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At least 1,351 records · Page 75
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Crystal structure of {alpha} Triple-Prime -(Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}){sub 3}As{sub 2} (x = 0.26)

Single crystals of the {alpha} Triple-Prime -phase of (Zn{sub 1-x}Cd{sub x}){sub 3}As{sub 2} solid solution (x = 0.26) have been prepared and investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The tetragonal unit-cell parameters are found to be a = b = 8.5377(2) A, c = 24.0666(9) A, sp. gr. I4{sub 1}/amd, Z = 16. Zn and Cd atoms in the crystal statistically occupy three symmetrically independent positions in the mirror planes and are tetrahedrally coordinated by arsenic atoms. (Zn,Cd) tetrahedra share edges to form a three-dimensional structure framework. The {alpha} Triple-Prime -phase is geometrically related to the fluorite structure. The character of arrangement of tetrahedral vacancies in fluorite-like unit cells is revealed. Chains of tetrahedral vacancies form microchannels oriented parallel the a and b axes, which pierce the three-dimensional structure framework at different levels along the c axis. The structure of {alpha} Double-Prime -Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2} crystals is found to be similar to that of {alpha} Triple-Prime -(Zn{sub 0.74}Cd{sub 0.26}){sub 3}As{sub 2}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Precipitates in a quasicrystal-strengthened Al–Mn–Be–Cu alloy

In this work, an Al–Mn–Be–Cu alloy was studied containing a primary and eutectic icosahedral quasicrystalline phase in the as-cast microstructure. Special attention was given to a transmission electron microscopy investigation of precipitates formed within the aluminium solid solution (Al{sub ss}) at different temperatures. At 200 °C, only binary Al–Cu precipitates (θ′) were formed. At 300 °C, icosahedral quasicrystalline (IQC) precipitates prevailed with a crystallographic orientation relationship with the Al{sub ss.} The rods of the T-phase (Al{sub 20}Mn{sub 3}Cu{sub 2}) which were precipitated above 400 °C, also had a specific orientation relationship with the Al{sub ss}. The primary and eutectic IQC microstructural constituent started to transform rapidly to the T-phase and Be{sub 4}Al(Mn,Cu) at 500 °C. - Highlights: • In a quasicrystal-strengthened Al-alloy several types of precipitates can form. • At 200 °C, only binary Al–Cu precipitates formed (Al{sub 2}Cu-θ′). • The icosahedral quasicrystalline (IQC) precipitates prevailed at 300 °C. • T-phase (Al{sub 20}Mn{sub 3}Cu{sub 2}) precipitated at temperatures above 400 °C. • The precipitation of different phases did not have a strong effect on hardness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of Mn Doping on the Structural, Magnetic, and Magnetocaloric Effect of Fe{sub 17}Dy{sub 2} Compounds

Crystal structural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline (Fe{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}){sub 17}Dy{sub 2} (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) compounds were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. The results show that (Fe{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}){sub 17}Dy{sub 2} forms as a substitutional solid solution with the hexagonal Th{sub 2}Ni{sub 17} type. The unit cell volume increases with Mn content. The Curie temperature (T{sub C}) can be tuned from 364 K for x = 0.0 to 80 K for x = 0.3. The magnetic transition at T{sub C} is a typical second-order ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition. For an applied field change from 0 to 5 T, the maximum magnetic entropy change (| − ΔS{sub M}|) for (Fe{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}){sub 17}Dy{sub 2} (x = 0.0, 0.1, and 0.2) compounds are 3.9, 2.8, and 1.7 J kg{sup −1} k{sup −1}, respectively. The high ΔS{sub M}, appropriate T{sub C}, and a high performance-to-cost ratio make (Fe{sub 1−x}Mn{sub x}){sub 17}Dy{sub 2} compounds a candidate materials for room-temperature magnetic refrigeration applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Direct comparison of Fe-Cr unmixing characterization by atom probe tomography and small angle scattering

