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Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites

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A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 10897

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Prof. Dr. Dimitry Sediako

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Faculty of Applied Science, School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Interests: stress analysis in metal castings, components, and joints; solidification, phase evolution and transformation; lightweight alloy development for automotive and aerospace industries; phase and structural transformation in metals; material properties—ferrous and lightweight alloys and metal matrix composites; ferrous and non-ferrous alloys—casting, heat treatment, and forming technologies; thermal dynamics, heat transfer in metallurgical engineering
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Dear Colleagues,

Modern industries are heavily relying on new materials development for various demanding applications, ranging from marine propulsion systems to automotive internal combustion engines to jet turbine engines. The in-service operation of these systems may include a combination of high temperature, pressure, cycling tension/compression load. Manufacture of the systems may require extensive R&D and can be associated with a high production cost, especially when new process technologies must be developed. The life cycles of the systems requires considerations of the recyclability of the materials used.

The never-ending demand for higher operational efficiency leads to the continuous development of novel materials with improved properties. A variety of superalloys, ferrous, and lightweight alloys, as well as metal matrix composites, have been recently introduced to the marketplace with significantly improved properties. The problems associated with production cost and recyclability of these novel materials have been addressed with many new solutions offered.

This Special Issue of the journal offers a selection of papers that target new material development, characterization of material properties, fitness-for-service testing, implementation and production, and recyclability.

Prof. Dr. Dimitry Sediako
Guest Editor

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. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

Superalloys
Ferrous alloys
Lightweight Alloys
aluminum alloys
Metal Matrix Composites
recyclability
mechanical properties
characterization
fitness for service assessment

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 165 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Insight into the Properties of Novel Materials—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites

by Dimitry Sediako and Joshua Stroh

Metals 2023, 13(11), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13111872 - 10 Nov 2023

Viewed by 632

Abstract

Modern industries heavily rely on the advancement of novel materials to meet the demanding requirements of a wide range of applications [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

10 pages, 1812 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Indentation Size Effect of Composite A356 + 6%FA Subjected to ECAP

by Merima Muslić, Luka Orešković, Vera Rede and Vesna Maksimović

Metals 2022, 12(5), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050821 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1702

Abstract

In this study, metal matrix-based composite (MMC) was subjected to Equal Chanel Angular Pressing (ECAP) in several passes to determine the influence of deformation on the hardness of the samples. Composite based on A356 aluminum alloy and reinforced with Fly Ash (FA) particles was obtained by the compo casting method. The microstructural analyses and microhardness measurements were performed on the cast and pressed samples. Vickers hardness measurement of composite samples was performed with different indentation load sizes: HV0.02, HV0.05, HV0.1 and HV0.2. Results showed that hardness increases after each ECAP pass. The lowest hardness value of 42 (HV0.02) as well as the lowest arithmetical mean value of 46 (HV0.2) was measured at the cast composite. The greatest composite hardness of 107 (HV0.1) and the highest arithmetical mean value of 94 (HV0.1) was measured at the three-time pressed sample. The mathematical model named Meyer’s law was used for data analysis. In the cast sample, a decrease in hardness was detected with increasing indentation load, termed Indentation Size Effect (ISE), was confirmed with Meyers index n = 1.9112 < 2. Pressed samples showed opposite behavior—an increase in hardness with increasing indentation load—where Meyers index n > 2 indicated Reverse Indentation Size Effect (RISE). For all samples, a high coefficient of determination R² > 0.99 confirmed that Meyer’s law described this phenomenon well. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites)

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21 pages, 5807 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Observing the Effect of Grain Refinement on Crystal Growth of Al and Mg Alloys during Solidification Using In-Situ Neutron Diffraction

by Abdallah Elsayed, Francesco D’Elia, Comondore Ravindran and Dimitry Sediako

Metals 2022, 12(5), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050793 - 04 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1852

Abstract

The present research uses in-situ neutron diffraction to examine the effect of grain refinement on grain growth during solidification of Al-5 wt.% Cu and Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloys. The alloys were grain refined through additions of Al-5Ti-1B and Zr, respectively. The in-situ neutron diffraction experiments were carried out by heating the alloys to temperatures above the liquidus and subsequently cooling in 5 or 10 °C temperature steps to temperatures below solidus, while being irradiated by thermal neutrons. With the addition of grain refiners, grain size reductions of 92% were observed for both the Al-5 wt.% Cu and Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloys. The refined and unrefined Al-5 wt.% Cu alloys contained α-Al with Al₂Cu along the grain boundary regions. Differences in Al₂Cu morphology were observed in the grain refined alloys. The Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloy contained MgZn intermetallic phases with primary Mg. The refined Mg-5 wt.% Zn-0.7 wt.% Zr alloy contained Mg, MgZn and Zn₂Zr phases. In-situ neutron diffraction enabled quantification of individual plane solid fraction growth for the α-Al and Al₂Cu phases in the Al-Cu alloys, and for α-Mg in the Mg alloys. For the unrefined Al-5 wt.% Cu, the coarse microstructure resulted in a rapid solid fraction rise at temperatures just below liquidus followed by a gradual increase in solid fraction until the sample was fully solid. The grain-refined Al-5 wt.% Cu alloys showed a columnar to equiaxed microstructure transition and a more gradual growth in fraction solid throughout solidification. For the Mg-5 wt.% Zn alloy, the more packed

