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Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals

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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: closed (20 May 2023) | Viewed by 16996

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Prof. Dr. Mingchun Zhao

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Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
Interests: high-strength steel; Ti alloy; Mg alloy; biomaterial; antibacterial metal; biodegradation; biocompatibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Dengfeng Yin

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Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: surface modification; metals; biomaterials; coating

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on the surface modification of microstructure and properties of metals has witnessed a dramatic rise in global attention over the past decade. Surface modification has been applied to metals in order to improve mechanical, chemical, and physical properties—such as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, and surface wettability. Surface modification is a possible way to obtain sufficient resistance against environmental attack, when sufficient resistance cannot be attained by alloying addition and/or controlling microstructure. Surface modification techniques can significantly improve the long-term service performance of metals, as well as provide them with certain specific functions. We think that you could make an excellent contribution to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Mingchun Zhao
Dr. Dengfeng Yin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

surface modification
microstructure
property
metal

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 4517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Structure and Phase Composition of WNb Alloy Formed by the Impact of Compression Plasma Flows

by Azamat Ryskulov, Vitaliy Shymanski, Vladimir Uglov, Igor Ivanov, Valiantsin Astashynski, Bauyrzhan Amanzhulov, Anton Kuzmitski, Alisher Kurakhmedov, Andrei Filipp, Yerulan Ungarbayev and Mikhail Koloberdin

Materials 2023, 16(12), 4445; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16124445 - 17 Jun 2023

Viewed by 800

Abstract

The results of a tungsten–niobium alloy synthesis by the impact of pulsed compression plasma flows are presented. Tungsten plates with a 2 μm thin niobium coating were treated with dense compression plasma flows generated by a quasi-stationary plasma accelerator. The plasma flow with an absorbed energy density of 35–70 J/cm² and pulse duration of 100 μs melted the niobium coating and a part of the tungsten substrate, which caused liquid-phase mixing and WNb alloy synthesis. Simulation of the temperature distribution in the top layer of the tungsten after the plasma treatment proved the formation of the melted state. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to determine the structure and phase composition. The thickness of the WNb alloy was 10–20 μm and a W(Nb) bcc solid solution was found. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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14 pages, 5853 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Interface Microstructure of TaC/GCr15 Steel Surface Reinforced Layer Formed by In-Situ Reaction

by Jilin Li, Ruixue Li, Yunhua Xu, Zhuolin Liu, Le Chen and Yao Zhu

Materials 2023, 16(10), 3790; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103790 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 941

Abstract

In this study, a micro–nano TaC ceramic steel matrix reinforced layer was prepared by an in situ reaction between a pure tantalum plate and GCr15 steel. The microstructure and phase structure of the in situ reaction reinforced layer of the sample at 1100 °C and reaction time 1 h were characterized with FIB micro-section, TEM transmission, SAED diffraction pattern, SEM and EBSD. The phase composition, phase distribution, grain size, grain orientation and grain boundary deflection, phase structure and lattice constant of the sample were characterized in detail. The results show that the phase composition of the Ta sample is Ta, TaC, Ta₂C and α-Fe. TaC is formed after Ta and carbon atoms meet, and the orientation changes in the X and Z directions. The grain size of TaC is widely in the range of 0~0.4 μm, and the angular deflection of TaC grain is not obvious. The high-resolution transmission structure, diffraction pattern and interplanar spacing of the phase were characterized, and the crystal planes of different crystal belt axes were determined. The study provides technical and theoretical support for further research on the preparation technology and microstructure of the TaC ceramic steel matrix reinforcement layer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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12 pages, 2558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interface Calculation of In Situ Micro-Nano TaC/NbC Ceramic Particle Composites

by Jilin Li, Yunhua Xu and Wanying Li

Materials 2023, 16(5), 1887; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051887 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1248

Abstract

Traditional experiments are difficult to accurately and quantitatively measure the interfacial properties of composites, such as interfacial bonding strength, interfacial microelectronic structure, and other information. It is particularly necessary to carry out theoretical research for guiding the interface regulation of Fe/MCs composites. In this research, the first-principles calculation method is used to systematically study the interface bonding work; however, in order to simplify the first-principle calculation of the model, dislocation is not considered in this paper, including interface bonding characteristics and electronic properties of α-Fe- and NaCl-type transition metal carbides (Niobium Carbide (NbC) and Tantalum Carbide (TaC)). The interface energy is related to the bond energy between the interface Fe atoms, C atoms and metal M atoms, and the interface energy Fe/TaC < Fe/NbC. The bonding strength of the composite interface system is accurately measured, and the interface strengthening mechanism is analyzed from the perspectives of atomic bonding and electronic structure, which provides a scientific guiding ideology for regulating the interface structure of composite materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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12 pages, 4247 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inter-Critically Reheated CGHAZ of Ultra-High-Strength Martensitic Steel with Different Cooling Rates

by Wen-Jian Liu, Hong-Ying Li, Wen-Hao Zhou, Deng Luo, Dan Liu, Liang Liang and Ai-Da Xiao

