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Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2024 | Viewed by 4592

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yong-Cheng Lin

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: alloys; intelligent manufacturing processing; heat treatment; microstructure; deformation mechanisms; properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jufu Jiang

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Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: alloys; hot deformation; microstructure; deformation mechanisms; properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Zhichao Sun

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Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Interests: alloys; hot forming; heat treatment; microstructure; deformation mechanisms; properties

Dr. Daoguang He

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Guest Editor

School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: alloys; heat treatment; microstructure; deformation mechanisms; properties

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metals and alloys are extensively utilized in various engineering fields, e.g., aerospace, transportation and energy equipment. To obtain the accurate geometry design and excellent properties of metals and alloys, they often undergo complicated plastic deformation processes. The plastic deformation behaviors and microstructure evolution mechanisms implicated in these processes are incredibly complex, owing to the effect of multiple alloying elements and complicated processing conditions.

We are pleased to announce this Special Issue, entitled “Review and Feature Papers in Metals and Alloys Section”. This collection aims to collect state-of-the-art research articles or comprehensive review papers in the field of metal and alloy science, as well contributions addressing the advances in engineering technology and innovative applications. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of high-quality research focusing on plastic deformation characteristics, multiscale microstructure modelling, the optimization of manufacturing processing parameters and the innovative application of metals and alloys in engineering.

All articles published in this Special Issue are subject to careful editorial selection. We intend for this Special Issue to provide a forum for disseminating excellent research findings and sharing innovative ideas in the field.

Prof. Dr. Yong-Cheng Lin
Prof. Dr. Jufu Jiang
Prof. Dr. Zhichao Sun
Dr. Daoguang He
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

metals and alloys
process–structure–property relationships
modeling and simulation
advanced manufacturing technology
innovative applications

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 5460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Retrogression with Different Cooling Ways on the Microstructure and Properties of T’/η’ Strengthened Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

by Jianlei Zhang, Guwei Shen, Bingzhuo Han, Dayong Li, Zhenyu Xu, Zhenlong Chao, Guoqin Chen and Longtao Jiang

Materials 2024, 17(8), 1746; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma17081746 - 11 Apr 2024

Viewed by 416

Abstract

Retrogression and re-aging (RRA) treatment has been proven to effectively overcome the trade-off between strength and corrosion resistance. Current research focuses on the heating rate, temperature, and holding time of retrogression treatment while ignoring the retrogression cooling ways. In this paper, the effects of RRA treatment with different retrogression cooling ways on the microstructure and properties of newly developed T’/η’ strengthened Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys were investigated by performing tests on mechanical properties, intergranular corrosion (IGC) resistance, and electrochemical corrosion behavior. The results show that the mechanical properties of samples subject to RRA treatment with water-quenching retrogression (ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of 419.2 MPa, 370.2 MPa, and 15.9, respectively) are better than those of air-cooled and furnace-cooled samples. The corrosion resistance of water-quenching (IGC depth of 162.2 μm, corrosion current density of 0.833 × 10⁻⁵ A/cm²) and furnace-cooled samples (IGC depth of 123.7 μm, corrosion current density of 0.712 × 10⁻⁵ A/cm²) is better than that of air-cooled samples. Microstructure characterization reveals that the effect of the retrogression cooling rate on mechanical properties is related to the size of T’/η’ precipitates with grains as well as the proportion of T’ and η’, while the difference in corrosion resistance depends on the continuity of grain boundary precipitates (GBPs). With mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and time cost taken into consideration, it is appropriate to select water quenching for retrogression. These findings offer valuable insights for further design to achieve superior performance in various applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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20 pages, 25875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on Mechanism of Microstructure Evolution during Multi-Process Hot Forming of GH4169 Superalloy Forging

by Ming-Song Chen, Hong-Wei Cai, Yong-Cheng Lin, Guan-Qiang Wang, Hong-Bin Li, An Liu, Ze-Hao Li and Shan Peng

Materials 2024, 17(7), 1697; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma17071697 - 07 Apr 2024

