MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-10-02DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102250
{"title":"Tensile properties and work hardening in Al0.3CoCrFeNi: The role of L12 precipitates and grain size","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we investigate the FCC-Al<sub>0.3</sub>CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy fabricated via spark plasma sintering of atomized powders, focusing on its mechanical and work-hardening properties across three distinct microstructures: coarse-grained, fine-grained, and fine-grained with L1<sub>2</sub> nano-precipitates. Using a dislocation density-based model, we analyze the effects of grain size and L1<sub>2</sub> precipitates on these properties, achieving quantitative agreement between model predictions and experimental tensile and work-hardening behaviors. This exploration highlights the underlying deformation mechanisms at room temperature and their contributions to the strength/ductility trade-off. Significantly, our analysis reveals that twinning in HEAs manifests differently from that observed in steels. Furthermore, the incorporation of L1<sub>2</sub> precipitates emerges as a critical factor enhancing the alloy's mechanical attributes. Our findings underscore the essential roles of microstructural parameters in tailoring the mechanical properties of HEAs, offering insights that could guide the design of advanced alloys with optimized performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102252
{"title":"The cruciality of particle size and shape on fracture mechanism of aluminum matrix composites","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metal matrix composites are generally believed to achieve better performance with spherical reinforcements than irregular ones. In this work, through experiments and computational simulations, we have demonstrated that spherical reinforcements do not necessarily enhance the tensile ductility of composites. There exists a critical size for spherical particles. Using an Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-Al2024 composite as an example, we found that when the size of spherical Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> particles is less than 3 µm, they are not fractured during deformation, resulting in enhanced ductility. We elucidated the competitive mechanism between particle and matrix fracture under various reinforcement sizes and volume fractions, and constructed a deformation map that can be utilized to determine fracture mechanisms. This work clarifies the micro-mechanical mechanisms of reinforcements on material fracture behavior, providing guidance for the design and fabrication of strong and ductile metal matrix composites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102251
{"title":"Severe plastic deformation of Mn-Al permanent magnets","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Manganese-aluminum permanent magnets are promising candidates to fill the cost and performance gap between lower-performance bonded ferrites and high-performance magnets based on rare-earth elements. This is due to the favorable combination of saturation magnetization and magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the Mn-Al τ phase combined with low raw material cost. However, the τ phase is metastable and prone to decomposition at high temperatures, making processing by conventional milling and sintering difficult. Severe plastic deformation (SPD) is an alternative processing route to control the microstructure of a material by applying very high amounts of strain. In this study, equal-channel angular extrusion (ECAE) and high-speed high-pressure torsion (HS-HPT) were both tested as SPD processing routes. ECAE improved magnetic energy product, (BH)<sub>max</sub>, by 220 % by refining the grain size and imparting a high density of dislocations. HS-HPT enabled a rapid phase transformation from the high-temperature ε phase to the τ phase but lowered H<sub>ci</sub>, making it better suited to soft magnet processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102249
{"title":"Bi-functional hydrogen tungsten bronze/carbon composite catalysts towards biomass conversion and solar water purification","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We presented a novel bi-functional catalyst composed of H<sub>x</sub>WO<sub>3</sub> and carbon composites, which exhibits excellent catalytic activity in biomass conversion and can effectively purify water via a wide range of wavelengths in the light spectrum. The H<sub>x</sub>WO<sub>3</sub>/carbon composites were effectively produced from commercially available monoclinic tungsten trioxide (WO<sub>3</sub>) and polypropylene (PP) powders to a single-step mechanochemical reaction employing high-energy ball milling. We systemically investigated how different synthesis parameters, such as rotation speed, processing duration, and ball diameter, affect the mechanochemically-induced phase transformation to either tetragonal or cubic H<sub>x</sub>WO<sub>3</sub> during planetary ball milling. The crystal phase of H<sub>x</sub>WO<sub>3</sub> was controllable by altering the total impact energy in the ball milling. In addition, real-time monitoring of the pressure increment inside the pot and evaluation of the evolved gas revealed the degassing behavior through the oxidative degradation of PP assisted by WO<sub>3</sub>. The CV and