An improved arc discharge method is developed to fabricate carbon nanotube probe of atomic force microscopy （AFM） here. First, silicon probe and carbon nanotube are manipulated under an optical microscope by two hig...An improved arc discharge method is developed to fabricate carbon nanotube probe of atomic force microscopy （AFM） here. First, silicon probe and carbon nanotube are manipulated under an optical microscope by two high precision microtranslators. When silicon probe and carbon nanotube are very close, several tens voltage is applied between them. And carbon nanotube is divided and attached to the end of silicon probe, which mainly due to the arc welding function. Comparing with the arc discharge method before, the new method here needs no coat silicon probe with metal film in advance, which can greatly reduce the fabrication＇s difficulty. The fabricated carbon nanotube probe shows good property of higher aspect ratio and can more accurately reflect the true topography of silicon grating than silicon probe. Under the same image drive force, carbon nanotube probe had less indentation depth on soft triblock copolymer sample than silicon probe. This showed that carbon nanotube probe has lower spring constant and less damage to the scan sample than silicon probe.展开更多
In this paper, three different tips are employed, i.e., the carbon nanotube tip, monocrystalline silicon tip and silicon nitride tip. Resorting to atomic force microscope （AFM）, they are used for measuring the surfa...In this paper, three different tips are employed, i.e., the carbon nanotube tip, monocrystalline silicon tip and silicon nitride tip. Resorting to atomic force microscope （AFM）, they are used for measuring the surface roughness of indium tin oxide （ITO） film and the immunoglobulin G （IgG） proteins within the scanning area of 10 μm×10 μm and 0.5 μm×0.5 μm, respectively. Subsequently, the scanned surface of the ITO film and IgG proteins are analyzed by using fractal dimension. The results show that the ffactal dimension measured by carbon nanotube tip is biggest with the highest frequency components and the most microscopic information. Therefore, the carbon nanotube tip is the ideal measuring tool for measuring super-smooth surface, which will play a more and more important role in the high-resolution imaging field.展开更多
The long-period-stacking-ordered(LPSO)structure affects the mechanical,corrosion and hydrolysis properties of Mg alloys.The current work employs high angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy(...The long-period-stacking-ordered(LPSO)structure affects the mechanical,corrosion and hydrolysis properties of Mg alloys.The current work employs high angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM)and atom probe tomography(APT)to investigate the structural and local chemical information of LPSO phases formed in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm ternary alloys after extended isothermal annealing.Depending on the alloying elements and their concentrations,Mg-Ni-Y/Sm develops a two-phase LPSO+α-Mg structure in which the LPSO phase contains defects,hybrid LPSO structure,and Mg insertions.HAADF-STEM and APT indicate non-stoichiometric LPSO with incomplete Ni_(6)(Y/Sm)_(8) clusters.In addition,the APT quantitatively determines the local composition of LPSO and confirms the presence of Ni within the Mg bonding layers.These results provide insight into a better understanding of the structure and hydrolysis properties of LPSO-Mg alloys.展开更多
We investigate the effect of aging temperature on precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of an Al-7.6Zn-2.7Mg-2.0Cu-0.1Zr-0.07Ti(wt.%)alloy by evaluating the matrix’s microhardness,electrical resistivity,an...We investigate the effect of aging temperature on precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of an Al-7.6Zn-2.7Mg-2.0Cu-0.1Zr-0.07Ti(wt.%)alloy by evaluating the matrix’s microhardness,electrical resistivity,and tensile properties:additionally,employing X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and atom-probe tomography(APT)to charac-terize this alloy.The nanoprecipitates forming under peak-aging conditions vary with aging temperature,forming coherent GPI zones at 80℃,GPII zones with minorη’at 120-150℃,andη’/ηwith minor GP zones at 180-220℃.GPI and GPII zones forming at 80-150℃ contain similar concentrations of solute atoms(11Zn-9Mg-(<1.0)Cu(at.%)),whereas theη’/ηnanoprecipitates forming at 180℃ contain larger concentrations of solute atoms(28Zn-24Mg-3.4Cu(at.%)).The strength of the peak-aged alloy decreases with increasing aging temperature owing to the increasing size and decreasing number density of the nanoprecipitates.Under peak-aging conditions,precipitation strengthening originates mainly from dislo-cation shearing at 80-150℃ and from Orowan bypassing at temperatures above 180℃.The shearable to non-shearable transition of the nanoprecipitates at 180℃ reduces the strain hardening rate,thereby decreasing the alloy’s ductility.展开更多
Mssbauer spectrum and three dimensional atom probes（3DAP） were combined to investigate the mechanism of cementite dissolution in a cold-drawn eutectoid steel at a true strain of 2.89.The experimental results suggest...Mssbauer spectrum and three dimensional atom probes（3DAP） were combined to investigate the mechanism of cementite dissolution in a cold-drawn eutectoid steel at a true strain of 2.89.The experimental results suggest that the dislocations play an important role in the dissolution of the cementite by sweeping across the nano-scaled cementite,and transferring carbon from cementite to ferrite inducing cementite decomposition.The mechanism of cementite dissolution in the steel is discussed in association with the investigation of nonstoichiometric cementite structure after heavy deformation.展开更多
Multiple precipitating species in a 2.2 GPa grade precipitation-hardened martensitic stainless steel with balanced ductility were characterized at atomic scale by atom probe tomography.The results indicated that the c...Multiple precipitating species in a 2.2 GPa grade precipitation-hardened martensitic stainless steel with balanced ductility were characterized at atomic scale by atom probe tomography.The results indicated that the clustering of solute atoms was promoted with progressive aging treatments.(Cr,Mo)-rich carbide(M_(2)C)precipitated at the linear dislocations in the as-aged steels.Obvious segregation of Cr,Mo,and C at phase boundaries favored the precipitation of carbide and caused the formation of Cr-lean domains.Spinodal decomposition of martensitic matrix during aging led to the substantial precipitation of fine Cr-rich(α′Cr)phase.Compared with the first aging treated samples,a synergistic enhancement of both strength and ductility of the secondary aging treated(SAT)samples was primarily ascribed to the enhanced precipitation of Cr-rich phase.Additionally,Ni-rich filmy reversed austenite precipitated at the lath boundary,which was beneficial to the ductility of SAT samples.展开更多
