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The effects of mischmetal addition and hot working on the enhancement of microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–Ni alloys were studied. It was revealed that grain refinement could be achiev...

AB5-type metal hydrides have received important attention over the last few decades because of their capacity to reversibly absorb hydrogen. The AB5-type alloys have been widely used as negative electrodes in Nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, replacing the toxic counterparts that are present in Ni-Cd systems. Until now, fabrication of this type of electrode is often carried out by dry compaction, wet paste, and dry paste methods. In the present study, the oxyacetylene combustion flame spray process is explored as an alternative method for the production of LaNi5-based Mischmetal electrodes. A factorial experimental design has been proposed to optimize processing conditions in order to obtain negative electrodes for Ni-MH cells. The results of this work have shown that negative electrodes can be successfully fabricated by flame spray and that the thermal spraying processing conditions employed resulted in different levels of porosity and thickness. LaNi5-based porous coatings were selected after thermal spray optimization and their electrochemical performance was evaluated in a 6M KOH electrolyte. The results also revealed that the change in the chemical composition of the electrodes during thermal spraying significantly affects the electrochemical performance by reducing 49% the hydrogen storage capacity with respect to that of the feedstock material.

This work analyzes the effect of rare earth additions to an Inconel 718 superalloy; for this purpose, two 8 kg ingots of a commercial composition of Inconel 718 were made in a vacuum induction furnace. One of them (In718) with the base composition and the other one (In718RE) with an addition of 0.04wt% of mischmetal (rare earths alloy based on cerium and lanthanum). Both alloys were cast into metallic molds into the vacuum chamber and let to solidify. The alloys were then solubilized for two hours at 1155 °C to eliminate deleterious phases, rolled at 1100 °C to get a reduction of 50% in thickness, then aged for 16 hours at 720 °C and 620 °C by 8 hours each. A complete microstructural characterization was undertaken by optical and electronic (SEM and TEM) microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Mechanical characterization was done by hardness tests, tensile and Charpy impact tests. Results show a slight improvement of the tensile and hardness values for the alloy with rare earth additions. However, no notorious difference was observed during the impact tests, since both alloys show the same values. These mechanical results are discussed in terms of the obtained microstructure. Both alloys are mainly composed by γ, γ´, γ´´ and carbides. It was observed that primary carbides nucleate rare earth particles; therefore, higher number of carbides and of larger size (according to a size distribution) are observed in the alloy with rare earth additions. The presence of such carbides prevents the grain growth during the thermomechanical processing which in turn improve the mechanical properties.

The article presents the results of primary crystallization, wear resistance and SEM studies of chromium cast iron inoculated with ferrotitanium and rare earth elements as a mischmetal inoculating mixture. Thermal-derivative analysis method was used to conduct studies of primary crystallization in two types of testers, namely ATD-C and ATD-Is, reflecting two different cooling speeds. Wear resistance tests were performed with the use of modified pin-on-disk method on Tribotester 3-POD device, where the samples were moving in circular motion in metal-mineral friction system. Silicon carbide was used as a counter sample. The studies allowed to determine the influence of selected inoculants on the microstructure and wear resistance of the studied samples. All characteristic crystallization temperatures of samples casted into ATD-Is testers increased, as well as wear resistance of each inoculated samples compared to the non-inoculated sample. It was proven that TiC and REE compounds are effective inoculants for chromium carbides and that REE compounds can work as underlay for TiC crystallization.

The relative potential difference can be treated as an index of local corrosion of alloys. Since local corrosion is driven by the micro-galvanic coupling, which is consist of the micro-constituent phases and the matrix. They present distinct potential difference normally. In the present work, the relationship between the Volta potential and the corrosion effect of the dominated intermetallic phase in the AZ91 Mg alloy with (La, Ce) MM addition was investigated. A multiscale approach coupling global and local measurements was used to study the corrosion behavior of the alloy and its intermetallic phase. Results showed that the microstructure of AZ91 Mg alloy with (La, Ce) MM addition was complex, with the presence of Al4(La, Ce) phases in acicular or rod shape, a small number of Al8Mn4Ce, β-Mg17Al12 and α-Mg solid solution. In this case, the improved corrosion resistance of the alloy was achieved. Scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) analysis revealed that all the intermetallics were noble comparing with the α-Mg solid solution. In-situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) observation for the initial stages of corrosion showed the α-Mg matrix surrounded by β-Mg17Al12 or Al8Mn4Ce was susceptible to pitting corrosion. No noticeable corrosion occurred at the α-Mg adjacent to Al4(La,Ce) phase, in spite of the relatively higher difference of Volta potential between Al4(La,Ce) phase and the matrix. Volta potential is insufficient to determine whether the phase is an effective cathode or anode.

Aluminum-silicon (Al–Si) based alloys are prominently used in the transportation industry, due to their impressive strength, great castability, and lightweight properties. Small additions of magnesium (Mg) can improve the mechanical properties through precipitation of strengthening intermetallics such as Mg2Si. However, the poor thermal stability of Mg2Si restricts the use of Al–Si–Mg alloys, such as A356, to only lower temperature applications (i.e. less than ~170 °C). With the growing demand for increasing fuel efficiency amongst the transportation industry (achieved through elevating the operating pressure and temperature of combustion engines), it is necessary to investigate methods of improving the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the well-established A356 alloy. Addition of rare earth (RE) to Al alloys can improve the thermal stability through precipitation of fine Al-RE intermetallics. Thus, this paper characterizing the effects that RE mischmetal has on the elevated temperature strength and ductility of the A356 alloy. The precipitation of AlSiRE and Al20Ti2RE intermetallics in the RE modified A356 alloy resulted in a 133% increase in the yield (YS) and tensile (UTS) strength at 250 °C and a 158 and 268% increase in YS and UTS at 300 °C. Moreover, the T6 A356+3.5%RE alloy retained more than 50% of its strength when increasing the temperature from 250 to 300 °C.

