Showing papers by "Hongbin Bei published in 2014"

High-Temperature Creep and Oxidation Behavior of Mo-Si-B Alloys with High Ti Contents

Abstract: Multiphase alloys in the Mo-Si-B system are potential high-temperature structural materials due to their good oxidation and creep resistance. Since they suffer from relatively high densities, the current study focuses on the influence of density-reducing Ti additions on creep and oxidation behavior at temperatures above 1273 K (1000 °C). Two alloys with compositions of Mo-12.5Si-8.5B-27.5Ti and Mo-9Si-8B-29Ti (in at. pct) were synthesized by arc melting and then homogenized by annealing in vacuum for 150 hours at 1873 K (1600 °C). Both alloys show similar creep behavior at stresses of 100 to 300 MPa and temperatures of 1473 K and 1573 K (1200 °C and 1300 °C), although they possess different intermetallic volume fractions. They exhibit superior creep resistance and lower density than a state-of-the-art Ni-base superalloy (single-crystalline CMSX-4) as well as other Mo-Si-B alloys. Solid solution strengthening due to Ti was confirmed by Vickers hardness measurements and is believed to be the reason for the significant increase in creep resistance compared to Mo-Si-B alloys without Ti, but with comparable microstructural length scales. The addition of Ti degrades oxidation resistance relative to a Mo-9Si-8B reference alloy due to the formation of a relatively porous duplex layer with titania matrix enabling easy inward diffusion of oxygen.

Synthesis, characterization, and nanoindentation response of single crystal Fe–Cr–Ni alloys with FCC and BCC structures

Abstract: Fe-based alloys are used extensively in many structural applications including under irradiation conditions in the nuclear industry. In this study, model Fe–Cr, Fe–Ni and Fe–Cr–Ni alloys that are the basis of many structural steels were synthesized as single crystals and characterized. The compositions investigated were Fe–15Cr, Fe–30Cr, Fe–30Ni and Fe–15Cr–15Ni (at%). Several key mechanical properties were determined which will be useful in further studies of irradiation/deformation-induced defects. Incipient plasticity and slip characteristics were investigated by nanoindentation on (001) and ( 1 ¯ 10 ) surfaces, and hardness, modulus, pop-in behavior and theoretical strength were determined. The slip trace patterns after microindentation were imaged in a microscope. A novel slip trace analysis was developed and the underlying deformation mechanisms identified. The analysis shows that under both (001) and ( 1 ¯ 10 ) indentations, the activated slip system for the BCC alloys is {112}〈111〉; for the FCC alloys the activated slip plane is {111}. These results were confirmed with finite element simulations using a slip-based crystal-plasticity model. Finally, the effects of heterogeneous pop-in mechanisms are discussed in the context of incipient plasticity in the four different alloys.

Yield strength dependence on strain rate of molybdenum-alloy nanofibers

Abstract: The yield strength dependence on strain rate was studied for molybdenum-alloy nanofibers with varying initial dislocation density at three different pre-strain levels. In-situ tensile experiments at three displacement rates were carried out in a scanning electron microscope. Yield strength and its scatter decreased as a function of the pre-strain level for different displacement rates. A statistical model was used to analyze the results, and a negative strain rate dependence was inferred from the yield experiments. This finding suggests the need for theoretical investigations since classical models such as dynamic strain aging may have limitations at such nanoscales.