Aluminum-based alloys play a key role in modern engineering and are widely used in construction components in aircraft, automobiles and other means of transportation due to their light weight and superior mechanical p...Aluminum-based alloys play a key role in modern engineering and are widely used in construction components in aircraft, automobiles and other means of transportation due to their light weight and superior mechanical properties. Introduction of different nano-structure features can improve the service and the physical properties of such alloys. An improvement of an Al-based alloy has been performed based on the understanding of the relationships among compositions, processing, microstructural characteristics and properties. Knowledge of the decomposition process of the microstructure during the precipitation reaction is particularly important for future technical developments. The objective of this study is to investigate the nano-scale chemical composition in the Al-Cu, Al-Li and Al-Li-Cu alloys during the early stage of the precipitation sequence and to describe whether this compositional difference correlates with variations in the observed precipitation kinetics. Investigation of the fine scale segregation effects of dilute solutes in aluminum alloys which were experienced different heat treatments by using atom probe tomography has been achieved. The results show that an Al-1.7 at.% Cu alloy requires a long ageing time of approximately 8 h at 160°C to allow the diffusion of Cu atoms into Al matrix. For the Al-8.2 at.% Li alloy, a combination of both the natural ageing condition (48 h at room temperature) and a short artificial ageing condition (5 min at 160°C) induces increasing on the number density of the Li clusters and hence increase number of precipitated particles. Applying this combination of natural ageing and short artificial ageing conditions onto the ternary Al-4 at.% Li-1.7 at.% Cu alloy induces the formation of a Cu-rich phase. Increasing the Li content in the ternary alloy up to 8 at.% and increasing the ageing time to 30 min resulted in the precipitation processes ending with δ' particles. Thus the results contribute to the understanding of Al-alloy design.展开更多
The influence of minor Ag on the precipitation evolution of the Al-4.2Zn-2.8Mg-1.0Cu(wt.%)alloy from early stages to over-aged stages at 150°C was investigated.Surprisingly,co-precipitation of strengthening phase...The influence of minor Ag on the precipitation evolution of the Al-4.2Zn-2.8Mg-1.0Cu(wt.%)alloy from early stages to over-aged stages at 150°C was investigated.Surprisingly,co-precipitation of strengthening phases T′andη′are found in both Ag-free and Ag-added alloys.With Ag addition,precipitation of both T′andη′is refined and increased,such that the age-hardening capabilities and peak-aged tensile strength are improved.In addition,the quantitative proportion ofη′precipitates increases with the increase of Ag content due to the increase in the(Zn+Cu)/Mg ratio of nucleating particles.The narrowed precipitate-free zones(PFZs)are considered responsible for the undiminished fracture elongation in Ag-added alloys.Essentially,these effects of Ag are closely related to the strong Ag-vacancy and Ag-solute interactions.In over-aged stages,the Ag-added alloys still possess higher hardness values compared to the Ag-free alloy,which is related to precipitate coarsening mechanisms.The Ag-free alloy follows classical coarsening behavior by solid solution mediated diffusion,while the Ag-added alloy follows two possible coarsening mechanisms,coalescence of aggregates and diffusion of atoms.The smaller average size and higher residual number density of precipitates benefited from the slow diffusion-controlled coarsening behavior depending on the precipitate composition characteristics of the two-stage differentiation and the precipitate distribution characteristics of high-density dispersion in early-aged stages could explain why the hardness of Ag-added alloy keeps at a higher level than that of Ag-free alloy even after 1000 h ageing.Meanwhile,the transformation of metastable phases to stable phases is inhibited due to the addition of Ag,such that GP zones,T′,η′,ηand T phases coexist even after 14 d of ageing.In terms of phase composition,the addition of Ag decreases the ratio of Mg/(Al+Zn)in T-type phase.For the Ag-added alloy,the sum concentration of Zn+Mg inη′phase is about 10 at.%higher compared to T′phase,andηphase continues to have a high sum concentration of Zn+Mg,besides,the Zn/Mg ratio and Cu concentration exhibit obvious differences from T phase.展开更多
Fabricated through a newly developed hot-warm rolling process,Zn-0.8 Li(wt%)alloy has ideal strength and ductility far beyond the mechanical benchmark of materials for biodegradable stents.Precipitation of needle-like...Fabricated through a newly developed hot-warm rolling process,Zn-0.8 Li(wt%)alloy has ideal strength and ductility far beyond the mechanical benchmark of materials for biodegradable stents.Precipitation of needle-like Zn in primary p-LiZn4 phase is observed in Zn-Li alloy for the first time.Orientation relationship between them can be described as[1-213]β//[2-1-10](Zn),(10-10)βabout 4.5°from(0002)(Zn).Zn grains with an average size of 640 nm exhibit strong basal texture,detected by transmission electron back-scatter diffraction.Li distribution is determined by three-dimensional atom probe,which reveals the formation of nano-sized metastableα-Li2Zn3 precipitates with a number density of 7.16×10^22 m^-3.The fine lamellar Zn+β-LiZn4 structure,sub-micron grains and the nano-sized precipitates contribute to the superior mechanical properties.展开更多
Correlation between precipitates evolution and mechanical properties of Al-Sc-Zr alloy with Er additions during isothermal ageing were investigated by microhardness measurements,transmission electron microscopy,atom p...Correlation between precipitates evolution and mechanical properties of Al-Sc-Zr alloy with Er additions during isothermal ageing were investigated by microhardness measurements,transmission electron microscopy,atom probe tomography and density functional theory-based simulations.The results demonstrate that the Er additions significantly improve the hardness during elevated temperature ageing,especially at 400℃.This is mainly because Er additions increase the nucleation rate of the Al_(3)(Er,Sc,Zr)precipitates,resulting in a higher density of fine and uniform dispersion of L1_(2)structured nanoparticles.First-principles calculations demonstrate that the second nearest neighboring solute-solute interactions for the species Sc,Zr and Er are energetically favored–a key feature to rationalize the observed precipitate structure and the underlying formation mechanism.The sequential formation of the core/shell precipitates in the Er-free alloy and core/double-shell precipitates in the Er-containing alloy arises due to the different solute-solute and solute-vacancy interaction energies,and the relative diffusivities of the Er,Sc and Zr species in Al.These results shed light on the beneficial effects of Er additions on the agehardening behavior of Al-Sc-Zr alloy and provide guidance for designing the ageing treatments for the Al-Sc-Zr(-Er)alloys.展开更多