The fine microstructure obtained by unmixing of a solid solution either by classical precipitation or spinodal decomposition is often characterized either by small angle scattering or atom probe tomography. This article shows that a common data analysis framework can be used to analyze data obtained from these two techniques. An example of the application of this common analysis is given for characterization of the unmixing of the Fe-Cr matrix of a 15-5 PH stainless steel during long-term ageing at 350 °C and 400 °C. A direct comparison of the Cr composition fluctuations amplitudes and characteristic lengths obtained with both techniques is made showing a quantitative agreement for the fluctuation amplitudes. The origin of the discrepancy remaining for the characteristic lengths is discussed. - Highlights: •Common analysis framework for atom probe tomography and small angle scattering •Comparison of same microstructural characteristics obtained using both techniques •Good correlation of Cr composition fluctuations amplitudes from both techniques •Good correlation of Cr composition fluctuations amplitudes with classic V parameter.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Nanocomposite CdO Codoped with Al and Gd: Treatment in Hydrogen Atmosphere

Cadmium oxide codoped with Al and Gd ion powders was synthesised by thermal codecomposition of a mixture of complexes of cadmium acetate dihydrate, gadolinium acetate hydrate, and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate. The mass ratio of Al/Cd was fixed while the mass ratio of Gd/Cd varied systematically. The purpose of the present study is to synthesise and study the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) CdO powder having room-temperature ferromagnetic (RT-FM) properties. To realize that purpose, the synthesised Al/Gd-codoped CdO powder was annealed under hydrogen gas with certain conditions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) method confirmed the formation of a single nanocrystalline structure; thus, both Al/Gd ions were incorporated into CdO lattice forming solid solutions. Magnetic measurements revealed that some of the doped CdO powders gained paramagnetic (PM) properties where the susceptibility increases with increasing dopant Gd content; the measured effective magnetic moment of dopant Gd{sup 3+} was around 8 μ{sub B}. Furthermore, the magnetic energy of the created RT-FM of the codoped CdO samples by hydrogenation was found to be dependent on the Gd% doping level. For hydrogenated CdO powder doped with 3% Gd, the coercivity (H{sub c}) was 195.9 Oe, the remanence (M{sub r}) was 0.77 memu/g, the saturation magnetisation (M{sub s}) was 5.05 memu/g, and the energy product (U{sub m}) was 150.6 merg/g. Thus, the possibility of production of TCO CdO with RT-FM, where magnetic characteristics can be tailored by doping and post treatment under H{sub 2} gas, was proven. Thus, a new potential candidate to be used as a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) was successfully synthesised.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Admittance spectroscopy of solar cells based on GaPNAs layers

Admittance spectroscopy is used to study defect levels in the layers of a GaPNAs quaternary solid solution. Centers with an activation energy of 0.22 eV and a capture cross section of ∼2.4 × 10{sup −15} cm{sup 2} are found in doped n-GaPNAs layers grown on GaP substrates. These centers correspond to already known Si{sub Ga} + V{sub P} defects in n-GaP; annealing decreases their concentration by several times. A level with an activation energy of 0.23–0.24 eV and capture cross section of ∼9.0 × 10{sup −20} cm{sup 2} is found in undoped GaPNAs layers grown on Si and GaP substrates. The concentration of these centers substantially decreases upon annealing, and, at annealing temperatures exceeding 600°C, there is absolutely no response from these defects. For undoped GaPNAs layers grown on GaP substrates, a level with an activation energy of 0.18 eV and capture cross section of ∼1.1 × 10{sup −16} cm{sup 2} is also found. The concentration of these centers remains unchanged upon annealing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Control of gallium incorporation in sol–gel derived CuIn{sub (1−x)}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2} thin films for photovoltaic applications

Highlights: • CuIn{sub (1−x)}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2} thin films were prepared by sol–gel process. • Evolution of lattice parameters is characteristic of a solid solution. • Optical band gap was found to be linearly dependent on the gallium rate. - Abstract: In this paper, we report the elaboration of Cu(In,Ga)S{sub 2} chalcopyrite thin films via a sol–gel process. To reach this aim, solutions containing copper, indium and gallium complexes were prepared. These solutions were thereafter spin-coated onto the soda lime glass substrates and calcined, leading to metallic oxides thin films. Expected chalcopyrite films were finally obtained by sulfurization of oxides layers using a sulfur atmosphere at 500 °C. The rate of gallium incorporation was studied both at the solutions synthesis step and at the thin films sulfurization process. Elemental and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses have shown the efficiency of monoethanolamine used as a complexing agent for the preparation of CuIn{sub (1−x)}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2} thin layers. Moreover, the replacement of diethanolamine by monoethanolamine has permitted the substitution of indium by isovalent gallium from x = 0 to x = 0.4 and prevented the precipitation of copper derivatives. XRD analyses of sulfurized thin films CuIn{sub (1−x)}Ga{sub x}S{sub 2,} clearly indicated that the increasing rate of gallium induced a shift of XRD peaks, revealing an evolution of the lattice parameter in the chalcopyrite structure. These results were confirmed by Raman analyses. Moreover, the optical band gap was also found to be linearly dependent upon the gallium rate incorporated within the thin films: it varies from 1.47 eV for x = 0 to 1.63 eV for x = 0.4.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Two-phase nc-TiN/a-(C,CN{sub x}) nanocomposite films: A HRTEM and MC simulation study

