Study of the Effect of the A206/1.0 wt. % γAl2O3 Nanocomposites Content on the Portevin-Le Chatelier Phenomenon in Al/0.5 wt. % Mg Alloys

The Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) phenomenon or dynamic strain aging in Al–0.5 wt. % Mg alloys was investigated at different strain rates. This research also examined the effect of γAl2O3 nanoparticles on the PLC phenomenon. A nanocomposite made of A206/1.0 wt. % γAl2O3 was manufactured to this purpose and then, added to an Al–0.5 wt. % Mg melt to obtain ingots of Al–0.5 wt. % Mg–20 wt. % A206/1.0 wt. % γAl2O3 and Al–0.5 wt. % Mg–10 wt. % A206/1.0 wt. % γAl2O3 with 6 mm diameter. Cold deformation allowed manufacturing 1 mm diameter wires using the 6 mm diameter ingots. A 300 °C solution treatment, followed by rapid cooling in ice water permitted to retain Mg atoms in solid solution. The tensile tests performed on the wires revealed the PLC phenomenon upon the tensile stress vs. strain plastic zone. The phenomenon was quantified using MatLab™ and statistical analysis. The results demonstrated how the alumina nanoparticles can diminish the serration amplitude of the PLC phenomenon.

Balling Behavior of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Magnesium Alloy

Macroscopic surface morphology and balling mechanism of AZ61 magnesium alloy prepared by Selective laser melting (SLM) have been investigated. This article studied and analyzed the surface morphology and balling phenomenon of Mg in the laser processing from the aspects of Mg inherent metal properties and laser processing. In terms of laser processing, the results show that, in the direction of increasing scanning speed, the energy density decreases, and the phenomenon of balling and porosity on the surface of the magnesium alloy is serious. When the energy density is 133.9–187.5 J/mm3, balling particles are significantly reduced. It can be seen from the low-magnification SEM image that, even at a scanning speed of 250 mm/s (Ev is 187.5 J/mm3), there are still a few small-sized balling particles on the surface. Therefore, in terms of inherent metal properties, the wettability, capillary instability, thermodynamic, and kinetic analysis of the balling behavior of Mg and other metal (Al, Fe, Cu, Ni, Ti) droplets in the SLM process has been carried out, and the dynamic model of magnesium droplet spreading/solidification was established basic on the result of experiment and metal inherent properties. The results show that SLMed magnesium alloy is a competitive process of melt diffusion and solidification. The final result depends on the intrinsic properties of the magnesium alloy and the applied laser processing parameters. The spreading process of Mg melt is very fast. Although the solidification time of Mg melts changes slowly with the increase of metal droplet temperature, the spreading speed is still very fast due to the low melt density, so the balling phenomenon of SLMed Mg can be controlled to a certain extent. Theoretically calculated, the solidification time of Mg melt droplet is longer than the wetting time at 1173 K (900 °C), so the spreading process is dominant, which can minimize the balling and realize the densification of SLMed Mg. The dynamic spreading of molten pool, the analysis of wetting and solidification process, and the establishment of SLM balling model can provide reference for the design of the SLM forming parameters of Mg and other different metals.

Effect of Mg Treatment on the Nucleation and Ostwald Growth of Inclusions in Fe-O-Al-Mg Melt

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Mg treatment on the nucleation and ostwald growth of inclusions. Deoxidized experiments with Al (0.05%Al) and Al-Mg (0.05%Al + 0.03%Mg) were carried out at 1873 K, and the composition, number, and size of inclusions were studied as a function of holding time. Homogeneous nucleation theory and ostwald ripening were utilized to calculate the nucleation rate, the critical size of nuclei, and coarsening rate of inclusions. The results show that small inclusions were more easily found in the steels with Al-Mg complex deoxidation, and the number of inclusions with Al-Mg complex deoxidation is larger at an early stage of deoxidation. The critical size of nuclei increases in the order of MgAl2O4 (0.3–0.4 nm) < Al2O3 (0.4–0.6 nm), and the nucleation rate increases in the order of Al2O3 (1100 cm−3 s−1) < MgAl2O4 (1200 cm−3s−1), which is consistent with the experimental results. Moreover, the coarsening rate of MgAl2O4 inclusions was smaller than Al2O3 inclusions in both the value of kd(cal.) from ostwald growth and the value of kd(obs.) from inclusion size. The effect of Mg addition on coarsening of inclusion was analyzed and their mechanism was discussed based on ostwald ripening theory and Factsage calculation.

