W. Zhai

A numerical simulation of acoustic field within liquids subject to three orthogonal ultrasounds

When one beam of ultrasound propagates along a single direction in liquids, the cavitation effect is always confined to a limited volume close to the ultrasonic source. This greatly limits the application of power ultrasound in liquid processing and materials fabrication. In this study, a methodology for applying three orthogonal ultrasounds within liquids has been proposed. By solving the Helmholtz equation, the sound field distribution characteristics are investigated in 1D (one dimensional), 2D (two dimensional) and 3D (three dimensional) ultrasounds at their resonant frequencies, which show that the coherent interaction of three beams of ultrasounds is able to strikingly promote the sound pressure level and reinforce the mean acoustic energy density as compared with that in 1D case. Hence, the potential cavitation volume is enlarged remarkably. This opens new possibilities for the design and optimization of ultrasonic technology in fabricating materials.

Ternary eutectic growth during directional solidification of Ag–Cu–Sb alloy

The directional solidification process of ternary Ag42.4Cu21.6Sb36 eutectic alloy within a wide growth rate range from 2 to 60 μm/s was accomplished at a constant temperature gradient of 50 K/cm. As growth rate increases, the ternary (θ(Cu2Sb) + ε(Ag3Sb) + Sb) eutectic morphology evolves from “lamellar (θ + ε) plus fibrous (Sb)” structure into “(θ + Sb) fibres in continuous ε matrix” structure. The θ and (Sb) phase spacings decrease with the increase of growth rate according to power functions with exponent values of 0.55 and 0.56, respectively. It is also found that the microhardness of directionally solidified Ag42.4Cu21.6Sb36 alloy samples is enhanced with the increase of growth rate, and the decrease of θ and (Sb) phase spacings.

Dendrite growth kinetics of βZr phase within highly undercooled liquid Zr−Si hypoeutectic alloys under electrostatic levitation condition

The liquid Zr100-xSix (x = 1, 3, and 5) alloys were substantially undercooled by up to 392 K (0.19TL), 423 K (0.21TL), and 451 K (0.23TL), respectively, under the electrostatic levitation condition. The measured dendrite growth velocity of the primary βZr phase increased with the enhancement of liquid undercooling. Although the undercooling ability showed an increasing tendency with the increase in the Si content, dendrite growth was obviously depressed due to the dominance of solute diffusion controlled growth. Their critical undercoolings for kinetics transition from solute diffusion to thermal diffusion controlled growth were determined. It demonstrates a remarkable refinement of dendrites and an increasing trend of Si solubility in αZr dendrites with increasing undercooling.

Thermodynamic properties and phase transitions of ternary Co–Cu–Si alloys with equiatomic Co/Cu ratio

Different amounts of Si element were introduced into binary Co50Cu50 alloy to investigate the thermodynamic properties and phase transitions of ternary Co50−x/2Cu50−x/2Si x (x = 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 at%) alloys. Their liquidus and solidus temperatures versus Si content were determined by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. It was found that the addition of Si element depressed both the liquidus and solidus temperatures as compared with binary Co50Cu50 alloy. In particular, the additions of 10 and 20 at% Si remarkably reduced the critical undercooling for liquid demixing to only 3 and 1 K, whereas no liquid phase separation took place in other Co50−x/2Cu50−x/2Si x alloys. The relationship between the enthalpy of fusion and alloy composition was also established by a polynomial function on the basis of the measured data. The solidification microstructures of the DSC samples were investigated corresponding to the calorimetric signals, based on which the solidification pathway for each Co50−x/2Cu50−x/2Si x alloy was elucidated. The Si element displays stronger affinity with the Co element than the Cu element. As Si content rises, the pseudobinary eutectic (Co + Co2Si), (Co2Si + CoSi), (CoSi + CoSi2) and (Cu3Si + Si) structures were successively formed, and there were no ternary intermetallic compounds in these alloys. The thermal diffusivity of solid ternary Co50−x/2Cu50−x/2Si x alloys was determined by a laser flash method in a wide temperature range from 300 to 1180 K, which showed a decreasing tendency with the increase of Si content.