Compound Ceramic Coatings Grown by Micro-plasma Oxidation on Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Compound ceramics coatings on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy were prepared by the direct current micro-plasma oxidation (MPO) in NaAlO2 solution. The composition and morphology of the coatings were studied with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer technique was used to analyze the solution features of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in the process of preparation. The results reveal that Al2TiO5 forms in the coatings at the initial stages of MPO reaction, and its content changes rapidly with the reaction continuing: after 20 min, the ceramics coatings are composed of α-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3 and Al2TiO5, but after 40 min, its main composition is of α-Al2O3. The content of Ti in the solution will increase when the MPO time extends, and as will Al in the anode area until, after 30 min, it reaches the maximum and keeps constant from then on. Both substrata of Ti and Al in the electrolyte join the MPO reaction at the initial stage, where the formation of Al2TiO5 happens; but as the MPO reaction prolongs, more and more Al in the electrolyte will take part in the reaction, leading to the appearance of a large amount of Al2O3.     

Compound Ceramic Coatings Grown by Micro-plasma Oxidation on Ti-6Al-4V Alloy

Compound ceramics coatings on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy were prepared by the direct current micro-plasma oxidation （MPO） in NaAlO2 solution. The composition and morphology of the coatings were studied with the X-ray diffraction （XRD） and the scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer technique was used to analyze the solution features of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in the process of preparation. The results reveal that Al2TiO5 forms in the coatings at the initial stages of MPO reaction, and its content changes rapidly with the reaction continuing： after 20 min, the ceramics coatings are composed of α-Al2O3, 7-Al2O3 and Al2TiO5, but after 40 min, its main composition is of α-Al2O3. The content of Ti in the solution will increase when the MPO time extends, and as will Al in the anode area until, after 30 min, it reaches the maximum and keeps constant from then on. Both substrata of Ti and Al in the electrolyte join the MPO reaction at the initial stage, where the formation of Al2TiO5 happens; but as the MPO reaction prolongs, more and more Al in the electrolyte will take part in the reaction, leading to the appearance of a large amount ofAl2O3.     

Effect of temperature on corrosion behavior of 3003 aluminum alloy in ethylene glycol–water solution

The effect of temperature on the corrosion behavior of 3003 aluminum alloy in ethylene glycol–water solution was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) techniques. The surface characterization was observed and determined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), atomic force microscopy(AFM) and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). The results demonstrate that the anodic aluminum dissolution and the cathodic oxygen reduction were accelerated by the increased temperature. However, as temperature was over60 °C, the solubility and concentration of oxygen decreased, resulting in the inhibition of cathodic reaction. The cathodic reaction rate of 3003 aluminum alloy rose to the maximum at 60 °C. The Warburg impedance in Nyquist diagram diminished and then was replaced by a negative capacitance caused by the absorption of intermediate corrosion product on electrode. On the other hand,after potentiodynamic measurements, 3003 aluminum alloy suffered pitting corrosion. The dissolution of aluminum alloy around secondary phase particles expanded both horizontally and vertically.     

Electrolytic Passivation of Nitinol Shape Memory Alloy in Different Electrolytes

The corrosion behavior of the nitinol alloy was studied in various corrosion media of different Cl^- ion concentrations. The results demonstrate that the Cl^- ion concentration has significant influences on the corrosion behavior of the nitinol alloy. In order to enhance the corrosion resistance, protective films were generated on the surface of the nitinol alloy by means of the electrochemical passivation method, for which five different electrolytic solutions were investigated. The surface analysis indicates full growth of all samples passivated in the different electrolytic solutions with layers, however, showing different morphological features. Without any defects like micro-cracks and pores, the surface of the samples passivated in the molybdate solution turns out smoother and denser than those passivated in other solutions. It is shown that the electro-chemical passivation will reduce Ni content but increase Ti content in the surface, reaching the Mole ratio of Ti：Ni = 9.01：1 on the outermost surface. Potentiodynamic polarization test demonstrates that the samples electrochemically passivated in the molybdate solution present a significant increase in breakdown potential due to titanium enrichment on the outermost surface.     

Electrolytic Passivation of Nitinol Shape Memory Alloy in Different Electrolytes

The corrosion behavior of the nitinol alloy was studied in various corrosion media of different Cl–ion concentrations. The results demonstrate that the Cl–ion concentration has significant influences on the corrosion behavior of the nitinol alloy. In order to enhance the corrosion resistance, protective films were generated on the surface of the nitinol alloy by means of the electrochemical passivation method, for which five different electrolytic solutions were investigated. The surface analysis indicates full growth of all samples pas-sivated in the different electrolytic solutions with layers, however, showing different morphological features. Without any defects like micro-cracks and pores, the surface of the samples passivated in the molybdate solution turns out smoother and denser than those pas-sivated in other solutions. It is shown that the electro-chemical passivation will reduce Ni content but increase Ti content in the surface, reaching the Mole ratio of Ti:Ni=9.01:1 on the outermost surface. Potentiodynamic polarization test demonstrates that the samples electrochemically passivated in the molybdate solution present a significant increase in breakdown potential due to titanium enrichment on the outermost surface.     

