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Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2025 | Viewed by 5640

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lu Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
Interests: steels; aluminium alloys; microstructure characterisation; atom probe tomography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shitong Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Aeronautical Manufacturing Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, China
Interests: alloys; microstructure; properties; advanced characterisation; additive manufacturing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue, titled "Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials", focuses on the intricate processes of phase transformation, microstructural evolution, and the mechanical and electrochemical performance of

various metallic structural materials, including steel, aluminium alloys, titanium alloys, high entropy alloys, and others. This comprehensive coverage extends to advanced characterization techniques, particularly those addressing microstructure evolutions and cutting-edge alloy manufacturing processes like additive manufacturing. This Special Issue also focuses on the relationship between microstructural features and material behaviour, aiming to deepen our understanding of how microstructures can be precisely controlled and optimized. This pursuit is geared towards maximizing the performance of metallic structural materials across a broad array of applications. With a focus on both established materials like steel and emerging alloys and the incorporation of innovative manufacturing processes, this Special Issue contributes significantly to advancing knowledge in the field. By unravelling the complexities of microstructural dynamics and alloy manufacturing, it offers

valuable insights for researchers, engineers, and practitioners seeking to push the boundaries of metallic structural materials in various applications.

Dr. Lu Jiang
Dr. Shitong Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • alloys
  • microstructure
  • precipitation
  • phase transformation
  • properties
  • advanced characterisation
  • additive manufacturing

