Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Shenglan Yang, Jing Zhong, Jiong Wang, Jianbao Gao, Qian Li, Lijun Zhang
Summary: A novel computational model was developed to describe the temperature- and composition-dependent isotropic interfacial energy in multicomponent alloys using the CALculation of PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD) approach and implemented in a home-made code. By linking to the open-source code for interfacial energy calculation, databases for isotropic gamma/liquid and gamma/gamma' interfacial energies in different alloy systems were efficiently established. A direct coupling strategy between the CALPHAD interfacial energy database and the phase-field model was proposed and applied to three-dimensional phase-field simulations of dendritic growth in Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Cr alloys. The effect of interfacial energy on the morphology, growth rate, and partitioning coefficients of dendrites was investigated by comparing simulation results with composition/temperature-dependent interfacial energies and constant values. The developed CALPHAD model for interfacial energy is expected to be applicable to various multicomponent alloys and can be integrated with the phase-field model for quantitative simulation of microstructure evolution.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Zhen-hong Wang, Li-tong Zhang, Bin Su, Xiao-peng Zhang
Summary: This study observed and analyzed the solidification microstructure of Al-Si alloy through experiments and simulations, demonstrating the reliable performance of the proposed model. It was found that the solute expansion coefficient had a significant effect on dendrite tip velocities.
TRANSACTIONS OF NONFERROUS METALS SOCIETY OF CHINA
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhi Liang, Jiashi Miao, Xuejun Huang, Fan Zhang, Jim C. Williams, Alan A. Luo
Summary: This study investigates the phase transformation and strengthening mechanism in a new α-β titanium alloy. It validates the hypothesis of iron-driven nucleation and growth of α precipitates. The findings have significant implications for titanium alloy design.
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A-PHYSICAL METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Crystallography
Hongmei Jin, Renguo Guan, Di Tie
Summary: The microstructural evolution of precipitates in a 6xxx alloy during thermomechanical treatment was investigated. It was found that the interaction between accumulated dislocations and precipitates significantly improved the strength and electrical conductivity of the alloy.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jianhua Wu, Jixue Zhou, Shouqiu Tang, Xitao Wang, Qingyou Han
Summary: This study focused on using a simple quench method to study the effect of ablation water cooling on microstructural features and heat treatment response of A356 alloy. The results indicate that the simple method is suitable in simulating certain features of eutectic solidification during ablation casting, and the heat treatment response of water cooled samples is much faster than that of conventional castings. This could lead to reduced energy consumptions and significant cost savings if the heat treating process is optimized for ablation casting.
Article
Crystallography
Simon Recnik, Milan Bizjak, Jozef Medved, Peter Cvahte, Blaz Karpe, Ales Nagode
Summary: The study fabricated bismuth-added aluminum alloy AA6026 using different melt preparation methods, finding that the melt preparation route influenced the solidification sequence and machinability of the alloy, and explanations were provided through thermodynamic analyses and microstructural characterization.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jee Seok Choi, Moonwoo La, DongEung Kim, Kyeong-Hwan Choe, Soong-Keun Hyun, Moon-Jo Kim
Summary: The effect of electric current on the refinement of pure aluminum during solidification was investigated in this study. It was found that electric current can significantly alter the grain morphology and reduce grain size. The grain refinement is influenced by electrical conditions such as the intensity and duration of applied electric current, but under extreme conditions, the refining effect may disappear.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Zhuanni Gao, Xiaohong Zhan, Huizi Shi, Yifan Li, Xiang Li, Zhiqiang Liu, Leilei Wang
Summary: This study investigates the effects of heat inputs and substrate preheating temperatures on solidification and microstructure evolution in wire-laser DED method using a coaxial head. The findings reveal the transformation of grain forms and characteristics of columnar grains with varying cooling rates and temperature gradients.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Fan Zhang, Songmao Liang, Chuan Zhang, Shuanglin Chen, Duchao Lv, Weisheng Cao, Sindo Kou
Summary: This paper investigates cracking susceptibility in three series of aluminum alloys through simulation, calculating cracking susceptible index values and constructing cracking susceptible maps, which clearly demonstrate the effects of major and minor alloying elements.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Prosenjit Das
Summary: The present study investigates the impact of melt treatment on the microstructure formation mechanism of A356 Al alloy in the semi-solid state. The addition of a grain refiner and modifier significantly influences the morphology of primary solid Al and eutectic Si particles. Possible mechanisms for slurry microstructure formation during the onset of melt treatment are proposed, and a mathematical model for the formation and coarsening of primary Al is developed based on experimental findings. Understanding the microstructure formation mechanism and establishing mathematical correlations between process variables and slurry morphology are important for process control in Rheo pressure die casting and the development of automobile and aviation components.