Mg-Zn-Zr (ZK) alloys exhibit notably high mechanical strength amongst all magnesium alloy grades. However, due to the formation of low melting point Mg3Zn7-precipitates, these alloys are susceptible to hot cracking, thus compromising their metallurgical processing. The addition of rare earths to ZK alloys is an alternative to form higher melting point intermetallic compounds, speed up dynamic recrystallization, refine grain size, enhance corrosion resistance and extend the service temperature due to improved creep resistance. This work deals with the effect of Ce-base mischmetal addition on the hot rolling behaviour of as-cast ZK60 alloy. The microstructure investigation conducted using electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction shows that precipitation of Mg7Zn3 intermetallics occur during hot rolling, whereas no further precipitation is observed for the ZK60-Mm alloys. The fragmentation of the intermetallic compounds occur during hot rolling and finer particles of Mg7Zn3 are observed for the ZK60, whereas Mg7Zn3 and MgZn2Ce intermetallics are formed in the alloy modified with mischmetal addition. A higher fraction of dynamically recrystallized grains is observed for the ZK60-Mm in comparison to the ZK60. Continuous recrystallization takes place in ZK60 with the formation of sub-grains near to the intermetallics and the addition of mischmetal promotes the occurrence of discontinuous recrystallization with the nucleation of new grains close to the precipitates. The mechanical strength and, in particular, the ductility of the hot-rolled alloys are notably improved when compared to the same alloys in the as-cast condition. The mechanical strength is, however, higher for the ZK60 alloy. Less solid solution strengthening, softer MgZn2Ce intermetallics and more extensive recrystallization contribute to reduce the mechanical strength of ZK60-Mm. Failure in both alloys are initiated at coarse intermetallics and propagate through intermetallic-rich regions.

Alloying of Mg with rare-earth (RE) elements proved to be beneficial for their in-vitro and in-vivo performance. In this work, a novel WN43 (Mg-4 wt%Y-3 wt%Nd) alloy with a well-defined composition was prepared, where, unlike in the commercial WE43 alloy, the possibly harmful RE mischmetal was substituted by less toxic Nd. A modern spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique was used to effectively produce WN43 samples from atomized powders. Sintering temperatures of 400 °C – 550 °C and holding times of 3 or 10 min were used and well-compacted final materials were successfully prepared. It was shown that a superior combination of corrosion and mechanical properties was attained in the samples sintered at 500 °C and 550 °C, while the effect of sintering time was rather negligible. The performance of this material was exceptional within the group of Mg alloys prepared by powder metallurgy and comparable with conventionally prepared alloys. Moreover, it was shown that a great variety of mechanical and corrosion characteristics can be obtained by altering the SPS parameters so as to fulfill case-specific requirements typical of biomedical materials. Consequently, the novel WN43 alloy prepared by SPS seems to be a particularly suitable material for biomedical use.

The ongoing development of aluminum–cerium alloys has produced materials exhibiting elevated temperature mechanical property retention, long term microstructural stability, and flexible processability compared to traditional aluminum alloys, accommodating the growing demand for high temperature aluminum alloys not requiring the use of high-cost elements like scandium. To date, reported Al–Ce alloy compositions contain large amounts of elemental cerium. Mischmetal (MM), a mixture of lanthanum, cerium, and other light rare earth elements (LREE) is less expensive and more available than pure cerium. The chemical similarity of the LREEs means there is possibility to use MM as the primary alloy addition, lowering alloy cost. This talk will report the effect of using MM instead of cerium in a 12 wt% binary alloy on mechanical properties, phase constituency, thermal stability, and load sharing. Results will show that MM can be substituted completely for cerium with a mostly positive impact on alloy performance.

This paper addresses the effects of Ce-rich mischmetal on the microstructure evolution of a 5182 aluminum alloy during annealing and rolling processes. The Ce-rich mischmetal was added to an as-cast 5182 aluminum alloy in an induction furnace, and this was followed by homogenized annealing at 450 &deg, C for 24 h and a rolling operation. The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties&rsquo, analysis of the 5182 Al alloy were characterized. The results show that the Ce-rich mischmetal could modify the microstructure, refine the &alpha, Al grains, break the network distribution of Mg2Si phases, and prevent Cr and Si atoms from diffusing into the Al6(Mn, Fe) phase in the as-cast 5182 Al alloys. Ce-rich mischmetal elements were also found to refine the Al6(Mn, Fe) phase after cold rolling. Then, the refined Al6(Mn, Fe) particles inhibited the growth of recrystallization grains to refine them from 10.01 to 7.18 &mu, m after cold rolling. Consequently, the tensile strength of the cold-rolled 5182 Al alloy increased from 414.65 to 454.34 MPa through cell-size strengthening, dislocation density strengthening, and particle strengthening. The tensile strength of the recrystallization annealed 5182 Al alloy was increased from 322.16 to 342.73 MPa through grain refinement strengthening, and this alloy was more stable after the recrystallization annealing temperature.

