José Luis González-Carrasco

The high temperature oxidation behaviour of an ODS FeAl alloy

The oxidation behaviour of an oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) FeAl intermetallic, microalloyed with Zr and B and strengthened by a fine dispersion of Y2O3, is investigated at 1100°C for exposures of up to 200 h. The results show that a pure alumina scale is formed irrespective of the exposure time. The oxidation rate is far inferior to that found on PM 2000, a commercial alumina forming ODS ferritic superalloy. Limited scale spallation is observed in the intermetallic alloy from the early stages of oxidation. Scale failure, which is shown to occur during the cooling stage after oxidation and not at the high temperature of oxidation itself, results from the high compressive residual stresses in the scale induced by the misfit in the thermal expansion coefficients of the scale and the substrate. Failure of the scale may be supressed by using a very low cooling rate after oxidation.

The influence of some microstructural and test parameters on the tensile behaviour and the ductility of a mechanically-alloyed Fe–40Al alloy

Abstract The present study examines the influence of a wide range of microstructural parameters and tensile test conditions on the tensile behaviour of a mechanically-alloyed, fine grained Fe–40Al intermetallic. Major changes of tensile strength and ductility are obtained by reducing the grain size (with the ductility increasing from 1 to 10% for grain sizes of 100 and 1 μm), by avoiding environmental attack during the test, and by avoiding premature stress/strain concentrators (with the ductility increasing from 5 to 10% as imperfectly machined samples have their sample surfaces polished). Ductility variations are interpreted using a model based on the slow propagation of an initial crack which eventually reaches a condition of instability, and where the respective roles of environment, plastic deformation processes, and fracture mechanisms can be distinguished. The tensile ductility is highly sensitive to the surface state, meaning the degree of exposure to the environment, the extent of geometrical stress raisers, and the microstructure made up of the grain and particle size and distribution.

On the role of RhoA/ROCK signaling in contact guidance of bone-forming cells on anisotropic Ti6Al4V surfaces.

Patterned surfaces direct cell spatial dynamics, yielding cells oriented along the surface geometry, in a process known as contact guidance. The Rho family of GTPases controls the assembly of focal adhesions and cytoskeleton dynamics, but its role in modulating bone-cell alignment on patterned surfaces remains unknown. This article describes the interactions of two human cell types involved in osseointegration, specifically mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts, with submicron- or nano-scale Ti6Al4V grooved surfaces generated by mechanical abrasion. The surface chemistry of the alloy was not affected by grinding, ensuring that the differences found in cellular responses were exclusively due to changes in topography. Patterned surfaces supported cell growth and stimulated mesenchymal stem cell viability. Anisotropic surfaces promoted cell orientation and elongation along the grates. Both cell types oriented on nanometric surfaces with grooves of 150 nm depth and 2 μm width. The number of aligned cells increased by approximately 30% on submicrometric grooves with sizes of about 1 μm depth and 10 μm width. Cells were treated with drugs that attenuate the activities of the GTPase RhoA and one of its downstream effectors, Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), and contact guidance of treated cells on the grooved surfaces was investigated. The data indicate that the RhoA/ROCK pathway is a key modulator of both mesenchymal stem cell and osteoblast orientation on nanometric surface features. RhoA and its effector participate in the alignment of mesenchymal stem cells on submicrometric grooves, but not of osteoblasts. These findings show that RhoA/ROCK signaling is involved in contact guidance of bone-related cells on metallic substrates, although to a varying extent depending on the specific cell type and the dimensions of the pattern.

Corrosion behaviour of an Fe3Al-type intermetallic in a chloride containing solution

Abstract The corrosion behaviour of an Fe 3 Al-base intermetallic compound with different crystal structures in a chloride containing solution has been investigated. The corrosion current densities of this intermetallic were independent of the material crystal structure showing a passive state stable with time. These corrosion rates were of the same order of magnitude as for 316L stainless steel. The pitting corrosion resistance evaluated by means of cyclic anodic polarization curves was high for all different states. Amongst the different crystal structures of this intermetallic alloy, the two ordered states present the lowest pitting probability. This Fe 3 Al intermetallic shows higher pitting corrosion resistance than the 316L stainless steel but its capacity for repassivation is lower. A damaging factor of influence on the pitting corrosion behaviour is the presence of non-metallic inclusions on the surface which reduce the pitting corrosion resistance by almost a half.

Thermal stability of an AlNi3Al composite processed by powder metallurgy

Abstract The potential of Al Ni 3 Al composites for high-temperature applications, especially when friction is involved, is currently being explored. In this work, the thermal stability of an Al Ni 3 Al composite obtained by extrusion of Al and 5 vol% of spherical Ni3Al powder particles was investigated at temperatures up to 500 °C. The metal/intermetallic composite proved stable up to 300 °C. At higher temperatures, dissolution of Ni3Al particles occurred with formation of concentric layers of Al3Ni and Al3Ni2 phases. The amount of Ni aluminides for each annealing condition was determined by applying a specifically developed mathematical procedure. Dissolution of Ni3Al up to 500 °C was found to obey a parabolic-type law with an activation energy of 156 kJ mol−1. Activation energies for growth of Al3Ni2 and Al3Ni were 209 and 110 kJ mol−1, respectively, in agreement with the literature. The thermal stability shown by this composite makes it a good candidate for high-temperature applications up to 300 °C.

