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In this study, we prepared Mg-9Gd-2Nd-0.5Zr, referred to as alloy I, and Mg-9Gd-2Nd-1.5Zn-0.5Zr, referred to as alloy II. The effects of a long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase induced by Zn addition on the high-temperature mechanical properties and fracture morphology of alloy I and alloy II at different temperatures (25 °C, 200 °C, 225 °C, and 250 °C) were studied using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that Mg5RE at the crystal boundary of the as-cast alloy I transformed into (MgZn)3RE (as-cast alloy II) by the addition of Zn. After solid solution treatment, the secondary phase in alloy I completely disappeared, and there were still residual secondary phases in block-like and needle-like structures in alloy II, while layered LPSO phases precipitated in the matrix. During the high-temperature tensile test, the yield and tensile strength of alloy I decreased significantly with the increase in temperature, while the elongation increased. Compared to alloy I, the yield strength of alloy II with an LPSO phase showed an increasing trend at 25 °C~200 °C and then decreased when the temperature reached around 250 °C. The thermal stability was significantly enhanced, and the elongation was also higher than that of alloy I. As the temperature increased, the fracture surface of alloy I showed increased folding, bending of scratches, and crack enlargement. However, the fracture surface of alloy II remained largely unchanged, with only minor wrinkles and cracks appearing at temperatures reaching 250 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, squeeze casting experiments of flywheel housing components with a large wall thickness difference and a complex shape were carried out with AlSi9Mg aluminum alloy. The defects, microstructures, and mechanical properties under different process parameters were investigated. Furthermore, the local pressurization process was applied to the thick-walled positions to force-feed the cast defects. The mechanical properties and microstructures at these positions were analyzed. The results showed that the surface quality of formed components was good and that local pressurization could effectively reduce the shrinkage cavity and shrinkage porosity in thick walls, but the scope and effect of forced feeding were limited. The optimum process parameters were a pouring temperature of 650 °C, a specific pressure of 48 MPa, a mold temperature of 220 °C, a local pressurization of 800 MPa, and pressure delay times of 15 s (side A) and 17 s (side B). The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of the formed component under validation experiments of the optimum process parameters were 201 MPa, 103 MPa, and 5.1%. Meanwhile, the fine grains of primary α-Al were mainly rosette and equiaxed grains, and the average grain size was about 40 μm. The microstructure of the eutectic silicon was acicular and was prone to segregation under pressure. According to profile morphology, the positions after pressurization were divided into a deformation zone, a direct action zone, and an indirect action zone. The coexistence of as-cast and plastic deformation microstructures was observed. The effect of local pressurization mainly involved a change in the solidification process, plastic deformation, and forced feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the impact of corrosion on the microstructure and tensile properties of 7075 high-strength alloy. It involved outdoor exposure tests in an actual marine atmospheric environment in Wanning, Hainan Province. The results showed that the 7075 alloy was corroded rapidly in the marine atmospheric environment, and corrosion pits and intergranular cracks were generated. The intergranular cracks were extended along the grain boundary during corrosion, leading to the exfoliation of the matrix. The cause for the intergranular corrosion was discussed based on the microstructure characteristics of 7075 alloy. The tensile properties of the 7075 alloy gradually deteriorated with the increase of exposure time in the marine atmospheric environment. The ultimate strength and elongation were decreased by about 3.2% and 58.3%, respectively, after 12 months of outdoor exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of recrystallization annealing on corrosion behavior of Ta-4%W alloy was studied. It is found that the deformed sample contains high dense dislocations and dislocation boundaries. During annealing, these dislocations and dislocation boundaries are replaced by recrystallizing grains until the alloy is fully recrystallized. Both the anodic dissolution and the cathodic activity is much more blocked. The corrosion potential gradual shift towards negative values and corrosion current density decrease, while polarization resistance increases after annealing, indicating enhanced corrosion resistance of the alloy. Such an enhancement is caused by the increase of low-Σ coincide site lattice boundaries and decrease of dislocations and dislocation boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a classic high-entropy alloy system, CoCrFeNiMn is widely investigated. In the present work, we used ZrH2 powders and atomized CoCrFeNiMn powders as raw materials to prepare CoCrFeNiMnZrx (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0) alloys by mechanical alloying (MA), followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS). During the MA process, a small amount of Zr (x ≤ 0.5) can be completely dissolved into CoCrFeNiMn matrix, when the Zr content is above 0.5, the ZrH2 is excessive. After SPS, CoCrFeNiMn alloy is still as single face-centered cubic (FCC) solid solution, and CoCrFeNiMnZrx (x ≥ 0.2) alloys have two distinct microstructural domains, one is a single FCC phase without Zr, the other is a Zr-rich microstructure composed of FCC phase, B2 phase, Zr2Ni7, and σ phase. The multi-phase microstructures can be attributed to the large lattice strain and negative enthalpy of mixing, caused by the addition of Zr. It is worth noting that two types of nanoprecipitates (body-centered cubic (BCC) phase and Zr2Ni7) are precipitated in the Zr-rich region. These can significantly increase the yield strength of the alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]