Magnesium alloys are important alternatives for structural weight reduction due to their low density and good specific mechanical strength. Among the magnesium alloys, the ZK type exhibits the highest mechanical strength. However, it has limitations on hot working or welding owing to the presence of intermetallics with low melting point and consequently susceptibility to hot crack formation. The addition of rare earths tends to form intermetallics with higher melting points, thus inhibiting the formation of hot cracks, as well as building up thin and dense surface films that improve corrosion resistance. This work studies the addition of 1.5% wt. of mischmetal (Mm) to the ZK60 alloy, and then demonstrates the effects of the casting process with mechanical mixing in the semi-solid state. The alloys produced were: ZK60 and ZK60–1.5 wt%Mm manufactured by conventional casting and rheocast ZK60–1.5 wt%Mm produced with mechanical mixing in the semi-solid state. The casting and cooling methods result in defect-free and chemically homogeneous materials, and the mechanical mixing provides a homogeneous microstructure with globular grains. The mechanical strength was though higher for the ZK60 alloy due to its increased solute content within the Mg-matrix and the smaller quantity of intermetallics that builds up an intermittent network. The Mg7Zn3 intermetallic, which is the main precipitate for ZK60 alloy, has hardness 20% higher than the MgZn2Ce intermetallic that is precipitated with the mischmetal addition and partly removes solute from the Mg-solid solution.

Coercivity enhancement of hot-deformed NdFeB magnets made from commercially available NdFeB powders doped with Ce-containing alloys is demonstrated. By doping (Pr71Nd27Ce2)70Cu30 powders, where Pr71Nd27Ce2 is a commercial mischmetal, the hot-deformed magnets exhibit significant enhancement of coercivity from 15.0 kOe to 19.0 kOe, and it can reach 20.1 kOe by doping higher Ce-content (Pr71Nd9Ce20)70Cu30 powders, yet sustains high energy product. The magnetic isolation effect with Ce-containing phase in the grain boundary and the microstructure refinement lead to coercivity enhancement. This study provides an economic way to enhance coercivity of hot deformed NdFeB magnets without using heavy rare earth.

The interface associativity and energy absorption capability of composite structure with anti-vibration porous Al-MM (cerium-rich mischmetal) alloy core and iron alloy skin were investigated. Porous aluminum core/iron alloy skin structures were fabricated considering an iron alloy tube as its shell and closed-cell porous Al-MM alloy as its core. A peeling experiment was carried out to calculate the capacity of interfacial bonding and a compression test was carried out to determine the energy absorption capability. The results showed that the addition of MM significantly enhanced both the interfacial bonding and the energy absorption capacity.

The behaviors of the precipitation and decomposition of carbides in AISI M2 high-speed steel modified by nitrogen and mischmetal were investigated using DSC, XRD, SEM and TEM. The as-cast microstructure of the experimental steel consists of dendrites of iron matrix, networks of eutectic carbides and secondary carbides. The average distance between networks is about 34 μm. The carbides mainly include M2C, M(C,N) and M6C, and their relative contents are 58.5%, 30.3% and 11.2%, respectively. The average spacing between the M2C fibers is 1.5 μm. The decomposition of M2C occurs from 897.2 to 1221.5 °C (heating rate of 200 °C/h). Some precipitated carbide particles occur in the M2C matrix after holding for 15 min at 1100 °C. With increasing holding time, the carbide fibers neck down more and more obviously until they are broken down. The spectral peaks of M2C almost disappear after holding for 60 min. The spectral peaks of M6C gradually strengthen with the holding time, and the relative content of M6C increases to 79.8% after holding for 60 min. After holding for 180 min, the carbide fibers disappear, and the decomposition products consist of fine carbide particles (about 300 nm) and short rod-like carbides (about 3.5 μm).

The thermal conductivities of quaternary Mg-Zn-Ca-MM alloys have been investigated by evaluating the effect of MM on Mg-4Zn-0.5Ca alloys, with an emphasis to develop a new Mg alloy without compromising thermal conductivity, process-ability and mechanical property. As a result, the thermal conductivity of 0.5 wt.% MM-added Mg-Zn-Ca alloy was almost same as that of MM-free Mg-Zn-Ca alloy. However, with further increasing MM contents, thermal conductivities of MM-added alloys decreased. The tensile yield strength was improved with increasing MM contents. In addition, the average spiral flow lengths of Mg-Zn-Ca-xMM alloys were almost same levels with Mg-Zn-Ca alloy.

Solution treatments (T4) at 380 °C for 16 h and 500 °C for 8 h were performed for ZK60 magnesium alloys modified with addition of 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 wt% of mischmetal (combination of rare-earth (RE) elements). The compression behaviour was investigated at room temperature and at 300 °C correlated with the microstructure and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data. The as-cast microstructure is formed by a-Mg matrix with globular grains reinforced by a semi continuous network of Mg-Zn, Mg-Zn-RE and Mg-RE intermetallic particles. Solution-treated alloys show lower yield strengths due to partial dissolution of precipitates. Work hardening was not observed for the alloys compressed at 300°C with the compression speed of 10-3 s-1, whereas it was observed for the compression speed of 10-2 s-1 for the all as-cast, ZK60-1.5RE-T4 at 380 °C and ZK60-1.5RE-T4 at 380 °C.

We have developed a manufacturing system by combination of high-pressure synthesis method using a multi-anvil press, and spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. By means of the system, we have succeeded in synthesizing new filled skutterudite-type thermoelectric materials MmxCo4Sb12 (Mm=mischmetal). The thermoelectric properties of partially filled skutterudite compounds MmxCo4Sb12 synthesized under high pressure have been investigated. The Seebeck coefficient of MmxCo4Sb12 shows negative value, which means n-type conductivity. The highest dimensionless figure of merit ZT value is 0.25 for Mm0.6Co4Sb12 at 700 K.