The grain growth in two-phase nanocomposite Ti-C{sub x}-N{sub y} thin films grown by reactive close-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering in an Ar-N{sub 2} gas mixture with microstructures comprising of nanocrystalline (nc-) Ti(N,C) phase surrounded by amorphous (a-) (C,CN{sub x}) phase was investigated by a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The HRTEM results revealed that amorphous-free solid solution Ti(C,N) thin films exhibited polycrystallites with different sizes, orientations and irregular shapes. The grain size varied in the range between several nanometers and several decade nanometers. Further increase of C content (up to {approx}19 at.% C) made the amorphous phase wet nanocrystallites, which strongly hindered the growth of nanocrystallites. As a result, more regular Ti(C,N) nanocrystallites with an average size of {approx}5 nm were found to be separated by {approx}0.5-nm amorphous phases. When C content was further increased (up to {approx}48 at.% in this study), thicker amorphous matrices were produced and followed by the formation of smaller sized grains with lognormal distribution. Our MC analysis indicated that with increasing amorphous volume fraction (i.e. increasing C content), the transformation from nc/nc grain boundary (GB)-curvature-driven growth to a/nc GB-curvature-driven growth is directly responsible for the observed grain growth from great inhomogeneity to homogeneity process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Yb{sub 14−x}Tm{sub x}MnSb{sub 11} (0<x<0.5): Structure and magnetic properties

The compounds, Yb{sub 14−x}Tm{sub x}MnSb{sub 11} (0<x<0.5), were synthesized as single crystals via Sn flux. The maximum amount of Tm was determined from wavelength dispersive microprobe analysis to be x=0.45 (1). Single crystal data are consistent with the Ca{sub 14}AlSb{sub 11} structure type and one formula unit can be described as consisting of 14 Yb{sup 2+} cations, MnSb{sub 4} tetrahedron, Sb{sub 3} linear anion and 4 Sb{sub 3}{sup -} anions. The site occupancy of the Tm atom was not determined because of the small amount and small difference in scattering between Tm and Yb. The difference in bond lengths or angles between the solid solution and pristine Yb{sub 14}MnSb{sub 11} is less than 1%. The magnetic susceptibility of samples prepared by Sn flux with the nominal composition of Yb{sub 14−x}Tm{sub x}MnSb{sub 11} (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4), show that these phases are ferromagnetic at low temperature with the T{sub C} decreasing from 56 to 39 K with increasing x. Magnetic saturation for the x=0.4 composition at 5 K is consistent with Tm being present as Tm{sup 3+} and a negative magnetoresistance ratio (MR=[(ρ(H)−ρ(0))/ρ(H)]×100%) of 18% at 3 T is observed. -- Graphical abstract: Magnetic susceptibility (χ) for Yb{sub 14−x}Tm{sub x}MnSb{sub 11} at H{sub a}=0.01 T as a function of temperature along with a view of the structure. Highlights: • New rare earth containing transition metal Zintl phase. • Control of magnetic properties through aliovalent substitution. • Magnetic ordering due to both d and f electrons. • Large magnetoresistance at low temperatures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Microstructure, microstructural stability and mechanical properties of sand-cast Mg–4Al–4RE alloy

