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Stir casting is an economical process for the fabrication of aluminum matrix composites. There are many parameters in this process, which affect the final microstructure and mechanical properties of the compos- ites. In this study, micron-sized SiC particles were used as reinforcement to fabricate A1-3 wt% SiC composites at two casting temperatures （680 and 850 ℃） and stirring periods （2 and 6 min）. Factors of reaction at matrix/ceramic interface, porosity, ceramic incorporation, and agglomera- tion of the particles were evaluated by scanning electron microscope （SEM） and high-resolution transition electron microscope （HRTEM） studies. From microstructural char- acterizations, it is concluded that the shorter stirring period is required for ceramic incorporation to achieve metal/ce- ramic bonding at the interface. The higher stirring tem- perature （850 ℃） also leads to improved ceramic incorporation. In some cases, shrinkage porosity and intensive formation of A14C3 at the metal/ceramic interface are also observed. Finally, the mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated, and their relation with the corresponding microstructure and processing parameters of the composites was discussed.

Graphene nanoplatelets/aluminum （GNPs/Al） nanocomposites were fabricated using a novel two-step method. High resolution transmission electron microscope （HRTEM）, Raman, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS）, EDS mapping, and mechanical testing system （MTS） were applied to characterize the microstructure and mechanical properties of the GNPs/Al nanocomposites. The GNPs were homogeneously dispersed in GNPs/Al nanocomposites, and presented a fine interface behavior and microstructure characteristics. A harmful phase, aluminum carbide （Al4C3）, was not observed in significant quantities in the nanocomposite. Compared with pure aluminum, the mechanical properties of the GNPs/Al nanocomposites containing a low volume fraction of GNPs were sharply improved. When 0.5 vol.%, 1.0 vol.%, and 2.0 vol.% GNPs were added to the aluminum matrix, the average compressive strength of GNPs/A1 nanocomposites was 297, 345, and 527 MPa, respectively, which remarkably increased the strength over the original aluminum by 330% to 586%.

The effect of thermomechanical treatments on the microstructures and properties of Cu-2.1Ni-0.5Si- 0.2Zr alloy was investigated. The hot-rolled plates were solution treated at 920 ℃ for 1.5 h, quenched into water, cold rolled by 70 % reduction in thickness, and then aged at 400, 450 and 500 ℃for various times. The variation in tensile strength and electrical conductivity of the alloy was measured as a function of the aging time. The results show the peak strength value of 665 MPa for the alloy aged at 450 ℃ for 2 h. However, the electrical conductivity is observed to reach a maximum of 47 % IACS aged at 450℃for 8 h. OM, SEM, and TEM were used for microstructural inspection of the alloy. Precipitation occurs preferentially at deformation bands in the cold-rolled alloy. Properties behavior is discussed in the light of microstructural features.

Low-carbon （0.08 wt% C） steel has been subjected to three different heat treatments to obtain dual-phase steels with different microstructures. An understanding of structure-property was established through tensile tests, in conjunction with scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The results show that the steel after intermediate quenching （IQ） consisting of fine and fibrous martensite exhibited the intermediate strength, highest elongation and the best comprehensive performance of mechanical properties, whereas the steel subjected to intercritical annealing （IA） produced a network martensite along ferrite grain boundaries, having the lowest strength and intermediate elongation. Besides, step quenching （SQ） resulted in a coarse and blocky ferrite-martensite microstructure showing the worst mechanical properties of the three different heat-treatment conditions. The strain-hardening behavior was studied through the modified Crussard- Jaoul model, indicating two stages of strain-hardening behavior for all three samples. The highest magnitude of strain- hardening ability was obtained by IQ annealing routes. The analysis of the fractured surface revealed that ferrite/martensite interfaces are the most susceptible for microvoid nucleation. However, martensite microcracks were also observed in SQ sample, and the microvoids are nucleated within the ferrite grain in IA sample as well. The variations in strength, elongation, strain-hardening behavior and fracture mechanism of the steel with different heat-treatment schedules were further discussed in relation to the microstructural features.

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the effects of asphalt concrete types on the microstructural characteristics at high-temperature. Suspend-dense structure and Skeleton-dense structure were selected to investigate the deformation of pavement at meso-scale. The internal microstructures of typical asphalt concretes, AC, SUP and SMA, were scanned by X-ray CT device, and microstructural changes before and after high-temperature damage were researched by digital image processing. Adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm（ATSA） based on image radius was developed and utilized to obtain the binary images of aggregates, air-voids and asphalt mastic. Then the shape and distribution of air-voids and aggregates were analyzed. The results show that the ATSA can distinguish the target and background effectively. Gradation and coarse aggregate size of asphalt mixtures have an obvious influence on the distribution of air-voids. The movements of aggregate particles are complex and aggregates with elliptic sharp show great rotation. The effect of gradation on microstructure during high-temperature damage promotes the research about the failure mechanism of asphalt concrete pavement.