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS B-PROCESS METALLURGY AND MATERIALS PROCESSING SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Changsong Ma, Lin Yang, Jinfu Li
Summary: This paper investigates the phase selection and microstructure evolution of Fe75B25 alloy during solidification at different undercoolings. The alloy consistently solidifies into a primary Fe2B phase and a-Fe/Fe2B eutectic at all the experimental undercoolings up to 381 K. Despite favorable conditions for the growth of metastable Fe3B phase, it does not precipitate in this alloy. The phase selection is found to be nucleation-controlled, with solid sites in the alloy melt favoring the nucleation of the Fe2B phase. The morphology of the Fe2B phase changes complexly as undercooling increases, transitioning from coarse faceted dendrites to developed non-faceted dendrites, seaweeds with dense branches, and finally refined granular grains above 147 K.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sukeharu Nomoto, Masahiro Kusano, Houichi Kitano, Makoto Watanabe
Summary: Wire arc additive manufacturing achieves high efficiency and low costs by using a melting wire for directional depositions. In this study, a multi-phase field method coupled with a CALPHAD database is developed to predict solidification microstructure and segregation in Ni-based alloys. The effectiveness of this method is confirmed through experimental measurements.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bowen Dong, Haotian Yi, Zhenpeng Wu, Naixu Li, Shichao Liu, Qingchuan Zou, Jinchuan Jie, Tingju Li
Summary: Novel Cu-24Pb-xAl alloys with dispersed and rodlike Pb-rich secondary phases (PSPs) were successfully designed and prepared with the guidance of CALPHAD. The addition of Al was proven to promote the formation of dispersed and rodlike PSPs in Cu-Pb system, leading to the successful design of Cu-24Pb-2Al alloy. This work proposes a new strategy to design immiscible alloys with optimized microstructure, establishing a design criterion for other immiscible alloys.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Li Jun, Jiang Haitao, Wu Xiaoyan
Summary: In this study, the grain-refining effect of Al-Nb-B refiner in wrought Al alloys was investigated using phase-field simulation and experiment methods. The addition of 0.03 wt% Nb significantly reduced the grain size, which further decreased with the addition of more refiner. The simulation and experimental results showed quantitative agreement, demonstrating that the addition of Al-Nb-B refiner can provide high-quality and stable heterogeneous nucleation particles.
MATERIALS RESEARCH EXPRESS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yu Chen, Xiaming Chen, Qingyu Zhang, Mingfang Zhu, Fei Liu, Xiaonan Wang, Hiromi Nagaumi, Zhengjun Yao
Summary: In this study, a cellular automaton-finite difference-lattice Boltzmann (CA-FD-LB) model coupled with ternary alloy thermodynamics calculations was used to simulate the formation of welding porosity and dendritic solidification during welding of 6xxx aluminum alloys (Al-Mg-Si). It was found that the welding pores nucleate and grow in the interdendritic space and are squeezed into irregular shapes by the growing dendrites. The results also showed that the heat input affects the formation of welding pores and the growth of dendrites, with decreasing heat input leading to finer dendrite arms, decreased porosity percentage, and increased gas pore numbers.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shiyi Wen, Xiaoguang Li, Bo Wang, Jing Tan, Yuling Liu, Jian Lv, Zhuopeng Tan, Lei Yin, Yong Du
Summary: In this study, DNN is used to evaluate and predict the thermal conductivities of WC-M cemented carbides. The results show good agreements between the DNN-predicted thermal conductivities and the measured ones, demonstrating the effectiveness of DNN in exploring material properties. Compared to previous physical models, DNN shows similar robust predicting ability. This study highlights the efficiency of machine learning in exploring material properties in high-dimensional parameter space with less time consumption and costs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xiaoyu Zheng, Yi Kong, Tingting Chang, Xin Liao, Yiwu Ma, Yong Du
Summary: This study integrates multi-scale factors into a knowledge graph to investigate the evolution of microstructure and properties of age-strengthened aluminum alloys during heat treatment. It also establishes quantitative prediction models for industrial production. The constructed knowledge graph guides material design and provides clear microstructure-property relationships.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinyue Lan, Kai Li, Jiong Wang, Qiang Lu, Tong Yang, Yao Xiao, Yong Du
Summary: In this study, alloy compositions were designed using CALPHAD to prepare large-sized intermetallic particles within a specific temperature range. The hardness and elastic moduli of these intermetallic phases in aluminum alloys were then measured. The results showed that the measured properties were more accurate and closer to theoretical predictions compared to other experimental data. Additionally, a simple method for preparing ultra-large single crystal particles in Al alloys was developed.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Tong Yang, Yi Kong, Yong Du, Kai Li, Dominique Schryvers
Summary: Submicron-sized quasicrystalline particles were achieved in an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy produced using traditional melting. These particles consist of an Al-Fe-Ni core and a Mg-Cu-Zn shell, randomly embedded in the Al matrix. The diffraction patterns reveal a decagonal core and an icosahedral shell with five-fold symmetry. The presence of Fe and Ni impurities is found to be crucial in the formation of this unusual ternary core-shell quasicrystalline particle, providing novel insights into the formation of quasicrystals in traditional industrial Al alloys.