The effect of Co addition on the formation of Ni-Ti clusters in maraging stainless steel was studied by three dimensional atom probe（3 DAP） and first-principles calculation. The cluster analysis based on the maximum...The effect of Co addition on the formation of Ni-Ti clusters in maraging stainless steel was studied by three dimensional atom probe（3 DAP） and first-principles calculation. The cluster analysis based on the maximum separation approach showed an increase in size but a decrease in density of Ni-Ti clusters with increasing the Co content. The first-principles calculation indicated weaker Co-Ni（Co-Ti） interactions than Co-Ti（Fe-Ti） interactions, which should be the essential reason for the change of distribution characteristics of Ni-Ti clusters in bcc Fe caused by Co addition.展开更多
The microstructural evolution in Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloys with different Tantalum(Ta)content(2 Ta,5 Ta and 8 Ta in wt%)was investigated.Ta addition significantly affected theγ’precipitate mo...The microstructural evolution in Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloys with different Tantalum(Ta)content(2 Ta,5 Ta and 8 Ta in wt%)was investigated.Ta addition significantly affected theγ’precipitate morphology,γ/γ’lattice misfit and microstructural stability during long-term aging.Results showed that the partitioning behaviors of solutes were enhanced by Ta addition,meanwhile,the reversal partitioning behavior of W was triggered which partitioned fromγ’precipitate to matrix.The elemental concentration redistribution caused variations in lattice misfit from positive to negative,the values of lattice misfit were measured to be 0.16%for 2 Ta alloy,then decreased to-0.07%for 5 Ta alloy and negatively increased to-0.23%for 8 Ta alloy.These variations in the lattice misfit were reflected on the transition ofγ’morphology from round-cornered cuboidal shape to cuboidal with sharp corners,accomplished with increasing shape parameter ratioη.Consequently,the optimalγ’shape could be obtained at lattice misfit of approximately 0.3%.Theγ’coarsening investigation at 900℃(up to 2000 h)indicated that Ta addition was beneficial for improving the microstructural stability by reducing the coarsening rate and interfacial energy,accompanied by the enhanced capability of resistingγ’coalescence.By incorporating the calculated interfacial energy,computational modeling,Thermo-Calc and PrecipiCalc,were employed to elucidate theγ’kinetic pathways,the simulation results agreed with experiments,indicating that the model and parameters were reasonable.Additionally,it was found that there was no overlap betweenγ’nucleation and coarsening when theγ/γ’interfacial energy increased to a critical value.展开更多
The morphological evolution and coarsening kinetics ofγ'precipitates in a Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloy were investigated during isothermal aging at 900,950 and 1000℃.After heat treatment,well...The morphological evolution and coarsening kinetics ofγ'precipitates in a Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloy were investigated during isothermal aging at 900,950 and 1000℃.After heat treatment,well-defined cuboidalγ'precipitates with low misfit was obtained within the experimental alloy.Then coarsening rate constants and particle size distribution(PSD)ofγ'phases were calculated and specified based on the measured precipitate sizes for va rying periods of aging times from 100 to 2000 h.After aging for 2000 h,γ'precipitates maintained cubical shape at 900℃,while exhibited sphere at 950 and 1000℃.Coarsening models based on diffusion-controlled process with a functional relationship of r^(3) vs.t(classic Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner coarsening model)and interface-controlled model with a function of r^(2) vs.t(trans-interface diffusion-controlled coarsening model)were investigated to fit between the experimental results and theoretical analysis.It was found that Re as the slowest diffusing solute in the alloy constituted the rate-limited step for coarsening based on LSW model,while the process limiting coarsening as governed by an interface diffusion process could possibly be related to the Al diffusion through theγ/γ'interface.The PSDs and coarsening exponent were discussed by comparing the experimental data with predictions of LSW and TIDC models.Finally,coarsening mechanism could be divided into four regimes:(i)coarsening by diffusion-controlled;(ii)coarsening by diffusion and interface cocontrolled;(iii)coarsening by interface-controlled;(iv)coarsening by interface-controlled accompanied withγ'coalescence.展开更多
Influence mechanism of B segregation on the microstructure evolution and hot ductility of S32654 at850-1250℃was systematically investigated through experimental research and theoretical calculation.The results demons...Influence mechanism of B segregation on the microstructure evolution and hot ductility of S32654 at850-1250℃was systematically investigated through experimental research and theoretical calculation.The results demonstrated that the segregation of B at grain boundary(GB)played different roles in the microstructure evolution and hot ductility at various temperatures.At 850℃,B segregation inhibited Mo segregation at the GB and enhanced the GB cohesion.At 900-950℃,B segregation restricted the diffusion and segregation of Mo to the GB,inhibiting the precipitation ofσphase.At 1000-1050℃,B segregation accelerated the dislocation accumulation and limited the GB migration,promoting the nucleation and inhibiting the growth of DRX grains.At 1100-1150℃,B has little effect on the DRX due to sufficient energy supply by higher temperature.Under the above beneficial effects of B,the hot ductility of S32654 was improved to varying degrees at 850-1150℃.However,as the temperature increased to1200-1250℃,B segregation decreased the solidus temperature and enhanced the liquefaction cracking tendency,resulting in a deterioration of the hot ductility.展开更多
In this paper,we systematically investigated the microstructure evolution and coercivity mechanism of hydrogenation-disproportionation-desorption-recombination(HDDR)treated Nd-Fe-B strip cast alloys by transmission el...In this paper,we systematically investigated the microstructure evolution and coercivity mechanism of hydrogenation-disproportionation-desorption-recombination(HDDR)treated Nd-Fe-B strip cast alloys by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and three-dimensional atom probe(3 DAP)analyses.The rodlike NdH_(2+x) phases with diameters of 10-20 nm are embedded intoα-Fe matrix,which hereditarily leads to textured grains in HDDR alloy.The migration of NdH_(2+x) from Nd-rich region toα-Fe matrix during hydrogen absorption process contributes to the uniform redistribution of Nd-rich phases after HDDR treatment The HDDR alloy with single domain grain sizes of 200-300 nm exhibits relatively low coercivity of 1.01 T that arises from pinning magnetic domain motion.The weak c-axis orientation of HDDR alloy results in a lower reverse magnetic field(coercivity)to reduce remanence to 0.Moreover,the direct contact of Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains and the high concentration of ferromagnetic elements(Fe content≈66.06 at%,Co content≈0.91 at%)in Nd-rich grain boundary layer lead to strong magnetostatic coupling effect among Nd_(2) Fe_(14)B grains.The nano-sized a-Fe inside Nd_(2) Fe_(14)B matrix makes the magnetization reversal easily and decreases the coercivity of HDDR alloy.展开更多