Mid-crustal storage and crystallization of Eyjafjallajökull ankaramites, South Iceland

Our understanding of the long-term intrusive and eruptive behaviour of volcanic systems is hampered by a relatively short period of direct observation. To probe the conditions of crustal magma storage below South Iceland, we have analysed compositions of minerals, mineral zoning patterns, and melt inclusions from two Eyjafjallajökull ankaramites located at Brattaskjól and Hvammsmúli. These two units are rich in compositionally diverse macrocrysts, including the most magnesian olivine (Fo88-90) and clinopyroxene (Mg#cpx 89.8) known from Eyjafjallajökull. Olivine-hosted spinel inclusions have high Cr#spl (52–80) and TiO2 (1–3 wt%) and low Al2O3 (8–22 wt%) compared to typical Icelandic chromian spinel. The spinel-olivine oxybarometer implies a moderate oxygen fugacity of logFMQ 0–0.5 at the time of crystallization, and clinopyroxene-liquid thermobarometry crystallization at mid-crustal pressures (1.7–4.2 kbar, 3.0±1.4 kbar on average) at 1120–1195°C. Liquid-only thermometry for melt inclusions with Mg#melt 56.1–68.5 and olivine-liquid thermometry for olivine macrocrysts with Fo80.7-88.9 yield crystallization temperatures of 1155–1222°C and 1136–1213°C, respectively. Diffusion modelling of compositional zonations in the Brattaskjól olivine grains imply that the Brattaskjól macrocrysts were mobilized and transported to the surface from their mid-crustal storage within a few weeks (at most in 9–37 days). Trends in clinopyroxene macrocryst compositions and the scarcity of plagioclase indicate that the mid-crustal cotectic assemblage was olivine and clinopyroxene, with plagioclase joining the fractionating mineral assemblage later. In all, the crystal cargoes in the Brattaskjól and Hvammsmúli ankaramites are composed of agitated wehrlitic or plagioclase wehrlitic crystal mushes that crystallized over a large temperature interval at mid-crustal depths.

Al/Niobium Diboride Nanocomposite’s Effect on the Portevin-Le Chatelier Phenomenon in Al-Mg Alloys

In Al-Mg alloys, the Portevin-Le Chatelier phenomenon, or dynamic strain aging, reveals itself as serrations upon plastic tensile deformation. This research evaluates this phenomenon when Al/NbB2 nanocomposite pellets are added to a magnesium-supersaturated Al matrix. A ball-milled 90 wt % Al and 10 wt % NbB2 nanocomposite helped inoculate an Al-Mg melt to incorporate the nanoparticles effectively. The melt was cast into rods that were cold-rolled into 1 mm diameter wires. Two sets were prepared: The first group was an as-cast set of samples, for comparison purposes, whereas the second was a solution-treated set. The solution treatment consisted of annealing followed by ice-water quenching. The results corroborating that the phenomenon was observable only in the specimens bearing the solution treatment, were used as the research baseline. Said treated alloy was compared to one containing the nanoparticles, which proved that the NbB2 particles caused a reduction of the serrated signal amplitude.

ZIRCON IN HIGH‐MG DIORITE OF THE CHELYABINSK MASSIF (SOUTH URALS): MORPHOLOGY, GEOCHEMICAL SIGNATURE, AND PETROGENESIS IMPLICATIONS

The article is focused on the morphology, trace element composition, U‐Pb and Lu‐Hf systems in zircon in high‐Mg diorite of the Chelyabinsk granitoid massif. Our analytical studies of the U‐Pb and Lu‐Hf isotope systems and the trace element composition were performed using mass spectrometry (MS) with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and laser ablation (LA) of samples. It is established that the zircon formed at the last stages of crystallization of the basic melt under subsolidus conditions at low (600–700 °C) temperatures, which distinguishes it from the zircon of most other high‐Mg rocks of the intermediate composition. The internal structure of the zircon and the concentration of trace elements are locally altered under the influence of a fluid, which led to a partial disruption of the U‐Pb and Lu‐Hf isotopic systems. For the least altered areas in the zircon crystals, the age of crystallization of the parent high‐Mg melt is 362±2 Ma, which coincides with the age estimated from the geological data. Considering the isotope composition of Hf in the zircon and the trace element concentrations, there are grounds to relate the formation of high‐Mg diorite in the Chelyabinsk granitoid massif with a mixed mantle‐crustal source.

Thermodynamic Modelling on Nanoscale Growth of Magnesia Inclusion in Fe-O-Mg Melt

Nano-magnesia is the intermediate product during the growth of magnesia inclusion in Mg-deoxidized steel. Understanding the thermodynamics on nano-magnesia is important to explore the relationship between magnesia product size and deoxidation reaction in molten steel. In this work, a thermodynamic modeling is developed to study the Mg-deoxidation reaction between nano-magnesia inclusions and liquid iron. The thermodynamic results based on the first principle method show that the Gibbs free energy change for the forming magnesia product decrease gradually with the increasing nano-magnesia size in liquid iron. The published experimental data about Mg-deoxidation equilibria in liquid iron are scattered across the region between the thermodynamic curves of 2 nm magnesia and bulk-magnesia. It is suggested that these scattered experimental data of Mg-deoxidized liquid iron are in different thermodynamic states. Some of these experiments are in equilibrium with bulk-magnesia, while most of these experiments do not reach the equilibrium state between bulk magnesia and liquid iron, but in quasi-equilibria between nano-magnesia and liquid iron. This is the reason that different researchers gave different equilibrium constants. Furthermore, the behavior of the metastable magnesia is one of the most important reasons for the supersaturation ratio or the excess oxygen for MgO formation in liquid iron.

Nucleation and growth for magnesia inclusion in Fe–O–Mg melt

The crystallization process of magnesia involves two steps.