Koichi Tsuchiya

Reversible transition of deformation mode by structural rejuvenation and relaxation in bulk metallic glass

A transition of the deformation mode from heterogeneous, localized deformation to homogeneous deformation was observed in Zr50Cu40Al10 bulk metallic glass (BMG) by giant straining using the high-pressure torsion (HPT) method. The transition is accompanied by a pronounced decrease in hardness and elastic modulus as measured by nanoindentation. Annealing of the deformed BMG resulted in the restoration of the localized deformation, hardness, and elastic modulus; thus, the transition is reversible. The observed reversible transition can be attributed to a change in the local atomic environment in the rejuvenated volume and the relaxed one.

Longitudinal Hierarchy Co3O4 Mesocrystals with High-dense Exposure Facets and Anisotropic Interfaces for Direct-Ethanol Fuel Cells

Novel electrodes are needed for direct ethanol fuel cells with improved quality. Hierarchical engineering can produce catalysts composed of mesocrystals with many exposed active planes and multi-diffused voids. Here we report a simple, one-pot, hydrothermal method for fabricating Co3O4/carbon/substrate electrodes that provides control over the catalyst mesocrystal morphology (i.e., corn tubercle pellets or banana clusters oriented along nanotube domains, or layered lamina or multiple cantilevered sheets). These morphologies afforded catalysts with a high density of exposed active facets, a diverse range of mesopores in the cage interior, a window architecture, and vertical alignment to the substrate, which improved efficiency in an ethanol electrooxidation reaction compared with a conventional platinum/carbon electrode. On the atomic scale, the longitudinally aligned architecture of the Co3O4 mesocrystals resulted in exposed low- and high-index single and interface surfaces that had improved electron transport and diffusion compared with currently used electrodes.

Enhanced uniform elongation by pre-straining with deformation twinning in high-strength β-titanium alloys with an isothermal ω-phase

It is shown that pre-straining with deformation twinning is a novel approach to enhancing the uniform elongation of a high-strength β-type Ti–15Mo alloy (mass%) with isothermal ω-phase precipitation. Pre-existent mechanical {3 3 2}⟨1 1 3⟩ twins hinder the early onset of plastic instability (necking) after yielding, which is often caused by the presence of the isothermal ω-phase, and enhance the uniform elongation markedly from 0% to 13% at a yield strength level of 900 MPa.

Deformation Mechanism and Stabilization of Martensite in TiNi Shape Memory Alloy

The deformed microstructures of a TiNi shape memory alloy were investigated in present study to clarify the deformation mechanism. It is found that the stress-strain curve was divided into three stages based on the deformation modes. The cause of martensitic stabilization effect was also interpreted by paying special attention to the deformed microstructures. Transmission electron microscopic examination revealed that at the early stage of deformation martensitic reorientation and compound twinning relieved some of the elastic strain energy stored in martensite, and this contributes to the martensitic stabilization effect. However, when deformation strain became larger, the density of dislocations increased correspondingly. Antiphase boundaries were also found. The degree of ordering was therefore decreased due to dislocations and antiphase boundaries. So disordering was another cause of martensitic stabilization effect. In the middle stage of deformation martensitic stabilization was attributed to the two reasons above.

First-principles study of electronic structures and stability of body-centered cubic Ti-Mo alloys by special quasirandom structures.

Abstract The electronic structures and structural properties of body-centered cubic Ti–Mo alloys were studied by first-principles calculations. The special quasirandom structures (SQS) model was adopted to emulate the solid solution state of the alloys. The valence band electronic structures of Ti–Mo and Ti–Mo–Fe alloys were measured by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The structural parameters and valence band photoelectron spectra were calculated using first-principles calculations. The results obtained with the SQS models showed better agreement with the experimental results than those obtained using the conventional ordered structure models. This indicates that the SQS model is effective for predicting the various properties of solid solution alloys by means of first-principles calculations.

Microstructure study of a severely plastically deformed Mg-Zn-Y alloy by application of low angle annular dark field diffraction contrast imaging

Microstructural investigation of extremely strained samples, such as severely plastically deformed (SPD) materials, by using conventional transmission electron microscopy techniques is very challenging due to strong image contrast resulting from the high defect density. In this study, low angle annular dark field (LAADF) imaging mode of scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has been applied to study the microstructure of a Mg-3Zn-0.5Y (at%) alloy processed by high pressure torsion (HPT). LAADF imaging advantages for observation of twinning, grain fragmentation, nucleation of recrystallized grains and precipitation on second phase particles in the alloy processed by HPT are highlighted. By using STEM-LAADF imaging with a range of incident angles, various microstructural features have been imaged, such as nanoscale subgrain structure and recrystallization nucleation even from the thicker region of the highly strained matrix. It is shown that nucleation of recrystallized grains starts at a strain level of revolution (earlier than detected by conventional bright field imaging). Occurrence of recrystallization of grains by nucleating heterogeneously on quasicrystalline particles is also confirmed. Minimizing all strain effects by LAADF imaging facilitated grain size measurement of nm in fully recrystallized HPT specimen after . Graphical Abstract

