We present a high entropy alloy (HEA) from the system Al-Co-Cr-Fe-Ni with small additions of W, Mo, Si and C which was designed to allow for precipitation hardening by annealing in the temperature range from 600 to 900 °C. The alloy development was supported by thermodynamic computations using ThermoCalc software and the specimens were produced by arc melting. The microstructure of one selected sample in as-cast and annealed conditions was analysed using SEM/EDS, SEM/EBSD and TEM. The as-cast microstructure consists of spinodally decomposed BCC dendrites enveloped by FCC+Cr23C6 eutectic. Upon annealing at 700 °C for 24 h nanoscale precipitates form within the spinodal BCC as well as from FCC. Precipitation is exquisitely uniform leading to an increase in microhardness from 415 HV0.5 in the as-cast state to 560 HV0.5 after annealing. We investigated coarsening of this microstructure using varying holding time for a constant temperature of 700 °C. The microstructure evolution during coarsening and the corresponding mechanical properties obtained from instrumented indentation experiments are presented in this work.

In order to identify candidate high entropy alloys (HEAs) that have the hexagonal closed packed crystal structure, gradient thin films in the OsRuWMoRe system were deposited by sputtering from multiple elemental targets onto Si substrates. In addition to having compositional gradients, the films exhibited regions with different phases, some of which were single-phase and non-equiatomic. Such alloys have the potential to exhibit properties superior to the primarily equiatomic HEAs that have been the focus of most work in this area. To screen the phases that exist across the thin film gradient samples, a range of characterization techniques were employed, including focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction analysis. The combinatorial method described in this study enabled the identification of a candidate single-phase HEA that was subsequently fabricated as a bulk alloy.

The effect of cooling rate on the phase composition of gas atomized Raney type catalysts was studied using the Ni-75 at.% Al composition. The resulting particles were sieved into 3 standard size fractions and analysed using XRD with Rietveld refinement: as expected the three phases, Al₃Ni₂, Al₃Ni, and Al-Al₃Ni eutectic were identified. Differing phase compositions in the 3 size ranges were identified offering a possible explanation for varying catalytic activity with cooling rate, the higher cooling rates experienced by the smaller droplets allow less time for the peritectic conversion of Al₃Ni₂ to Al₃Ni to proceed. This in turn results in a more Al-rich residual liquid, increasing the volume fraction of eutectic. This was further confirmed when analysing the microstructure using SEM backscatter imaging. Al₃Ni₂ was found to be encased in a shell of Al₃Ni characteristic of peritectic reactions. The remainder of the alloy was found to consist of Al-Al₃Ni eutectic. The SEM backscatter imaging also indicated that the larger particles displayed and a more globular structure than smaller particles. Similar Raney type Ni-75 at.% Al doped with 1.5 at.% Cr were synthesised using the same method and sieved into the same 3 standard size fractions. It was found that the Cr doped alloys exhibited a more dendritic character than the undoped samples in the corresponding size fraction, although the material still displayed an increasingly dendritic character with increasing cooling rate. The phase composition found by Rietveld refinement also followed a similar trend to the undoped samples with decreasing amounts of Al₃Ni formed at the higher cooling rates. However, significant amounts of an additional phase, Al₁₃Cr₂, were also observed. Rietveld refinement found that a larger amount of Al₁₃Cr₂ was present than could be accounted for by the addition of 1.5 at.% Cr . This can be explained by the substitution of Ni onto the Cr lattice, as confirmed by Rietveld refinement. Al₁₃Cr₂ was found to be located mostly at the boundary of the Al₃Ni and Al-Al₃Ni eutectic phases during elemental mapping and quantitative image analysis of backscattered electron micrographs. This indicates that precipitation of Al₁₃Cr₂ is towards the end of the solidification process. The relatively large amounts of the Al-rich Al₁₃Cr₂ may explain the enhanced catalytic activity observed following leaching of Cr-doped Raney catalysts.

Amorphous alloy Fe68.5Co5Nb3Cu1Si15.5B7 was obtained by melt spinning. Samples cut from the foil were annealed at 450, 550, 650 and 750 °C in a vacuum furnace. 57Fe Mӧssbauer spectroscopy was used to identify the crystalline phases formed and the orientation of the magnetic moments based on the refined values of the hyperfine parameters. The spectra of the samples annealed at 550, 650 and 750 °C were indicative of nanocrystallization, with the magnetic moments reoriented out-of-plane for the last sample. This behavior is in contradistinction to that of the Co-rich system, which was totally crystallized at these annealing temperatures. Our results show that small Co additions can lead to the formation of nanostructures over a whole range of annealing temperatures. A new series of Mӧssbauer spectra was obtained by recording simultaneously the intensity transmitted by a superposition of the sample with the stainless steel etalon, based on the dual absorber method previously introduced by us. The values of the recoilless fraction could be derived from the relative spectral areas. The f factor maintained values close to 0.7 for all samples measured, but dropped to 0.37 for the sample annealed at 750 °C. This behavior could be related to the presence of elastic stresses in the system, which caused the out-of-plane reorientation of the magnetic moment directions.

