Evaluation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of a new modified cast and laser-melted AA7075 alloy

The mechanical properties and microstructure of as-cast and homogenized AA7075 were investigated. This alloy was modified by adding transition elements 0.3%Sc + 0.5%Zr, 1%Ti + 0.2%B, and 1%Fe + 1%Ni for use in additive manufacturing applications. After adding Ti + B and Sc + Zr, the structure became uniform and finer with the formation of the Al3(Sc, Zr) and TiB2 phases. Coarse structures were obtained with the formation of an extremely unfavorable morphology, close to a needle-like structure when Fe + Ni was added. The mechanical properties of the modified alloys were increased compared to those of the standard alloy, where the best ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield strength (YS) were obtained in the AA7075-TiB alloy compared to the standard alloy in as-cast and homogenized conditions, and the highest hardness value was provided by Fe + Ni additives. The effect of the laser melting process on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. Single laser melts were performed on these alloys using 330 V and a scanning speed of 8 mm/s. During the laser melting, the liquation of the alloying elements occurred due to non-equilibrium solidification. A change in the microstructures was observed within the melt zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ). The hardness of the laser-melted zone (LMZ) after adding the modification elements was increased in comparison with that of the standard alloy. Corrosion testing was performed using a solution of 100 mL distilled water, 3.1 g NaCl, and 1 mL HCl over 5, 10, and 30 min and 1 and 2 h. The corrosion resistance of the alloy modified with FeNi was low because of the non-uniform elemental distribution along the LMZ, but in the case of modification with ScZr and TiB, the corrosion resistance was better compared to that of the standard alloy. © 2019 by the authors.Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian FederationThe author (Asmaa M. Khalil) gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in the framework of Increase Competitiveness Program of MISiS (Support project for young research engineers)

Механические свойства и электропроводность холоднодеформированного сплава Al–Y–Sc–Er

Aluminum alloys alloyed with rare earth and transition metal are promising materials for electric energy transportation due to their high properties of strength, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity. The features of strengthening, their mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of Al–0.2Y–0.2Sc–0.3Er alloy after cold rolling have been established. The alloy as a cast structure is presented by aluminum solid solution (Al) and dispersed eutectics with τ2 (Al75-76Er11-17Y7-14) phase upon complete dissolution of scandium in (Al), and a content of yttrium and erbium at the level of 0.2–0.3 % each. Cold rolling the ingot accelerates strengthening upon annealing at 270 and 300 °C, reducing the time of achieving peak hardness. The maximum strengthening due to precipitation of L12 dispersoid of Al3(Sc,Y,Er) phase with the average particle size up to 10 nm is achieved after 7 h of annealing at 300 °C after cold rolling. This shows the prevailing heterogeneous mechanism of nucleation due to defects accumulated during cold rolling which stimulates strengthening. The eutectic particles are located mainly along the boundaries, elongated in the rolling direction. Irrespective of the mode of sheet fabrication, the alloy demonstrates high thermal stability up to 400 °C. During annealing of the sheets to 450 °C, their non-recrystallized structure is retained. Ingot annealing at t = 300 °C in 7 h and cold rolling with subsequent annealing under the same conditions provide a high level of mechanical properties and electrical conductivity: σ0.2 = 194 MPa, σu = 210 MPa, δ = 12.1 % and IACS – 60,1 %. The alloy has demonstrated high yield stress up to 100 h of annealing at t = 300 °C.Алюминиевые сплавы, легированные редкоземельными и переходными металлами, являются перспективными материалами для транспортировки электроэнергии ввиду высоких показателей прочности, термической стабильности и электропроводности. В работе определены особенности упрочнения, механические свойства и электропроводность сплава Al–0,2Y–0,2Sc–0,3Er после холодной прокатки. Литая структура сплава представлена алюминиевым твердым раствором (Al) и дисперсной эвтектикой с фазой τ2 (Al75-76Er11-17Y7-14) при полном растворении скандия в (Al) и содержании иттрия и эрбия на уровне 0,2–0,3 % каждого. Холодная прокатка слитка ускоряет упрочнение при отжиге при температурах 270 и 300 °C, уменьшая время достижения пиковой твердости. Максимальное упрочнение за счет выделения L12-дисперсоидов фазы Al3(Sc,Y,Er) со средним размером частиц до 10 нм достигается после 7 ч отжига при температуре 300 °С после холодной прокатки, что говорит о превалировании гетерогенного механизма зарождения за счет дефектов, накопленных в процессе холодной прокатки, стимулирующих упрочнение. Частицы эвтектики располагаются преимущественно вдоль границ, вытягиваясь в направлении прокатки, и вне зависимости от режима получения листа сплав демонстрирует высокую термическую стабильность до 400 °С. В процессе отжига листов до 450 °С сохраняется нерекристаллизованная структура. Отжиг слитка при t = 300 °С в течение 7 ч и холодная прокатка с последующим отжигом в тех же условиях обеспечивают высокий уровень механических свойств и электропроводности: σ0,2 = 194 МПа, σв = 210 МПа, δ = 12,1 % и IACS – 60,1 %. Сплав продемонстрировал высокую стабильность предела текучести вплоть до 100 ч отжига при t = 300 °С

