The increasing technological need to push service conditions of structural materials to higher temperatures has motivated the development of several alloy systems. Among them, superalloys are an excellent candidate for high temperature applications because of their ability to form coherent ordered precipitates, which enable the retention of high strength close to their melting temperature. The accelerated kinetics of solute diffusion, with or without an added component of mechanical stress, leads to coarsening of the precipitates, and results in microstructural degradation, limiting the durability of the materials. Hence, the coarsening of precipitates has been a classical research problem for these alloys in service. The prolonged hunt for an alternative of nickel base superalloys with superior traits has gained hope after the recent discovery of Co-Al-W based alloys, which readily form high temperature g precipitates, similar to Ni base superalloys. In the present study, coarsening behavior of g precipitates in Co-10Al-10W (at. %) has been carried out at 800°C and 900°C. This study has, for the first time, obtained critical coarsening parameters in cobalt-base alloys. Apart from this, it has incorporated atomic scale compositional information across the g/g interfaces into classical Cahn-Hilliard model for a better model of coarsening kinetics. The coarsening study of g precipitates in Ni-14Al-7 Cr (at. %) has shown the importance of temporal evolution of the compositional width of the g/g interfaces to the coarsening kinetics of g precipitates. This study has introduced a novel, reproducible characterization method of crystallographic study of ordered phase by coupling of orientation microscopy with atom probe tomography (APT). Along with the detailed analysis of field evaporation behaviors of Ni and Co superalloys in APT, the present study determines the site occupancy of various solutes within ordered g precipitates in both Ni and Co superalloys. This study has explained the role of structural and compositional gradients across the precipitates (g)/matrix (g) interfaces on the coarsening behavior of coherent precipitates in both Ni and Co-base superalloys. The observation of two interfacial widths, one corresponding to a structural order-disorder transition, and the other to the compositional transition across the interface, raises fundamental questions regarding the definition of the interfacial width in such systems. The comparative interface analysis in Co and Ni superalloy shows significant differences, which gives insights to the coarsening behaviors of g precipitates in these alloys. Hence, the principal goal of this work is to compare and contrast the Co and Ni superalloys and also, to accommodate atomic scale information related to transitions across interfaces to coarsening models for a better practical applicability of coarsening laws to various alloys.

[pt] O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a estabilidade microestrutural da liga 8090 (Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr) submetida a tratamentos térmicos de retrogressão e reenvelhecimento em diferentes condições de tempo e temperatura. Caracterização da morfologia e da estabilidade das fases endurecedoras foi realizada por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), utilizando a técnica EBSD (Electron Backscattering Diffraction). Microscopia eletrônica de transmissão (MET) foi também usada devido a ordem de grandeza nanométrica das fases precipitadas. Os resultados obtidos foram correlacionados com a propriedades mecânicas através de ensaios de microdureza e tração. Foi observado que a microestrutura da liga 8090 é estável, tanto na sua constituição policristalina quanto na sua microestrutura. O efeito de textura em virtude da deformação sofrida durante o processo de laminação permanece após o tratamento de retrogressão. Além disso, a evolução dos estágios de precipitação é pouco perceptível até o pico de endurecimento. As fases predominantes nesta liga são as fases delta (Al3Li), beta (Al3Zr) e T1 (Al2CuLi). Durante um reenvelhecimento mais prolongado é observado a precipitação da fase S (Al2CuMg) e do precipitado duplex delta/beta. Os ensaios de tração indicam a ocorrência do efeito Portevin-Le Chatelier para as amostras como recebida e envelhecidas a curtos intervalos de tempo. Este fenômeno dinâmico é resultado da interação de discordâncias com átomos de soluto e partículas de segunda fase. / [en] The purpose of this work is to evaluate the microstructural stability of alloy 8090 (Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr) when submitted to heat treatments of retrogression and reaging at different temperatures and for different time intervals. Characterization of the morphology and stability of the second phases was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), making use of the electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also used for this purpose in virtue of the nanometric size of the second phases precipitated in the alloy. The results obtained were correlated with the mechanical properties determined by means of microhardness measurements as well as tensile tests. It was noted that the alloy exhibits a remarkable stability, not only in regard to its polycrystalline composition but also to its microstructure. The deformation texture introduced in the alloy due to its fabrication process (rolling) was found to persist after the retrogression treatment. In addition, the evolution of precipitation stages did not very considerably until the peak aging was reached. The main phases observed in the alloy were the phases delta (Al3Li), beta (Al3Zr) and T1 (Al2CuLi). During extended reaging, one can observe the precipitation of other phases such as S (Al2CuMg) and the duplex phase delta/beta. The tensile results indicated the occurrence of Portevin-Le Chatelier effect for the alloy in the as-received and short time reaged conditions. This dynamic effect, results from the interaction of dislocations with solute atoms as well as second phases particles.