Viewed by 304

Abstract

Typically, in the manufacturing of GH4169 superalloy forgings, the multi-process hot forming that consists of pre-deformation, heat treatment and final deformation is required. This study focuses on the microstructural evolution throughout hot working processes. Considering that δ phase can promote nucleation and limit the growth of grains, a process route was designed, including pre-deformation, aging treatment (AT) to precipitate sufficient δ phases, high temperature holding (HTH) to uniformly heat the forging, and final deformation. The results show that the uneven strain distribution after pre-deformation has a significant impact on the subsequent refinement of the grain microstructure due to the complex coupling relationship between the evolution of the δ phase and recrystallization behavior. After the final deformation, the fine-grain microstructure with short rod-like δ phases as boundaries is easy to form in the region with a large strain of the pre-forging. However, necklace-like mixed grain microstructure is formed in the region with a small strain of the pre-forging. In addition, when the microstructure before final deformation consists of mixed grains, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) nucleation behavior preferentially depends on kernel average misorientation (KAM) values. A large KAM can promote the formation of DRX nuclei. When the KAM values are close, a smaller average grain size of mixed-grain microstructure is more conductive to promote the DRX nucleation. Finally, the interaction mechanisms between δ phase and DRX nucleation are revealed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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24 pages, 12821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Linear and Nonlinear Twist Extrusion Processes with Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Analysis

by Ülke Şimşek, Kemal Davut, Hiroyuki Miyamoto and Tuncay Yalçinkaya

Materials 2024, 17(5), 1139; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma17051139 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 531

Abstract

The mechanical characteristics of polycrystalline metallic materials are influenced significantly by various microstructural parameters, one of which is the grain size. Specifically, the strength and the toughness of polycrystalline metals exhibit enhancement as the grain size is reduced. Applying severe plastic deformations (SPDs) has a noticeable result in obtaining metallic materials with ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure. SPD, executed through conventional shaping methods like extrusion, plays a pivotal role in the evolution of the texture, which is closely related to the plastic behavior and ductility. A number of SPD processes have been developed to generate ultrafine-grained materials, each having a different shear deformation mechanism. Among these methods, linear twist extrusion (LTE) presents a non-uniform and non-monotonic form of severe plastic deformation, leading to significant shifts in the microstructure. Prior research demonstrates the capability of the LTE process to yield consistent, weak textures in pre-textured copper. However, limitations in production efficiency and the uneven distribution of grain refinement have curbed the widespread use of LTE in industrial settings. This has facilitated the development of an improved novel method, that surpasses the traditional approach, known as the nonlinear twist extrusion procedure (NLTE). The NLTE method innovatively adjusts the channel design of the mold within the twist section to mitigate strain reversal and the rotational movement of the workpiece, both of which have been identified as shortcomings of twist extrusion. Accurate anticipation of texture changes in SPD processes is essential for mold design and process parameter optimization. The performance of the proposed extrusion technique should still be studied. In this context, here, a single crystal (SC) of copper in billet form, passing through both LTE and NLTE, is analyzed, employing a rate-dependent crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) framework. CPFE simulations were performed for both LTE and NLTE of SC copper specimens having <100> or <111> directions parallel to the extrusion direction initially. The texture evolution as well as the cross-sectional distribution of the stress and strain is studied in detail, and the performance of both processes is compared. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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15 pages, 12786 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Aging Treatment on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of a TC18 Alloy

by Song Zhang, Yong-Cheng Lin, Li-Hua Wang, Hong-Bo Ding and Yu-Liang Qiu

Materials 2024, 17(3), 570; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma17030570 - 25 Jan 2024

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Abstract

In the present work, the effects of aging treatment on the microstructures of a TC18 alloy are studied. The influence of aging treatment on the tensile properties and failure mechanisms is systematically analyzed. It is found that the size and morphology of the primary α (α_p) phases are insensitive to aging temperature and time. Furthermore, the aging temperature and time dramatically influence the precipitation of the secondary α (α_s) phases. Massive α_s phases precipitate and gradually coarsen, and finally weave together by increasing the aging temperature or extending the aging time. The variations in α_p and α_s phases induced by aging parameters also affect the mechanical properties. Both yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) first increase and then decrease by increasing the aging temperature and time, while ductility first decreases and then increases. There is an excellent balance between the strengths and ductility. When the aging temperature is changed from 450 to 550 °C, YS varies from 1238.6 to 1381.6 MPa, UTS varies from 1363.2 to 1516.8 MPa, and the moderate elongation ranges from 9.0% to 10.3%. These results reveal that the thickness of α_s phases is responsible for material strengths, while the content of α phases can enhance material ductility. The ductile characteristics of the alloy with coarser α_s phases are more obvious than those with thinner α_s phases. Therefore, the aging treatment is helpful for the precipitation and homogeneous distribution of α_s phases, which are essential for balancing the strengths and ductility of the studied Ti alloy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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15 pages, 11743 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Hot Tensile Deformation Mechanism and Fracture Behavior of the ZW31/PMMC Laminate

by Dingge Fan, Cuiju Wang, Xuanchang Zhang, Kaibo Nie and Kunkun Deng

Materials 2023, 16(23), 7446; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16237446 - 30 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 630