Features of Structure Formation in an Al–Fe–Mn Alloy upon Crystallization with Various Cooling Rates

Abstract: Specific features of the microstructure formation of an Al–2.5% Fe–1.5% Mn alloy owing to the cooling rate during casting and during laser melting are studied in this work. An analysis of the microstructure in the molten state shows that, with an increase in the cooling rate during crystallization from 0.5 to 940 K/s, the primary crystallization of the Al6(Mn,Fe) phase is almost completely suppressed and the volume of the nonequilibrium eutectic increases to 43%. The microstructures of the Al–2.5% Fe–1.5% Mn alloy after laser melting are characterized by the presence of crystals of an aluminum matrix of a dendritic type with an average cell size of 0.56 μm, surrounded by an iron-manganese phase of eutectic origin with an average plate size of 0.28 μm. The primary crystallization of the Al6(Mn,Fe) phase is completely suppressed. The formation of such a microstructure occurs at cooling rates of 1.1 × 104–2.5 × 104 K/s, which corresponds to the cooling rates implemented in additive technologies. At the boundary between the track and the base metal and between the pulses, regions were revealed consisting of primary crystals of the Al6(Mn,Fe) phase formed by the epitaxial growth mechanism. The size of the primary crystals and the width of this zone depends on the size of the eutectic plates and the size of the dendritic cell located in the epitaxial layer. After laser melting, the Al–2.5% Fe–1.5% Mn alloy has a high hardness at room temperature (93 HV) and, after heating up to 300°C, it has a high thermal stability (85 HV). The calculated yield strength of the Al–2.5% Fe–1.5% Mn alloy after laser melting is 227 MPa. The combination of its ultrafine microstructure, high processibility during laser melting, hardness at room and elevated temperatures, and high calculated yield strength make the Al–2.5% Fe–1.5% Mn alloy a promising alloy for use in additive technologies. © 2021, Allerton Press, Inc

Evaluation of Microstructure and Hardness of Novel Al-Fe-Ni Alloys with High Thermal Stability for Laser Additive Manufacturing

The microstructure and phase composition of cast and laser-melted Al-Fe-Ni alloys were investigated.Two main phases—Al3(Ni,Fe) and Al9FeNi—were formed in the as-cast state. A fine microstructure without porosity or solidification cracks was observed in the Al-Fe-Ni alloys after laser treatment. The hardness of the laser-melted alloys was 2.5–3 times higher than the hardness of the as-cast alloys owing to the formation of an aluminum-based solid solution and fine eutectic particles. The formation of the primary Al9FeNi phase was suppressed as a result of the high cooling rate. Annealing these alloys at temperatures less than 300°C demonstrated the high thermal stability of the microstructure while maintaining the hardness. The Al-Fe-Ni alloys investigated in this study are promising heat-resistant materials for additive manufacturing because of their fine, stable structure, and the low interdiffusion coefficients of Fe and Ni. © 2020, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society.Loginova I.S. would like to thank Dr. Solonin A.N. for valuable discussions regarding the structure formation process. This project and all the experiments were funded by RFBR, Project Number 19-38-60037

