Electrochemical studies of copper, copper-aluminium and copper-aluminium-silver alloys: Impedance results in 0.5M NaCl

The electrochemical behaviour of Cu, Cu-Al and Cu-Al-Ag alloys in aqueous solutions of NaCl (0.5 M, pH = 3.00) was studied by means of voltammetric methods and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surfaces were examined by SEM and EDX analysis. Cu-Al-Ag alloy shows a potentiodynamic behaviour similar to that of the pure copper electrode while the Cu-Al alloy presents some minor differences. In the active dissolution region the electrodes suffer pitting corrosion and in the other potential regions there are the formation of a passivant film with composition depending on the potential. The impedance responses of the electrodes are discussed. An electrodissolution mechanism is proposed and the effect of the alloying elements upon the impedance response and polarisation curves is explained. The main effects are due to the production of copper and silver chlorides and aluminium oxides/ hydroxides at the corroding interface. The addition of Al or (Al + Ag) increases the corrosion resistance of pure copper. © 1995.

Potentiodynamic behaviour of CuA1Ag alloys in NaOH: a comparative study related to the pure metals electrochemistry

The mechanism of electrochemical oxidation of surface reformed CuA1Ag alloys having different composition of heat treatment, in 0.5 M NaOH was studied by means of cyclic polarization, constant potential electrolysis, ICP, AA, SEM and EDX. The surface reformation consisted of a repetitive triangular potential sweep (RTPS) between H 2 and O 2 evolution at 100 mV s -1 in the working solution itself, performed in order to increase the electrode roughness and obtain a quasi-stationary I/E profile in which the potentiodynamic behaviour of copper and silver was clearly revealed. The alloys suffer aluminum dealloying after such an RTPS. The quasi-stationary cyclic polarization curve exhibits a multiplicity of current peaks which have been related to the electrochemical reactions involving the pure alloying elements. Complex potential perturbation programmes in regions having different anodic and cathodic limits allowed the study of the mechanism of the electrochemical oxidation of the surface reformed alloys and the compare with that corresponding to the pure metals. The basic differences between the electro-oxidation processes of the surface reformed CuA1Ag alloys with respect to those established for the high purity alloying metals are the splitting of the peaks corresponding to the formation of the Cu(I) and Ag(I) species. © 1991.

A new approach to the electronic structure of two dimensional disordered alloys

We propose a novel method to calculate the electronic Density of States (DOS) of a two dimensional disordered binary alloy. The method is highly reliable and numerically efficient, and Short Range Order (SRO) correlations can be included with no extra computational cost. The approach devised rests on one dimensional calculations and is applied to very long stripes of finite width, the bulk regime being achieved with a relatively small number of chains in the disordered case. Our approach is exact for the pure case and predicts the correct DOS structure in important limits, such as the segregated, random, and ordered alloy regimes. We also suggest important extensions of the present work. © 1995.

Evaluation of the shear bond strength of the union between two CoCr-alloys and a dental ceramic

Introduction: Based on the importance of the integrity of the metal/ceramic interface, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the shear bond strength of the metal-ceramic union of two Co-Cr alloys (Wirobond C, Bego; Remanium 2000, Dentaurum) combined with Omega 900 ceramic (Vita Zahnfabrik). Material and Method: Eleven cylindrical matrixes were made for each alloy, and the metallic portion was obtained with the lost wax casting technique with standardized waxing of 4mm of height and of 4mm of diameter. The ceramic was applied according to the manufacturer's recommendations with the aid of a teflon matrix that allowed its dimension to be standardized in the same size as the metallic portion. The specimens were submitted to the shear bond test in an universal testing machine (EMIC), with the aid of a device developed for such intention, and constant speed of 0.5mm/min. Results and Conclusions: The mean resistance was 48.387MPa for Wirobond C alloy, with standard deviation of 17.718, and 55.956MPa for Remanium 2000, with standard deviation of 17.198. No statistically significant difference was observed between the shear strength of the two metal-ceramic alloys.

A complex structure in the (beta+gamma(0)) region of the Cu-Al alloys

The identification, characterization and stability range of the phases present in a series of Cu-Al alloys, with Al content from 11.0 to 15.0 wt.%, were studied by Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA), Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). In some alloys and in a temperature range from 790 degrees C to 850 degrees C the presence of black spots exhibiting regular shapes and an homogeneous distribution was noticed through metallographic microscopy. Data from TEM and AES indicate that these spots are made of two monocrystalline phases having different Al contents and a crystallographic orientation relationship. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. S.A. All rights reserved.