(0002)

and

(10 \bar{1} 1)

α-Mg plane intensities grew at a slower rate than the

(10 \bar{1} 0)

plane intensity, resulting in an irregular grain structure. With the addition of the Zr grain refiner, the Mg-5 wt.% Zn-0.7 wt.% Zr alloy had

(10 \bar{1} 0)

(0002)

and

(10 \bar{1} 1)

planes intensities all increasing at similar rates, especially at the early stages of solidification. FactSage™ (version 6.4, Montréal, QC, Canada) equilibrium solidification models followed the fraction solid curves developed by tracking the fastest growing planes of the Mg alloys. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites)

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13 pages, 35772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neural Network Prediction of Slurry Erosion Wear of Ni-WC Coated Stainless Steel 420

by Sourabh Kumar, Saroj Kumar Chandra, Saurav Dixit, Kaushal Kumar, Shivam Kumar, Gunasekaran Murali, Nikolay Ivanovich Vatin and Mohanad Muayad Sabri Sabri

Metals 2022, 12(5), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050706 - 20 Apr 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1860

Abstract

In the present study, Erosion wear of stainless steel 420 was predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN). Stainless steel 420 is used for making slurry transportation components, such as pump impellers and casings. The erosion wear performance was analyzed by using a slurry pot tester at the rotational speed of 600–1500 rpm with a time duration of 80–200 min. Fly ash was used as an erodent medium, and the solid concentration varied from 20 to 50%. The particle size of erodent selected for the erosion tests was <53 µm, 53–106 µm, 106–150 µm, 150–250 µm. A standard artificial neural network (ANN) for the prediction of erosion wear was designed using the MATLAB program. Erosion wear results obtained from experiments showed a good agreement with the ANN results. This technique helps in saving time and resources for a large number of experimental trials and successfully predicts the erosion wear rate of the coatings both within and beyond the experimental domain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites)

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20 pages, 7969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Iron-Bearing Intermetallics on the Fitness-for-Service Performance of a Rare-Earth-Modified A356 Alloy for Next Generation Automotive Powertrains

by Joshua Stroh, Dimitry Sediako and David Weiss

Metals 2021, 11(5), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11050788 - 13 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2004

Abstract

Aimed at improving the tensile strength and creep resistance of a rare earth-modified A356 alloy, this study adjusted the Mg and Mn concentration in the alloy, specifically aiming to transform the harmful Al₅FeSi and Al₉FeSi₃Mg₅ phase into Al₁₅(Fe,Mn)₃Si₂. It was found that lowering the Mg concentration from 0.49 to 0.25 wt.% and raising the Mn concentration from 0.10 to 0.41 wt.% resulted in a near complete transformation of the Fe-bearing phases. This transformation led to a greater total volume fraction of Fe-intermetallics (2.9 to 4.1%), without affecting the volume fraction of the desirable, temperature-resistant, AlSiRE phase. Moreover, the chemistry modification led to a shift in the morphology of the AlSiRE phase while reducing its size. Combined with the decreased volume fraction of the harmful Fe precipitates, the chemistry modification improved the yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and modulus of elasticity by ~14%, 9%, and 10%, respectively. In addition, the steady-state creep rates of the high Mn alloy were lower at all stresses as compared to the low Mn alloy and the fracture stress was ~15 MPa higher, reaching 100% of the alloy’s original 250 °C YS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites)

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17 pages, 14045 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Effects of Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of an HPDC Marine Transmission Gearcase

by Joshua Stroh, Dimitry Sediako, Ted Hanes, Kevin Anderson and Alex Monroe

Metals 2021, 11(3), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11030517 - 22 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1922

Abstract

The drive for continuously improving the performance and increasing the efficiencies of marine transportation has resulted in the development of a new alloy, Mercalloy A362™. This alloy was designed to lighten Mercury Marine’s lower transmission gearcase while also improving the alloy’s recyclability. The new prototype gearcase was subjected to Mercury Marine’s standard service conditions, which resulted in the premature failure of the prototype. A previous study revealed that a large accumulation of unwanted residual stress (~120 MPa) was present in the gearcase following the high pressure die casting process. Fortunately, the T5 heat treatment reduced the magnitude of stress by approximately 50%. However, the effects that the T5 heat treatment had on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy were not discussed. Thus, this research article characterizes the effects that the T5 heat treatment has on the volume fraction and morphology of the intermetallics, as well as the tensile performance of the alloy. It was found that the T5 heat treatment led to only minor increases in the volume fraction of Fe-bearing intermetallics, leading to similar tensile properties in both the as-cast and T5 condition. These results suggest that the T5 heat treatment can alleviate residual stress without significantly altering the mechanical properties of the alloy. The results from the previous stress analysis and the current study were used to optimize the manufacturing process which led to the successful introduction of the gearcase into the competitive marine industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Material Properties—Superalloys, Ferrous and Lightweight Alloys and Metal Matrix Composites)

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