Materials 2023, 16(2), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020581 - 6 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1026

Abstract

The mechanical properties of steel’s inter-critically reheated coarse-grained heat-affected zone (ICR CGHAZ) directly affects the service life of machinery equipment. The hardness and toughness of ICR CGHAZ can be optimized simultaneously through tailoring microstructure where cooling rate plays a key role. In this work, the samples with different cooling rates was prepared using thermal simulation. The granite bainite (GB), bainite ferrite (BF) and MA were formed at a 1 °C/s (CR1) cooling rate, while BF and MA were formed at 10 °C/s (CR2) and 30 °C/s (CR3) cooling rates. With the increase of cooling rate, the effective grain size decreased and the number of hard phases increased, resulting in monotonic increase of hardness (260HV3, 298HV3 and 323HV3). CR1 had sparsely distributed coarse slender MA and CR3 possessed tail-head connected MA along PAGBs, which was detrimental to toughness. Therefore, CR2 possessed the best toughness(25J). The microstructural evolution mechanism of ICR CGHAZ with different cooling rates is investigated, corresponding hardening and toughening mechanisms are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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14 pages, 5285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the Performance Properties of Eutectoid Steel Products by a Complex Effect

by Vitaliy Vlasovets, Tatiana Vlasenko, Stepan Kovalyshyn, Taras Shchur, Oleksandra Bilovod, Lyudmila Shulga, Mariusz Łapka, Milan Koszel, Stanisław Parafiniuk and Leszek Rydzak

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8552; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238552 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1398

Abstract

This study focuses on the assessment of possible hypereutectoid steel carbide mesh crushing. It is used for tools production, including forming rolls of various diameters, with modification and cyclic heat treatment methods. For steel containing 1.79–1.83% C, we studied the effect of 0.35–1.15% Si on the possible crushing of the cementite mesh within crystallization by introducing modifiers Ti, V, N, as well as simultaneously modifying V with N and Ti with N. The obtained castings of Ø200 mm, 400 mm high were cut into discs, from which we made samples for tests on wear, determining mechanical properties, thermal resistance, and susceptibility to brittle fracture. The assessment was performed in the as-cast and after double and triple normalizing and annealing with drawback. With additional fans blowing, we changed the cooling rate from 25 °C/h to 100–150 °C/h. We performed the microstructure analyses using traditional metallographic, micro-X-ray spectral analyses, and also used the segmentation process based on 2D image markers. It was found that the as-cast modifying additives infusion is insufficient for carbide mesh crushing. It can be made by multi-stage normalizing with accelerated cool-down for products up to 600 mm in diameter to cycle temperatures above the steel transfer from a plastic to elastic state (above 450 °C). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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12 pages, 5185 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Solid Loading on the Gel-Casting of Porous NiTi Alloys

by Ze Wang, Zhiqiang He, Bohua Duan, Xinli Liu and Dezhi Wang

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8398; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238398 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1008

Abstract

Porous NiTi alloys are widely applied in the field of medical implant materials due to their excellent properties. In this paper, porous NiTi alloys were prepared by non-aqueous gel-casting. The influence of solid loading on the process characteristics of slurries and the microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered samples were investigated. The viscosity and the stability of slurry significantly increased with the growth of solid loading, and the slurry had better process characteristics in the solid loading range of 40–52 vol.%. Meanwhile, the porosity and average pore diameter of the sintered NiTi alloys decreased with a rise in the solid loading, while the compressive strength increased. Porous NiTi alloys with porosities of 43.3–48.6%, average pore sizes of 53–145 µm, and compressive strengths of 87–167 MPa were fabricated by gel-casting. These properties meet the requirements of cortical bone. The results suggest that the pore structure and mechanical properties of porous NiTi products produced by gel-casting can be adjusted by controlling the solid loading. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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11 pages, 2808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Grain Growth upon Annealing and Its Influence on Biodegradation Rate for Pure Iron

by Yu Zhang, Ke Zhang, Weidong Liu, Zhongren Zheng and Mingchun Zhao

Materials 2022, 15(22), 8030; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15228030 - 14 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1233