This paper presents a methodology for assessing the phase composition and the results of structural stability tests of the sand-cast Mg–4Al–4RE alloy after annealing it at 175 and 250 °C for 3000 h. The microstructure was analyzed with optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. The phase composition was determined with X-ray diffraction. The structure of the Mg–4Al–4RE (AE44) alloy is composed of large grains of α-Mg solid solution, needle-shaped precipitates of the Al{sub 11}RE{sub 3}phase, polyhedral precipitates of the Al{sub 2}RE phase and Al{sub 10}RE{sub 2}Mn{sub 7} phase. After annealing at 175 °C for 3000 h, no changes in the alloy structure are observed, whereas after annealing at 250 °C the precipitates of the Al{sub 11}RE{sub 3} phase are found to be in the initial stages of spheroidization. The coarse-grained structure and unfavorable morphology of the intermetallic phases in the sand-cast AE44 alloy, which are caused by low solidification rates, result in low creep resistance up to 200 °C and low mechanical properties at ambient temperature and at 175 °C. - Highlights: • Complement the knowledge about the microstructure of Mg-Al-RE alloys. • Clarify the mechanism of formation of Mg17Al12 phase above 180 °C. • Applying a chemical dissolution of the α-Mg in order to phase identification. • Applying a statistical test to assess the spheroidization of precipitates. • Quantitative description of microstructure of Mg-Al-RE alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effects of Nb/Ti/V/Ta on phase precipitation and oxidation resistance at 1073 K in alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels

Highlights: • Effects of Nb/Ti/V/Ta on phase precipitation at 1073 K in AFA alloys are studied. • The precipitation of σ-FeCr can be accelerated by the formation of B2-NiAl. • The additions of V and Ta can improve the oxidation resistance of AFA alloys. • The precipitation of σ-FeCr will deteriorate the oxidation resistance. • Good performance can be achieved by M co-alloying and an appropriate M/C ratio. - Abstract: The present work investigated the effects of strong carbide-forming elements M (M = Nb, Ti, V, Ta) on the phase precipitation and oxidation resistance at 1073 K in alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) stainless steels (Fe-20Ni-(18–23)Cr-2.5Al-2.3Mo-0.08C-Nb/Ti/V/Ta wt%). The designed alloy rods were solid-solutioned at 1523 K for 1.5 h, and then aged at 1073 K for 24 h or oxidized at 1073 K for 500 h, respectively. Besides primary MC carbides, B2-NiAl, Fe{sub 2}M, and σ-FeCr phases would be precipitated from the γ-austenitic matrix in these aged AFA alloys. Furthermore, the precipitation of σ-FeCr could be accelerated by the B2-NiAl formation, which is related to the γ stability. The formation of MC and Fe{sub 2}M can be controlled via adjusting the ratio of M/C. The oxidation resistance of these AFA alloys can be improved effectively by V and Ta addition due to the formation of compact Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} protective scales. This work will provide a new approach to obtain a good combination of creep strength and oxidation resistance through co-alloying with Nb/Ta/V and controlling the M/C ratio within 1.0–2.0 (in molar ratio) simultaneously.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Analysis of Microstructure and Sliding Wear Behavior of Co{sub 1.5}CrFeNi{sub 1.5}Ti{sub 0.5} High-Entropy Alloy

Α Co{sub 1.5}CrFeNi{sub 1.5}Ti{sub 0.5} high-entropy alloy (HEA) of the well-known family of CoCrFeNiTi has been designed using empirical parameters. The aim of this design was the production of a HEA with fcc structure that gives ductile behavior and also high strength because of the solid solution effect. The VEC calculations (8.1) supported the fcc structure while the δ factor calculations (4.97) not being out of the limit values, advised a significant lattice distortion. From the other hand, the ΔΗ{sub mix} calculations (− 9.64 kJ/mol) gave strong indications that no intermetallic would be formed. In order to investigate its potential application, the Co{sub 1.5}CrFeNi{sub 1.5}Ti{sub 0.5} HEA was prepared by vacuum arc melting and a primary assessment of its surface degradation response was conducted by means of sliding wear testing using different counterbody systems for a total sliding distance of 1000 m. An effort to correlate the alloy’s wear response with the microstructural characteristics was attempted. Finally, the wear behavior of the Co{sub 1.5}CrFeNi{sub 1.5}Ti{sub 0.5} HEA was compared with that of two commercially used wear-resistant alloys. The results obtained provided some first signs of the high-entropy alloys’ better wear performance when tested under sliding conditions against a steel ball.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Synthesis and study of Pd-Rh alloy nanoparticles and alumina-supported low-content Pd-Rh catalysts for CO oxidation

