Carbon-supported nanoparticles have been used widely as efficient catalysts due to their enhanced surface-to-volume ratio. To investigate their structure–property relationships, acquiring 3D elemental distribution is required. Here, carbon-supported Pt, PtMn alloy, and ordered Pt3Mn nanoparticles are synthesized and analyzed with atom probe tomography as model systems. A significant difference of Mn distribution after the heat-treatment was found. Finally, the field evaporation behavior of the carbon support was discussed and each acquired reconstruction was compared with computational results from an evaporation simulation. This paper provides a guideline for studies using atom probe tomography on the heterogeneous carbon-supported nanoparticle system that leads to insights toward a wide variety of applications.

In this paper, the microstructure and the shear property of Cu/In–45Cu/Ni solder joints by transient liquid phase were studied, and the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) growth mechanism was investigated. The results showed that the IMCs volume ratio of solder joints was increased firstly and then decreased with increasing bonding time, and the IMCs volume ratio reached its maximum value of 95.8% at 60 min. The Cu interfacial IMC of the solder joint with dense microstructure was Cu2In phase at 60 min, and the Ni interfacial IMC was Ni3In7. The maximum shear strength of solder joints was obtained at 60 min, which is 15.21 MPa. The shear fracture appeared honeycomb structure, and the fracture occurred at the phase interface of Ni3In7/Cu11In9. The thickness of the interfacial IMCs and the white IMCs around the Cu particles (Cu@IMC) was increased continuously with increasing bonding time, and thus, the interconnection of Cu–Ni substrates was realized ultimately.

Modern hydrogen technology requires materials with high capacity storage. Many metals and alloys form cheap metal hydrides that can contain a high volume density of hydrogen. The quaternary alloy Cr–Fe–Ti–Zr with Laves phases is one promising hydrogen storage material. Understanding phase equilibria properties is essential to improve the Laves phases’ hydrogen storage capacity. In this work, the thermodynamic description of two constituent ternary phase materials, Cr–Ti–Zr and Fe–Ti–Zr are investigated using the Calphad method. A set of Gibbs energies was optimized during this work and good agreement between modeling and available experimental information was found. Moreover, a new thermodynamic model for a binary Fe–Zr system was developed based on recent experimental investigation about intermetallic compounds FeZr2 and FeZr3. Obtained in this work results can find application in development of new hydrogen storage materials.

Recently, cold metal transfer (CMT) process has been successfully applied to weld dissimilar metals. In this paper, two different aluminum alloy AA6061-T6 and pure copper T2 lapped joints were performed by CMT with AA4043 aluminum alloy wire as the filler metal. Results indicated that sound lapped joints between aluminum alloy AA6061-T6 and pure copper T2 could be performed by CMT technology. The joint was composed of Al–Al welding joint and Al–Cu brazing joint. The Al–Al welding joint was formed between the Al weld metal and the Al base metal, and the weld metal in Al–Al welding joint was composed of α-Al solid solution, α-Al, and CuAl eutectic phase. Al–Cu brazing joint was formed between the Al weld metal and the local molten Cu base metal, and composed of three copper-weld metal interfaces with a large amount of intermetallic compounds (IMCs), i.e., CuAl2, CuAl. The optimum strength of two joints could reach up to 1.23 kN and 1.56 kN, respectively, which was mainly due to the differences of the size of Cu/Al IMCs and stress condition. In addition, the distribution of microhardness and fracture surface of two joints were observed and analyzed in detail.

Sn–Ag–Cu solder interconnects were made by solidifying the solder balls in a magnetic field and subsequently tested for their electromigration behavior. The orientation of the tin grains was analyzed by electron backscattered diffraction. It was found that the c-axis of Sn grain tended to rotate away from the direction of the magnetic field during solidification, resulting in an enhanced electromigration resistance for the solder joint when the current was applied along the direction of the magnetic field, as evidenced by a smaller electromigration-induced polarity effect in the growth of the interfacial intermetallic compound. Such a reduced polarity-effect of electromigration is shown to agree well with the anisotropy in the diffusivity of the active diffusion species, Cu, in the tetragonal Sn. The difference of free energy change caused by the anisotropy in the magnetic susceptibility of the tetragonal Sn during solidification is suggested to be the main factor for this phenomenon.

The nature of the intermetallic layer which forms on the steel surface during immersionin typical galvanizing baths for galvannealed (GA) sheets production has been investigatedon two commercial Titanium-stabilized Interstitial-Free (Ti-IF) steel substratesgalvanized in baths with different Al contents. Results from this study show that in bothcases the inhibition layer is biphasic and composed of a very thin Al-rich phase layer,identified as Fe2Al5Znx, and a thicker Zn-rich phase layeron top of it, identified as δ. Experimental results also show that theFe2Al5Znx phase layer becomes discontinuouswhen decreasing the bath Al content. Discussions about the mechanisms of formation and thefinal microstructure of this inhibiting layer are also tackled in this paper by means ofthe Al-Fe-Zn ternary phase diagram at 460 °C and assumptions to justify any deviation fromthermodynamic equilibrium are as well proposed.

Two homeotypical phases occur at the mole fraction xAl≈0.75 in the ternary system Co-Ni-Al: the pseudoternary intermetallic compound (Co, Ni)4Al13(h) (space group C2/m, Pearson code mC(34-1.8)) [Notation, according to Parthé et al. (1993). TYPIX, Standardized Data and Crystal Chemical Characterization of Inorganic Structure Types (Springer, Berlin), Vol. 2, p. 269, Vol. 3, p. 1055]. For structures with partly occupied sites, the hybrid Pearson code is given as (the sum of the multiplicities of all, fully or partly occupied sites in the unit cell)−(number of structural vacancies in the unit cell)], and the ternary compound Co2NiAl9 (Immm, oI96). Powder diffraction data are reported for these materials or phases—from the viewpoint of phase equilibria—immediately neighboring phases.

Ferromagnetic materials that have Curie temperatures above room temperature, crystal structures and lattice matching compatible with compound semiconductors, and high spin polarizations show great promise for integration with semiconductor spintronics. Heusler alloys have crystal structures (fcc) and lattice parameters similar to many compound semiconductors, high spin polarization at the Fermi level, and high Curie temperatures. These properties make them particularly attractive for injectors and detectors of spin-polarized currents. This review discusses the progress and issues related to integrating full and half Heusler alloys into ferromagnetic compound semiconductor heterostructures.

For a century, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries have been widely used as electrochemical energy-storage cells. However, due to the rapid development of portable electronic devices and the increasing search for cleaner electric vehicles, new generations of batteries have been investigated during the last few decades. Among them, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, with their larger capacities and improved environmental compatibility, have shown their ability to replace Ni-Cd cells. The negative electrodes of Ni-MH batteries are made of reversibly hydride-forming intermetallic compounds. In this article, the crystallographic and thermodynamic properties of these compounds will be reviewed. Their hydrogen-absorption properties, their electrochemical performance, and the solutions that have been found to achieve reliable cycle life will be presented. The industrial market for Ni-MH batteries will also be discussed in comparison with other battery systems.