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Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume)

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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 (10 July 2024) | Viewed by 7886

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Prof. Dr. Joan-Josep Suñol

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Department of Physics, Campus Montilivi s/n, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
Interests: powder metallurgy; structural analysis; thermal analysis; mechanical alloying; nanocrystalline
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is the second Special Issue on this topic. In this Special Issue, the main objectives are to present new scientific and technological issues linked to: a) Synthesis and processing in solid-state science and technology; high-energy milling, severe plastic deformation of materials (SPD), and reaction milling. b) New materials: composites, high-entropy alloys, and materials for energy. c) Structural and functional characterization: microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal stability, and magnetic response. d) New equipment and procedures: milling equipment based on improved milling efficiency. e) Simulation and modeling of the milling process.

Mechanical alloying/milling (MA/MM) is a versatile process for the production of powders. The size and size distribution of the particles change as a result of continuous fracture and welding. It has been applied to the production of advanced materials such as oxide-dispersion-strengthened, amorphous, nanocrystalline, and extended solid solutions; metastable phases; new ceramic, metallic, and composite materials; pharmaceutical products; and mechanochemical reaction materials. The samples/materials obtained after MA processes depends on several parameters: geometric and dynamic parameters of mill design, the character of motion of milling bodies, the physical and mechanical characteristics of milling bodies, the characteristics of processed substances, the mass ratio of milling bodies to powder, vial temperature, milling atmosphere, the selection of process control agents, and the filling factor of the vial. Moreover, the experimental milling devices to perform the alloying process are very different; attritor, shaker mill, horizontal ball mill, planetary mill, and ball mill controlled by magnetic force. Likewise, the materials are produced directly by mechanical alloying/milling or by combining this technique with other synthesis techniques (spark plasma sintering, HVOF, additive manufacturing, consolidation, sintering) in order to produce bulk alloys, composites, surface layers or foams.

Prof. Dr. Joan-Josep Suñol
Guest Editor

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Keywords

advanced materials
functional properties
powder metallurgy
new materials synthesis
modelling
milling devices
simulation

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 5507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pseudo-Core-Shell Permalloy (Supermalloy)@ZnFe₂O₄ Powders and Spark Plasma Sintered Compacts Based on Mechanically Alloyed Powders

by Traian Florin Marinca, Loredana Cotojman, Florin Popa, Bogdan Viorel Neamțu, Călin-Virgiliu Prică and Ionel Chicinaș

Materials 2024, 17(16), 4139; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17164139 - 21 Aug 2024

Viewed by 609

Abstract

Soft magnetic composite cores were produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) from Ni₃Fe@ZnFe₂O₄ and NiFeMo@ZnFe₂O₄ pseudo-core-shell powders. In the Fe-Ni alloys@ZnFe₂O₄ pseudo-core-shell composite powders, the core is a large nanocrystalline Permalloy or Supermalloy particle obtained by mechanical alloying, and the shell is a pseudo continuous layer of Zn ferrite particles. The pseudo-core-shell powders have been compacted by SPS at temperatures between 500–700 °C, with a holding time of 0 min. Several techniques were used for the characterisation of the powders and sintered compacts: X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, magnetic hysteresis measurements (DC and AC), and electrical resistivity. The electrical resistivity is stabilised at values of about 7 × 10⁻³ Ω·m for sintering temperatures between 600–700 °C and this value is three orders of magnitude higher than the electrical resistivity of sintered Fe compacts. The best relative initial permeability was obtained for the Supermalloy/ZnFe₂O₄ composite compacts sintered at 600 °C, which decreases linearly for the entire frequency range studied, from around 95 to 50. At a frequency of 2000 Hz, the power losses are smaller than 1.5 W/kg. At a frequency of 10 kHz, the power losses are larger, but they remain at a reduced level. In the case of Supermalloy/ZnFe₂O₄ composite compact SPS-ed at 700 °C, the specific power losses are even lower than 5 W/kg. The power losses’ decomposition proved that intra-particle losses are the main type of losses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume))

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20 pages, 13340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Corrosion Behavior of Ferritic 12Cr ODS and Martensitic X46Cr13 Steels in Nitric Acid and Sodium Chloride Solutions

by Krzysztof Nowik, Rafał Zybała, Bogna Sztorch and Zbigniew Oksiuta

Materials 2024, 17(14), 3466; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17143466 - 12 Jul 2024

Viewed by 862

Abstract

This paper presents corrosion resistance results of a 12Cr ferritic ODS steel (Fe-12Cr-2W-0.5Zr-0.3Y₂O₃) fabricated via a powder metallurgy route as a prospective applicant for fuel cladding materials. In a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facility, nitric acid serves as the primary solvent in the PUREX method. Therefore, fundamental immersion and electrochemical tests were conducted in various nitric acid solutions to evaluate corrosion degradation behavior. Additionally, polarization tests were also performed in 0.61 M of sodium chloride solutions (seawater-like atmosphere) as a more general, all-purpose procedure that produces valid comparisons for most metal alloys. For comparison, martensitic X46Cr13 steel was also examined under the same conditions. In general, the corrosion resistance of the 12Cr ODS steel was better than its martensitic counterpart despite a lower nominal chromium content. Potentiodynamic polarization plots exhibited a lower corrosion current and higher breakdown potentials in chloride solution in the case of the ODS steel. It was found that the corrosion rate during immersion tests was exceptionally high in diluted (0.1–3 M) boiling nitric acid media, followed by its sharp decrease in more concentrated solutions (>4 M). The results of the polarization plots also exhibited a shift toward more noble corrosion potential as the concentrations increased from 1 M to 4 M of HNO₃. The results on corrosion resistance were supported by LSCM and SEM observations of surface topology and corrosion products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume))