A series of Al-rich Al-Mn-Ce alloys have been chill cast in copper molds and some were subjected to subsequent heat treatments. For all compositions studied, the ternary Al20Mn2Ce phase is formed as the primary phase surrounded by different constituents. The mechanical properties as a function of composition and heat treatment are presented and illustrate that this system is very versatile and that it is possible to tailor the compositions to produce alloys with high yield strengths, alloys with high hardnesses (for wear applications), and alloys with reasonably high ductilities. Alloys with high yield strengths and some ductility are obtained when the microstructure contains the ternary phase surrounded by the Al-Al11Ce3 eutectic constituent. Alloys with high hardnesses, can be obtained at higher Mn levels where the ternary phase and other intermetallics constitute most of the structure. Alloys with relatively high ductilities are possible at lower Ce and Mn levels where a metastable FCC solid solution of Mn in Al forms surrounding the ternary phase. Although the finely-distributed ternary phase is metastable, it appears to be relatively resistant to coarsening or decomposition. Finally, it is shown that Ce can be substituted by Mischmetal with no significant changes in either microstructure or properties. Keywords: Aluminum alloys, Al-Mn-Ce, Chill mold casting, High specific strength, Dispersion hardening, Electron microscopy

The effect of phosphorus on primary silicon, phosphorus and mischmetal (Ce-50La) modification on primary and eutectic silicon and cooling rate on microstructure of Al-25%Si are investigated. The results show that, with the addition of phosphorus, the size of primary silicon decreases from 93.6μm to 24.75μm. The morphology of primary silicon changes from irregular to polygonal. When Al-25%Si is modified by phosphorus and mischmetal, primary and eutectic silicon all change effectively. Addition of mischmetal on the basis of phosphorus modification have no influence to primary silicon, but it can make morphology of eutectic silicon change from lamellar to short rod-like when the content of mischmetal reaches 0.5%. The cooling rate curves show the change of temperature in different height of wedge-shaped mould. When cooling rate increases, microstructure of Al-25%Si refines, the size of primary silicon decrease to 22.7μm. The results obtained from mechanical testing demonstrate that the addition of mischmetal and increasing of cooling rate increase hardness value of Al-25%Si alloy.

Aluminium and magnesium are known for their ability to improve corrosion performance of zinc coatings used for steel protection in automotive applications. To investigate the inhibiting properties of other elements, series of model Zn X, Zn Al X, Zn Mg X and Zn Al Mg X alloys containing 0.2–2 wt% of titanium, mischmetal (mixture of cerium and other lanthanides), zirconium, molybdenum, chromium, boron, gallium, indium, copper, nickel, calcium, manganese and silicon were prepared and their corrosion performance in a cyclic accelerated test and at a marine field site and the ability to provide galvanic protection to steel in defects were characterized. On openly exposed surfaces, none of the investigated elements showed stronger inhibiting effect on atmospheric corrosion than Al and Mg. When exposed to marine climate, it was beneficial to combine Al and Mg. The corrosion stability of Zn Al Mg was further improved by addition of a fourth element. Quaternary Zn Al Mg X alloys outperformed binary Zn X and ternary Zn Al X and Zn Mg X alloys. In average, mass loss was 4-fold higher in confined zones simulating hem flanges. Strong inhibition with Mg and detrimental effects of Al on corrosion in confined zones was found. Several quaternary Zn Al Mg X alloys with improved corrosion stability in both open and confined configurations were identified.

Effects of the mischmetal addition in range of 0.4 wt.% to 1.7 wt.% on the microstructure and mechanical properties of die-cast magnesium AZ91D were investigated to improve the elevated temperature mechanical properties of the alloy by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and tensile tests. The results revealed that mechanical properties of die-cast magnesium alloy AZ91D-0.4%MM at 100 °C were near to those of die-cast magnesium alloy AZ91D. The ultimate tensile strength, 0.2% proof yield strength and elongation to failure of die-cast magnesium alloy AZ91D at 170 °C were 178, 129 MPa and 20%, respectively. In comparison, the ultimate tensile strength, 0.2% proof yield strength and elongation to failure of die-cast magnesium alloy AZ91D-0.4%MM at 170 °C reached to 206, 142 MPa and 26%, respectively increased by 15.7%, 10% and 30%. Proper addition of mischmetal could enhance the mechanical properties at an elevated temperature, which was attributed to the formation of Al-RE phases with high thermal stability. Hence sliding of grain boundaries and cracks could be effectively hindered by Al-RE phases.

The microstructure and mechanical properties investigations of two AME503 and AME505 experimental alloys in as-cast conditions were presented. The investigated materials were fabricated on the basis of the AM50 commercial magnesium alloy with 3 and 5 wt.% cerium rich mischmetal. In the as-cast condition, both experimental alloys were mainly composed of α-Mg, Al11RE3 and Al10RE2Mn7 intermetallic phases. Additionally, due to non-equilibrium solidification conditions, a small amount of α + γ divorced eutectic and Al2RE intermetallic phase were revealed. The obtained results also show a significant influence of rare earth elements on Brinell hardness, tensile and compression properties at ambient temperature and especially on creep properties at 473 K. Improved alloy properties with a rise in rare earth elements mass fraction results from an increase in Al11RE3 phase volume fraction and suppression of α + γ eutectic volume fraction in the alloy microstructure. Additionally, the influence of rare earth elements on the dendrite arm space value was discussed. The presented results also proved the thermal stability of the intermetallic phases during creep testing.

The present study aims to improve electrochemical properties of the La–Mg–Ni-based hydrogen storage alloys through partial substitution for La by mischmetal (MM). The La0.8–x MM x Mg0.2Ni3.1Co0.3Al0.1 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) alloys were prepared by inductive melting, and their phase structures and electrochemical properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and electrochemical tests. Results show that the alloys mainly consist of La2Ni7-type phase, La5Ni19-type phase, LaNi5-type phase and LaNi3-type phase. The addition of MM does not change the phase compositions, while it leads to more uniform phase distribution and obviously promotes the formation of La2Ni7-type phase which possesses favorable electrochemical properties. Electrochemical studies indicate that the substitution for La by MM could effectively improve the high rate dischargeability (HRD) of the alloy electrode, and the optimal value of HRD1500 (HRD at 1500 mA·g−1) increases from 40.63 % (x = 0) to 60.55 % (x = 0.3). Although the activation properties of the alloy electrodes keep almost unchanged, both the maximum discharge capacity (C max) and the cycling stability are significantly improved by MM addition.