Specimens of two different kinds of bake hardening steels （BH-Mn and BH-P） were prepared and treated with different annealing processes （water quenching and overaging）. A novel technique of three dimensional atom ...Specimens of two different kinds of bake hardening steels （BH-Mn and BH-P） were prepared and treated with different annealing processes （water quenching and overaging）. A novel technique of three dimensional atom probe was used to investigate solute distributions in these steels. The results indicate that C concentration decreases, whereas V increases during overaging in both bake hardening steels. The conclusion that no vanadium carbides pre- cipitate during the overaging is therefore originally obtained by microanalysis in bake hardening steels. Moreover, bake hardening values of all the specimens were tested by tensile experiments with 2 0/~ pre-deformation. However, those of overaged specimens were further measured with higher levels of pre-deformation because no bake hardening phenomenon was present at 2% pre-deformation. As the pre-deformation increases from 2% to 6% and 8%, both overaged steels show bake hardening values, and the value data are almost the same.展开更多
Atom probe tomography was utilized to investigate Cu precipitation in a high-strength low-alloy steel isothermally aged at 500℃ for 1, 4, 16, and 64 h after water-quenching from 900℃. With prolonged aging time, the ...Atom probe tomography was utilized to investigate Cu precipitation in a high-strength low-alloy steel isothermally aged at 500℃ for 1, 4, 16, and 64 h after water-quenching from 900℃. With prolonged aging time, the Curich precipitates（CRPs） increased in size and decreased in number density, and gradually evolved from spheroidal to elliptical in morphology. The small CRPs were rich in a high amount of Fe and a certain amount of Ni and Mn at their early nucleation stage. The large CRPs with increased size due to extensive aging contained less Fe and more Cu at their later growth stage. Additionally, Ni and Mn were both readily to segregate at the CRP/matrix heterophase interfaces, and Mn was higher in content than Ni in the precipitate interior especially when the CRPs were large in size.展开更多
In this paper,we were devoted to quantitatively analyzing the dimensional change of 2024 Al alloy during the aging process.Types of precipitates have been defined and the corresponding volume fraction has been measure...In this paper,we were devoted to quantitatively analyzing the dimensional change of 2024 Al alloy during the aging process.Types of precipitates have been defined and the corresponding volume fraction has been measured with Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM)and Three-Dimensional Atom Probe Tomography(3 D-APT).Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatsky(GPB)zone(0.86 vol.%)was found after aging for 8 h.GPB zone(0.17 vol.%)and S'phase(1.02 vol.%)was found after aging for 24 h.The reduced dimensional change was attributed to the reduction of matrix lattice parameter.Relative to the initial supersaturated solid solution state,the lattice strain of-2.79×10^(-5)and-5.16×10^(-5)was produced after 8 h and 24 h aging respectively.The difference of the lattice parameters between the precipitates and matrix was also considered.A model was established to quantitatively describe the relationship between the precipitation process and dimensional change of 2024 Al alloy.展开更多
Radiation-induced segregation(RIS) is a typical non-equilibrium process that can dramatically alter the behavior of defect sinks and material properties under irradiation. However, RIS mechanisms have been rarely stud...Radiation-induced segregation(RIS) is a typical non-equilibrium process that can dramatically alter the behavior of defect sinks and material properties under irradiation. However, RIS mechanisms have been rarely studied around small He bubbles owing to the technical challenges involved in direct measurements of local chemistry. Here, using state-of-the-art atom probe tomography, we report the RIS behavior near He bubbles in the Fe Ni Co Cr high-entropy alloy that indicates Co segregates most strongly, followed by weaker Ni segregation, whereas Fe and Cr are depleted almost to the same degree. Exceptionally, the magnitude of Co segregation around He bubbles is higher than previously measured values at voids and dislocation loops. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy was used to measure the He density and pressure inside individual bubbles. We demonstrate that He bubbles are over-pressurized at the irradiation temperature that could result in the vacancy bias and the subsequent vacancy-dominated RIS mechanism.First-principles calculations further reveal that there are repulsive interactions between He and Co atoms that may reduce the frequency of Co-vacancy exchange. As a result, He atoms likely retard Co diffusion via the vacancy mechanism and enhance the heterogeneity of RIS in Co-containing multicomponent alloys. These insights could provide the basis for understanding He effects in nuclear materials and open an avenue for tailoring the local chemical order of medium-and high-entropy alloys.展开更多
This work demonstrates significant improvements in both the aging kinetics and precipitation hardening of an Al-Li-Cu alloy with the minor addition of Cd(0.06 at.%).The precipitation hardening effect of T1 precipitate...This work demonstrates significant improvements in both the aging kinetics and precipitation hardening of an Al-Li-Cu alloy with the minor addition of Cd(0.06 at.%).The precipitation hardening effect of T1 precipitates in casting Al-Li-Cu alloys has long been ignored since it is difficult to achieve a high number density of fine precipitates without a large number of dislocations.A detailed transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the Cd addition has changed the distribution of T1 precipitates from the conventional uneven distribution near dislocations or grain boundaries to a more homogeneous manner.Most of the Cd-rich nanoparticles were observed at the broad face and/or terminal of the T1 platelets.It is highly likely that these nanoparticles act as heterogeneous nucleation sites,which consequently leads to a higher number density of T1 precipitates.Moreover,Cd atoms were preferentially segregated withinδprecipitates,which can be attributed to the strong bonding between Li and Cd.The interactions between Cd and the T1(Al2CuLi)andδ′(Al3Li)precipitates in Al-Li-Cu alloy are first reported.The present study may propose a new mechanism to effectively improve precipitation kinetics and therefore the age-hardening effect of Al-Li-Cu alloys.展开更多
基金This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.50205006).