Abstract not available

Abstract not available

The laminated system processed using FusionTM technology is reported to contain a compositional gradient between the different layers. The interface region exhibits various precipitation characteristic during the subsequent heat treatment. The precipitation behavior at the interface region and core layer of a laminated AA3xxx-AA6xxx alloy system is investigated and discussed. The precipitation hardening capacity at the interface region is shown to scale with the existing compositional gradient. TEM observations reveal the precipitates at the interface region with a larger size and a lower number density than those at the core layer. A yield strength model developed for bulk AA6xxx series is employed to predict precipitate hardening behavior of the laminated sheet, and the modeling result shows an agreement with the measured values using a mass correction. The annealing behavior of the laminated system is investigated in a wide temperature range and at various deformation levels. The size and aspect ratio of the recrystallized grains are found to be determined by the interaction between recrystallization and precipitation, and by dissolution/coarsening of pre-existing precipitates. Under the condition of a low annealing temperature and a high deformation level, recrystallization initiates first at the interface region and then progresses into the core layer along the compositional gradient. The preferential onset of recrystallization at the interface is attributed to a higher driving pressure and a lower Zener drag pressure due to a low volume fraction of precipitates. Nucleation from large particles and grain boundaries is found to be operative nucleation mechanism in this system.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 172-179).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 220-225).

Many phenomena determining the microstructure of a tool steel and consequently the properties of the material, are governed by multicomponent diffusion. The diffusion driven reactions that take place during, for example, tempering of a hot-work tool steel or when the microstructure develops during hot isostatic pressing of cold-work tool steel, are dependent on the types and amounts of alloying elements. In order for computational methods to be usable, these alloying effects need to be understood and incorporated in the models. In this work the influence of some typical tool steel alloying elements on the coarsening behavior of precipitates is investigated. Experimental coarsening studies are performed and the impact of the diffusion mobility descriptions and the thermodynamic descriptions are investigated by means of DICTRA coarsening calculations. The kinetic descriptions for diffusion in the body centered-cubic phase in the case of the chromium-iron-vanadium system and the chromium-iron-molybdenum system are improved by assessments of diffusion mobility parameters, and are shown to have a large impact on the calculated coarsening rate for vanadium-rich and molybdenum-rich precipitates. The effect of cobalt is examined by a coarsening experiment for vanandiumrich carbides and by a diffusion couple experiment for the investigation of the vanadium interdiffusion. The presence of cobalt is experimentally shown to have retarding effect on the coarsening rate of the carbides, but not on the vanadium diffusion. The coarsening rate of nitrogen-rich precipitates is compared to the coarsening rate of carbon-rich precipitates, and a lower coarsening rate for nitrides compared to carbides can be confirmed. Correlation between coarsening calculations and experiments is obtained suggesting that the thermodynamic description of the two systems is the underlaying reason for the different coarsening rates. Further, calculations utilizing the DICTRA software are combined with experimental investigations in order to study the possibility to apply computational methods for compound material development and explore application areas for high nitrogen alloyed tool steels produced by powder metallurgy. / <p>QC 20121011</p>