Several technologically important alloys like Al-Li-Zr, Al-Li-Sc, Al-Sc-Zr, Al-Li-Sc-Zr, modified Inconel etc., exhibit compact precipitates in their microstructure. We present a phase-field model in two dimensions to study the morphological evolution of composite precipitates in ternary alloys. The model employs a modified regular solution description of the bulk free energy of the disordered matrix phase and ordered precipitates. Elastic strain energy of the three-phase system is described using Khachaturyan’s microelasticity theory. The temporal evolution of the spatially dependent field variables is determined by numerically solving coupled Cahn-Hilliard and Allen-Cahn equations for composition and order parameter fields, respectively. We systematically vary the misfit strains, alloy chemistry and mobilities of the diffusing species to study their effect on the development of compact precipitates. Compact core-shell morphology destabilizes when the precipitate phases have misfit strains of opposite signs with the matrix phase although the relative interfacial energies between the phases satisfy Cahn’s spontaneous wetting condition. Thus, the stability of “monodisperse” core-shell microstructures is determined by the interplay between the relative interfacial energies and elastic interactions between the phases. Further, our simulations show that low solute mobility within the core leads to sluggish coarsening of the compact particles.

Design approaches and achievements for the development of wrought TiAl alloys to be used for LPT and HPC blades are constructed. In case of Ti-Al-M1-M2 quaternary systems, conventional equivalency concept does not work for the alloy design, and a new thermodynamic database for phase diagram calculations in multi-component systems of the alloys is built by introducing the interaction parameters among four phases of β−Ti, α2−Ti3Al, α−Ti and γ−TiAl phases in the systems, in order to reproduce the experimentally determined phase diagrams. Based on the phase diagram calculations, the composition range of a unique phase transformation pathway of β+α→α→β+γ in the multi-component system can be identified, and thus model alloys with excellent hot workability even at higher strain rate and mechanical properties can be successfully proposed. It can be concluded that an introduction of bcc β phase and the morphology control through the phase transformation pathway make it possible to improve the room temperature ductility, creep and fatigue crack propagation resistance.

Effects of Cr addition to TiAl alloy on the phase equilibria among β/α/α2/γ Phases and phase transformation pathways within the temperature range of 1523 K∼1073 K were investigated using several alloys in the composition of interest. In between 1473 K and 1373 K, The slope of β/α tie-line in the three-phase coexisting region of β+α+γ remains basically unchanged. However, this slope drastically rotates in a clockwise direction, in between 1373 K and 1273 K and below the eutectoid reaction temperature in the binary system (1400 K). This is a strong indication that α-phase exists even below the 1400 K, i.e. addition of Cr stabilizes α against α2 and the three-phase coexisting region of β+α2+γ at lower temperatures is formed through a ternary eutectoid reaction (α → β+α2+γ) with decreasing temperature. This three-phase tie-triangle moves towards lower Al content in phase diagram. This suggests that Cr addition results in increase of the volume fraction of γ-phase with decreasing temperature even in alloys with low Al content.

The growth mechanism of C14 Laves phase in the bcc αFe matrix was determined as the ledge mechanism on the (110)α//(0001)C14 habit plane in Fe-20Cr-0.5Nb-1Mo (at%) alloys annealed at 1073 K for 24 hours, using conventional and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Terrace planes are the basal plane of hcp-based C14 structure. Precipitation particles tend to grow in plate shape depending on the anisotropic difference of lattice mismatch. The addition of Si with Mo remarkably enhances C14 Laves phase precipitation. The area fraction of Laves phase increases from 5.9% to 12.1% by the 2Si addition on Fe-20Cr-0.5Nb-2Mo alloys. Contrary to this, the addition of Si is not effective to increase Laves phase precipitation. It is indicated that Si improves the phase stability of C14 Laves phase while the partitioning of Mo into C14 Laves phase would be promoted due to the attractive interaction between Mo and Si.

We have examined tensile properties of a novel heat-resistant aluminium (Al)-based alloy (with a composition of Al-5Mg-3.5Zn (at%)) strengthened by the T-Al6Mg11Zn11 (cubic) intermetallic phase at various temperatures. The tested specimens of the present alloy were solution-treated at 450°C for 24 h and subsequently aged at 200 or 300 oC for 1 h. The granular precipitates of the T phase were dispersed rather homogenously in the grain interior in the specimen aged at 300°C. In the specimen aged at 200°C, numerous fine precipitates with a mean size of ∼20 nm were observed in the α-Al matrix. The specimen pre-aged at 200°C for 1 h exhibited a superior strength to the conventional Al alloys at elevated temperatures ranging from 150 to 200°C (corresponding to service temperatures for compressor impellers in turbochargers).