Highlights: • A bimetallic Pd-Rh/alumina catalyst was prepared using coordination compound. • The peculiarities of precursor decomposition under different media were studied. • Catalytic performance and stability were examined in a CO oxidation reaction. - Abstract: Palladium and rhodium are known to be partly miscible metals. In present work, the peculiarities of coordination compound [Pd(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}]{sub 3}[Rh(NO{sub 2}){sub 6}]{sub 2} decomposition with formation of nanosized solid solutions under different atmospheres were studied by means of thermal gravimetry. Formation of alloy nanoparticles were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopies. A bimetallic Pd-Rh/alumina catalyst was prepared by incipient wetness impregnation using coordination compound [Pd(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}]{sub 3}[Rh(NO{sub 2}){sub 6}]{sub 2} as a precursor. Monometallic reference samples were obtained using [Pd(NH{sub 3}){sub 4}](NO{sub 3}){sub 2} and Na{sub 3}[Rh(NO{sub 2}){sub 6}], correspondingly. Catalytic performance and stability of the catalysts were examined in a model reaction of CO oxidation in a prompt thermal aging regime. The environment of precursor decomposition was shown to affect noticeably both the initial activity and stability of the samples in the studied reaction. Reductive atmosphere in comparison with inert and oxidative ones facilitates the formation of the smallest active component species, which demonstrate highest initial activity but worst stability.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Electronic Structure Calculations of Oxygen Atom Transport Energetics in the Presence of Screw Dislocations in Tungsten

Plastic flow in body-centered cubic (bcc) alloys is governed by the thermally-activated motion of screw dislocations in close-packed planes. In bcc interstitial solid solutions, solute diffusion can occur at very fast rates owing to low migration energies and solute concentrations. Under mechanical loading, solutes may move on the same or similar time scale as dislocations glide, even at low temperatures, potentially resulting in very rich co-evolution processes that may have important effects in the overall material response. It is therefore important to accurately quantify the coupling between interstitial impurities and dislocations, so that larger-scale models can correctly account for their interactions. In this paper, we use electronic structure calculations to obtain the energetics of oxygen diffusion under stress and its interaction energy with screw dislocation cores in bcc tungsten. We find that oxygen atoms preferentially migrate from tetrahedral to tetrahedral site with an energy of 0.2 eV. This energy couples only weakly to hydrostatic and deviatoric deformations, with activation volumes of less than 0.02 and 0.02 b 3 , respectively. The strongest effect is found for the inelastic interaction between O atoms and screw dislocation cores, which leads to attractive energies between 1.2 and 1.9 eV and sometimes triggers a transformation of the screw dislocation core from an easy core configuration to a hard core configuration.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Preparation of Nb{sub 3}Al Superconducting Tapes by a Powder-in-Tube Method Combined with Hot-Pressed Sintering

The precursors of Nb-Al tape were fabricated by a powder-in-tube (PIT) technique. Supersaturated solid solutions of Nb-Al powder were obtained by high-energy ball milling, followed by a powder-in-tube process to prepare series of Nb{sub 3}Al precursor tapes. Compared with sintering under normal pressure, the hot-pressing sintering greatly increased the critical current density of the tapes. The results showed that the Nb{sub 3}Al tapes prepared via the powder-in-tube method and hot-pressed sintering could significantly improve the J{sub c} performance, and the value of J{sub c} (8 K, 0 T) was higher than 6 × 10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2}. The Nb{sub 3}Al tapes after pressing under the pressure of 20 MPa and sintering at 950 {sup ∘}C for 3 h had the best magnetic flux pinning performance, and the sample reached the maximum flux pinning force (F{sub p,max}) of 3.28109 N/m{sup 3} in the magnetic field of 2.2 T.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Influence of composition modification on Ca{sub 0.5−x}Mg{sub x}Ti{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) nanoparticles as electrodes for lithium batteries

