Materials Science and Engineering

Transition from micro-rod to nano-lamella eutectics and its hardening effect in niobium/silicide in-situ composites

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  • Yue-ling GUO1,2, Si-yuan ZHANG3, Jun-yang HE3, Wen-jun LU3, Li-na JIA2, Zhi-ming LI3, Hu ZHANG2
1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China;
2. Frontier Institute of Science and Technology Innovation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
3. Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Stra?e 1, Düsseldorf, 40237, Germany

Online published: 2023-08-25

Abstract

To improve the mechanical properties of niobium/silicide in-situ composites via rapid solidification, the evolution of eutectic geometry and the corresponding hardening effect in a prototype Nb-18Si (at.%) composite upon electron beam surface melting (EBSM), i.e., a rapid remelting and solidifying sequence, were studied. Results show that rod-like Nb solid solution (Nbss)/Nb3Si eutectics prevail in the arc-melted state, yet evolve into lamellar arrangements after EBSM. Atomic scale scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and near-atomic scale atom probe tomography (APT) were employed to characterize the three-dimensional stacking of nano-laminated Nbss/Nb3Si eutectics and their compositions. Compared with the rod-like eutectics, the lamellar eutectics via EBSM demonstrate a prominent eutectic refinement (39.5 nm in spacing) and an increased volume fraction of Nbss (~41%). Nano-indentation testing reveals that with the microstructural transition from micro-rod to nano-lamella eutectics, a significant increment in hardness up to 13.9 GPa is achieved.

Cite this article

Yue-lingGUO,Si-yuanZHANG,Jun-yangHE,Wen-junLU,Li-naJIA,Zhi-mingLI,HuZHANG . Transition from micro-rod to nano-lamella eutectics and its hardening effect in niobium/silicide in-situ composites[J]. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 2023 , 33(8) : 2406 -2416 . DOI: 10.1016/S1003-6326(23)66268-5

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