Tribological evaluation of surface modified H13 tool steel in warm forming of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet

The H13 hot-working tool steel is widely used as die material in the warm forming of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet. However, under the heating condition, severe friction and lubricating conditions between the H13 tools and Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet would cause difficulty in guaranteeing forming quality. Surface modification may be used to control the level of friction force, reduce the friction wear and extend the service life of dies. In this paper, four surface modification methods(chromium plating, TiAlN coating, surface polishing and nitriding treatment)were applied to the H13 surfaces. Taking the coefficient of friction(CoF) and the wear degree as evaluation indicators, the high-temperature tribological behavior of the surface modified H13 steel was experimentally investigated under different tribological conditions. The results of this study indicate that the tribological properties of the TiAlN coating under dry friction condition are better than the others for a wide range of temperature(from room temperature to 500 C), while there is little difference of tribological properties between different surface modifications under graphite lubricated condition, and the variation law of CoF with temperature under graphite lubricated is opposite to that under the dry friction.     

Magnetic and Optical Properties of the TiO2-Co-TiO2 Composite Films Grown by Magnetron Sputtering

The TiO2-Co-TiO2 sandwich films were successfully grown on glass and silicon substrata making alternate use of radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering and direct current magnetron sputtering. The structures and properties of these films were identified with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and X-ray photoemission spectra (XPS). It is shown that the sandwich film consists of two anatase TiO2 films with an embedded Co nano-film. The fact that, when the Co nano-film thickens, varied red shifts appear in optical absorption spectra may well be explained by the quantum confinement and tunnel effects. As for magnetic properties, the saturation magnetization, remnant magnetic induction and coercivity vary with the thickness of the Co nano-films. Moreover, the Co nano-film has a critical thickness of about 8.6 nm, which makes the coercivity of the composite film reach the maximum of about 1413 Oe.     

First-principle Calculations of V/Fe Doped Anatase TiO2

The electronic structures of the titanium dioxide（TiO2） doped with V and Fe were analyzed by using first-principle calculations based on the density functional theory（DFT） with the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method （FP-LAPW）. The fully optimized structure and the relaxation introduced by impurity were obtained by minimizing the total energy and atomic forces. The unit cell of the V-doped anatase TiO2 is smaller than that of the non-doped one, but for the Fe-doped one, the case is just the opposite. It is found that the apical Ti-O and impurity-O bond lengths of the V/Fe-doped anatase TiO2 are greater than those of the non-doped structure, but smaller for the equatorial bond length. Through the band structures and the density of states, the V-doped TiO2 is shown to be a kind of half-metal, while the Fe-doped TiO2 a kind of metal. The magnetic moments of the V/Fe-doped system are mainly generated by the dopants. The results may be helpful for us to understand the experimental outcome of this system.     

First-principle Calculations of V/Fe Doped Anatase TiO_2

The electronic structures of the titanium dioxide(TiO2) doped with V and Fe were analyzed by using first-principle calculations based on the density functional theory(DFT) with the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW). The fully optimized structure and the relaxation introduced by impurity were obtained by minimizing the total energy and atomic forces. The unit cell of the V-doped anatase TiO2 is smaller than that of the non-doped one, but for the Fe-doped one, the case is just the opposite. It is found that the apical Ti-O and impurity-O bond lengths of the V/Fe-doped anatase TiO2 are greater than those of the non-doped structure, but smaller for the equatorial bond length. Through the band structures and the density of states, the V-doped TiO2 is shown to be a kind of half-metal, while the Fe-doped TiO2 a kind of metal. The magnetic moments of the V/Fe-doped system are mainly generated by the dopants. The results may be helpful for us to understand the experimental outcome of this system.     

Investigation of Formation Process of the Chrome-free Passivation Film of Electrodeposited Zinc

The feasibility was investigated to substitute chrome-free passivation treatment of electrodeposited zinc in a titanium bath for chromate passivation treatment. The formation mechanism of the chrome-free passivation film was further analyzed. The surface mor- phologies and the elemental compositions of the treated samples with varied immersion times were observed by scanning electron mi- croscopy (SEM) and determined by energy dispersion spectrometry (EDS), respectively. The electrode potential of the sample surface was recorded in the film formation process. The changes of the electrode potential are in accordance with that of SEM and EDS of the sample surface. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) show the chrome-free passivation film composed of ZnO, SiO2, TiO2, Zn4Si2O7(OH)2, and SrF2. The anode zinc dissolution and the local pH value increase due to the cathode hydrogen ion reduction process result in the formation of the chrome-free passivation film. The macro-images of the chrome-free passivation films formed on electrodeposited zinc show that the color of the film changes from blue to iridescence with the increase of the immersion times.     