Rietveld analysis proved that H<sub>x</sub>WO<sub>3</sub> exhibited significant enhancement by two orders of magnitude in the rate of <em>H</em><sup>+</sup> diffusion compared to monoclinic WO<sub>3</sub>. This enhancement would be attributed to the expansion of a mechanically-formed tunnel along the a-axis, which facilitates the migration of <em>H</em><sup>+</sup> ions. The H<sub>x</sub>WO<sub>3</sub>/carbon composites performed approximately 12-fold higher efficiency in generating soluble solids (glucose and furfural derivatives) compared to untreated WO<sub>3</sub> through the catalytic hydrolysis of cellulose, owing to the enhanced Brønsted acidity. Moreover, the composite particles showed broad light absorption in the UV–Vis–NIR range and demonstrated a considerable enhancement of over three orders of magnitude in the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange pollutants when exposed to NIR and visible light.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142358020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102247
{"title":"Thin microporous polydimethylsiloxane membrane prepared by phase separation and its applications for cell culture","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animal experiments are often required for biological studies. However, in vitro cell culture models, such as cell-culture inserts and microphysiological systems, can provide a suitable alternative, making them essential tools in cell biology research, including the simulation of an organ environments closely related to the human body. Cell-culture inserts with porous membranes assist in recreating in vivo cell culture environments to study and process cell-culture assays. However, conventional cell culture membranes typically made of polyethylene terephthalate or polycarbonate cannot accommodate cell types that require deformable substrates. As such, this paper introduced a novel approach using spin-casting-assisted polymer-blend phase separation to create thin, flexible, and highly porous membranes for cell culture applications. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was selected as the material for the porous membrane, and polystyrene (PS) was used as a counter pair to induce phase separation with PDMS. PDMS facilitated the necessary reversible deformations during cell culture owing to its low elastic modulus. The thickness of the membrane and connectivity of the phase-separated PS domains can be adjusted, facilitating the fine-tuning of the pore size and density to improve the membrane performance. Therefore, this study successfully fabricated thin microporous PDMS membranes with improved performance over standard membranes for cell-culture inserts, namely a higher porosity, flexibility, and softness. The results of this study can enhance cell culture methodologies and contribute to a deeper understanding of cellular processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102245
{"title":"Diverse kinetic pathways in shock-compressed phase transitions of a metallic single crystal","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Substantial gaps in solid-solid phase boundaries under hydrostatic and uniaxial compression have recently garnered great attention, though the underlying physics remains unclear. In this study, through molecular dynamics simulations of shock-compressed fcc Cu single crystals, we report pronounced orientation-dependent fcc-to-bcc phase transition pressures following the trend [100] < [110] < [111] ≈ thermodynamic phase boundary. We uncover a fundamental crystallographic law that explains these phase boundary gaps, rooted in the classical orientational relationship of martensitic transformations: the degree of alignment between loading directions and the easiest atomic moving path plays a critical role in determining phase transition pathways. The complex, orientation-dependent phase transition pathways and the observed temperature equilibrium efficiency ranking [100] > [110] > [111] further support the validity of this crystallographic law. This law is broadly applicable to fcc crystals, indicating that phase composition can be controlled by the method of compression, providing a new framework for selective polymorph formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102246
{"title":"Atomic scale investigation and cytocompatibility of copper and zinc-loaded phosphate-based glasses prepared by coacervation","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphate-based glasses (PBGs) are bioresorbable materials that find application in the field of controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering. The structural arrangements of the phosphate units in PBGs, along with the knowledge of how therapeutic metallic ions are embedded in the phosphate network are important in understanding the degradation and targeted release properties of these materials. Using a combination of Raman spectroscopy, high-energy X-ray diffraction and <sup>31</sup>P and <sup>23</sup>Na solid-state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, the atomic structure of coacervate PBGs in the system P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>-CaO-Na<sub>2</sub>O-MO<sub>x</sub> (M = Cu or Zn) with loadings of 2, 10 and 15 mol % of M<sup>2+</sup> have been studied as functions of composition and calcination temperature. After drying at room temperature, the structures of the phosphate network in PBG-Cu and PBG-Zn are quite similar, with that of PBG-Zn exhibiting slightly higher connectivity. Heating at 300 °C causes degradation of the polyphosphate chains, even though Q<sup>2</sup> species remain predominant. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that Cu in calcined PBGs is present in both oxidation states +1 and +2, with a predominance of the +2 state. Cu and Zn ion release data after 24 h exposure of PBGs in deionized water and cell medium DMEM show that release is proportional to their loadings. Cytotoxicity MTT assays of dissolution products of PBG-Cu/ZnX calcined at 300 °C on human osteosarcoma cells (MG-63) and on human skin cells (HaCaTs) showed good cellular response for all compositions, indicating that PBGs have great potential for both hard and soft tissue regeneration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102244
{"title":"On tailored microstructure in AA 2024 alloy during in-situ microwave casting","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the present study, application of microwave energy was explored for tailoring the microstructure in AA 2024 alloy through directional solidification route. Microwave transparent (alumina) and absorbing (graphite) mould materials were utilized to investigate the effect of microwave interaction (electric and magnetic field components) with AA 2024 alloy on microstructure evolution in terms of dendrite size distribution and formation of eutectic phase. Results showed more pronounced eutectic phase gradient was developed using alumina mould. On the other hand, a more uniform distribution of eutectic phase and grain size was observed with graphite mould. The development of the eutectic phase gradient is attributed to the effective microwave interaction with the AA 2024 alloy melt during solidification. This is primarily associated with the formation of an additional flux at the solid-liquid (S/L) interface of the alloy under the effect of magnetic field and an enhancement in diffusion flux due to mass transport caused by electric field component of microwave. Formation of AlCu, Al<sub>2</sub>Cu, and Al<sub>2</sub>CuMg intermetallic phases in both alumina and graphite mould casts was confirmed. Significantly higher hardness was observed at the higher eutectic phase sites within the alumina mould cast, whereas graphite mould casts exhibited better tensile properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102241
{"title":"Laser energy-dependent processability of non-equiatomic TiNbMoTaW high-entropy alloy through in-situ alloying of elemental feedstock powders by laser powder bed fusion","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102241","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pre-alloyed powder, which is primarily used in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), has the disadvantages of requiring time and high manufacturing costs. To overcome these limitations, in-situ alloying, which mixes pure elemental powders and alloys them in real-time during the LPBF process, has attracted attention. In particular, manufacturing high entropy alloys (HEA) containing high-melting-point refractory elements through in-situ alloying presents considerable challenges. In this study, a non-equiatomic single body-centered cubic (BCC) solid-solution HEA was fabricated via in-situ alloying with Ti, Nb, Mo, Ta, and W powders through the LPBF process. Specifically, by applying a high volumetric energy density (VED), we successfully mitigated the segregation of constituent elements, leading to an enhanced crystallographic texture. Consequently, the reduction in the residual stress and high-angle grain boundary (HAGB) density progressed, contributing to an increased relative density. Thus, this study marks a pioneering endeavor for in-situ alloyed HEA fabrication via LPBF, illustrating the efficacy of in-situ alloying utilizing mixed powders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
MaterialiaPub Date : 2024-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102243
{"title":"In-melt electron analysis to accelerate process exploration of ceramics: Electron beam melting of TiB2","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To enhance the versatility of electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF), a widely utilized additive manufacturing (AM) technique for metallic materials, we propose a novel paradigm aimed at facilitating the exploration of the process parameters for less-studied materials, such as ceramics. The high melting points and poorly understood thermal properties of ceramics have constrained the comprehension of their melting behavior. In this study, titanium diboride (TiB<sub>2</sub>) sintered bodies were subjected to spot melting under four distinct electron beam currents and four different exposure times. By introducing a novel in-melt electron analysis (IMEA) approach, the various stages of melting were clearly identified. The analysis and interpretation of IMEA signals were found to be consistent with experimental observations on the spot-melted surface of TiB<sub>2</sub>. IMEA demonstrates significant potential for real-time process window optimization and quality assurance for challenging and novel materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47623,"journal":{"name":"Materialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142358017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}