Morphology evolution of eutectic Si in Ce-rich mischmetal (RE) modified Al-10wt.%Si alloy at different cooling rates was investigated. The morphology of eutectic Si and modification mechanism of RE was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the RE modified eutectic Si exhibited a plate-like morphology under the low cooling rate (~100K/s). When cooling rate increased to ~600K/s, some branches were observed on the eutectic Si. In the RE modified alloy with a higher cooling rate (~1000K/s), the number of the branches on RE modified eutectic Si increased, and the morphology of eutectic S was modified to coral-like structure. The addition of Sr caused a flake-to-fiber modification of eutectic Si at low cooling rate, and the fiber size decreased with cooling rate increasing. The morphological observations indicated that the morphology of eutectic Si in RE modified alloy was significantly influenced by the cooling rate, while the modification efficiency of RE was lower than that of Sr.

Two duplex Mg–Li alloys, Mg–8.02Li–0.210Y and Mg–8.43Li–0.353Ymm (Y-rich mischmetal) alloys, were prepared by casting method with a permanent metal model. Microstructures, mechanical properties and deformation behaviors at tensile rates from 1.28 × 10−4 s−1 to 1.28 × 10−3 s−1 were evaluated. The results showed that when increasing the tensile speed, the strength increased with a decreasing elongation. The strength and ductility of Mg–8.02Li–0.210Y alloy were more sensitive to the tensile speed. Fracture occurred mainly in the β-Li phase, and the α-Mg phase participated into fracture at relatively high tensile speeds, which led to the strength increase of both alloys with the increment of tensile speed. Long-stripe-like α-Mg grains in Mg–8.02Li–0.210Y alloy hindered the fracture and resulted in a higher elongation. Mg–8.02Li–0.210Y alloy presented a serrated effect at a relatively high initial rate of 1.28 × 10−3 s−1. This was proposed to be resulted from the interaction between slips and α-Mg grains, which was quite different from the serrated effect explained by the dynamic strain aging (DSA) mechanism. Keywords: Mg–Li alloy, Dual phase, Tensile speed, Serrated effect, Slip

One of the prominent applications of magnesium alloys, thoroughly investigated in recent years, is medicine. The commercial WE43 (Mg-4wt.%Y-3wt.%mischmetal) alloy was reported to exhibit superior in vitro and in vivo performance, however, the presence and possible harmful effect of rare earth (RE) elements mischmetal in this alloy have been vastly debated. For this reason, the RE mischmetal was substituted in this study by pure neodymium, which exhibits rather low toxicity. In this way, a novel WN43 (Mg-4wt.%Y-3wt.%Nd) alloy was prepared, with well-defined composition. In order to attain a good control over the grain size and phase distribution, a modern spark plasma sintering (SPS) method was employed. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of sintering parameters on the resulting microstructure (type and morphology of secondary phases, grain structure, and residual strain) and microhardness (Hv). The application of relatively high pressure (100 MPa) during consolidation leads to the production of practically fully compact final material. Increasing sintering temperature (from 400 up to 500 °C) stimulated homogenization and stabilization of the microstructure and reduction of the internal strain. On the other hand, the effect of sintering time (3 or 10 min) was rather negligible. Furthermore, the microhardness experiments revealed that the softening effect due to homogenization and decrease in the dislocation density at higher sintering temperatures was well-compensated by precipitation hardening as the hardness values were comparable in all the samples. The understanding of microstructure evolution as a function of sintering parameters can be of particular importance for subsequent mechanical, corrosion and in vivo degradation testing of this novel biomedical magnesium alloy.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–Zn-0.5Ca-0.5RE magnesium alloy, with zinc contents of 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt%, were studied. A significant effect of Ca and rare earth (RE) elements (via mischmetal addition) on the grain refinement of cast ingots was observed with the consequent enhancement of ultimate tensile strength (UTS). Moreover, while the grain size was refined by the addition of Zn, no significant α-Mg grain refinement occurred beyond 2 wt% Zn addition. The Mg12RE intermetallic compound was observed in all alloys while the Mg7Zn3 phase formed at the grain boundaries of Zn-containing alloys. Based on the competition of grain refinement as a favorable factor and formation of unfavorable grain boundary phases, the Mg–4Zn-0.5RE-0.5Ca (ZEX400) alloy showed the highest UTS among the cast alloys. Intense grain refinement introduced by the extrusion process and the fracturing and dispersion of the grain-boundary phases resulted in the significant enhancement of strength and ductility and the appearance of ductile fracture surface for the extruded Mg–4Zn-0.5RE-0.5Ca alloy. It was found that high Zn content (∼6 wt%) limits the usability and hot working temperature range of the alloys due to the problem of hot shortness and intergranular brittle fracture. Therefore, the addition of 4 wt% Zn was recommended for industrial practice. This work revealed the significant effects of alloying (with Ca, RE, and Zn) and hot extrusion process for microstructural refinement and enhancement of mechanical properties of Mg alloys.

A general trend in steelmaking industry is to increase strength, resistance to brittle fracture and fatigue properties of steel products at favorable price. Achieving fine-grained microstructure during austenite to ferrite transformation is a basic prerequisite to improve the mechanical properties. The desired transformation can be achieved in several ways one of which is the use of small non-metallic inclusions as heterogenous nucleation sites during solidification of steel. A great attention is focused on this concept in recent years. Rare earth metals are suitable for the formation of small inclusions similarly as in the case of conventional microalloying elements such as niobium, titanium, vanadium and other. Rare earth metals have a high affinity to oxygen and sulfur. The paper deals with the optimization of microstructure of 42CrMo4 low alloy structural steel used for machine parts exposed to higher stresses. The steel was alloyed with cerium in the form of mischmetal to achive fine-grained microstructure. Operational experiment was proposed and realized in accordance with results of laboratory experiment.

