably as compared to the as-received samples. However the microhardness of melted Ni-plated samples is lower than that of the unplated specimens. X-ray diffraction clearly revealed the formation of an austenite and Fe₃C phases in the electron beam molten zone. The broadening of peaks suggests refinement of the microstructure as well as internal stresses generated during electron beam melting.     

Cyclic high-pressure torsion of nickel and Armco iron

Cyclic high-pressure torsion, a modified version of high-pressure torsion, is applied to Armco iron and nickel. The results in terms of microstructure and flow stress are compared to samples deformed by conventional high-pressure torsion. For both processes and both materials, a saturation in the decrease of the structure size and the increase in the flow stress is observed. The minimum size of the structural elements which is obtainable is smallest for the conventionally high-pressure torsion deformed samples and increases with decreasing strain per cycle in cyclic high-pressure torsion.     

Search for new iron oxypnictide superconductors by using high-pressure synthesis technique

Here we report on the invention of the Co-doped induced superconductivity in PrFe_1−xCo_xAsO (x = 0 and 0.075). Polycrystalline samples were prepared by high-pressure synthesis method. The PrFe_1−xCo_xAsO (x = 0 and 0.075) crystallizes with the ZrCuSiAs type crystal structure (P4/nmm). The PrFeAsO is a parent compound with non-superconducting phase which can be transformed to superconductor by replacement 7.5% of Fe by Co. The magnetic susceptibility measurement shows the onset of superconducting transition temperature at 15 K.     

合金元素对Ag/Al界面性质影响的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法,计算和分析Ag(111)/Al(111)界面体系的能量与电子结构,讨论Ag中加入的Be、Mg、Al、Ca、Ni、Sn合金化元素对Ag/Al界面性质的影响.结果表明:Ni原子倾向于界面处的取代位置,而Be、Mg原子倾向于靠近界面处的取代位置,Al、Ca、Sn原子倾向于远离界面处的取代位置;合金元素Be、Mg、Al、Ca、Ni、Sn的加入均会使Ag/Al界面的稳定性降低,其中Ca元素的影响程度最大,分离功降低到0.923 J/m~2,界面能增至0.703 J/m~2;通过电子结构计算结果分析认为,导致界面稳定性下降的主要原因应是合金化元素的加入使界面间形成的Ag-Al共价键强度降低引起.     

Theoretical study of the effects of alloying elements on Cu nanotwins

Nanotwins form in many metallic materials to improve their strength and toughness. In this study, we thoroughly studied the alloying effects of 10 common metal and nonmetal elements on Cu nanotwins by density functional theory(DFT). We calculated the segregation energies to determine if Cu nanotwins attract both the metal and nonmetal alloying elements; these segregation energies were then decomposed to mechanical and chemical components. The Cu-Sn bonds are different from other metal alloying elements, and the strong bond between Cu and the nonmetal element results in the negative values of the chemical contribution. Furthermore, the temperature and concentration have different effects on the nanotwin formation energy of the metal and nonmetal alloying elements. As determined by the Generalized Stacking Fault Energy, Al and nonmetals can inhibit the migration of Cu nanotwin boundary, and the effects of Li, Mg, and Sn are opposite. Our theoretical study serves as the foundation for the engineering nanotwin structures through alloying elements, the elements that may lead to new alloy compositions and thermomechanical processes, and are important complements to the experimental research.     

Alloying by high dose ion implantation of iron into magnesium and aluminium

Alloys of the systems Fe–Al (mixable over the whole concentration range) and Fe–Mg (insoluble with each other) were produced by implantation of Fe ions into Al and Mg, respectively. The implantation energy was 200 keV and the ion doses ranged from 1 × 10₁₄ to 9 × 10₁₇cm^-2The obtained implantation profiles were determined by Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling. Maximum iron concentrations reached were up to 60 at.% for implantation into Al and 94 at.% for implantation into Mg. Phase analysis of the implanted layers was performed by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. For implantation into Mg, two different kinds of Mössbauer spectra were obtained: at low doses paramagnetic doublets indicating at least two different iron sites and at high doses a dominant ferromagnetic six‐line‐pattern with a small paramagnetic fraction. The X‐ray diffraction pattern concluded that in the latter case a dilated αiron lattice is formed. For implantation into Al, the Mössbauer spectra were doublet structures very similar to those obtained at amorphous Fe–Al alloys produced by rapid quenching methods. They also indicated at least two different main iron environments. For the highest implanted sample a ferromagnetic six‐line‐pattern with magnetic field values close to those of Fe₃Al appeared.     

