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Intermetallic TiAl alloys attract much attention in advanced engineering fields due to their low density (3.9–4.2 g/cm3) and excellent high-temperature properties. After more than half a century of research and development, TiAl alloys have found applications in aerospace, automotive, and related industries. However, as a kind of semi-brittle materials, intermetallic TiAl alloys exhibit different mechanical behavior from metallic and ceramic materials. Thus, it is necessary to systematically understand their mechanical behavior to ensure further developments and safe engineering applications. In this paper, the principal mechanical behavior of TiAl alloys was reviewed comprehensively, including tension, creep, fatigue, and strengthening mechanisms. The mechanical performance and the corresponding deformation mechanisms are summarized and discussed in detail. The future directions of mechanical research on TiAl alloys are also overviewed to expedite their extensive utilization in engineering fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, to enhance the elevated‐temperature strength of heat‐resistant aluminum alloys to satisfy application requirements, the effect of Ni content (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 wt%) on the microstructures and tensile properties of Al–8.4Cu–2.3Ce–1.0Mn–0.2Zr alloy is investigated. The metallographic analysis techniques are used to quantitatively examine the microstructural changes. The skeleton‐like Al7Cu4Ni phase is formed after the addition of Ni and its morphology is gradually transformed into a coarse reticular‐like shape with Ni content increasing. However, the thermally stable Al8CeCu4 and Al24MnCu8Ce3 phases disappear when Ni content exceeds 1.0%. Al–8.4Cu–2.3Ce–1.0Mn–0.2Zr–0.5Ni alloy exhibits the optimal elevated‐temperature tensile performance at 400 °C, and its ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation at 400 °C reach 105, 85 MPa, and 16.5%, respectively. The optimal tensile performance is attributed to synergistic enhancing action of the thermostable Al8CeCu4, Al24MnCu8Ce3, Al16Cu4Mn2Ce, and Al7Cu4Ni phases at the grain boundaries and the nano‐sized Al20Cu2Mn3 and Al2Cu precipitates inside the grains. The typical brittle fracture is dominating in the five alloys with different Ni contents at ambient temperature, but the fracture mode at 400 °C is changed from ductile fracture to ductile and brittle mixed fracture with the increase of Ni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the correlation of single-crystalline structure with corrosion performance in high-strength TiAl alloys, electrochemical and surface characterization was performed by comparing Ti-45Al-8Nb dual-phase single crystals with their polycrystalline counterparts in NaCl solution. Polarization curves show a lower corrosion rate and a higher pitting potential of ∼280 mV for the dual-phase single crystals. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiostatic polarization plots revealed a higher impedance of the charge transfer through the compact passive film. Surface composition analysis indicated a compact film with more content of Nb, as twice as that in the film on the polycrystals. Our results reflect that the dual-phase Ti-45Al-8Nb single crystals possess a higher corrosion resistance in NaCl solution, compared with their polycrystalline counterpart, arising from a more homogeneous microstructure and composition distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance the high-temperature mechanical performance to meet service requirements, the microstructures and tensile properties of heat-treated Al-8.4Cu-2.3Ce-1.0Mn-0.2Zr-xNi (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 wt.%) were investigated. The metallographic analysis techniques have been used to examine the microstructural changes with different Ni contents. Results show that after adding 0.5% Ni to the Al-8.4Cu-2.3Ce-1.0Mn-0.2Zr alloy, the spheroidized Al7Cu4Ni phase is formed. With Ni content further increasing, the Al8CeCu4 and Al24MnCu8Ce3 phases disappear, and the nano-sized Al20Cu2Mn3 and Al2Cu phases decrease gradually. When Ni content reaches 4.0%, the Al3CuNi phase appears. It turns out that the addition of 0.5% Ni has significantly improved the tensile properties at 400 °C. The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of Al-8.4Cu-2.3Ce-1.0Mn-0.2Zr-0.5Ni alloy at 400 °C reach 103 MPa, 93 Mpa, and 18.0%, respectively, which makes the alloy possible to be employed at 400 °C. The intermetallic micro-skeleton, composed of thermostable Al8CeCu4, Al24MnCu8Ce3, Al16Cu4Mn2Ce, and Al7Cu4Ni phases at the grain boundaries as well as nano-sized Al20Cu2Mn3 and Al2Cu precipitates in the grains, contributes to the good elevated-temperature tensile strength. The fracture mechanism is changed from quasi-cleavage at ambient temperature to coexistence of quasi-cleavage and dimple at 400 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiAl intermetallics are typical metallic materials involving complex solid-state phase transformations, with crystal orientations that are difficult to control due to multi-transformation variants. However, lamellar orientation control is crucial to the development of a polysynthetic twinned single crystal structure in TiAl-based alloys for jet engines or other high-temperature systems. In this study, β-solidifying TiAl alloys were used to study the relationships between the lamellar structure and the phase transformation process under directional solidification (referred to as the directional phase transformation, DPT). It was found that the β → α phase transition affects the lamellar orientations and that the subsequent process of α → α2 + γ leads to the final formation of the polysynthetic lamellar structure. Detailed analyses based on crystallography show that the β/α phase interface is responsible for the different oriented lamellar structures with the 0° or 45° orientation. With a lower interfacial energy, the 0° oriented α phase nucleates more easily but grows much more slowly than the 45° oriented α phases during DPT, which makes it feasible to control the lamellar orientations for TiAl-based alloys. The crystallographic origin for the control of lamellar orientations was then studied and confirmed by using EBSD in a β-solidifying Ti–Al–Nb alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The period around the May Fourth Movement, specifically from 1915 to 1927, saw the birth of the modern Chinese discipline of literary and art theory. This article, on the basis of Huang Chanhua's An Introduction to Fine Arts, Xu Qingyu's Philosophy of Beauty, Xu Weinan's Philosophy ofArts, Liu Yongji's On Literature, Pan Zinian's An Introduction to Literature, Ma Zonghuo's An Introduction to Literature, Shen Tianbao's An Introduction to Literature, and Tian Han's An Introduction to Literature, explores the historical situation of the construction of the discipline of philosophy of art, the first stage in the history of modern Chinese aesthetics. It has significance for people to understand the origin and development of the discipline of modern literary and art theory in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]