Study of {332} twinning in a multilayered Ti-10Mo-xFe (x = 1–3) alloy by ECCI and EBSD

Abstract We have investigated the propagation of {332}<113> twins in a multilayered Ti-10Mo-xFe (x = 1–3) alloy fabricated by multi-pass hot rolling. The material contains a macroscopic Fe-graded structure (about 130 μm width) between 1 and 3 wt% Fe in the direction perpendicular to rolling. We observe strong influence of the Fe-graded structure in the twin propagation behavior. The propagation of {332}<113> twins that are nucleated in Fe-lean regions (~1 wt% Fe) is interrupted in the grain interiors at a specific Fe content, namely, about 2 wt% Fe. We ascribe this effect to the role of Fe content in solid solution on the stress for twin propagation. The interruption of twins in the grain interiors results in the development of characteristic dislocation configurations such as highly dense dislocation walls (HDDWs) associated to strain localization phenomena. The nucleation and propagation of these dislocation configurations is ascribed to the underlying plastic accommodation mechanisms of the stress field at the twin tips. We find that the crystallographic alignment of HDDWs is determined by the stress field at the twin tips and the deformation texture. The excellent plastic accommodation at the interrupted twin tips allows attaining the good ductility of the present material (total elongation of 28%).

Cytocompatibility evaluation and surface characterization of TiNi deformed by high-pressure torsion.

Effect of high-pressure torsion (HPT) deformation on biocompatibility and surface chemistry of TiNi was systematically investigated. Ti-50 mol% Ni was subjected to HPT straining for different numbers of turns, N=0.25, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 at a rotation speed of 1 rpm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy observations after 7 days of cell culture revealed the changes in the surface oxide composition, enrichment of Ti and detection of nitrogen derived from organic molecules in the culture medium. Plating efficiency of L929 cells was slightly increased by HPT deformation though no significant difference was observed. Albumin adsorption was higher in HPT-deformed samples, while vitronectin adsorption was peaked at N=1. HPT deformation was also found to effectively suppress the Ni ion release from the TiNi samples into the cell culture medium even after the low degree of deformation at N=0.25.

Microstructure and Aging Behavior of Cu-Be Alloy Processed by High-Pressure Torsion

The microstructure and aging behavior of Cu-1.8wt%Be-0.2wt%Co alloy specimens processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) at room temperature (RT) and 150°C after solution treatment have been studied. Application of HPT processing at RT and 150°C under an applied pressure of 5 GPa for 10 revolutions at 1 rpm to alloy specimens (RT-and 150°C-specimen) produces an ultra-fine grained structure with a grain size of 70 nm. The hardnesses of the RT-and 150°C-specimens increase with equivalent strain up to 7 and then saturate at constant values of 400 and 430 Hv, respectively. Annealing the RT-specimen at 150°C for 10 min increases the hardness from 400 to 430 Hv. Transmission electron microscopy observations of the 150°C-specimen and the RT-specimen annealed at 150°C reveal that there are no intragranular and intergranular precipitates. It is suggested that the higher hardness of the 150°C-specimen than the RT-specimen is ascribed to the segregation of Be atoms on dislocations during HPT processing at 150°C. The RT-and 150°C-specimens harden rapidly and exhibit maximum values of hardness at 3 min during aging at 320°C. The increase in the hardness is attributed to the precipitation of finely dispersed G.P. zones.

Nanocrystallization of Zr-Cu-Ni-Al-Au glassy alloys during severe plastic deformation

A study has been carried out into the formation of nanocrystalline grains during high-pressure torsion (HPT) deformation of Zr65Cu17Ni5Al10Au3 bulk alloys prepared using tilt casting. As a preliminary to this, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses were carried out on as-cast Zr65+xCu17-xNi5Al10Au3 (x=0~5 at.%) and Zr65Cu20Ni5Al10Au3 alloys, in order to determine the effect on the microstructure of the excess Zr content x and the presence of Au. From the XRD patterns, it was determined that all of the alloys had a metallic glassy nature. For Zr65Cu17Ni5Al10Au3, the DSC results indicated the presence of a wide supercooled liquid region between the glass transition temperature (Tg) of 644 K and the crystallization temperature of 763 K, where the stable body-centered tetragonal Zr2Cu phase was formed. In contrast, for the Zr65+xCu17-xNi5Al10Au3 alloys, precipitation of an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase (I-phase) was observed in the supercooled liquid region at about 715 K. HPT deformation of the Zr65Cu17Ni5Al10Au3 alloys was carried out under a high pressure of 5 GPa. Both as-cast specimens and those annealed at Tg-50 K for 90 min were used. Following a single HPT rotation (N=1), transmission electron microscopy identified the presence of face- centered cubic Zr2Ni precipitates in the as-cast alloy, with a size of about 50 nm. For the annealed alloy, a high density of I-phase precipitates with sizes of less than 10 nm was observed following HPT with N=10, indicating that the combination of severe plastic deformation and annealing is effective at producing extremely small grains.