C. Aguilar

Synthesis and characterization of Ti–Ta–Nb–Mn foams

The unprecedented increase in human life expectancy have produced profound changes in the prevailing patterns of disease, like the observed increased in degenerative disc diseases, which cause degradation of the bones. Ti-Nb-Ta alloys are promising materials to replace the damaged bone due to their excellent mechanical and corrosion resistance properties. In general metallic foams are widely used for medical application due to their lower elastic moduli compare to bulk materials. In this work we studied the synthesis of 34Nb-29Ta-xMn (x: 2, 4 and 6 wt.% Mn) alloy foams (50% v/v) using ammonium hydrogen carbonate as a space holder. Alloys were produced through mechanical alloying in a planetary mill for 50h. Green compacts were obtained by applying 430 MPa pressure. To remove the space holder from the matrix the green compacts were heated to 180 °C for 1.5h and after sintered at 1300 °C for 3h. Foams were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning, transmission electron microscopy and optical microscopy. The elastic modulus of the foam was measured as ~30 GPa, and the values are almost equal to the values predicted using various theoretical models.

Fractal analysis of the heat treatment response for multiphase Al alloys

The present work shows the fractal analysis for the microstructure of Al-6Si-3Cu-xMg (x = 0.59, 3.80 and 6.78 wt.%) alloys, solution heat treated at 480 °C for times ranging from 4 to 72 h. Microstructural changes were examined using Optical Microscopy (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and quantified by measuring conventional characteristics of second phases. The fractal analysis of the microstructures was also carried out using fractal dimension (Df). Results shown important variations in the microstructure when Mg content is increased, being the eutectic Al-Si and Cu-rich phases the predominant phases for the alloys with low Mg content, while for higher Mg contents predominant phases were Mg2Si and Cu-rich phases. The analysis of Df showed that this parameter could be used in order to compare the microstructural solution response of the Al alloys. Besides, it was possible to correlate the fractal dimension with the shape factor of the second phases, mainly for the alloys with only one second phase remaining after heat treatment.

Fabricación de vidrios metálicos base cobre: evolución de las fases durante el procesode aleación mecánica

In this study, different, copper-based materials were fabricated under equal milling conditions (SPEX 8000D, argon atmosphere, stearic acid, BPR=10:1) and variable amounts of time, from 1 to 120 hours, in order to compare the microstructural changes during the process. The materials were: Pure copper; Cu-Ni alloys; Cu-Zr alloys; and Cu-Ni-Zr alloys. Subsequent to milling, the samples were measured with X-Ray Diffraction, Electron Transmission Microscopy, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. According to the results, copper, upon being subjected to the process, reaches a crystallite size that tends towards an asymptote starting at 5 hours. In the Cu-Ni system, instead of observing a microstructural refinement during this same period, there was rather a total solubilization of the nickel into the copper (40-60 and50-50), and of the copper into the nickel (60-40). As for the Cu-Zr binary system, it was found that, for five hours as well, the system was practically amorphous (60-40 and 50-50), a condition also present in the Cu-Ni-Zr ternary alloys (60-10-30 and 50-10-40).

Effect of amorphous Mg{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} on hydriding and dehydriding behavior of Mg{sub 2}Ni alloy

Composite Mg{sub 2}Ni (25 wt.%) amorphous Mg{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} was prepared by mechanical milling starting with nanocrystalline Mg{sub 2}Ni and amorphous Mg{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} powders, by using a SPEX 8000 D mill. The morphological and microstructural characterization of the powders was performed via scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The hydriding characterization of the composite was performed via a solid gas reaction method in a Sieverts-type apparatus at 363 K under an initial hydrogen pressure of 2 MPa. The dehydriding behavior was studied by differential thermogravimetry. On the basis of the results, it is possible to conclude that amorphous Mg{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} improved the hydriding and dehydriding kinetics of Mg{sub 2}Ni alloy upon cycling. A tentative rationalization of experimental observations is proposed. - Research Highlights: {yields} First study of the hydriding behavior of composite Mg{sub 2}Ni (25 wt.%) amorphous Mg{sub 50}Ni{sub 50}. {yields} Microstructural characterization of composite material using XRD and SEM was obtained. {yields} An improved effect of Mg{sub 50}Ni{sub 50} on the Mg{sub 2}Ni hydriding behavior was verified. {yields} The apparent activation energy for the hydrogen desorption of composite was obtained.