In recent times, application of aluminum alloys is favored in the transportation sectors such as the aerospace and automobile industries where reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission are major priorities. In these applications, these alloys can be exposed to dynamic shock loading conditions as in the case of car crash and birds’ collision during aircraft’s take-off or landing. This study therefore focused on the deformation and damage mechanisms in AA 2017, AA 2024 and AA 2624 aluminum alloys under both quasi-static and dynamic impact loading conditions. Cylindrical specimens of the selected aluminum alloys were investigated under both quasi-static loading at 3.2 x10-3 s-1 using an Instron R5500 mechanical testing machine and dynamic impact loading using the split Hopkinson pressure bar at strain rates ranging between 2000 and 8000 s-1. The effects of strain rate and temper condition on the microstructural evolution in the alloys during mechanical loading were studied. The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique was used to investigate the texture of the naturally-aged AA 2017 and AA 2624 alloys before and after dynamic shock loading. The contributions of the major alloying elements such as copper, magnesium and silicon to the microstructural evolution and deformation behavior of the alloys under the dynamic shock loading condition were also studied using the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) technique. Results showed that the morphology and atomic distribution of particles in the investigated alloys are functions of the temper condition. The hardness of all the three alloys was higher in the age-hardened conditions than the annealed ones. Although deformation of the alloy under quasi-static compressive loading was dominated by strain hardening, flow softening leading to strain localization and formation of shear bands occurred once certain critical strain values were reached. Under both quasi-static and dynamic loading, the alloys with low Cu:Mg ratio (AA 2024 and AA 2624) showed higher mechanical strength in age-hardened condition than that with high Cu:Mg ratio (AA 2017). All the alloys in the annealed condition exhibited an enhanced plasticity and formability. Intense strain localization leading to formation of adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) was the principal contributor to failure in the alloys under dynamic impact loading. Both deformed and transformed bands were observed, with cracking occurring mainly along the transformed shear bands. The tendency for formation of adiabatic shear bands is observed to be a function of the alloy composition, temper condition, strain, strain rate and strain hardening rate. In the natural aging condition, AA 2024 showed the highest susceptibility to formation of ASBs followed by AA 2624 and AA 2017 in that order. On the other hand, AA 2024 has the least susceptibility in the artificially-aged condition. Occurrence of bifurcation of transformed bands in dynamic impacted specimens is dependent on temper condition, strain and strain rate. The mechanism of fracture of the precipitation hardened samples is typical of ductile fracture occurring sequentially by nucleation, growth, and coalescence of micro-voids processes within transformed band. Elongated grains were observed to arrest propagating shear band depending on the angle the band makes with elongated grains. The higher the angle of inclination of a shear band to the grain on its path, the higher the tendency of the grain to stop its propagation. Texture analysis of the impacted specimens of AA 2017-T451 and AA 2624-T351 shows that the former has a higher tendency for the evolution of ultra-fine DRX grains within the transformed shear band. High strain rate led to the development of CD//<111> orientations at the expense of CD//<110> orientations. Schmid factor calculations performed on few different orientations in the starting microstructure shows that CD//<110> is less susceptible to slip deformation and consequently underwent rotation to CD//<111>.

L'amélioration des propriétés mécaniques dans les alliages du système Fer-Silicium-Titane grâce à l'introduction d'une précipitation nanométrique a été démontrée dans la littérature. La haute valeur de limite d'élasticité qui peut être atteinte dans ces aciers en fait de bons candidats pour des applications dans l'élaboration de structures automobiles. Dans ce contexte, cette étude a pour objectif de caractériser et comprendre la séquence et la cinétique de précipitation dans ces alliages, ainsi que les relations entre microstructure de précipitation et propriétés mécaniques, dans une démarche de conception d'alliages optimisée. La démarche utilisée a tout d'abord consisté en une caractérisation multi-échelle de la précipitation par diffusion des neutrons aux petits angles, microscopie électronique en transmission et sonde atomique tomographique, qui a permis d'aboutir à une description précise de la structure, composition, taille et fraction volumique des précipités, qui ont ensuite été reproduites par modélisation. Dans un deuxième temps, les tests mécaniques réalisés à température ambiante ont révélé un fort potentiel durcissant, qui dépend du temps et de la température de vieillissement. Des modèles à base physique pour la limite d'élasticité et le taux d'écrouissage (tenant compte des contributions isotropes et cinématiques) ont été appliqués pour décrire les courbes de traction mesurées. Ceux-ci ont permis d'aboutir à une bonne compréhension des relations entre microstructures et propriétés dans le système Fe-Si-Ti. / The Iron-Silicon-Titanium alloy system is known to have an interesting hardening potential thanks to its ability to produce a fine and dense precipitation microstructure. The high yield stress obtained for steels from this system, makes them potential candidates for automotive applications. The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of the precipitation sequence and kinetics, as well as to analyze the influence of the precipitates on the mechanical properties (yield strength and strain hardening) in the objective of alloy design and process optimization. The approach used is classical in physical metallurgy. It consists namely, of the characterization of precipitation followed by the study of the mechanical properties. The characterization of precipitation has been carried out using the combination of Small-Angle Neutron Scattering, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography. This provides an accurate description of the precipitates in terms of crystal structure, composition, size and volume fraction. These properties have been subsequently reproduced with a precipitation model. The mechanical tests performed on the alloy at room temperature, have revealed a high hardening potential that depends on ageing time and temperature. Physically-based models for yield strength and strain hardening rate (including the effect of isotropic and kinematic hardening) have been applied to interpret the measured stress-strain curves, and allow to reach a comprehensive understanding of the microstructure/properties relationship in the Fe-Si-Ti alloy system.