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ СТРУКТУРЫ И ФАЗОВОГО СОСТАВАПОРОШКОВЫХ АЛЮМОФОСФОРИСТЫХ ЛИГАТУР

There were developed powder aluminium-phosphorus master alloys for modification of hypereutectic silumins. There was se-lected the best performance processing of powder mixes in the high-energy planetary mill that ensured minimum losses of feed stock and microstructure with uniform and disperse distribution of the proeutectoid constituents’ particles in aluminium matrix. By means of X-ray diffraction study was investigated phase composition of obtained master alloys. There was demonstrated high efficiency of the modification of hypereutectic silumins Al–17wt.%Si by alloying of phosphorus (0,008 wt.%) obtained master alloys.Разработаны порошковые алюмофосфористые лигатуры для модифицирования заэвтектических силуминов. Выбраны оптимальные режимы обработки порошковых смесей в высокоэнергетической планетарной мельнице, обеспечивающие минимальные потери исходного материала и микроструктуру с однородным и дисперсным распределением в алюминиевой матрице частиц избыточных фаз. Методом микрорентгеноспектрального анализа исследован фазовый состав полученных лигатур. Показана высокая эффективность модифицирования заэвтектического силумина Al–17мас.%Si введением фосфора (0,008 мас.%) полученными лигатурами

Comment on the narrow structure reported by Amaryan et al

The CLAS Collaboration provides a comment on the physics interpretation of the results presented in a paper published by M. Amaryan et al. regarding the possible observation of a narrow structure in the mass spectrum of a photoproduction experiment.Comment: to be published in Physical Review

A comparison of forward and backward pp pair knockout in 3He(e,e'pp)n

Measuring nucleon-nucleon Short Range Correlations (SRC) has been a goal of the nuclear physics community for many years. They are an important part of the nuclear wavefunction, accounting for almost all of the high-momentum strength. They are closely related to the EMC effect. While their overall probability has been measured, measuring their momentum distributions is more difficult. In order to determine the best configuration for studying SRC momentum distributions, we measured the $^3$He$(e,e'pp)n$ reaction, looking at events with high momentum protons ($p_p > 0.35$ GeV/c) and a low momentum neutron ($p_n< 0.2$ GeV/c). We examined two angular configurations: either both protons emitted forward or one proton emitted forward and one backward (with respect to the momentum transfer, $\vec q$). The measured relative momentum distribution of the events with one forward and one backward proton was much closer to the calculated initial-state $pp$ relative momentum distribution, indicating that this is the preferred configuration for measuring SRC.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys Rev C. Version 2 incorporates minor corrections in response to referee comment

Search for Θ+(1540)\Theta^+(1540) pentaquark in high statistics measurement of γp→Kˉ0K+n\gamma p \to \bar K^0 K^+ n at CLAS

The exclusive reaction $\gamma p \to \bar K^0 K^+ n$ was studied in the photon energy range between 1.6-3.8 GeV searching for evidence of the exotic baryon $\Theta^+(1540)\to nK^+$. The decay to $nK^+$ requires the assignment of strangeness $S=+1$ to any observed resonance. Data were collected with the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 70 $pb^{-1}$. No evidence for the $\Theta^+$ pentaquark was found. Upper limits were set on the production cross section as function of center-of-mass angle and $nK^+$ mass. The 95% CL upper limit on the total cross section for a narrow resonance at 1540 MeV was found to be 0.8 nb.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Q^2 Dependence of the S_{11}(1535) Photocoupling and Evidence for a P-wave resonance in eta electroproduction

New cross sections for the reaction $ep \to e'\eta p$ are reported for total center of mass energy $W$=1.5--2.3 GeV and invariant squared momentum transfer $Q^2$=0.13--3.3 GeV$^2$. This large kinematic range allows extraction of new information about response functions, photocouplings, and $\eta N$ coupling strengths of baryon resonances. A sharp structure is seen at $W\sim$ 1.7 GeV. The shape of the differential cross section is indicative of the presence of a $P$-wave resonance that persists to high $Q^2$. Improved values are derived for the photon coupling amplitude for the $S_{11}$(1535) resonance. The new data greatly expands the $Q^2$ range covered and an interpretation of all data with a consistent parameterization is provided.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figure