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3308 KiB  
Article
Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of High-Temperature Carburized 18Cr2Ni4WA Steel
by Zhenyang Zhang, Zehua Wu, Yuedong Yuan, Xiaonan Wang and Yanzhong Tian
Materials 2024, 17(19), 4820; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17194820 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 600
Abstract
Surface carburized steels are extensively utilized in gears due to their exceptional properties. The quality of the carburized layer is crucial in enhancing the contact fatigue and wear resistance of the components. However, the conventional carburizing method takes a long time and induces [...] Read more.
Surface carburized steels are extensively utilized in gears due to their exceptional properties. The quality of the carburized layer is crucial in enhancing the contact fatigue and wear resistance of the components. However, the conventional carburizing method takes a long time and induces a carbon emissions problem. In this study, the 18Cr2Ni4WA steel was double tempered (650 °C/4 h) after carburizing at 930 °C and 950 °C. The microstructural evolution, carbide precipitation, and mechanical properties of different carburized layers were analyzed. The results showed that increasing the carburizing temperature can control the microstructure of the carburized layer while reducing the carburizing time by over 60%. The high carbon content improves the strength of the carburized materials at 950 °C, and the inhibition of dislocation motion and grain boundary by the precipitation of more carbides ensures the stability of grain size, maintaining the strength of the materials. The carburized specimens at 950 °C showed an excellent combination of strength and plasticity in different carburized layers due to the variations in solid solution strengthening, dislocation strengthening, precipitation strengthening, and grain boundary strengthening induced by carbon atoms. This study holds significant reference for the advancement of modern steels carburized at high temperatures in a short time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials)
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12 pages, 7771 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Liquid Helium Temperature Tensile Property of Fe-21Cr-15Ni-5Mn-2Mo Austenitic Stainless Steel after Solution Treatment
by Mengxing Zhang, Changjun Wang, Dangshen Ma, Yu Liu, Weijun Wang, Jianxiong Liang, Chao Fang, Weihan Chu and Chuanjun Huang
Materials 2024, 17(18), 4597; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184597 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 550
Abstract
A novel non-magnetic Fe-21Cr-15Ni-5Mn-2Mo austenitic stainless steel with high strength and plasticity has been developed. The microstructure and liquid helium temperature (4.2 K) tensile properties of the top and bottom samples of large-size forged flat steel after solution treatment at 1090 °C were [...] Read more.
A novel non-magnetic Fe-21Cr-15Ni-5Mn-2Mo austenitic stainless steel with high strength and plasticity has been developed. The microstructure and liquid helium temperature (4.2 K) tensile properties of the top and bottom samples of large-size forged flat steel after solution treatment at 1090 °C were investigated. The results showed that the average grain size of the bottom sample (48.0 ± 6.7 μm) was smaller than that of the top sample (58.8 ± 15.3 μm), and the MX precipitates and Z phases were distributed in the matrix of the samples. The 4.2 K strengths of the samples at the top and bottom were high, and large amounts of annealing twin boundaries played a certain role in strengthening. After cryogenic tensile testing, large amounts of deformation twins, stacking faults, and dislocations were generated inside the austenite grains of both samples, which helped the material to obtain higher plasticity and strength. The top and bottom samples possessed excellent synergies of strength and plasticity at 4.2 K, and the 4.2 K tensile properties of the top sample were as follows: ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1850 MPa, yield strength (YS) of 1363 MPa, and elongation (EL) of 26%. The tested steel is thus believed to meet the requirements of combined excellent strength and plasticity within a deep cryogenic environment, and it would be a promising material candidate for manufacturing superconducting coil cases to serve in new generation fusion engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials)
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14 pages, 2418 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamic Simulation Calculations of Phase Transformations in Low-Aluminum Zn-Al-Mg Coatings
by Ziyue Zhang, Jie Zhang, Xingyuan Zhao, Xuequn Cheng, Xin Liu and Qifu Zhang
Materials 2024, 17(11), 2719; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17112719 - 3 Jun 2024
Viewed by 533
Abstract
This study delves into the formation, transformation, and impact on coating performance of MgZn2 and Mg2Zn11 phases in low-aluminum Zn-Al-Mg alloy coatings, combining thermodynamic simulation calculations with experimental verification methods. A thermodynamic database for the Zn-Al-Mg ternary system was [...] Read more.
This study delves into the formation, transformation, and impact on coating performance of MgZn2 and Mg2Zn11 phases in low-aluminum Zn-Al-Mg alloy coatings, combining thermodynamic simulation calculations with experimental verification methods. A thermodynamic database for the Zn-Al-Mg ternary system was established using the CALPHAD method, and this alloy’s non-equilibrium solidification process was simulated using the Scheil model to predict phase compositions under varying cooling rates and coating thicknesses. The simulation results suggest that the Mg2Zn11 phase might predominate in coatings under simulated production-line conditions. However, experimental results characterized using XRD phase analysis show that the MgZn2 phase is the main phase existing in actual coatings, highlighting the complexity of the non-equilibrium solidification process and the decisive effect of experimental conditions on the final phase composition. Further experiments confirmed that cooling rate and coating thickness significantly influence phase composition, with faster cooling and thinner coatings favoring the formation of the metastable phase MgZn2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials)
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16 pages, 17135 KiB  
Article
Effect of Reheating Temperature on the Microstructure and Properties of Cu-Containing 440 MPa Grade Non-Tempered Ship Plate Steel
