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The microwave plasma torch (MPT) has gained popularity in industrial applications due to its high energy density, ionization levels, and high temperature. However, the non-uniform and unstable plasma generated by microwave plasma sources has limited the production of large-scale MPTs. This paper proposes a novel MPT device utilizing a four-port microwave source (2.45 GHz, 4 kW) to address these issues. The improved plasma uniformity and stability are achieved through the new structure, and the microwave efficiency is enhanced by introducing the focusing dielectric in the coupled cavity. Using a 3D electromagnetic field model, microwave plasma model and fluid model, the paper optimizes the geometry and inlet mode of the MPT device. Experimental results show that the novel MPT device can generate a plasma torch with a maximum height of 545 mm, a working range of 10–95 L/min, and a microwave efficiency up to 86%. The proposed device not only competently meets industrial requirements, but also provides design ideas and methods for future MPT devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene nanoplates (GNPs)/TA15 composites were fabricated by pre-sintering and hot extrusion. During a room temperature tensile test, the dislocation was generated in grains. With increasing strain, the dislocation piled up along the interface between GNPs and Ti matrix, leading to stress concentration and microcracks. Then, the microcracks extended to GNPs or along the interface. The GNPs cracked under the shear force and the GNPs pulled out along with the crack propagation along the interface. This work provides a new sight in the room temperature tensile fracture behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a high-efficiency single-mode traveling wave reactor based on a rectangular waveguide and its design method for continuous flow processing. The reactor has a large-capacity reaction chamber (1000 mm × 742.8 mm × 120 mm) that can provide high-energy-efficiency and approximately uniform microwave heating. The microwave heating uniformity is improved by maintaining single-mode microwave transmission and eliminating higher-order modes in such a multi-mode reaction chamber. The high energy efficiency of microwave heating is achieved by adopting impedance matching techniques. The incident microwave in the reactor can remain in a traveling wave state, and the power reflection can be minimized. Several numerical simulations based on multi-physics modeling are conducted to investigate the heating uniformity, the energy efficiency and the flexibility under different operation conditions. The results show the microwave energy efficiency can be higher than 99%, and meanwhile, the coefficient of temperature variation can be lower than 0.4. Furthermore, when the reactor is operated under different flow velocities and with different heating materials, both the energy efficiency and the heating uniformity can also meet the above requirements. The proposed reactor can be used in the applications such as oil processing, wastewater tackling, chemical synthesis, beverage sterilization and other microwave-assisted continuous flow processes that require high heating uniformity, high energy efficiency and good adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isothermal hot compression experiments were conducted on Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy to investigate hot deformation behavior at the temperature range of 573–773 K and the strain rate range of 0.001 s−1–10 s−1 using a Gleeble-3500D thermomechanical simulator. The results showed that the rheological curve showed a typical work hardening stage, and there were three different stages: work hardening, transition and steady state. A strain compensation constitutive model was established to predict the flow stress of the Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy, and the results proved that it had high predictability. The main deformation mechanism of the Mg-2.5Nd-0.5Zn-0.5Zr alloy was dislocation climbing. The processing maps were established to distinguish the unstable region from the working region. The maps showed that the instability generally occurred at high strain rates and low temperatures, and the common forms of instability were cracking and flow localization. The optimum machining range of the alloy was determined to be 592–773 K and 0.001–0.217 s−1. With the increase in deformation temperature, the grain size of the alloy grew slowly at the 573–673 K temperature range and rapidly at the 673–773 K temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of TiB whiskers (TiBw) squeezed out and the growth of sticking out TiBw were investigated in TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V composites via adding 5 vol% TiB2 powders. TiB2 distributed along the surface of Ti-6Al-4V powders by low energy milling, resulted in the enrichment region of B and Ti elements. During sintering, TiBw nucleated and grew along the [010] direction with the diffusion of B and Ti atoms in the enrichment region. Due to larger thermal expansion ratio of TiBw, the TiBw were squeezed out from the Ti matrix, and the sticking out TiBw grew gradually with the diffusion of B and Ti atoms from the enrichment region. Because of the high interfacial strength between TiBw and Ti matrix, the matrix adhered to TiBw, and hindered the squeezing out of TiBw. Eventually, the cone TiBw stuck out the Ti matrix, and the other end of TiBw pinned in Ti matrix. Moreover, the diameter of TiBw near surface between TiB2 and Ti matrix was larger than other areas, resulting from the high concentration of B and Ti atoms. The solubilized B atoms near TiBw were absorbed by TiBw, which was considered as the other B source of TiBw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ synthesized TiB whiskers (TiBw) reinforced Ti-15Mo-3Al-2.7Nb-0.2Si alloys were successfully manufactured by pre-sintering and canned hot extrusion via adding TiB2 powders. During pre-sintering, most TiB2 were reacted with Ti atoms to produce TiB. During extrusion, the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) of β grains was promoted with the rotation of TiBw, and CDRXed grains were strongly inhibited by TiBw with hindering dislocation motion. Eventually, the grain sizes of composites decreased obviously. Furthermore, the stress transmitted from the matrix to TiBw for strengthening in a tensile test, besides grain refinement. Meanwhile, the fractured TiBw and microcracks around them contributed to fracturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the influence of various rolling temperatures and thickness reductions on the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets was investigated. Meanwhile, the texture variation controlled by DRX behavior was analyzed. Results suggested that, with the help of DRX behavior, reasonable matching of rolling temperature and thickness reduction could effectively refine the grain size and improve the microstructure homogeneity. Using the grain refinement and microstructure homogeneity as the reference, the critical rolling process parameters were 400 °C—30%, 300 °C—30%, and 250 °C—40% in the present work. In terms of basal texture variation, the occurrence of twins produced the largest maximum texture intensity. However, for the sheets with DRX behavior, the maximum texture intensity decreased sharply, but would steadily increase with the growth of DRXed grain. Additionally, for DRXed grains, the <11-20>//RD (RD: rolling direction) grains would gradually annex the <10-10>//RD grains with the growth of DRXed grains, which finally made their texture component become the dominant texture state. However, when the deformation continued, the <10-10> in DRXed grains would rotate toward the RD again. Weighted by the fracture elongation of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet, the critical thickness reductions were 30–40% under the rolling temperature of 400 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene nanoplates (GNPs)/TA15 composites were fabricated by pre-sintering and hot extrusion. During a room temperature tensile test, the dislocation was generated in grains. With increasing strain, the dislocation piled up along the interface between GNPs and Ti matrix, leading to stress concentration and microcracks. Then, the microcracks extended to GNPs or along the interface. The GNPs cracked under the shear force and the GNPs pulled out along with the crack propagation along the interface. This work provides a new sight in the room temperature tensile fracture behaviors.