Structure, microstructure, and selected mechanical properties of Ti-Zr-Mo alloys for biomedical applications

New titanium alloys for biomedical applications have been developed primarily with the addition of Nb, Ta, Mo, and Zr, because those elements stabilize the β phase and they don’t cause cytotoxicity in the organism. The objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of molybdenum on the structure, microstructure, and selected mechanical properties of Ti-15Zr-xMo (x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) alloys. The samples were produced in an arc-melting furnace with inert argon atmosphere, and they were hot-rolled and homogenized. The samples were characterized using chemical, structural, and microstructural analysis. The mechanical analysis was made using Vickers microhardness and Young’s modulus measurements. The compositions of the alloys were sensitive to the molybdenum concentration, indicating the presence of α’+α”+β phases in the Ti-15Zr-5Mo alloy, α”+β in the Ti-15Zr-10Mo alloy, and β phase in the Ti-15Zr-15Mo and Ti-15Zr-20Mo alloys. The mechanical properties showed favorable values for biomedical application in the alloys presenting high hardness and low Young’s modulus compared with CP-Ti.

Diffusion of oxygen in Ti-15Mo-xZr alloys studied by anelastic spectroscopy

Because of their low elasticity modulus, titanium alloys have excellent biocompatibility, and are largely used in orthopedic prostheses. Among the properties that are beneficial for use in orthopedic implants is the elasticity modulus, which is closely connected to the crystal structure of the material. Interstitial elements, such as oxygen, change the mechanical properties of the material. Anelastic spectroscopy measurements are a powerful tool for the study of the interaction of these elements with the metallic matrix and substitutional solutes, providing information on the diffusion and concentration of interstitial elements. In this study, the effect of oxygen on the anelastic properties of alloys in the Ti-15Mo-Zr system was analyzed using anelastic spectroscopy measurements. The diffusion coefficients, pre-exponential factors, and activation energies of these alloys were calculated for oxygen.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-5wt-%Ni alloys for use as biomaterial

Titanium alloys are among the most important and frequently used class of biomaterials. In addition to biocompatibility, it is important that an implant material present satisfactory mechanical properties that allow long term use in the body. To improve such properties, different heat treatments are used, as well as doping with oxygen. The presence of interstitial oxygen in the crystal lattice causes deformation, increases the hardness, and causes modifications in anelasticity, thereby decreasing the elastic modulus. In this study, an alloy was prepared by arc melting precursor metals, heat and mechanically treated, and doped with oxygen, resulting in samples with different processing conditions. In each condition, the alloy was characterised in terms of amount of oxygen, X-ray diffraction, and optical microscopy. In addition, properties of the alloy, such as hardness and elastic modulus, were analysed.

The influence of heat treatment on the structure and microstructure of Ti-15Mo-xNb system alloys for biomedical applications

The Ti-15Mo-xNb system integrates a new class of titanium alloys without the presence of aluminum and vanadium, which exhibit cytotoxicity, and that have low elasticity modulus values (below 100 GPa). This occurs because these alloys have a beta structure, which is very attractive for use as biomaterials. In addition, Brazil has about 90% of the world’s resources of niobium, which is very important economically. It strategically invests in research on the development and processing of alloys containing this element. In this paper, a study of the influence of heat treatments on the structure and microstructure of the alloys of a Ti-15Mo-xNb system is presented. The results showed grain grown with heat treatment and elongated and irregular grains after lamination due to this processing. After quenching, there were no changes in the microstructure in relation to heat-treated and laminated conditions. These results corroborate the x-ray diffraction results, which showed the predominance of the β phase.

Diffusion of oxygen in some binary Ti-Based alloys used as biomaterials

Ti and its alloys are widely used as biomaterials. Their main properties are excellent corrosion resistance, relatively low elastic modulus, high specific strength, and good biocompatibility. The development of new Ti alloys with properties favorable for use in the human body is desired. To this end, Ti alloys with Mo, Nb, Zr, and Ta are being developed, because these elements do not cause cytotoxicity. The presence of interstitial elements (such as oxygen and nitrogen) induces strong changes in the elastic properties of the material, which leads to hardening or softening of the alloy. By means of anelastic spectroscopy, we are able to obtain information on the diffusion of these interstitial elements present in the crystalline lattice. In this paper, the effect of oxygen on the anelastic properties of some binary Ti-based alloys was analyzed with anelastic spectroscopy. The diffusion coefficients, pre-exponential factors, and activation energies were calculated for oxygen and nitrogen in these alloys.