Abstract

Biodegradable pure iron has gained significant interest as a biomedical material. For biodegradable implant applications, the biodegradation behavior of pure iron is important. In this work, the influence of ferrite grain size on the biodegradation rate for pure iron was studied by means of heat treatment that was annealed below the austenized temperature using as-forged pure iron. Grains were coarsened and a spectrum of ferrite grain sizes was gained by changing the annealed temperature. Biodegradation behavior was studied through weight loss tests, electrochemical measurements and microscopic analyses. Hardness (HV) and biodegradation rate (P_i or P_w) were linearly ferrite grain size-dependent:

HV = 58.9 + 383.2 d^{- \frac{1}{2}}

, and

P_{i} = - 0.023 + 0.425 d^{-}^{\frac{1}{2}}

P_{w} = 0.056 + 0.631 d^{-}^{\frac{1}{2}}

. The mechanism by which the role of grain size on biodegradation rate was attributed to the ferrite grain boundary traits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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9 pages, 3178 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Porous NiTi Alloy Prepared by Integration of Gel-Casting and Microwave Sintering

by Zhiqiang He, Ze Wang, Dezhi Wang, Xinli Liu and Bohua Duan

Materials 2022, 15(20), 7331; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15207331 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1171

Abstract

Porous NiTi alloys were manufactured by integration of gel-casting and microwave sintering. The effects of sintering temperature on porosity, compressive strength, pore morphology and phase composition of sintered samples were researched. The results show that the porosity and the mean pore diameter of porous NiTi alloys decrease with increasing sintering temperature, whereas the content of the NiTi phase, the elastic modulus and compressive strength of sintered samples increase. When the gel body with the solid loading of 50 vol.% is microwave sintered at 1000 °C for 30 min, porous NiTi alloys are obtained with the porosity of 38.9%, the compressive strength of 254 MPa, elastic modulus of 4 GPa, and predominant phase of NiTi. The results suggest that the method is suitable for rapid preparation of large-size and complex-shape personalized products similar to human bones at a low cost. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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14 pages, 4046 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Degradation Resistance of Biomedical Mg-6Zn-0.5Zr Alloy by the Incorporation of Nanodiamond

by Long Liu, Shun He, Zhiming Guo, Jian Li, Mingchun Zhao and Yiping Wu

Materials 2022, 15(19), 6707; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196707 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1151

Abstract

The Mg-6Zn-0.5Zr (ZK60) alloy has attracted extensive attention as one of the hopeful biomedical material candidates for bone implant applications on account of its unique degradability, favorable biocompatibility as well as mechanical compatibility. Nevertheless, the rapid degradation rate in the biological environment is the major hurdle for its clinical application in the field of bone implants. In this study, nanodiamond (ND) was incorporated into ZK60 alloy via selective laser melting technology to enhance its degradation resistance. The results showed that compared with selective laser-melted ZK60 (SLMed ZK60), the selective laser-melted ZK60 with 6 wt.% ND (SLMed ZK60−6ND) possessed the better degradation resistance with the lower degradation rate of 0.5 ± 0.1 mm/year. The enhancement of the degradation resistance was attributed to the fact that ND could promote the deposition of apatite and build up a dense and insoluble protective layer through the dissociation of the carboxyl groups on the ND surface, which could effectively hinder the further degradation of the Mg matrix. Meanwhile, the compressive strength and hardness were improved mainly due to grain refinement strengthening and ND dispersion strengthening. In addition, the SLMed ZK60−6ND possessed good cytocompatibility. These results suggested that the SLMed ZK60−6ND, with enhanced degradation resistance, improved mechanical properties, and good cytocompatibility, was an excellent biomedical material candidate for bone implant applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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11 pages, 3313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Biodegradation Rate and Grain Size Itself Excluding Other Structural Factors Caused by Alloying Additions and Deformation Processing for Pure Mg

by Zhan Qu, Lulin Liu, Youming Deng, Ran Tao, Weidong Liu, Zhongren Zheng and Ming-Chun Zhao

Materials 2022, 15(15), 5295; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15155295 - 1 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1368

