Analysis of Strengthening Mechanisms in an Artificially Aged Ultrafine Grain 6061 Aluminum Alloy

The current study adopted a quantitative approach to investigating the mechanical properties, and their relationship to the microstructural features, of precipitation-strengthened 6061 aluminum alloy processed through accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and aging heat treatment.  To serve this purpose, the contributions of different strengthening mechanisms including grain refinement, precipitation, dislocation and solid-solution strengthening to the yield strength of five-cycle ARB samples processed under pre-aged (ARBed) and aged (ARBed+Aged) conditions were examined and compared. Microstructural characterizations were performed on the samples through the transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, the mechanical properties of the samples were investigated through the tensile test. The obtained results showed that an equiaxed ultrafine grain structure with nano-sized precipitates was created in the both ARBed and ARBed+Aged samples. The grain refinement was the predominant strengthening mechanism which was estimated to contribute 151 and 226 MPa to the ARBed and ARBed+Aged samples, respectively, while the dislocation and Orowan strengthening mechanisms were ranked second with regard to their contributions to the ARBed and ARBed+Aged samples, respectively. The overall yield strength, calculated through the root mean square summation method, was found to be in good agreement with the experimentally determined yield strength. It was also found that the presence of non-shearable precipitates, which interfered with the movement of the dislocations, would be effective for the simultaneous improvement of the strength and ductility of the ARBed+Agedsample

Enhancing hot oxidation resistance of the HVOF-sprayed NiCoCrAlTaY coating by alumina nanoparticles via a modified suspension route

The effect of alumina (Al2O3) nanoparticles on the hot oxidation behavior of NiCoCrAlTaY coating is investigated. High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) technique was employed to deposit coatings on a single crystal CMSX-4 Ni-based superalloy. Different amounts of α-Al2O3 nanoparticles (3, 6 and 9 wt%) were added to NiCoCrAlTaY powder via a modified suspension route. By this modification, the Al2O3 nanoparticles were adhered on the surface of the atomized metallic NiCoCrAlTaY powders with a relatively uniform distribution. The composite powder was then sprayed on the superalloy substrate by an industrial HVOF route. The cyclic hot oxidation resistance of the coatings was evaluated at 1100 °C. Results showed that the coating with 6 wt% nano-Al2O3 experienced significantly better oxidation performance. The presence of nano-Al2O3 in the coating accelerated the formation of α-Al2O3 dense oxide layer and, thereby, delayed diffusion of other elements to the surface. Adding more Al₂O₃ nanoparticles up to 9 wt% led to an increase in porosity and surface roughness of the coating which decreased oxidation resistance

Mechanical, electrochemical and permeability behaviour of Ti6Al–4V scaffolds fabricated by electron beam powder bed fusion for orthopedic implant applications: The role of cell type and cell size

Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds have attracted much attention for biomedical applications owing to their bone-mimicking mechanical properties and better bone tissue in-growth and additive manufacturing can be employed to fabricate complex geometry scaffolds. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of scaffold architecture on the mechanical, electrochemical, and permeability behaviour of Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds fabricated by electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF). For this, scaffolds with diamond and rhombic dodecahedron cell types, having various cell sizes, were designed and successfully fabricated. Chemical etching minimized the surface defects and improved the geometric fidelity of the scaffolds compared to the original designs. The larger the cell size, the coarser the dual α/β phase microstructure due to the higher heat accumulation in thicker struts. The scaffold architecture proved significant effects on the mechanical properties, where all scaffolds were mechanically comparable with human bone. Short/long-term electrochemical corrosion tests indicated that the corrosion performance significantly improved with an increase in cell size, irrespective of the cell type; this was attributed to the lower exposure of surface area to the electrolyte, coarse microstructure and a higher fraction of β phase. This study recommended that the EB-PBF Ti–6Al–4V scaffolds are promising candidates for orthopaedic implant applications from mechanical and electrochemical points of view