Friction measurement of aircraft wing based on optimized FlowNet2.0

Few studies have applied the deep optical flows model to global friction measurements of aircraft wing. This study used an optimized FlowNet2.0 model to measure friction of wing based on fluorescent oil film, which achieved the first integration of deep learning and friction measurement.Two input images of the traditional FlowNet2.0 model were extended to multiple images so that more flow features and details could be with them. It is the specific part of optimization that will also further impr...     

Ultrasound assisted solidification process of ternary Cu–Sn–Sb alloy

It is well-known that the application of ultrasound during liquid to solid transitions for alloys can refine the solidification microstructure and thus improves the mechanical properties. How-ever, most published work focuses on single phase dendritic growth, whereas little has been con-ducted on the multiphase alloys with complicated phase transformations during solidification. In this work, the solidification process of ternary Cu40Sn45Sb15 alloy was realized within intensive ultra-sonic field with a resonant frequency of 20 kHz and ultrasound power from 0 W to 1000 W. The ultrasound refines the size of the primary e(Cu3Sn) intermetallic compound by two orders of mag-nitudes. If the ultrasound power increases to 1000 W, g(Cu6Sn5) phase nucleates and grows directly from parent liquid phase without the occurrence of peri-eutectic reaction on the top of the alloy sam-ple where the ultrasound intensity is sufficiently high. These microstructural variations lead to the enhancement of compressive strength and elasticity modulus of ternary Cu40Sn45Sb15 alloy.     

Analysis of the current density characteristics in through-mask electrochemical micromachining (TMEMM) for fabrication of micro-hole arrays on invar alloy film

Invar alloy consisting of 64% iron and 36% nickel has been widely used for the production of shadow masks for organic light emitting diodes(OLEDs) because of its low thermal expansion coefficient(1.86 ? 10à6cm/°C).To fabricate micro-hole arrays on 30 lm invar alloy film,through-mask electrochemical micromachining(TMEMM) was developed and combined with a portion of the photolithography etching process.For precise hole shapes,patterned photoresist(PR) film was applied as an insulating mask.To investigate the relationship between the current density and the material removal rate,the principle of the electrochemical machining was studied with a focus on the equation.The finite element method(FEM) was used to verify the influence of each parameter on the current density on the invar alloy film surface.The parameters considered were the thickness of the PR mask,inter-electrode gap(IEG),and electrolyte concentration.Design of experiments(DOE) was used to figure out the contribution of each parameter.A simulation was conducted with varying parameters to figure out their relationships with the current density.Optimization was conducted to select the suitable conditions.An experiment was carried out to verify the simulation results.It was possible to fabricate micro-hole arrays on invar alloy film using TMEMM,which is a promising method that can be applied to fabrications of OLEDs shadow masks.     

Microstructure evolution of a hypereutectic Nb–Ti–Si–Cr–Al–Hf alloy processed by directional solidification

In this work, the Nb–14Si–24Ti–10Cr–2Al–2Hf–0.1Y alloy(at.%) was processed by the liquid–metal-cooled directional solidification(DS) at 1750 C with withdrawal rates of 1.2, 6,18 mm/min and post heat treatment(HT) at 1450 C for 10 h. The microstructures of the directionally solidified and heat treated samples were investigated. The results show that the microstructure of directionally solidified alloy mainly consists of petaloid Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectics and Ti-rich Nbss+ Nb5Si3+ Cr2Nb eutectics. With the increase of withdrawal rate, the primary Nb5Si3is eliminated, Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectic cells turn round and connected with the microstructure refinement and Nbss+ Nb5Si3+ Cr2Nb eutectics turn to a river-like morphology. After heat treatment,Nbss+ Nb5Si3+ Cr2Nb eutectics disappeared and petaloid Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectics turn to a specific fiber-mesh structure gradually, which is promoted by higher withdrawal rates. Furthermore,both the volume fraction of Cr2Nb and the content of Cr in Nbssof Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectics change regularly with the increase of withdrawal rate and heat treatment at 1450 C for 10 h.     

Ground-based Investigations of Atomic Oxygen Erosion Behaviors of Silver and Ion-implanted Silver

Silver foils and ion-implanted silver foils exposed to atomic oxygen (AO) generated in a ground simulation facility were investi-gated by the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The experimental results show the presence of Ag2O and AgO in an oxidation process of the silver foil having exposure to AO. As soon as silver comes under the bombardment of atomic oxygen, the oxidation process starts with a thick film forming on the silver surface. Because of the development of stresses, the oxide layer gets cracked and spalled, which leads to appearance of a new silver surface intensifying further oxidation. At last, AgO begins to form on the outer surface of the oxide film. The analytical results of the XPS and the AES attest to formation of a continuous high-quality protective oxide-based layer on the surface of ion-implanted silver films after exposure to AO. This layer can well protect materials in question from erosion.     

