Self-organized nanotubular layers are electrochemically fabricated on Ti–4Zr–22Nb–2Sn alloys in water/glycerol (volume ratio 1:1) mixtures containing 0.3 M NH4F. Highly ordered nanotubes with two distinct diameters of ∼203 ± 5 (large size) and 113 ± 5 nm (small size) were observed at the bottom of the layer, which may be ascribed to the different microstructure and composition in this alloy. On extended anodization, the small-size tubes gradually disappeared because of the increasing H+. After annealing for 1 h at 500 °C, the nanotube layer on the Ti–4Zr–22Nb–2Sn alloy was transformed from the amorphous phase to anatase. The nanotubes were connected to each other by spaced rings at the sidewalls, whereas the distance between neighboring rings increased with the amplitude of applied current density.

Instrumented indentation tests have been widely adopted for elastic modulus determination. Recently, a number of indentation-based methods for plastic properties characterization have been proposed, and rigorous verification is absolutely necessary for their wide application. In view of the advantages of spherical indentation compared with conical indentation in determining plastic properties, this study mainly concerns verification of spherical indentation methods. Five convenient and simple models were selected for this purpose, and numerical experiments for a wide range of materials are carried out to identify their accuracy and sensitivity characteristics. The verification results show that four of these five methods can give relatively accurate and stable results within a certain material domain, which is defined as their validity range and has been summarized for each method.

The effects of soft impingement on precipitation are considered. A physically realistic analytical treatment of soft impingement has been developed for solid-state precipitation in a nonisothermal heating/cooling process following the basic assumptions (i.e., a two-stage transformation including site saturation of nucleation, isotropic growth and linear approximation for a concentration gradient in front of the precipitate/matrix interface). Furthermore, both one- and three-dimensional precipitations have been described using a compact expression which is analogous to Zener’s model but with a temperature-dependent growth coefficient. A detailed description for the model parameters has been given for the model application. Good agreement with published experimental data, for example, the decomposition of austenite in a 0.038–0.30wt%Mn plain carbon steel, has been achieved.

The microstructure and texture evolution in a cold-rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy during electropulsing treatment (EPT) are investigated and correlated with the mechanical properties. The microstructure is effectively refined, and a tilted basal texture develops gradually during EPT. The yield stress in the treated samples is lower than that in the cold-rolled sample, indicating that texture softening is dominant over strengthening because of grain refinement. The phenomenon is primarily the result of the tilted basal texture. EPT improves the tensile ductility of the EPT samples significantly, albeit slightly compromising the tensile strength. The mechanism of the microstructure evolution during electropulsing is discussed from the viewpoint of grain-boundary motion. Moreover, the ductility enhancement is discussed in terms of the deformation mechanism and texture of the Mg alloy.

The Ti-6Al-4V sheet alloys were welded by using a common gas tungsten arc welding process. In this work, we study the correlation of corrosion resistance and oxide layer structure produced after commonly used industrial heat treatments. We also study the oxide scales that were formed as a result of the heat-related treatment/aging process. The results indicate that better corrosion resistance of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy weldment can be obtained and significantly improved by a solution treatment plus an artificial aging (ST+AA) treatment, owing to the enhanced intensity of TiO2, V2O5, and Al2O3 oxides that compacted and grew on the surface of fusion zone. The newly found γ-TiAl and α2-Ti3Al particles that nucleated in the fusion zone due to different heat treatments do affect the composition of the oxide layer. The possible mechanism for this oxide layer formation in the fusion zone is discussed.

The grain refinement effect of a pulsed magnetic field on superalloy IN718 was investigated. The experimental results show that fine equiaxed grains are acquired under the pulsed magnetic field. The refinement effect of the pulsed magnetic field is affected by the mold temperature. And the mixed grains are found in the solidified microstructures under the pulsed magnetic field. The origin of nuclei under the pulsed magnetic field is from the mold wall because of the rough mold surface, the undercooling, and the melt vibration, which all contribute to the refinement of solidified grains.