文摘An improved arc discharge method is developed to fabricate carbon nanotube probe of atomic force microscopy （AFM） here. First, silicon probe and carbon nanotube are manipulated under an optical microscope by two high precision microtranslators. When silicon probe and carbon nanotube are very close, several tens voltage is applied between them. And carbon nanotube is divided and attached to the end of silicon probe, which mainly due to the arc welding function. Comparing with the arc discharge method before, the new method here needs no coat silicon probe with metal film in advance, which can greatly reduce the fabrication＇s difficulty. The fabricated carbon nanotube probe shows good property of higher aspect ratio and can more accurately reflect the true topography of silicon grating than silicon probe. Under the same image drive force, carbon nanotube probe had less indentation depth on soft triblock copolymer sample than silicon probe. This showed that carbon nanotube probe has lower spring constant and less damage to the scan sample than silicon probe.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.50605012).
文摘In this paper, three different tips are employed, i.e., the carbon nanotube tip, monocrystalline silicon tip and silicon nitride tip. Resorting to atomic force microscope （AFM）, they are used for measuring the surface roughness of indium tin oxide （ITO） film and the immunoglobulin G （IgG） proteins within the scanning area of 10 μm×10 μm and 0.5 μm×0.5 μm, respectively. Subsequently, the scanned surface of the ITO film and IgG proteins are analyzed by using fractal dimension. The results show that the ffactal dimension measured by carbon nanotube tip is biggest with the highest frequency components and the most microscopic information. Therefore, the carbon nanotube tip is the ideal measuring tool for measuring super-smooth surface, which will play a more and more important role in the high-resolution imaging field.
基金the financial support provided by ANR(Project ANR-22-PEHY-0007)DGA(French Direction Générale des Armées,2018600045)Région Nouvelle Aquitaine(agreement 2018–1R10126).
文摘The long-period-stacking-ordered(LPSO)structure affects the mechanical,corrosion and hydrolysis properties of Mg alloys.The current work employs high angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM)and atom probe tomography(APT)to investigate the structural and local chemical information of LPSO phases formed in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm ternary alloys after extended isothermal annealing.Depending on the alloying elements and their concentrations,Mg-Ni-Y/Sm develops a two-phase LPSO+α-Mg structure in which the LPSO phase contains defects,hybrid LPSO structure,and Mg insertions.HAADF-STEM and APT indicate non-stoichiometric LPSO with incomplete Ni_(6)(Y/Sm)_(8) clusters.In addition,the APT quantitatively determines the local composition of LPSO and confirms the presence of Ni within the Mg bonding layers.These results provide insight into a better understanding of the structure and hydrolysis properties of LPSO-Mg alloys.
基金financially supported by the Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program(No.10062304)funded by the Ministry of Trade,Industry,and Energy(MOTIE,Republic of Korea)the Main Research Program(Nos.PNK8370&PNK8650)funded by the Korea Institute of Materials Science(KIMS,Republic of Korea)+6 种基金a National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)grant funded by the Korean government(MSIT)(No.RS-2023-00217415)performed at the Northwestern University Center for Atom-Probe Tomography(NUCAPT)The LEAP tomo-graph at NUCAPT was purchased and upgraded with grants from the NSF-MRI(No.DMR-0420532)ONRDURIP(Nos.N00014-0400798,N00014-0610539,N00014-0910781,N00014-1712870)programssupport from the MRSEC program(No.NSF DMR-1720139)the Materials Research Center,SHyNE Re-source(No.NSF ECCS-1542205)the Initiative for Sustainability and Energy(ISEN)at Northwestern University.We thank the Cen-ter for University-wide Research Facilities(CURF)at Jeonbuk Na-tional University and Institute of Next-generation Semiconductor convergence Technology(INST)at DGIST for their assistance with the experiments.We also thank Prof.Dieter Isheim and Dr.Amir Farkoosh for their helpful discussions concerning APT analyses.
文摘We investigate the effect of aging temperature on precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of an Al-7.6Zn-2.7Mg-2.0Cu-0.1Zr-0.07Ti(wt.%)alloy by evaluating the matrix’s microhardness,electrical resistivity,and tensile properties:additionally,employing X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and atom-probe tomography(APT)to charac-terize this alloy.The nanoprecipitates forming under peak-aging conditions vary with aging temperature,forming coherent GPI zones at 80℃,GPII zones with minorη’at 120-150℃,andη’/ηwith minor GP zones at 180-220℃.GPI and GPII zones forming at 80-150℃ contain similar concentrations of solute atoms(11Zn-9Mg-(<1.0)Cu(at.%)),whereas theη’/ηnanoprecipitates forming at 180℃ contain larger concentrations of solute atoms(28Zn-24Mg-3.4Cu(at.%)).The strength of the peak-aged alloy decreases with increasing aging temperature owing to the increasing size and decreasing number density of the nanoprecipitates.Under peak-aging conditions,precipitation strengthening originates mainly from dislo-cation shearing at 80-150℃ and from Orowan bypassing at temperatures above 180℃.The shearable to non-shearable transition of the nanoprecipitates at 180℃ reduces the strain hardening rate,thereby decreasing the alloy’s ductility.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.50371057)
文摘Mssbauer spectrum and three dimensional atom probes（3DAP） were combined to investigate the mechanism of cementite dissolution in a cold-drawn eutectoid steel at a true strain of 2.89.The experimental results suggest that the dislocations play an important role in the dissolution of the cementite by sweeping across the nano-scaled cementite,and transferring carbon from cementite to ferrite inducing cementite decomposition.The mechanism of cementite dissolution in the steel is discussed in association with the investigation of nonstoichiometric cementite structure after heavy deformation.
基金This work was financially supported by the National“13th Five-year Plan”high-tech Research and Development Program of China(YE-17T60270B).