Residual Strength of Stiffened LY12CZ Aluminum Alloy Panels with Widespread Fatigue Damage

Experimental and analytical investigations on the residual strength of the stiffened LY12CZ aluminum alloy panels with widespread fatigue damage （WFD） are conducted. Nine stiffened LY12CZ aluminum alloy panels with three different types of damage are tested for residual strength. Each specimen is pre-cracked at rivet holes by saw cuts and subjected to a monotonically increasing tensile load until failure is occurred and the failure load is recorded. The stress intensity factors at the tips of the lead crack and the adjacent WFD cracks of the stiffened aluminum alloy panels are calculated by compounding approach and finite element method （FEM） respectively. The residual strength of the stiffened panels with WFD is evaluated by the engineering method with plastic zone linkup criterion and the FEM with apparent fracture toughness criterion respectively. The predicted residual strength agrees well with the experiment results. It indicates that in engineering practice these methods can be used for residual strength evaluation with the acceptable accuracy. It can be seen from this research that WFD can significantly reduce the residual strength and the critical crack length of the stiffened panels with WFD. The effect of WFD crack length on residual strength is also studied.     

Ground-based Investigations of Atomic Oxygen Erosion Behaviors of Silver and Ion-implanted Silver

Silver foils and ion-implanted silver foils exposed to atomic oxygen （AO） generated in a ground simulation facility were investigated by the quartz crystal microbalance （QCM）, the scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. The experimental results show the presence of Ag2O and AgO in an oxidation process of the silver foil having exposure to AO. As soon as silver comes under the bombardment of atomic oxygen, the oxidation process starts with a thick film forming on the silver surface. Because of the development of stresses, the oxide layer gets cracked and spalled, which leads to appearance of a new silver surface intensifying further oxidation. At last, AgO begins to form on the outer surface of the oxide film. The analytical results of the XPS and the AES attest to formation of a continuous high-quality protective oxide-based layer on the surface of ion-implanted silver films after exposure to AO. This layer can well protect materials in question from erosion.     

Microstructures and fatigue properties of electron beam welds with beam oscillation for heavy section TC4-DT alloy

With the development of the manufacturing technology, electron beam welding（EBW） is capable of producing titanium alloy large parts in aero fields. To increase the applications and improve the properties, EBW with beam oscillation was investigated on TC4-DT alloy with50 mm thickness. We detected the welding samples by X-ray NDT, observed the microstructures of the welds, and tested the fatigue properties of the joints. The results showed that EBW with beam oscillation improved the weld morphology as well as welding quality, and the microstructure homogeneity of the welds and HAZ along the weld penetration were also improved. The fatigue properties of the joints with beam oscillation were more excellent than those of conventional EBW, even equal to those of the base metal under high stresses. The influences of the processing and the microstructure on the properties with beam oscillation were discussed.     

Preparation of Highly Dispersed Antimony-doped Tin Oxide Nano-powder via Ion-exchange Hydrolysis of SnCl4 and SbCl3 and Azeotropic Drying

Antimony-doped tin hydroxide colloid precipitates have been synthesized by hydrolysis of SnCl4 and SbCl3 using: (1) an ion-exchange hydrolysis to remove chlorine ions, and (2) isoamyl acetate as an azeotropic solvent to obviate water. The obtained dried powder is of high dispersivity without any need for further grinding. The size and dispersivity of the final particles are investigated with the aid of TG-DTA, BET, XRD and TEM. After having calcined, the antimony-doped tin oxide nanopowder possesses a tetragonal rutile structure with high dispersivity, uniform particles and low hard agglomeration.     

Fabrication of Diamond-like Carbon Films by Ion Assisted Middle Frequency Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are deposited by the Hall ion source assisted by the mid-frequency unbalanced magnetron sput-tering technique. The effects of the substrate voltage bias, the substrate temperature, the Hall discharging current and the argon/nitrogen ratio on the DLC film’s performance were studied. The experimental results show that the film’s surface roughness, the hardness and the Young’s modulus increase firstly and then decrease with the bias voltage incrementally increases. Also when the substrate temperature rises, the surface roughness of the film varies slightly, but its hardness and Young’s modulus firstly increase followed by a sharp decrease when the temperature surpassing 120 ℃. With the Hall discharging current incrementally rising, the hardness and Young’s modulus of the film decrease and the surface roughness of the film on 316L stainless steel firstly decreased and then remains constant.