Compositions of low–cost (La,Ce,Pr)(Ni,Mn,Al) 5 alloys having hydrogen storage properties comparable to those of (La,Ce,Nd,Pr)(Ni,Co,Mn,Al) 5 commercial alloy were suggested. The compositions were obtained by simultaneously increasing the proportions of Ce, Ni, and Mn and reducing the proportions of Nd and Co. The compositions of the low–cost alloy were proven to be useful through estimation of the hydrogen storage capacity, plateau pressure, and cycling property. It was found that the hydrogen storage capacity and plateau pressure of the low–cost (La,Ce,Pr)(Ni,Mn,Al) 5 alloys are similar to those of the (La,Ce,Nd,Pr)(Ni,Co,Mn,Al) 5 commercial alloy. The hydrogen storage capacity of the low–cost alloy was observed to degrade slightly (about 9%) after 1000 iterations of cycling due to the protective effect of mischmetal and Al, even though the low–cost alloy does not contain Nd and Al in proportions different from those of the commercial alloy.

The results of an experimental study on influence of cerium addition on structural characteristics of 42CrMo4 steel are presented. Alloying with cerium was carried out using profile filled with powdered mixture of mischmetal. The samples were taken from two ingots cast in the VHM's steelworks with standard time of casting of about 14 minutes. Three steel bars from one of the produced ingots were prepared by forging. Chemical composition, macro- and microstructure, X-ray EDX chemical microanalysis, hardness of the all steel samples were obtained. Cerium addition resulted in the formation of micrometer size inclusions which can be utilized for controlling the grain size structure of steel castings. The majority of the particles have settled at the bottom part of the casting, indicating that the convection flow during solidification was very weak. The cerium addition slightly diminished hardness of the steel. A segregation phenomenon causing inhomogeneous distribution of cerium over entire volume of as-cast samples after relatively rapid crystallization process of the steel was revealed.

Rare-earth (RE) mischmetal modification, homogenous annealing and rolling techniques were used to improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al−1Fe alloy. Al 3 Fe, Al 6 Fe and Al 3 Ce intermetallic phases were found in the RE-modified alloys in the as-cast state. The RE modification refined the α-Al grains, resulting in a divorced eutectic and the formation of the Al−Fe phases in the forms of discontinuous networks, flakes and particles. Elemental La dissolved in the Al−Ce phases but did not dissolve in the Al−Fe phases. The dissolution of elemental Ce in the Al−Fe phase along with homogeneous annealing caused the claw-like Al−Fe phases to transform into short flakes and particles, which were uniformly distributed in the matrix by the rolling processes. A 0.3 wt% RE modification had the optimized effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties, while a 0.4 wt% RE addition resulted in the aggregation of the Al−Ce particles, which then deteriorated the mechanical properties of the alloys.

High speed steel has been widely used in various fields due to their excellent red hardness and good wear resistance. However, the influence of mischmetal (Ce-La) on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties of high speed steel has rarely been reported. Thus, the microstructure and mechanical properties of M2 high speed steel with addition of mischmetal (Ce-La) were investigated. The morphology and distribution of the eutectic carbides of the steel were observed by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the impact toughness and bending strength were tested. The results show that adding mischmetal has an obvious effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of M2 high speed steel. The coarse eutectic structure is refined, the weak connection of the carbide networks is broken and the flake carbides become short and fine. More networks of eutectic carbides dissolve into the matrix. When a suitable adding content of mischmetal is selected, for example, 0.3 mass%, the impact strength and bending strength can increase by 27% and 10.76% compared with that without mischmetal, respectively.

The influence of the cerium and silicon contents on the castability of a REM-alloyed stainless steel was investigated by using pilot scale experiments. The trials were carried out with three different silicon concentrations: i) low (LSi; Si

In the present work, the influence of the additions of zinc, zirconium and cerium-rich mischmetal on the microstructural recrystallization development of magnesium were investigated. Grain size and chemical composition were the principal variables of the billets used for indirect extrusion experiments. Significant changes in the evolution of the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) process as a function of the alloying element contents and the process variables were observed. Microstructures and preferred orientation of crystallites were correlated in order to discuss the role of alloy composition on the DRX. This discussion was based on the macro-texture measurements and some EBSD measurements of selected samples.

The effect of calcium, manganese and cerium mischmetal additions on the mechanical properties of the extruded Mg-6Zn-1Y (wt%) alloy reinforced by quasicrystalline I-phase has been investigated. The tensile behaviour at room temperature can be rationalized on the basis of microstructural changes induced by the different elements added to the ternary alloy. The highest yield stress value corresponds to the material modified with cerium-rich mischmetal. Manganese addition leads to the best balance between strength and ductility while calcium addition has a negligible effect on the mechanical properties of ternary alloy. The analysis of the contributions of the different strengthening mechanisms operating during deformation reveals that grain size refinement is the main hardening contribution in all alloys mechanism followed by the strengthening due to coarse second phases. The hardening due to basal texture conferred by the existence of coarse non-recrystallized grains depends on the overall hardening induced by the rest of strengthening mechanisms., The authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for financial support for this work under project number MAT2012-34135. We would like to acknowledge the expert support of A. García and A. Tomás for assistance with SEM.