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Cation mixing was determined in the Ca{sub 0.5−x}Mg{sub x}Ti{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} biphasic series. • Nanometric Ca{sub 0.15}Mg{sub 0.35}Ti{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} delivered 138 mAh/g at C/20 in lithium cells. • Low content of Ca{sup 2+} increases cell volume favoring Li{sup +} insertion in R-3c framework. • Diminution of R{sub SEI} and R{sub CT} for Ca{sub 0.15}Mg{sub 0.35}Ti{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} discharged electrodes. • Fast electrode response for x = 0.35. - Abstract: The Ca{sub 0.5−x}Mg{sub x}Ti{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} series (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) was prepared by a sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction patterns showed two rhombohedral phases which coexist for intermediate compositions. Despite of the absence of a solid solution mechanism for the whole stoichiometry range, an appreciable cation mixing was observed in both phases. {sup 31}P MAS NMR spectroscopy revealed that low magnesium contents are incorporated to the calcium compound inducing changes in the ordering of the alkaline earth cations in M{sub 1} sites. Derivative plots of the voltage–capacity curves revealed two reversible regions ascribed to the reduction of Ti{sup 4+} to Ti{sup 3+}, ascribable to the subsequent insertion of lithium ions into M{sub 1} and M{sub 2} vacant sites. Capacity values as high as 138 mAh/g after the first discharge were monitored for nanometric Ca{sub 0.15}Mg{sub 0.35}Ti{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3} at C/20. Cell cycling under successive kinetic rates revealed a good capacity retention for samples with x = 0.15 and 0.25. Impedance spectra were recorded in lithium cells discharged after different number of cycles at different C rates. The increase in charge transfer resistance was shown to be an important factor determining the electrode behavior on extended cycling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of austenite grain size on acicular ferrite transformation in a HSLA steel

Highlights: • The fraction of acicular ferrite increases with reduced austenite grain sizes. • The reduction of austenite grain size refines and homogenises the microstructure. • There is a limit to increase the acicular ferrite fraction by reducing austenite size. • An equation relating effective grain sizes with processing parameters was proposed. - Abstract: Austenite grain size is well known to have a significant influence on various phase transformations in steels. Although the effects of many thermomechanical processing parameters on acicular ferrite (AF) transformation in HSLA steels have been investigated, little attention has been paid to the influence of austenite grain size. Therefore, in this research, different parameters of solid-solution heat treatment and rough deformation were adopted to generate austenite with different grain sizes and the effects of austenite grain size before deformation on the AF transformation and grain refinement were investigated. It was found that the reduction of prior-austenite grain size (PAGS) from 62.8 μm to 37.0 μm before austenite deformation promotes the AF transformation and simultaneously refines and homogenises the transformed microstructures. A reciprocally increased density of deformation induced dislocations with the reduction of PAGS was proposed to account for these results, which not only increase the nucleation sites of AF but also suppress the lengthening of BF laths. Further reducing PAGS from 37.0 μm to 22.3 μm, the fraction of AF is not increased and the transformed microstructure is not refined. Possible differences in the type, distribution, and density of austenite deformation substructures between austenite with PAGSs of 37.0 μm and 22.3 μm were argued to be responsible for the cease of grain refinement. The relationship between effective grain sizes and the S{sub v} parameter was investigated and an equation relating effective grain sizes with processing parameters was also proposed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Manipulating the ferromagnetism in narrow-bandwidth Pr{sub 1-x}Ca{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) by means of the Mn-Ru t{sub 2g} ferromagnetic super-exchanges

The concurrent ferromagnetic and metal-insulator transitions via the double-exchange route and electronic phase separation scenario represent the core ingredients of the physics of manganites. In this work, a Ca{sup 2+} and Ru{sup 4+} co-substitution of Pr{sup 3+} and Mn{sup 3+} in narrow-bandwidth and insulating PrMnO{sub 3}, namely, Pr{sub 1-x}Ca{sub x}Mn{sub 1-x}Ru{sub x}O{sub 3} (PCMRO, x ≤ 0.6), is carried out in order to investigate an alternative approach to effectively manipulate the ferromagnetism of PrMnO{sub 3}-based manganites. It is revealed that PCMRO over the whole substitution range is homogeneous solid solution with increased lattice distortion. The preference of Ru{sup 4+} valence state and the absence of Mn{sup 4+} valence state disable the Mn{sup 3+}-Mn{sup 4+} e{sub g}-orbital double-exchange, and the random occupation of Ru{sup 4+} in the lattice excludes the charge ordering and electronic phase separation. While all these consequences should favor antiferromagnetic insulating states, nevertheless, a high-temperature ferromagnetic transition is triggered by the co-substitution and the magnetization can reach up to ∼1.0 μ{sub B}/f.u. at x ∼ 0.2–0.3, much bigger than the moment (<0.1 μ{sub B}/f.u.) of Pr{sub 1−x}Ca{sub x}MnO{sub 3} in the weak ferromagnetic insulator state. It is suggested that this strong ferromagnetism is substantially ascribed to the Mn{sup 3+}-Ru{sup 4+} t{sub 2g}-orbital ferromagnetic super-exchange, and a simple geometric network illustration of the magnetism and electrical transport is presented.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