A new class of high-temperature materials based on refractory elements was investigated with an aim to improve the energy efficiency of thermal power plants. Alloys based on Nb and Mo composed of BCC solid solution (BCCss) (Nb-Mo) and T2-silicide (Nb,Mo)5(Si,B)3 are promising candidates as high-temperature materials. Further investigation on the alloy phase equilibria of this system is required to improve the mechanical properties and oxidation resistance through optimization of the phase compositions. Cr is one candidate to modify the properties of the alloy because Cr is expected to stabilize the T2 compound phase along with B. Here, the phase equilibria among BCCss and the T2 compound are widely investigated in the Cr-Mo-Nb-Si-B system, and a BCCss-T2 two-phase microstructure is found in Mo-rich alloys. The B/Si ratio in the T2 phase increases with the Cr content, while almost no B solubility was found in BCCss. As the Si content increases in alloys, the A15 silicide phase ((Cr, Mo, Nb)3Si) and/or Laves phase appear.

Nanoindentation tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the BCCss phase of the alloys in the Cr-Mo-Nb-Si-B system. The nanohardness and reduced elastic modulus of these alloys tended to be higher with an increase in Cr.

It is well known that various elements substitute for a certain sub-lattice of intermetallic compounds. There have been various experimental investigations of the effects of substituted elements on mechanical properties, however, there are few reports describing the effects of multi-element substitution. In the present study, L12-type compounds A3B (Ni3Al and Co3(Al,W)) were selected as model compounds because their substitution behavior is well known. It was reported that various elements such as Ni, Co, Cu, Pd and Pt occupy the A-site, whereas Al, Si, Ga, Ge, Ti, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, and W occupy the B-site. These elements are expected to introduce local lattice distortion, which may affect the motion of dislocations over a wide range of temperatures. Several alloys composed of five or more elements including Ni, Co, Al, Mo, and W, were prepared using an Ar-arc melting machine and heat-treated. Several alloys were found to include an (Ni, Co)3(Al, Mo, W, …)-L12 compound as a constituent phase. The nano-hardness of these L12 phases was higher than that of the high-strength Co3(Al,W)-L12 compound, confirming that multi-element substitution is an effective way to improve the mechanical properties of an intermetallic compound without decreasing the phase stability.

Ca-Mg-Si films were firstly prepared on (001)Al2O3 substrates by RF-magnetron sputtering method from Mg disc target together with Ca and Si chips. The composition of the deposited films was controlled by adjusting deposition temperature and Ca/Si area ratio of Ca and Si chips on Mg disk target. Ca0.32Mg0.33Si0.35 film deposited at 610 K consisted of a single phase of CaMgSi and this CaMgSi phase was stable after heat treated at 770 K under an atmospheric Ar with 5% -H2. As-deposited film shows the semiconductor behavior and have a power factor of 50 μW/(mK2) at 670 K, while annealed one showed the metallic behavior and its power factor down below 10 μW/(mK2) at 320-770 K. On the other hand, Ca0.27Mg0. 51Si0.2 film deposited at 590 K showed no obvious crystalline phase but became single phase of Ca7Mg7.25Si14 after heat treatment at 770 K under an atmospheric Ar with 5% -H2. As deposited film had a large power factor of 100 μW/(mK2) at 670 K. However, power factor decreased below 1 μW/(mK2) at 320-770K after the heat treatment at 770 K under an atmospheric Ar with 5% -H2.

Mechanism for the hardening of two-phase Ni3Al-Ni3V intermetallic alloy to which 2 at.% Ta was added in different substitution manners for Ni, Al and V was presented, based on the microstructural observation, alloying behavior and lattice properties of the additive in the constituent phases. The hardening behavior was explained in terms of solid solution hardening in which the mixture rule in the volume fraction of the two constituent phases and the atomic size misfit evaluated from the changes of the lattice parameters were incorporated. Consequently, the hardening for the alloys in which the additives were substituted for Ni and V was attributed to solid solution hardening. On the other hand, the hardening for the alloy in which the additive was substituted for Al was attributed to the hardening due to microstructural refining in addition to the solid solution hardening.

Effect of Ni:Al blending ratio on porous structure of porous nickel aluminides fabricated through reactive synthesis with space holder particles were investigated. Fabricated porous nickel aluminides had large pores derived from NaCl space holder particles and small pores derived from reactions between Ni and Al. Porosity and size of the small pores increased with increasing Al content in the raw powder mixture. Compressive property of porous NiAl are also investigated. porous NiAl exhibited good energy-absorption properties with relatively high plateau stress, high plateau end strain, and relatively flat plateau stress. This study suggests the possibility of intermetallic-based porous materials as high-performance energy absorber.

Effects of microstructure constituents of α2-Ti3Al/γ-TiAl lamellae, β-Ti grains and γ grains, with various volume fractions on room-temperature ductility of γ-TiAl based alloys have been studied. The ductility of the alloys containing β phase of about 20% in volume increases to more than 1% as the volume fraction of γ phase increases to 80%. However, γ single phase alloys show very limited ductility of less than 0.2%. The present results, thus, confirmed the significant contribution of β phase to enhancement of the room-temperature ductility in multi-component TiAl alloys.