Neodymium containing magnesium alloys like MgNd2 and ZNdK100 offer high corrosion resistance and biocompatibility due to low amounts of alloying elements, and are thus attractive for biomedical applications. Compared with common bioresorbable magnesium alloys, which frequently contain mischmetal, the use of neodymium as a single rare earth element provides for good reproducibility of the degradation behavior while improving the ductility, leading to high fracture strains of 25–30%. Thus, stents made from these alloys allowed dilatation without failure. The MgNd2 alloy’s strength, however, turned out to be low. Recent investigations proved that the strength of a ZNdK100 alloy can be significantly increased by an adaptation of the extrusion parameters, such as billet temperature and extrusion ratio, which govern recrystallization of the microstructure. In the current study, it is demonstrated how the mechanical properties can be adjusted by the extrusion process, allowing the future use of the same alloy for both bone implants and soft tissue implants.

In order to improve the overall electrochemical properties of AB5-type storage alloys, the new type composite alloys M1Ni3.5Co0.6Mn0.4Al0.5–x wt% Mm0.89-Mg0.11-Ni2.97Mn0.14Al0.20Co0.54 (x = 0, 5, 10; M1 means mischmetal) were prepared by means of ball milling. The composite alloys are shown to be single LaNi5 phase by X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The maximum discharge capacity slightly increases from 315 mAh·g−1 for M1Ni3.5Co0.6Mn0.4Al0.5 to 324 mAh·g−1 (x = 5) and 325 mAh·g−1 (x = 10). The addition of AB3-type La–Mg–Ni-based alloy has a positive effect on the cycle stability. With the addition of Mm0.89Mg0.11Ni2.97Mn0.14-Al0.20Co0.54 alloy, the exchange current density (I 0 ), the limiting current density (I L ), and the diffusion coefficient of hydrogen (D) of the alloy electrodes increase, leading to a corresponding improvement of the high rate dischargeability.

Powders of composite materials based on lanthanum nickelate-ferrite with different contents of lanthanides were synthesized using Ln-Ni-Fe-O (LnNF) mischmetal. The phase composition of the powders was determined by XRD. The crystal structure of the main phase in LnNF obtained using a mischmetal with a high lanthanum content is perovskite-like, while the structure with a high cerium content is fluorite-like. The temperature coefficients of linear expansion of the synthesized materials were determined by dilatometry. The temperature dependences of electric conductivity of the compact samples and porous electrodes from these materials were studied by the DC four-probe method. The electric conductivity of compact samples from materials prepared using the mischmetal with the perovskite-like structure of the main phase exceeds the electric conductivity of the materials based on the mischmetal with a high cerium content by approximately three orders of magnitude. The temperature dependences of polarization conductivity of electrodes in cells with the Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) electrolyte at 600–900°C in air were studied by impedance spectroscopy. The LnNF electrodes with a perovskite-like crystal structure of the main phase showed high electrochemical activity.

In the present work, fcc-Al nanoparticle development in Al 90− x Ni 10 MM x (MM: Ce mischmetal; x =2, 4) amorphous alloys was studied via non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nanoindentation test. Results showed that the crystallization of Al 88 Ni 10 MM 2 alloy occurred by the precipitation of fcc-Al nanoparticles followed by the crystallization of Al 11 MM 3 and Al 3 Ni phases. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the aluminum precipitates had an average size of ~12 nm with a round morphology. Increasing the mischmetal content to 4 at% (Al 86 Ni 10 MM 4 alloy) caused a three-stage crystallization process with a change in the size and morphology of fcc-Al precipitates. Here, fcc-Al nanoparticles got an irregular and cluster-like morphology with an average size of about 50 nm. The crystallization mechanism of fcc-Al nanoparticles formation was evaluated. The results indicated the complex nature of the primary crystallization behavior of these amorphous alloys. Results of nanoindentation test revealed that controlled crystallization of the amorphous alloys significantly increased the strength, owing to the solute enrichment of the amorphous matrix.

The as-sintered sinter skin of WC—11Co—0.71Cr3C2—0.06RE cemented carbide with WC+β microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope and X-ray diffractometer. RE represents La-, Ce-, Pr- and Nd-containing mischmetal, and β is cobalt-based binder phase. It was discovered that La, Ce, Pr and Nd migrated directionally from the alloy to the sinter skin to combine with the impurity elements S and O from the sintering atmosphere during the sintering process. As a result, main dispersed phase RE2S3 and minor RE2O2S were formed in situ on the sinter skin. The mechanisms for the stimulation of the migration activity and the directional migration of RE atoms were discussed in terms of the thermodynamics stability of Cr3C2, solubility characteristic of Cr in Co and the polarization or ionization of RE atoms.

The hot deformation behavior of as-cast AISI M2 high-speed steel containing mischmetal (RE) has been investigated on a Gleeble-3500 simulator in the temperature range of 1000—1150 °C and strain rate range of 0. 01 – 10 s−1 at true strain of 1. 0. The mechanical behavior has been characterized using stress-strain curve analysis, kinetic analysis, processing maps, etc. Metallographic investigation was performed to evaluate the mechanism of flow instability. The results show that the deformation activation energy decreases with increasing deformation temperature; the efficiency of power dissipation increases with decreasing strain rate and increasing temperature; flow instability is observed at low-to-medium temperature and higher strain rate region when the strain is smaller, but extends to lower strain rate and high temperature regions with the increment of strain, in which it is manifested as flow localization near the grain boundary. Hot deformation equations and processing maps are obtained. The optimal processing window is suggested and the deformation mechanism is dynamic recrystallization (DRX).