Effect of the substitutional elements on the microstructure of the Ti-15Mo-Zr and Ti-15Zr-Mo systems alloys

Titanium alloys have excellent biocompatibility, and combined with their low elastic modulus, become more efficient when applied in orthopedic prostheses. Samples of Ti-15Mo-Zr and Ti-15Zr-Mo system alloys were prepared using an arc-melting furnace with argon atmosphere. The chemical quantitative analysis was performed using an optical emission spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma and thermal conductivity difference. The X-ray diffractograms, allied with optical microscopy, revealed the structure and microstructure of the samples. The mechanical analysis was evaluated by Vickers microhardness measurements. The structure and microstructure of alloys were sensitive to molybdenum and zirconium concentration, presenting α′, α″ and β phases. Molybdenum proved to have greater β-stabilizer action than zirconium. Microhardness was changed with addition of molybdenum and zirconium, having Ti-15Zr-10Mo (436 ± 2 HV) and Ti-15Mo-10Zr (378 ± 4 HV) the highest values in each system.

Study of the oxygen vacancy influence on magnetic properties of Fe- and Co-doped SnO2 diluted alloys

Transition-metal (TM)-doped diluted magnetic oxides (DMOs) have attracted attention from both experimental and theoretical points of view due to their potential use in spintronics towards new nanostructured devices and new technologies. In the present work, we study the magnetic properties of Sn0.96TM0.04O2 and Sn0.96TM0.04O1.98(V (O))(0.02), where TM = Fe and Co, focusing in particular in the role played by the presence of O vacancies nearby the TM. The calculated total energy as a function of the total magnetic moment per cell shows a magnetic metastability, corresponding to a ground state, respectively, with 2 and 1 mu(B)/cell, for Fe and Co. Two metastable states, with 0 and 4 mu(B)/cell were found for Fe, and a single value, 3 mu(B)/cell, for Co. The spin-crossover energies (E (S)) were calculated. The values are E (S) (0/2) = 107 meV and E (S) (4/2) = 25 meV for Fe. For Co, E (S) (3/1) = 36 meV. By creating O vacancies close to the TM site, we show that the metastablity and E (S) change. For iron, a new state appears, and the state with zero magnetic moment disappears. The ground state is 4 mu(B)/cell instead of 2 mu(B)/cell, and the energy E (S) (2/4) is 30 meV. For cobalt, the ground state is then found with 3 mu(B)/cell and the metastable state with 1 mu(B)/cell. The spin-crossover energy E (S) (1/3) is 21 meV. Our results suggest that these materials may be used in devices for spintronic applications that require different magnetization states.

A simple criterion to predict the glass forming ability of metallic alloys

A new and simple criterion with which to quantitatively predict the glass forming ability (GFA) of metallic alloys is proposed. It was found that the critical cooling rate for glass formation (R-C) correlates well with a proper combination of two factors, the minimum topological instability (lambda(min)) and the Delta h parameter, which depends on the average work function difference (Delta phi) and the average electron density difference (Delta n(ws)(1/3)) among the constituent elements of the alloy. A correlation coefficient (R-2) of 0.76 was found between R-c and the new criterion for 68 alloys in 30 different metallic systems. The new criterion and the Uhlmann's approach were used to estimate the critical amorphous thickness (Z(C)) of alloys in the Cu-Zr system. The new criterion underestimated R-C in the Cu-Zr system, producing predicted Z(C) values larger than those observed experimentally. However, when considering a scale factor, a remarkable similarity was observed between the predicted and the experimental behavior of the GFA in the binary Cu-Zr. When using the same scale factor and performing the calculation for the ternary Zr-Cu-Al, good agreement was found between the predicted and the actual best GFA region, as well as between the expected and the observed critical amorphous thickness. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3676196]

Gold-platinum alloys and Vegard's law on the nanoscale

The structure of gold-platinum nanoparticles is heavily debated as theoretical calculations predict core-shell particles, whereas x-ray diffraction experiments frequently detect randomly mixed alloys. By calculating the structure of gold-platinum nanoparticles with diameters of up to approximate to 3.5 nm and simulating their x-ray diffraction patterns, we show that these seemingly opposing findings need not be in contradiction: Shells of gold are hardly visible in usual x-ray scattering, and the interpretation of Vegard's law is ambiguous on the nanoscale. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.86.241403

Preparation and characterization of Zircaloy 4-Tantalum alloys for application in corrosive media

Two Zircaloy 4-Ta alloys (14 and 55 wt.% Ta) were produced by arc-melting. The alloys were hot-rolled at 900 degrees C and heat-treated under argon atmosphere for 100 h at 700 degrees C. The alloys were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The microstructure of both rolled and heat-treated alloys is constituted of (beta Zr,Ta)-II Ta-rich precipitates dispersed in a (alpha Zr) matrix. Corrosion tests performed in boiling concentrated H2SO4 solutions showed that the Zircaloy 4-Ta alloys are more corrosion resistant than Zircaloy 4 and that the corrosion resistance increases with increasing Ta content. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.