Influence of alloying elements on the elastic properties of ternary and quaternary nickel-base superalloys

Using new supercells, the influence of the alloying elements Co, Cr, Ta, Re, and Ru on the elastic properties of ternary and quaternary nickel-base superalloys are systematically studied by the first-principles pseudopotential method. The calculated results of the five ternary and three quaternary superalloys suggest that the alloying elements can increase the elastic moduli. Re is found to be most effective in increasing the moduli of ternary alloys. Among the quaternary alloys, the Ni-Al-Re-Ru system has the largest moduli. Our calculated values of the elastic moduli agree very well with the experimental results. The charge density redistribution and partial density of states are calculated for the quaternary system including both Re and Ru. Covalent-like bonding between Re and its nearest neighbor is observed. The hybridization between the Re-d orbital and the host Ni-p, d orbitals are the origin of the modulus strengthening effect.     

Effects of alloying elements on the electronic structure and ductility of NiAl compounds investigated by X-ray absorption fine structure

The Ni L_3,2-edge spectra of the pure Ni, pure NiAl and alloying-element-doped NiAl compounds were obtained by synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). Due to orbital hybridization effect, directional covalent-type bonds formed and decreased the ductility during forming NiAl. Combining the XAFS spectra analysis and electronegativity comparison, the effects of alloying elements on the electronic structure and then the ductility of the NiAl compounds were obtained. The results showed that Cr, Co, Mo, Ru and W doping could be beneficial to the ductility by both weakening the directional bonds along the <111> direction and enhancing the d–d interactions of the transition metals–Ni atom pair, namely by the transition from covalent bonds to metallic bonds which was beneficial for dislocation to migrate. The results agreed well with the available experimental data and other theoretical results, proving that the model linking the electronic structure and ductility is reliable and can be used as guidance for alloy design.     

Effect of alloying elements and impurities on interface properties in aluminum alloys

The segregation energies of B, Si, P, Cr, Ni, Zr, and Mg on the special grain boundary (GB) Σ5 (210)[100] and on the open (210) surface of aluminum have been determined and the GB splitting energy has been calculated by the density functional theory methods. It has been shown that all elements listed above enrich the GB; for B, Si, P, Cr, Ni and Zr, Mg, interstitial and substitutional sites are preferred, respectively. The effect of alloying elements on the GB binding has been estimated using the parameter η equal to the change in the fracture work of the aluminum GB when adding alloying element atoms. From the viewpoint of strengthening the GB binding forces, Zr, Cr, Ni, and Mg are efficient, Si and B are neutral and phosphorus weakens GBs.     

Metal-nonmetal transition in the boron group elements

Structural competition in boron group elements has been studied by means of ab initio calculations. For boron we predict a structural change alpha-B-->alpha-Ga accompanied by a nonmetal-metal transition at a pressure of about 74 GPa. For Al and Ga we find an icosahedron based elemental modification (alpha-B) 0.22 and 0.05 eV/atom, respectively, higher in energy than the corresponding metallic ground state structures. In particular, the low energy difference for Ga raises expectations into the experimental feasibility of new modifications for these elements, especially in nanosized systems.     

Optical properties of metal-polymer nanocomposites based on iron and high-pressure polyethylene

The optical reflectance and absorption spectra of nanocomposite materials based on iron and highpressure polyethylene (with different percentages of iron) were measured at room temperature in the visible and near-infrared regions. Oscillations of the absorption coefficient related to the optical transitions between minibands of the quantum well are revealed in the electronic spectrum of a metal nanoparticle. The experimental and theoretical data on the absorption coefficient are compared. It is shown that, with an increase in the iron concentration in the dielectric matrix, the discrepancy in the theoretical and experimental results decreases significantly.