The present investigation is aimed to study MmNi5-type (Mm = Mischmetal) hydrogen storage alloys with composition, Mm0·8La0·2Ni3·7Al0·38Co0·3Mn0·6−x Mo0·02Fe x (x = 0, 0·1, 0·2 and 0·3). The alloys are synthesized by radio-frequency induction melting. To study their electrochemical properties via measurements of discharge capacity, activation process, rate capability and cyclic stability, electrodes are fabricated using as-synthesized and annealed version of the alloys. The maximum discharge capacity is recorded as 288 mAhg−1 for the iron concentration, x = 0·1, as compared to 270 mAhg−1 for the alloy electrode without iron. Similarly, 99% cyclic stability is observed in annealed alloy electrode (x = 0·1) as compared to 78% in the alloy electrode without iron. Hence, small amount of iron-substitution (x = 0·1) in the alloy is found to improve the electrochemical properties. This improvement is thought to be due to less pulverization of the alloy in electrochemically-cycled alloy, as confirmed through structural and microstructural characterizations carried out by X-ray diffraction phase analysis and scanning electron microscopy of as-fabricated and electrochemically-cycled electrodes.

The p-S-N curve (p = 50%) of die casting magnesium alloy AZ91D with 1% mischmetal was determined and the fatigue strength corresponding to 3.8 × 105 cycles with 50% probability was 70 MPa. The fatigue fracture surfaces were observed using scanning electron microscopy. The fatigue factures varied with the applied stress and their own defects. The fracture surfaces of some samples loaded lower stress exhibited rubbing mark. The fatigue fracture surface of samples with minor defect possessed the mixed characteristics of quasi-cleavage, tearing ridge, dimple and fatigue striation. Fatigue cracks initiated at gas pores and shrinkage porosity clusters. It were found there was an minor defect size as the site of damage incubation on fracture surface of die casting testing bars which fatigue life was near to the upper bound of fatigue lives.

Hydrothermal crystallization was conducted to improve the diffusion barrier performance of Zr thin films to prevent a fuel clad chemical interaction (FCCI) at the interface between a clad material and lanthanide elements (Mischmetal: 75Ce–25La; intermetallic compound) as fission product. The crystalline phase and size of Zr thin films deposited on a HT9 disk by RF magnetron sputtering were varied by hydrothermal crystallization in an autoclave at 393 K, 423 K and 453 K. Diffusion couple tests of the clad with and without a Zr diffusion barrier were performed at 933 K for 25 h with mischmetal, which have diffusion properties similar to uranium metal composite fuel. While substantial FCCI occurred at the interface between the mischmetal and clad in the specimen without hydrothermal crystallization, the Zr barrier with hydrothermal crystallization showed excellent resistance to FCCI. The performance of the Zr FCCI barrier was improved due to a decrease in interdiffusion by the grain boundary, which can increase the FCCI in the Zr barrier.

Effects of Cerium-rich mischmetal addition on the microstructure and properties of die casting magnesium alloy were investigated in the series of experiments. The results indicate that a new phase appeared in the microstructure with the additional of mischmetal .The new phase Al11(Ce,La)3can not only refine the grains, but also affect the mechanical properties of the alloys. The effect degree was different with the diffetent Al concentration When the Al concentration was 8%, and the addition amount of the Cerium-rich mischmetal was 1.5%, the properties of fhe alloys reached its optimal values at room temperature.

The substitution of Y by mischmetal was investigated on the Mg 65 Cu 25 Y 10 metallic glass, in order to reduce pure rare earth content and improve manufacturing for potential applications. Works showed that this substitution is well accommodated by partial substitution of Cu by Ni. Alloys were prepared by planar flow melt spinning, with various amounts of mischmetal (0, 5 or 10 at.%) and Ni (0, 5, 12.5, 20 or 25 at.%). With increasing content of mischmetal and nickel, the glass forming ability, especially the width of the supercooled liquid region tends to decrease. However, an optimal substitution of Cu by Ni (12.5 at.%) in an alloy free from Y has been identified to present an appreciable glass forming ability with a supercooled liquid region of 35 K.

The influence of mischmetal (Ce-La) addition on phase transformation and as-cast microstructure characteristics of M2 high-speed steel (HSS) was investigated using Thermo-Calc software, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry. The results showed that the measured phase transition points of M2 HSS were broadly consistent with the theoretical results. After mischmetal addition, the liquidus peak temperature, the peak temperature of the eutectic precipitation of M 6 C and MC were all increased, especially for the M 6 C which was affected significantly and increased about 31 °C. The contents of Mo and V in the eutectic carbide decreased and that of Fe increased, while in the matrix, the Mo, V and Cr contents all increased slightly. Furthermore, the microstructure of as-cast dendrite and ledeburite were refined, the total eutectic carbide content decreased and distributed into a discontinuous network, the lamellar spacing of M 2 C was reduced and the lamellae became thinner.

An extensive study was carried out to investigate the types of intermetallic phases observed in non-modified and Sr modified A319?1, A356?2 and A413?1 alloys with 0, 2, 4 and 6 wt-% mischmetal (MM) additions and solidified under high and low cooling rate conditions. Quantification of the intermetallics was carried out using electron probe microanalysis and revealed that the total surface fraction of intermetallic phases increased with the addition of MM to the alloys. Wavelength dispersion spectroscopic analysis was employed to identify these phases. In addition to the Al2Cu phase in A319?1 alloy, the Mg2Si phase in A356?2 alloy and the plateletlike b-Al5FeSi and a-Al15(MnFe)3Si2 and a-Al15(MnFeNiCu)3Si2 Chinese script-like iron intermetallic phases in the A413?1 alloy, various MM containing intermetallic phases were observed at high and low cooling rates, each exhibiting a specific Ce/La ratio and morphology. Many of these MM containing intermetallic phases were found to contain Sr, which confirmed the interaction of MM with Sr. Thus, the effectiveness of Sr as a modifier of the eutectic Si phase in these alloys would be reduced.