SCRIPTA MATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiang Lu, Jianchuan Wang, Hongcheng Li, Shenbao Jin, Gang Sha, Jiangbo Lu, Li Wang, Bo Jin, Xinyue Lan, Liya Li, Kai Li, Yong Du
Summary: Coarsening of precipitates in medium and high temperatures causes reduction in strength of Al alloys. Here, the authors design an Al-Cu-Mg-Ag-Si-Sc alloy with multiple interface structures, showing an excellent combination of strength and heat resistance compared to conventional Al alloys.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chenshuang Wei, Sai Tang, Yi Kong, Xiong Shuai, Hong Mao, Yong Du
Summary: Studying the deformation behaviors of microstructures is crucial for understanding the precipitation-strengthening mechanism in alloys. This study used the phase-field crystal method to investigate the interactions between precipitates, grain boundaries, and dislocations during deformation processes. The results revealed that the pinning effect of precipitates becomes stronger with increasing lattice misfit at slow deformation rates. Different deformation behaviors were observed depending on the lattice misfit and strain rate. The findings provide insights into how microstructures in precipitation-strengthening alloys deform collaboratively or independently.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shiyi Wen, Jing Tan, Jianzhan Long, Zhuopeng Tan, Lei Yin, Yuling Liu, Yong Du, George Kaptay
Summary: This study investigates the thermal conductivity of two-phase WC-Co-Ni cemented carbides and its dependence on phase composition, temperature, and WC grain size. Through a combination of experiments and models, a reliable model for calculating the thermal conductivity of two-phase WC-Co-Ni is established and verified using experimental data. Furthermore, this model is used to predict the thermal conductivity of two-phase WC-Co-Ni under different phase-fractions, temperatures, and WC grain sizes, which can aid in designing cemented carbides with desired thermal conductivities.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fengting Jing, Yuling Liu, Yong Du, Chenying Shi, Biao Hu, Xiancong He
Summary: The solidified and equilibrium microstructure and phase transition temperatures in the Cu-Zr-Y ternary system were studied. Experimental results were in good agreement with the thermodynamic calculation method. This study not only established a thermodynamic description of the Cu-Zr-Y system, but also contributed to the design of a copper alloy with the required microstructure.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mingjun Yang, Zhixiang Ruan, Han Lin, Kai Li, Mingbo Yang, Zhixiu Wang, Xinyue Lan, Yi Xie, Yao Xiao, Qiao Yan, Ruanfei Li, Yong Du
Summary: It is well known that a lower quench rate leads to the formation of precipitate free zones (PFZs) adjacent to grain boundaries in Al-Mg-Si alloys. However, the combined effect of PFZs and intragranular precipitates on the yield strength of these alloys is not well understood. In this study, an Al-Mg-Si alloy was quenched at different rates and the effects on microstructure and yield strength were investigated. It was found that wider PFZs had a significant impact on yield strength, accounting for over half of the strengthening effect of intragranular precipitates.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kai Li, Yan Yu, Qiang Lu, Yuanfei Li, Qiao Yan, Xinyue Lan, Liya Li, Baishan Chen, Min Song
Summary: This study reveals the chemical evolution and mechanical behavior of quaternary micro-scale Q constituent phase in the cast and homogenized states through micro-to-atomic scale studies. These findings provide a basis for the future design of alloys with better performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yao Xiao, Jicheng Wang, Qianyu Deng, Li Feng, Dianming Peng, Hui Feng, Kai Li, Yong Du
Summary: Cast defects are common and hard to eliminate without deformation in cast alloys, degrading their mechanical properties. The addition of Sn was found to have a deleterious effect on Al-Si alloy's mechanical properties, forming amorphous Sn oxides near alumina film or enclosures. The high Sn content trapped in enclosures resulted in more shrinkage pores during solidification, leading to cracks along these pores and amorphous Sn oxides, deteriorating the mechanical properties. This study suggests not adding Sn to various cast Al alloys.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qiao Yan, Yu Qiu, Mingjun Yang, Qiang Lu, Han Lin, Mingbo Yang, Kai Li, Yong Du
Summary: This study investigates the effects of high quenching rates on the grain boundary microstructures and mechanical properties of an Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy. The results show that the rapidly quenched samples at -40 degrees C exhibit better comprehensive mechanical properties than the water-quenched samples. Transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that the rapidly quenched samples have wider precipitate free zones, shorter intragranular precipitates, and larger grain boundary precipitates than water-quenched samples.
Article
Electrochemistry
Wenjiao Zhao, Magnus Rohde, Ijaz Ul Mohsin, Carlos Ziebert, Yong Du, Hans J. Seifert
Summary: In this study, commercial coin cells with LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 positive electrode material were investigated using calorimeters and microscopy techniques. The onset temperature and self-heating rate for thermal runaway events were determined. The research provides a comprehensive understanding of the processes leading to thermal runaway.