文摘Multiple precipitating species in a 2.2 GPa grade precipitation-hardened martensitic stainless steel with balanced ductility were characterized at atomic scale by atom probe tomography.The results indicated that the clustering of solute atoms was promoted with progressive aging treatments.(Cr,Mo)-rich carbide(M_(2)C)precipitated at the linear dislocations in the as-aged steels.Obvious segregation of Cr,Mo,and C at phase boundaries favored the precipitation of carbide and caused the formation of Cr-lean domains.Spinodal decomposition of martensitic matrix during aging led to the substantial precipitation of fine Cr-rich(α′Cr)phase.Compared with the first aging treated samples,a synergistic enhancement of both strength and ductility of the secondary aging treated(SAT)samples was primarily ascribed to the enhanced precipitation of Cr-rich phase.Additionally,Ni-rich filmy reversed austenite precipitated at the lath boundary,which was beneficial to the ductility of SAT samples.
文摘Aluminum-based alloys play a key role in modern engineering and are widely used in construction components in aircraft, automobiles and other means of transportation due to their light weight and superior mechanical properties. Introduction of different nano-structure features can improve the service and the physical properties of such alloys. An improvement of an Al-based alloy has been performed based on the understanding of the relationships among compositions, processing, microstructural characteristics and properties. Knowledge of the decomposition process of the microstructure during the precipitation reaction is particularly important for future technical developments. The objective of this study is to investigate the nano-scale chemical composition in the Al-Cu, Al-Li and Al-Li-Cu alloys during the early stage of the precipitation sequence and to describe whether this compositional difference correlates with variations in the observed precipitation kinetics. Investigation of the fine scale segregation effects of dilute solutes in aluminum alloys which were experienced different heat treatments by using atom probe tomography has been achieved. The results show that an Al-1.7 at.% Cu alloy requires a long ageing time of approximately 8 h at 160°C to allow the diffusion of Cu atoms into Al matrix. For the Al-8.2 at.% Li alloy, a combination of both the natural ageing condition (48 h at room temperature) and a short artificial ageing condition (5 min at 160°C) induces increasing on the number density of the Li clusters and hence increase number of precipitated particles. Applying this combination of natural ageing and short artificial ageing conditions onto the ternary Al-4 at.% Li-1.7 at.% Cu alloy induces the formation of a Cu-rich phase. Increasing the Li content in the ternary alloy up to 8 at.% and increasing the ageing time to 30 min resulted in the precipitation processes ending with δ' particles. Thus the results contribute to the understanding of Al-alloy design.
基金supported by the Chongqing Key Project for Technological Innovation and Application(No.CSTB2022TIAD-KPX0073)the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(No.CSTB2022NSCQ-LZX0002)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51871033)the Opening Project of State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials(Nos.2022-Z03 and 2020-ZD02).
文摘The influence of minor Ag on the precipitation evolution of the Al-4.2Zn-2.8Mg-1.0Cu(wt.%)alloy from early stages to over-aged stages at 150°C was investigated.Surprisingly,co-precipitation of strengthening phases T′andη′are found in both Ag-free and Ag-added alloys.With Ag addition,precipitation of both T′andη′is refined and increased,such that the age-hardening capabilities and peak-aged tensile strength are improved.In addition,the quantitative proportion ofη′precipitates increases with the increase of Ag content due to the increase in the(Zn+Cu)/Mg ratio of nucleating particles.The narrowed precipitate-free zones(PFZs)are considered responsible for the undiminished fracture elongation in Ag-added alloys.Essentially,these effects of Ag are closely related to the strong Ag-vacancy and Ag-solute interactions.In over-aged stages,the Ag-added alloys still possess higher hardness values compared to the Ag-free alloy,which is related to precipitate coarsening mechanisms.The Ag-free alloy follows classical coarsening behavior by solid solution mediated diffusion,while the Ag-added alloy follows two possible coarsening mechanisms,coalescence of aggregates and diffusion of atoms.The smaller average size and higher residual number density of precipitates benefited from the slow diffusion-controlled coarsening behavior depending on the precipitate composition characteristics of the two-stage differentiation and the precipitate distribution characteristics of high-density dispersion in early-aged stages could explain why the hardness of Ag-added alloy keeps at a higher level than that of Ag-free alloy even after 1000 h ageing.Meanwhile,the transformation of metastable phases to stable phases is inhibited due to the addition of Ag,such that GP zones,T′,η′,ηand T phases coexist even after 14 d of ageing.In terms of phase composition,the addition of Ag decreases the ratio of Mg/(Al+Zn)in T-type phase.For the Ag-added alloy,the sum concentration of Zn+Mg inη′phase is about 10 at.%higher compared to T′phase,andηphase continues to have a high sum concentration of Zn+Mg,besides,the Zn/Mg ratio and Cu concentration exhibit obvious differences from T phase.
基金supported financially by the National Key R&D Program of China (No.2016YFC1102500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51871020)
文摘Fabricated through a newly developed hot-warm rolling process,Zn-0.8 Li(wt%)alloy has ideal strength and ductility far beyond the mechanical benchmark of materials for biodegradable stents.Precipitation of needle-like Zn in primary p-LiZn4 phase is observed in Zn-Li alloy for the first time.Orientation relationship between them can be described as[1-213]β//[2-1-10](Zn),(10-10)βabout 4.5°from(0002)(Zn).Zn grains with an average size of 640 nm exhibit strong basal texture,detected by transmission electron back-scatter diffraction.Li distribution is determined by three-dimensional atom probe,which reveals the formation of nano-sized metastableα-Li2Zn3 precipitates with a number density of 7.16×10^22 m^-3.The fine lamellar Zn+β-LiZn4 structure,sub-micron grains and the nano-sized precipitates contribute to the superior mechanical properties.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U1737206 and 51971077)the AUSMURI program(Grant No.AUSMURI000005)funded under the auspices of the Commonwealth Department of Industry,Innovation and Sciencesupported by the Science and Technology Plan Project of Guangzhou City(Grant No.201807010063)
文摘Correlation between precipitates evolution and mechanical properties of Al-Sc-Zr alloy with Er additions during isothermal ageing were investigated by microhardness measurements,transmission electron microscopy,atom probe tomography and density functional theory-based simulations.The results demonstrate that the Er additions significantly improve the hardness during elevated temperature ageing,especially at 400℃.This is mainly because Er additions increase the nucleation rate of the Al_(3)(Er,Sc,Zr)precipitates,resulting in a higher density of fine and uniform dispersion of L1_(2)structured nanoparticles.First-principles calculations demonstrate that the second nearest neighboring solute-solute interactions for the species Sc,Zr and Er are energetically favored–a key feature to rationalize the observed precipitate structure and the underlying formation mechanism.The sequential formation of the core/shell precipitates in the Er-free alloy and core/double-shell precipitates in the Er-containing alloy arises due to the different solute-solute and solute-vacancy interaction energies,and the relative diffusivities of the Er,Sc and Zr species in Al.These results shed light on the beneficial effects of Er additions on the agehardening behavior of Al-Sc-Zr alloy and provide guidance for designing the ageing treatments for the Al-Sc-Zr(-Er)alloys.