Abstract

This work studied the relationship between biodegradation rate and grain size itself, excluding other structural factors such as segregations, impure inclusions, second phase particles, sub-structures, internal stresses and textures caused by alloying additions and deformation processing for pure Mg. A spectrum of grain size was obtained by annealing through changing the annealing temperature. Grain boundary influenced the hardness and the biodegradation behavior. The hardness was grain size-dependent, following a typical Hall–Petch relation:

HV = 18.45 + 92.31 d^{-}^{\frac{1}{2}}

. The biodegradation rate decreased with decreasing grain size, following a similar Hall–Petch relation:

P_{i} = 0.17 - 0.68 d^{-}^{\frac{1}{2}}

P_{w} = 1.34 - 6.17 d^{-}^{\frac{1}{2}}

. This work should be helpful for better controlling biodegradation performance of biodegradable Mg alloys through varying their grain size. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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16 pages, 6823 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Hot Deformation Behavior of an Antibacterial 50Cr15MoVCu Tool Steel

by Ziyuan Liu and Zhao Yang

Materials 2022, 15(10), 3460; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15103460 - 11 May 2022

Viewed by 1065

Abstract

Hot deformation behaviors of an antibacterial 50Cr15MoVCu tool steel were studied. The flow stress curves presented three typical characteristics: (i) a single peak dynamic recrystallization curve, (ii) a monotone incremental work-hardening curve, and (iii) the equilibrium dynamic recovery curve. The flow stress increased with the increase of the deformation rate at each deformation temperature and decreased with the increase of the deformation temperature at the same deformation rate. The thermal activation energy and material constants were Q of 461.6574 kJ/mol, A of 3.42 × 10¹⁷, and α of 0.00681 MPa⁻¹, respectively. The high temperature constitutive equation was:

Z = \dot{ε} \exp (Q / RT) = 3 {. 42 \times 10}^{17} {[\sinh (0 . 0068 \times σ)]}^{5 . 6807}

. Based on the processing maps and microstructure evolution, the best hot working process was a deformation temperature of 1050 °C and deformation rate of 0.001 s⁻¹. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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11 pages, 7863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study on Biodegradation of Pure Iron Prepared by Microwave Sintering and Laser Melting

by Yingchao Zhao, Jun Feng, Hui Yu, Wangyang Lin, Xin Li, Yan Tian and Mingchun Zhao

Materials 2022, 15(4), 1604; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15041604 - 21 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1483

Abstract

For biodegradable pure iron implants, a higher biodegradation rate is preferred. In this work, we compared the biodegradation of pure iron prepared by microwave sintering and laser melting (designated as MSed Fe and LMed Fe, respectively). The MSed Fe presented a distinct porous structure, while the LMed Fe presented a relatively compact structure without any obvious pores. The biodegradation rate of the MSed Fe was higher than that of the LMed Fe, and their biodegradation rates were higher than that of the as-cast Fe. The biodegradation rates of the MSed Fe and the LMed Fe were approximately 44 and 13 times higher than that of the as cast Fe, respectively. The biodegradation was closely related to the microstructure’s compactness and grain size. Moreover, the MSed Fe and the LMed Fe had satisfactory biocompatibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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15 pages, 5674 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Si, Cu, B, and Trace Alloying Elements on the Conductivity of the Al-Si-Cu Alloy

by Zhao Yang, Xiaolong He, Bin Li, Andrej Atrens, Xuyue Yang and Hanming Cheng

Materials 2022, 15(2), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020426 - 6 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2012

Abstract

The influence of Si, Cu, B, and trace alloying elements on the conductivity of aluminum die cast 12 (ADC12) alloy was investigated. The conductivity decreased linearly with increasing volume fraction of the Si phase attributed to a linear decrease of the volume of the more conductive Al phase through a rule of mixtures. The conductivity also decreased with increasing Cu content, between 0~3%. The conductivity increased with increasing B content, reached the peak at 0.02% B and thereafter decreased somewhat. The mechanism was that B reacted with the transition element in the Al phase to form boride, decreasing the transition element concentration in the Al lattice, and decreasing the lattice constant. The thermal conductivity, λ, was related to the electrical conductivity,

σ

, by means of

λ = LT σ + λ_{g}

, where L is the apparent Lorentz constant, 1.86 × 10⁻⁸; T is the absolute temperature, 293 K; λ_g is the lattice conductivity, 42.3 W/(m·K). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Surface Modification on Microstructure and Properties of Metals)

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