Abstract

In this work, a Mg-Zn-Y (ZW31) alloy with good plasticity was introduced into 10 μm 10 vol% SiC_p/AZ91 composite materials (PMMCs) via the extrusion compound method, and then the ZW31/PMMC laminate was prepared via multi-pass hot rolling. The hot deformation mechanism and elevated temperature tensile fracture mechanism of ZW31/PMMC laminates were studied using the elevated temperature tensile test. The elevated temperature deformation mechanism is influenced by the strain rate. At low strain rates, grain boundary slip is the primary elevated temperature deformation mechanism of the ZW31/PMMC laminate. However, at high strain rates, the activation of pipeline diffusion is facilitated by the particle deformation zone (PDZ) in the PMMC layer with a high dislocation density, leading to the dominance of dislocation climbing as the main mechanism for elevated temperature deformation of the laminate. Additionally, the implementation of a ZW31/PMMC laminate structure effectively inhibits the initiation and propagation of cavities and microcracks within the laminate layer along the normal direction (ND) while simultaneously blunting crack tips via lattice dislocation emission toward the ZW31 layer. Upon cracking of the PMMC layer, stress concentration occurs in the fracture area of the ZW31 layer, ultimately resulting in necking-induced detachment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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15 pages, 11039 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Ultra-Low Temperatures on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure Evolution of a Ni-Co-Based Superalloy Thin Sheet during Micro-Tensile Deformation

by Qiang Zhu, Min Wang, Yuying Sun, Linfu Zhang, Heyong Qin and Peng Zhang

Materials 2023, 16(21), 6838; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16216838 - 24 Oct 2023

Viewed by 629

Abstract

With the development of product miniaturization in aerospace, the nuclear industry, and other fields, Ni-Co-based superalloys with excellent overall properties have become key materials for micro components in these fields. In the microforming field, size effects significantly impact the mechanical properties and plastic deformation behavior of materials. In this paper, micro-tensile experiments at room temperature and an ultra-low temperature were carried out to study the effects of initial microstructure and deformation temperature on the deformation behavior of Ni-Co-based superalloy thin sheets. The results show that as the ratio of specimen thickness to grain size (t/d) decreased from 8.6 to 2.4, the tensile strength σ_b decreased from 1221 MPa to 1090 MPa, the yield strength σ_s decreased from 793 MPa to 622 MPa, and the elongation decreased from 0.26 to 0.21 at room temperature. When t/d decreased from 8.6 to 2.4, σ_b decreased from 1458 MPa to 1132 MPa, σ_s decreased from 917 MPa to 730 MPa, and the elongation decreased from 0.31 to 0.28 at ultra-low temperatures. When t/d decreased from 8.6 to 2.4, the surface roughness of the specimen increased from 0.769 to 0.890 at room temperature and increased from 0.648 to 0.809 at ultra-low temperatures. During the microplastic deformation process of Ni-Co-based superalloy thin sheets, the coupled effects of surface roughening caused by free surface grains and hindered dislocation movement induced by grain boundary resulted in strain localization, which caused fracture failure of Ni-Co-based superalloy thin sheets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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Review

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17 pages, 3655 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress on the Damping Mechanism of Magnesium Alloys

by Jinxing Wang, Zhicheng Wan, Cong Dang, Yi Zou, Jingfeng Wang and Fusheng Pan

Materials 2023, 16(23), 7318; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16237318 - 24 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1003

Abstract

Magnesium alloys with high damping, high specific strength and low density have attracted great attention in recent years. However, the application of magnesium alloys is limited by the balance between their mechanical and damping properties. The strength and plasticity of magnesium alloys with high damping performance often cannot meet the industrial requirements. Understanding the damping mechanism of magnesium alloys is significant for developing new materials with high damping and mechanical properties. In this paper, the damping mechanisms and internal factors of the damping properties of magnesium alloys are comprehensively reviewed. Some damping mechanisms have been studied by many scholars, and it has been found that they can be used to explain damping performance. Among existing damping mechanisms, the G-L dislocation theory, twin damping mechanism and interface damping mechanism are considered common. In addition, some specific long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases’ crystal structures are conducive to dislocation movement, which is good for improving damping performance. Usually, the damping properties of magnesium alloys are affected by some internal factors directly, such as dislocation density, solute atoms, grain texture and boundaries, etc. These internal factors affect damping performance by influencing the dissipation of energy within the crystal. Scholars are working to find novel damping mechanisms and suitable solute atoms that can improve damping performance. It is important to understand the main damping mechanisms and the internal factors for guiding the development of novel high-damping magnesium alloys. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Review and Feature Papers in "Metals and Alloys" Section)

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