基金sponsored by Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017233)National Natural Science Foundation of C hina (No. 51472249)+2 种基金Innovation Project of Institute of Metal Research (2015-ZD04)National Natural Science Foundation of China Research Fund for International Young Scientists (No. 51750110515)the Special Program for Applied Research on Super Computation of the NSFCGuangdong Joint Fund (second phase) under Grant No. U1501501
文摘The effect of Co addition on the formation of Ni-Ti clusters in maraging stainless steel was studied by three dimensional atom probe（3 DAP） and first-principles calculation. The cluster analysis based on the maximum separation approach showed an increase in size but a decrease in density of Ni-Ti clusters with increasing the Co content. The first-principles calculation indicated weaker Co-Ni（Co-Ti） interactions than Co-Ti（Fe-Ti） interactions, which should be the essential reason for the change of distribution characteristics of Ni-Ti clusters in bcc Fe caused by Co addition.
基金the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51631008)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFB0701400)Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province2020JM-122。
文摘The microstructural evolution in Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloys with different Tantalum(Ta)content(2 Ta,5 Ta and 8 Ta in wt%)was investigated.Ta addition significantly affected theγ’precipitate morphology,γ/γ’lattice misfit and microstructural stability during long-term aging.Results showed that the partitioning behaviors of solutes were enhanced by Ta addition,meanwhile,the reversal partitioning behavior of W was triggered which partitioned fromγ’precipitate to matrix.The elemental concentration redistribution caused variations in lattice misfit from positive to negative,the values of lattice misfit were measured to be 0.16%for 2 Ta alloy,then decreased to-0.07%for 5 Ta alloy and negatively increased to-0.23%for 8 Ta alloy.These variations in the lattice misfit were reflected on the transition ofγ’morphology from round-cornered cuboidal shape to cuboidal with sharp corners,accomplished with increasing shape parameter ratioη.Consequently,the optimalγ’shape could be obtained at lattice misfit of approximately 0.3%.Theγ’coarsening investigation at 900℃(up to 2000 h)indicated that Ta addition was beneficial for improving the microstructural stability by reducing the coarsening rate and interfacial energy,accompanied by the enhanced capability of resistingγ’coalescence.By incorporating the calculated interfacial energy,computational modeling,Thermo-Calc and PrecipiCalc,were employed to elucidate theγ’kinetic pathways,the simulation results agreed with experiments,indicating that the model and parameters were reasonable.Additionally,it was found that there was no overlap betweenγ’nucleation and coarsening when theγ/γ’interfacial energy increased to a critical value.
基金the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51631008)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFB0701400)+1 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province 2020JM-122the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(No.2012AA03A511)。
文摘The morphological evolution and coarsening kinetics ofγ'precipitates in a Re-containing Ni-based single crystal superalloy were investigated during isothermal aging at 900,950 and 1000℃.After heat treatment,well-defined cuboidalγ'precipitates with low misfit was obtained within the experimental alloy.Then coarsening rate constants and particle size distribution(PSD)ofγ'phases were calculated and specified based on the measured precipitate sizes for va rying periods of aging times from 100 to 2000 h.After aging for 2000 h,γ'precipitates maintained cubical shape at 900℃,while exhibited sphere at 950 and 1000℃.Coarsening models based on diffusion-controlled process with a functional relationship of r^(3) vs.t(classic Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner coarsening model)and interface-controlled model with a function of r^(2) vs.t(trans-interface diffusion-controlled coarsening model)were investigated to fit between the experimental results and theoretical analysis.It was found that Re as the slowest diffusing solute in the alloy constituted the rate-limited step for coarsening based on LSW model,while the process limiting coarsening as governed by an interface diffusion process could possibly be related to the Al diffusion through theγ/γ'interface.The PSDs and coarsening exponent were discussed by comparing the experimental data with predictions of LSW and TIDC models.Finally,coarsening mechanism could be divided into four regimes:(i)coarsening by diffusion-controlled;(ii)coarsening by diffusion and interface cocontrolled;(iii)coarsening by interface-controlled;(iv)coarsening by interface-controlled accompanied withγ'coalescence.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U1860204,52004061)the Talent Project of Revitalizing Liaoning(Grant No.XLYC1802101)+4 种基金by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant Nos.2020M670777,2021T140100)the Northeastern University Postdoctoral Funds(Grant No.20200321)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.N2125017)the Elite Program of Southern Taihu Lakethe instrumental and data analysis from Analytical and Testing Center,Northeastern University。
文摘Influence mechanism of B segregation on the microstructure evolution and hot ductility of S32654 at850-1250℃was systematically investigated through experimental research and theoretical calculation.The results demonstrated that the segregation of B at grain boundary(GB)played different roles in the microstructure evolution and hot ductility at various temperatures.At 850℃,B segregation inhibited Mo segregation at the GB and enhanced the GB cohesion.At 900-950℃,B segregation restricted the diffusion and segregation of Mo to the GB,inhibiting the precipitation ofσphase.At 1000-1050℃,B segregation accelerated the dislocation accumulation and limited the GB migration,promoting the nucleation and inhibiting the growth of DRX grains.At 1100-1150℃,B has little effect on the DRX due to sufficient energy supply by higher temperature.Under the above beneficial effects of B,the hot ductility of S32654 was improved to varying degrees at 850-1150℃.However,as the temperature increased to1200-1250℃,B segregation decreased the solidus temperature and enhanced the liquefaction cracking tendency,resulting in a deterioration of the hot ductility.