The ZK61 alloy rods with different grain sizes and crystallographic texture were successfully fabricated by cyclic extrusion and compression (CEC). Their room-temperature tension & compression yield strength displayed a significant dependence on grain size and texture, essentially attributed to {10-12} twinning. The texture variations were characterized by the angle θ between the c-axis of the grain and the extrusion direction (ED) during the process. The contour map of room-temperature yield strength as a function of grain size and the angle θ was obtained. It showed that both the tension yield strength and the compression yield strength of ZK61 alloy were fully consistent with the Hall-Patch relationship at a certain texture, but the change trends of the tension yield strength and the compression yield strength were completely opposite at the same grain size while texture altered. The friction stresses of different deformation modes calculated based on the texture confirmed the tension yield strength of the CECed ZK61 alloy rods, which was determined by both the basal slip and the tension twinning slip during the tension deformation at room temperature, while the compression yield strength was mainly determined by the basal slip during the compression deformation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In-situ TiB whisker-reinforced Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) titanium matrix composites (TiBw/TC4) with quasi-continuous networks were successfully fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing sintering. The effects of the hot-hydrostatic canned extrusion on stock utilization, microstructure and mechanical properties of the TiBw/TC4 composites were investigated. It was satisfactory that the utilization of composites could be obviously improved by canned extrusion compared to that extruded without canned extrusion. The microstructure results showed that after canned extrusion the grain was refined and the TiB whiskers were distributed from a random array state to a state in which the whiskers were distributed along the extrusion direction. The properties testing results revealed that the tensile strength, the hardness and the ductility of the composites all significantly improved after extrusion due to the grain refinement and orientation of the TiB whisker caused by extrusion. Tensile fracture results showed that when the TiB whiskers were randomly distributed only part of them played a role in strengthening the matrix during the deformation process (as-sintered composites), while when the TiB whiskers were oriented all whiskers could strengthen the matrix during the tensile testing process (as-extruded composites)., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

In this paper, the microstructure, the room-temperature and high-temperature tensile mechanical properties of monolithic TA15 alloy and TiB whisker-reinforced TA15 titanium matrix composites (TiBw/TA15) fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing sintering were investigated. The microstructure results showed that there were no obvious differences in the microstructure between monolithic TA15 alloy and TiBw/TA15 composites, except whether or not the grain boundaries contained TiBw. After sintering, the matrix microstructure presented a typical Widmanstätten structure and the size of primary β grain was consistent with the size of spherical TA15 titanium metallic powders. This result demonstrated that TiBw was not the only factor limiting grain coarsening of the primary β grain. Moreover, the grain coarsening of α colonies was obvious, and high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) were distributed within the primary β grain. In addition, TiBw played an important role in the microstructure evolution. In the composites, TiBw were randomly distributed in the matrix and surrounded by a large number of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). Globularization of α phase occurred prior, near the TiBw region, because TiBw provided the nucleation site for the equiaxed α phase. The room-temperature and high-temperature tensile results showed that TiBw distributed at the primary β grain boundaries can strengthen the grain boundary, but reduce the connectivity of the matrix. Therefore, compared to the monolithic TA15 alloy fabricated by the same process, the tensile strength of the composites increased, and the tensile elongation decreased. Moreover, with the addition of TiBw, the fracture mechanism was changed to a mixture of brittle fracture and ductile failure (composites) from ductile failure (monolithic TA15 alloy). The fracture surfaces of TiBw/TA15 composites were the grain boundaries of the primary β grain where the majority of TiB whiskers distributed, i.e., the surfaces of the spherical TA15 titanium metallic powders.

The present work introduces a novel extrusion with filler material to produce the high-performance TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V composite tube with a quasi-continuous reinforced structure. A simulation was adopted to study the effect of the filler material on the shape accuracy of the tubes. Based on the simulation results, the flow stress of the filler material was not the important factor, but the friction coefficient between the filler and TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V composite and the canning shape were critical to the tube precision. The microstructure and mechanical performance for the as-extruded TiBw/Ti-6Al-4V composite tubes were systematically investigated. After extrusion, the transverse section microstructure of the TiBw/Ti6Al4V composite tube remained quasi-continuous and the TiBw were rotated to align the extrusion direction. Moreover, the tensile strength and elongation reached 1240 MPa and 13.5%, resulting from dynamic recrystallization and whisker rotation.