Thermodynamic analysis of refractory siderite ore during carbothermic reduction was conducted. Micro- structure characteristics and phase transformation of siderite ore during sodium-carbonate-added catalyzing carboth- ermic reduction were investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive analysis of X rays were used to characterize the reduced samples. Results indicate that the solid reaction between FeO and SiO2 is inevitable during carbothermic reduction and the formation of fayalite is the main hindrance to the rapid reduction of siderite. The phase transformation of present siderite ore can be described as： siderite-magnetite-metallic iron, complying with the formation of abundant fayalite. Improving the reduction temperature （-1050 -C ） and duration is helpful for the formation and aggregation of metallic iron. The iron particle size in the reduced ore was below 20 l-m, and fayalite was abundant in the absence of sodium carbonate. With 5% Na2CO3 addition, the iron particle size in the reduced ore was generally above 50μm, and the diffraction intensity associated with metallic iron in the XRD pattern increased. The Na2O formed from the dissociation of Na2 CO3 can catalyze the carbothermie reduction of the siderite. This catalytic activity may be mainly caused by an increase in the reducing reaction activity of FeO.

A medium-carbon steel was processed through different warm rolling techniques, and the microstructural features with bimodal grain size distribution were found to be different. The combination of strength and ductility was ameliorated in the steel processed through warm rolling characterized by biaxial reduction. The enhanced strength is attributed to the densely distributed fine intragranular cementite particles and the small grain size in the coarse grain regions. The enhanced uniform elongation is due to the improved work hardening behavior at the large-strain stage. This work hardening behavior is predominantly ascribed to the finely dispersed intragranular particles. The relatively small grain size with nearly equiaxed shape in the coarse grain regions helps stabilize the uniform deformation to a large strain.

The objective of this investigation is to study the influence of vanadium（5.0wt%–10.0wt%） and chromium（0–9.0wt%） on the microstructure and hardness of Cr-V-Mn-Ni white cast irons with spheroidal vanadium carbides. The alloys＇ microstructural features are presented and discussed with regard to the distribution of phase elements. The structural constituents of the alloys are spheroidal VC, proeutectoid cementite, ledeburite eutectic, rosette-shaped carbide eutectic（based on M7C3）, pearlite, martensite, and austenite. Their combinations and area fraction（AF） ratios are reported to be influenced by the alloys＇ chemical composition. Spheroidized VC particles are found to be sites for the nucleation of carbide eutectics. Cr and V are shown to substitute each other in the VC and M7C3 carbides, respectively. Chromium alloying leads to the formation of a eutectic（γ-Fe ＋ М7С3）, preventing the appearance of proeutectoid cementite in the structure. Vanadium and chromium are revealed to increase the total carbide fraction and the amount of austenite in the matrix. Cr is observed to play a key role in controlling the metallic matrix microstructure.

High temperature oxidation behavior of the bond coat layer is a critical factor that controls the failure mechanism of thermal barrier coatings（TBCs）.Previous work reveald that TBCs with cryomilled NiCrAlY bond coats exhibited an improved oxidation behavior compared to equivalent TBCs with conventional bond coats.The cryomilled NiCrAlY bond coats contributed to a slower growth rate of thermally grown oxides（TGO） with a final thinner thickness and enhanced homogeneity in TGO composition.To better understand the improved oxidation behavior,a mechanistic investigation based on diffusion theory and quantum mechanics is performed to elucidate the role of aluminum diffusion in the oxidation behavior and how the microstructural features of the cryomilled NiCrAlY bond coats,i e,the creation of a thermally stable,uniform distribution of ultrafine Al-rich oxide dispersoids,affect the diffusion kinetics of Al and the migration of free electrons.It is revealed that these Al-rich oxide dispersoids result in a uniform diffusion of Al and slow migration of free electrons within the NiCrAlY bond coat,consequently leading to the improved oxidation behavior.

Microstructural characteristics of different sub-regions of heat affected zone （HAZ） of low welding crack susceptibility steel weldment were investigated by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with electron backscattered diffraction system. And the focus was put on the correlation between microstructural characteristics and HAZ toughness of the weldment. The results reveal that the toughness of fusion line zone （FLZ） specimens is much lower than that of fine grained HAZ （FGHAZ） specimens. The coarse inclusions in the weld metal and the large martensite-austenite constituents in the coarse grained HAZ （CGHAZ） have an obvious negative effect on the crack initiation energy of FLZ. Meanwhile, the coarse granular bainite with large effective grain decreases the crack propagation energy seriously. By contrast, fine crystallographic grains in the FGHAZ play a key role in increasing toughness, especially in improving crack propagation energy.