基金Project supported by the State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials(2019Z-14)。
文摘In this paper,we systematically investigated the microstructure evolution and coercivity mechanism of hydrogenation-disproportionation-desorption-recombination(HDDR)treated Nd-Fe-B strip cast alloys by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and three-dimensional atom probe(3 DAP)analyses.The rodlike NdH_(2+x) phases with diameters of 10-20 nm are embedded intoα-Fe matrix,which hereditarily leads to textured grains in HDDR alloy.The migration of NdH_(2+x) from Nd-rich region toα-Fe matrix during hydrogen absorption process contributes to the uniform redistribution of Nd-rich phases after HDDR treatment The HDDR alloy with single domain grain sizes of 200-300 nm exhibits relatively low coercivity of 1.01 T that arises from pinning magnetic domain motion.The weak c-axis orientation of HDDR alloy results in a lower reverse magnetic field(coercivity)to reduce remanence to 0.Moreover,the direct contact of Nd_(2)Fe_(14)B grains and the high concentration of ferromagnetic elements(Fe content≈66.06 at%,Co content≈0.91 at%)in Nd-rich grain boundary layer lead to strong magnetostatic coupling effect among Nd_(2) Fe_(14)B grains.The nano-sized a-Fe inside Nd_(2) Fe_(14)B matrix makes the magnetization reversal easily and decreases the coercivity of HDDR alloy.
基金sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China(50934011,50971137)National Basic Research Program of China(2010CB630802)
文摘Specimens of two different kinds of bake hardening steels （BH-Mn and BH-P） were prepared and treated with different annealing processes （water quenching and overaging）. A novel technique of three dimensional atom probe was used to investigate solute distributions in these steels. The results indicate that C concentration decreases, whereas V increases during overaging in both bake hardening steels. The conclusion that no vanadium carbides pre- cipitate during the overaging is therefore originally obtained by microanalysis in bake hardening steels. Moreover, bake hardening values of all the specimens were tested by tensile experiments with 2 0/~ pre-deformation. However, those of overaged specimens were further measured with higher levels of pre-deformation because no bake hardening phenomenon was present at 2% pre-deformation. As the pre-deformation increases from 2% to 6% and 8%, both overaged steels show bake hardening values, and the value data are almost the same.
文摘Atom probe tomography was utilized to investigate Cu precipitation in a high-strength low-alloy steel isothermally aged at 500℃ for 1, 4, 16, and 64 h after water-quenching from 900℃. With prolonged aging time, the Curich precipitates（CRPs） increased in size and decreased in number density, and gradually evolved from spheroidal to elliptical in morphology. The small CRPs were rich in a high amount of Fe and a certain amount of Ni and Mn at their early nucleation stage. The large CRPs with increased size due to extensive aging contained less Fe and more Cu at their later growth stage. Additionally, Ni and Mn were both readily to segregate at the CRP/matrix heterophase interfaces, and Mn was higher in content than Ni in the precipitate interior especially when the CRPs were large in size.
基金sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China with grant No.U1637201。
文摘In this paper,we were devoted to quantitatively analyzing the dimensional change of 2024 Al alloy during the aging process.Types of precipitates have been defined and the corresponding volume fraction has been measured with Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM)and Three-Dimensional Atom Probe Tomography(3 D-APT).Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatsky(GPB)zone(0.86 vol.%)was found after aging for 8 h.GPB zone(0.17 vol.%)and S'phase(1.02 vol.%)was found after aging for 24 h.The reduced dimensional change was attributed to the reduction of matrix lattice parameter.Relative to the initial supersaturated solid solution state,the lattice strain of-2.79×10^(-5)and-5.16×10^(-5)was produced after 8 h and 24 h aging respectively.The difference of the lattice parameters between the precipitates and matrix was also considered.A model was established to quantitatively describe the relationship between the precipitation process and dimensional change of 2024 Al alloy.
基金the funding support from the Hong Kong Research Grant Council (Grant Nos. City U11214820 and City U11205018)the funding support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under project 11922215+2 种基金the funding support from the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province in China (Grant No. 2019A1515011836)the support from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11974156)Guangdong International Science Collaboration Project (Grant No. 2019A050510001)。
文摘Radiation-induced segregation(RIS) is a typical non-equilibrium process that can dramatically alter the behavior of defect sinks and material properties under irradiation. However, RIS mechanisms have been rarely studied around small He bubbles owing to the technical challenges involved in direct measurements of local chemistry. Here, using state-of-the-art atom probe tomography, we report the RIS behavior near He bubbles in the Fe Ni Co Cr high-entropy alloy that indicates Co segregates most strongly, followed by weaker Ni segregation, whereas Fe and Cr are depleted almost to the same degree. Exceptionally, the magnitude of Co segregation around He bubbles is higher than previously measured values at voids and dislocation loops. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy was used to measure the He density and pressure inside individual bubbles. We demonstrate that He bubbles are over-pressurized at the irradiation temperature that could result in the vacancy bias and the subsequent vacancy-dominated RIS mechanism.First-principles calculations further reveal that there are repulsive interactions between He and Co atoms that may reduce the frequency of Co-vacancy exchange. As a result, He atoms likely retard Co diffusion via the vacancy mechanism and enhance the heterogeneity of RIS in Co-containing multicomponent alloys. These insights could provide the basis for understanding He effects in nuclear materials and open an avenue for tailoring the local chemical order of medium-and high-entropy alloys.
文摘This work demonstrates significant improvements in both the aging kinetics and precipitation hardening of an Al-Li-Cu alloy with the minor addition of Cd(0.06 at.%).The precipitation hardening effect of T1 precipitates in casting Al-Li-Cu alloys has long been ignored since it is difficult to achieve a high number density of fine precipitates without a large number of dislocations.A detailed transmission electron microscopy investigation shows that the Cd addition has changed the distribution of T1 precipitates from the conventional uneven distribution near dislocations or grain boundaries to a more homogeneous manner.Most of the Cd-rich nanoparticles were observed at the broad face and/or terminal of the T1 platelets.It is highly likely that these nanoparticles act as heterogeneous nucleation sites,which consequently leads to a higher number density of T1 precipitates.Moreover,Cd atoms were preferentially segregated withinδprecipitates,which can be attributed to the strong bonding between Li and Cd.The interactions between Cd and the T1(Al2CuLi)andδ′(Al3Li)precipitates in Al-Li-Cu alloy are first reported.The present study may propose a new mechanism to effectively improve precipitation kinetics and therefore the age-hardening effect of Al-Li-Cu alloys.