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14 pages, 16012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Influence of Nanocrystalline Structure and Aluminum Content on High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior of Fe-Cr-Al Alloys

by Rajiv Kumar, R. K. Singh Raman, S. R. Bakshi, V. S. Raja and S. Parida

Materials 2024, 17(7), 1700; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17071700 - 8 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 941

Abstract

The present study examines the high-temperature (500–800 °C) oxidation behavior of Fe-10Cr-(3,5) Al alloys and studies the effect of nanocrystalline structure and Al content on their resistance to oxidation. The nanocrystalline (NC) alloy powder was synthesized via planetary ball milling. The prepared NC alloy powder was consolidated using spark plasma sintering to form NC alloys. Subsequently, an annealing of the NC alloys was performed to transform them into microcrystalline (MC) alloys. It was observed that the NC alloys exhibit superior resistance to oxidation compared to their MC counterparts at high temperatures. The superior resistance to oxidation of the NC alloys is attributed to their considerably finer grain size, which enhances the diffusion of those elements to the metal–oxide interface that forms the protective oxide layer. Conversely, the coarser grain size in MC alloys limits the diffusion of the oxide-forming components. Furthermore, the Fe-10Cr-5Al alloy showed greater resistance to oxidation than the Fe-10Cr-3Al alloy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume))

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25 pages, 6904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development MPC for the Grinding Process in SAG Mills Using DEM Investigations on Liner Wear

by Ilia Beloglazov and Vyacheslav Plaschinsky

Materials 2024, 17(4), 795; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17040795 - 7 Feb 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1706

Abstract

The rapidly developing mining industry poses the urgent problem of increasing the energy efficiency of the operation of basic equipment, such as semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mills. For this purpose, a large number of studies have been carried out on the establishment of optimal operating parameters of the mill, the development of the design of lifters, the rational selection of their materials, etc. However, the dependence of operating parameters on the properties of the ore, the design of the linings and the wear of lifters has not been sufficiently studied. This work analyzes the process of grinding rock in SAG mill and the wear of lifters. The discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate the grinding of apatite-nepheline ore in a mill using different types of linings and determining the process parameters. It was found that the liners operating in cascade mode were subjected to impact-abrasive wear, while the liners with the cascade mode of operation were subjected predominantly to abrasive wear. At the same time, the results showed an average 40–50% reduction in linear wear. On the basis of modelling results, the service life of lifters was calculated. It is concluded that the Archard model makes it possible to reproduce with sufficient accuracy the wear processes occurring in the mills, taking into account the physical and mechanical properties of the specified materials. The control system design for the grinding process for SAG mills with the use of modern variable frequency drives (VFD) was developed. With the use of the proposed approach, the model predictive control (MPC) was developed to provide recommendations for controlling the optimum speed of the mill drum rotation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume))

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18 pages, 5819 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Structural, Compression, and Soft Magnetic Properties of Fe₆₅Ni₂₈Mn₇ Alloy Prepared by Arc Melting, Mechanical Alloying, and Spark Plasma Sintering

by Kaouther Zaara, Virgil Optasanu, Sophie Le Gallet, Lluisa Escoda, Joan Saurina, Frédéric Bernard, Mohamed Khitouni, Joan-Josep Suñol and Mahmoud Chemingui

Materials 2023, 16(22), 7244; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227244 - 20 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1255

Abstract

Soft magnetic Fe₆₅Ni₂₈Mn₇ (at. %) alloy was successfully synthesized by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering (SPS) and, in parallel, the same composition was prepared by arc melting (AM) for comparison. Several SPS conditions were tested. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the structure, phase composition, and morphology of the samples. It was found that mechanical alloying produced BCC and FCC supersaturated solid solution after 130 h of milling, with a fine microstructure (i.e., crystallite size of 10 nm). Spark plasma sintering performed at 750 °C and 1000 °C under two pressures of 50 MPa and 75 MPa revealed stable FCC phases. A single FCC phase was observed after the arc melting synthesis. The magnetic properties of milled powders and solids obtained by AM and SPS were investigated. The specimen consolidated by SPS at 1000 °C under the pressure of 50 MPa exhibits soft magnetic behavior (coercivity 0.07 Oe), whereas the mechanically alloyed sample revealed hard magnetic behavior. The specimen consolidated at 750 °C under a pressure of 75 MPa showed a higher compressive strength of 1700 MPa and a Vickers hardness of 425 ± 18 HV. As a result, sintering at 750 °C/75 MPa can be utilized to enhance the mechanical properties, while those sintered at 1000 °C/50 MPa increase magnetic softness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume))

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10 pages, 3558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phase Formation of Iron-Based Superconductors during Mechanical Alloying

by Vladimir A. Vlasenko, Alena Yu. Degtyarenko, Andrei I. Shilov, Alexey Yu. Tsvetkov, Lyudmila F. Kulikova, Alexey S. Medvedev and Kirill S. Pervakov

Materials 2022, 15(23), 8438; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238438 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1641

Abstract

We successfully synthesized bulk Ba_0.6Na_0.4Fe₂As₂ and Sr_0.5Na_0.5Fe₂As₂ compounds by high-energy mechanical alloying (MA) technique. The MA process results in homogeneous amorphous phases of BaFe₂As₂ and SrFe₂As₂. It was found that the optimum time for high-energy milling in all cases is about 1.5–2 h, and the maximum amount of amorphous phase could be obtained when energy of 50–100 MJ/kg was absorbed by the powder. After a short-term heat treatment, we obtained nearly optimum sodium-doped Ba_1−xNa_xFe₂As₂ and Sr_1−xNa_xFe₂As₂ superconducting bulk samples. Therefore, MA is a potential scalable method to produce bulk superconducting material for industrial needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Materials Synthesis by Mechanical Alloying/Milling (Second Volume))

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