by Dian Zhang, Feng Chai, Xiaobing Luo and Zhongran Shi
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071630 - 2 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 917
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of reheating temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-containing 440 MPa grade non-tempered ship plate steel. The mechanical properties test, thermodynamic simulation, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and other tests were performed. The [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effects of reheating temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-containing 440 MPa grade non-tempered ship plate steel. The mechanical properties test, thermodynamic simulation, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and other tests were performed. The results revealed that with increasing reheating temperature, the ferrite grain size of Cu-containing 440 MPa non-tempered ship plate steel increased. Also, with increasing reheating temperature, the size of copper particles and niobium–titanium composite precipitates in the original austenite decreased. Consequently, this led to a weakening of the pinning effect on the original austenite and an increase in the size of the transformed ferrite grains. Moreover, with increasing reheating temperature, the number of Cu precipitates in the test steel after air cooling and rolling increased, while the size of the precipitates decreased, thereby weakening the solid solution strengthening effect of Cu, and precipitation was enhanced. Additionally, as the reheating temperature increased, the tensile strength and yield strength of the air-cooled test steel after rolling increased, while the impact toughness decreased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials)
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13 pages, 4035 KiB  
Article
The Preparation of an Ultrafine Copper Powder by the Hydrogen Reduction of an Ultrafine Copper Oxide Powder and Reduction Kinetics
by Shiwen Li, Jianming Pang, Wei Han, Lingen Luo, Xiaoyu Cheng, Zhimin Zhao, Chaoran Lv and Jue Liu
Materials 2024, 17(7), 1613; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071613 - 1 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1055
Abstract
Ultrafine copper powders were prepared by the air-jet milling of copper oxide (CuO) powders and a subsequent hydrogen (H2) reduction. After milling, the particle size and grain size of CuO powders decreased, while the specific surface area and structural microstrain increased, [...] Read more.
Ultrafine copper powders were prepared by the air-jet milling of copper oxide (CuO) powders and a subsequent hydrogen (H2) reduction. After milling, the particle size and grain size of CuO powders decreased, while the specific surface area and structural microstrain increased, thereby improving the reaction activity. In a pure H2 atmosphere, the process of CuO reduction was conducted in one step, and followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics model. The smaller CuO powders after milling exhibited higher reduction rates and lower activation energies compared with those without milling. Based on the unreacted shrinking core model, the reduction of CuO powders via H2 was controlled by the interface reaction at the early stage, whereas the latter was limited by the diffusion of H2 through the solid product layer. Additionally, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that copper powders after H2 reduction presented a spherical-like shape, and the sintering and agglomeration between particles occurred after 300 °C, which led to a moderate increase in particle size. The preparing parameters (at 400 °C for 180 min) were preferred to obtain ultrafine copper powders with an average particle size in the range of 5.43–6.72 μm and an oxygen content of less than 0.2 wt.%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials)
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18 pages, 7780 KiB  
Article
Effect of Manganese on the Strength–Toughness Relationship of Low-Carbon Copper and Nickel-Containing Hull Steel
by Zhide Zhan, Zhongran Shi, Zemin Wang, Wenjing Lu, Zuoning Chen, Dian Zhang, Feng Chai and Xiaobing Luo
Materials 2024, 17(5), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17051012 - 22 Feb 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1572
Abstract
The influence of varying the manganese (Mn) contents of high-strength copper-containing hull steel on its microstructural evolution and mechanical properties was investigated. With increasing Mn content from 2 to 5%, the tensile strength of the steel increased by ~100 MPa, while the elongation [...] Read more.
The influence of varying the manganese (Mn) contents of high-strength copper-containing hull steel on its microstructural evolution and mechanical properties was investigated. With increasing Mn content from 2 to 5%, the tensile strength of the steel increased by ~100 MPa, while the elongation of steel remained at ~23.5%, indicating good plasticity. However, the 2Mn sample had 128 J higher low-temperature (−84 °C) impact work than the 5Mn sample. The microstructures of different Mn steels were composed of fresh martensite (FM), ferrite/tempered martensite (F/TM), and reversed austenite (RA). The increase in Mn content markedly increased the presence of RA and intensified the work hardening caused by the transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect during the tensile process. However, as the phase transformation in different Mn steels occurred in the early stage of strain and did not extend throughout the entire plastic deformation process, increasing plasticity via phase transformation was difficult. In addition, although the volume fraction of RA increased significantly in 4Mn and 5Mn steels, the stability of RA significantly decreased. The presence of numerous metastable blocks and coarse lath-like RA contributed little to low-temperature impact work and was even detrimental to toughness. The substantial fresh martensite resulting from phase transformation facilitated microcrack generation, owing to rapid volume expansion and mutual impacts, thus reducing the work required for crack formation. Additionally, the abundance of deformation twins significantly reduced the work needed for crack propagation. These combined actions significantly reduced the low-temperature toughness of 4Mn and 5Mn steels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phase Transformation, Microstructure Regulation and Application Performance Evaluation of Metallic Structural Materials)
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