Oxidation behavior of a Ni3Al PM alloy

The oxidation behavior of a Ni3Al powder-metallurgical (PM) alloy doped with boron was investigated by means of discontinuous isothermal tests in the temperature range of 535° to 1020°C for exposures of up to 150 hr. The oxidation kinetics were characterized by a sharp decrease in the oxidation rate at about 730°C which is associated with a change in the oxidation mechanism. Below 730°C, the scale exhibited an outer NiO layer and an internal-oxidation zone consisting of a fine dispersion of alumina in a diluted Ni-Al solid solution. Between these two layers a very thin layer of nickel could be observed. Above 730°C, a three-layered scale was observed consisting of an outer NiO layer, an intermediate layer that depending on temperature consisted of a mixture of nickel and aluminum oxides or NiAl2O4, and an inner layer of Al2O3, which accounts for the higher oxidation resistance. Oxidation at the higher temperatures resulted in extensive void formation at the scale/metal interface which led to poorly adherent scales. It is worth noting that at the early oxidation stage the scale was characterized by planar interfaces. Roughening of the air/scale and, specially, the scale/metal interfaces after long exposures at the low-temperature range or after short times at higher temperatures could be related to the formation of the inner Al2O3 layer at the grain boundaries which favor oxygen penetration through the grain interior.

In vitro corrosion behaviour of MA 956 superalloy

The need for appropriated metallic materials for long-term implants is nowadays the driving force for the development of alternative materials with improved corrosion resistance in body fluids. In this work the in vitro corrosion behaviour of MA 956 is evaluated by means of electrochemical techniques during long-term tests in simulated human body media. This alloy, after an isothermal treatment at 1100 degrees C, develops on the surface a fine, dense and adherent alpha-alumina scale which considerably enhances the good corrosion resistance of the non-treated alloy.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of preoxidized MA 956 superalloy during in vitro experiments

Preoxidation treatment of MA 956 superalloy at 1100 degrees C produces a fine and tightly adherent alpha-alumina layer at the surface, which provides the alloy with an excellent barrier against a great variety of aggressive environments. In this work the protective capacity of the alumina/alloy system is evaluated in a physiological medium by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical response of the material is modelled by equivalent circuits which provide the most relevant corrosion and protection parameters applicable to MA 956 in both preoxidized and as-received conditions (passivated state). The high protective capacity of preoxidized MA 956 superalloy holds for long-term tests, which indicates that the corrosion phenomena, if any, would be characterized by very slow kinetics. The corrosion resistance of the preoxidized material is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that of the non-treated alloy.

Effect of UV irradiation on the surface Gibbs energy of Ti6Al4V and thermally oxidized Ti6Al4V

Thermal oxidation of Ti6Al4V increases the thickness, modifies the structure, and changes the amount of alloying elements of the surface titanium dioxide layer with respect to the spontaneous passive layer of Ti6Al4V. The effects on the surface properties of Ti6Al4V and thermally oxidized Ti6Al4V after different periods of UV irradiation have been studied by measurement of water, formamide, and diiodomethane contact angles. The rate of modification of the water contact angle with the irradiation time is dependent on the surface treatment, but the water adhesion work, after an initial energetic step, follows a similar trend for both. Application of the Young equation together with the van Oss approach allowed evaluation of the surface Gibbs energy of the alloys. Similar to the water adhesion work, the surface Gibbs energy dependence on the irradiation time follows a similar trend for both samples and it is due to the change of the electron-donor parameter of the acid-base component. Also, a linear relationship common for both samples has been obtained between the cosines of the water contact angle and the formamide or diiodomethane contact angle. These facts indicate that the surface modification continuously produced by the UV irradiation is similar all along the process and similar for both samples after an energetic threshold for the thermally oxidized sample. It has been also tested that the hydrophilic-hydrophobic conversion is reversible for Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al4V thermally treated.

The role of the surface roughness on the integrity of thermally generated oxide scales. Application to the Al2O3/MA956 system

This work deals with the effect of the metal roughness on the integrity of thermally generated oxide scales. For illustrative purposes, experimental evidence is shown for the alumina forming MA 956 alloy. The experimental results reveal that scale spallation occurs more readily in scales with rough surfaces than in scales with smooth surfaces, preferentially at the crests of the scale profile. In order to explain this feature, the effect of the roughness of both the gas/scale and scale/metal interfaces on the thermal stress distribution was analyzed by the finite element method. This analysis shows that with increasing roughness a gradient of compression stresses develops in the scale, being the maximum value of stresses located near the gas/scale interface. In general, the higher the roughness the higher the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the stresses. However, the average value of the stress distribution through the scale thickness decreases with increasing surface roughness. The effect of a planar gas/scale and a rough scale/metal interfaces was also modelled. In this case, the stress gradient in the scale was found to monotonically increase with increasing roughness although in a lower extension than when a rough gas/scale interface was also considered. On the basis of the experimental results and the stress distribution analyses a sequence of the scale failure during the cooling stage are proposed for both cases. It is concluded that the stress component that is normal to the interface and the shear stress play a key role on the scale integrity.