CaltechTHESIS
  A Caltech Library Service

The kinetics of ordering, grain growth and chemical segregation in nonequilibrium Fe3X alloys (X=Al, Si and Ge)

Citation

Gao, Zheng-Quiang (1994) The kinetics of ordering, grain growth and chemical segregation in nonequilibrium Fe3X alloys (X=Al, Si and Ge). Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/d93x-xn03. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-08092005-084814

Abstract

NOTE: Text or symbols not renderable in plain ASCII are indicated by [...]. Abstract is included in .pdf document. Experimental studies on the kinetics of microstructural evolution in highly nonequilibrium Fe3X based alloys (X = Al, Si and Ge) are the topic of this dissertation research. The kinetics of ordering especially, and other processes of microstructural evolution including grain growth and chemical segregation, were studied. Materials far from their states of thermodynamic equilibrium were first prepared by rapid quenching and ball milling methods. Heat treatments at relatively low temperatures were used to allow the alloy microstructure to evolve towards equilibrium. Mossbauer spectroscopy was used heavily for measuring short range ordering, but X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy were also used extensively for microstructural characterization. The initial states of the Fe3X (X = Al, Si and Ge) binary alloys were chemically disordered bcc polycrystals (nearly random solid solution). Kinetics of disorder -> order transformations were studied by plotting the kinetic paths through the space spanned by two order parameters. The kinetic paths for Fe3Al showed a strong temperature dependence, but no temperature dependence was observed for kinetic paths of Fe3Si and Fe3Ge. A thermodynamically unexpected transient B32 ordered structure was observed in the early stages of ordering in Fe3Al annealed at 300[degrees]C. The kinetics of microstructural evolution, especially grain growth was also studied on nanocrystalline [...] alloys. The Nb atoms were first forced into solid solution in bcc Fe-Si by ball milling. Upon annealing, Nb atoms segregated to grain boundaries, and impeded grain growth. The inter-dependence of grain growth, chemical segregation and chemical ordering was studied. A better understanding of such kinetics, we believe, can be an important step towards the controlled synthesis of new nonequilibrium materials.

Item Type:Thesis (Dissertation (Ph.D.))
Subject Keywords:Materials Science
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Engineering and Applied Science
Major Option:Materials Science
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Fultz, Brent T.
Thesis Committee:
  • Unknown, Unknown
Defense Date:18 May 1994
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
U.S. Department of EnergyDE-FG03-86ER45270
NSFDMR-9213447
Record Number:CaltechETD:etd-08092005-084814
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-08092005-084814
DOI:10.7907/d93x-xn03
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:3059
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Imported from ETD-db
Deposited On:09 Aug 2005
Last Modified:16 Apr 2021 23:24

Thesis Files

[img]
Preview
PDF (Gao_z-q_1994.pdf) - Final Version
See Usage Policy.

8MB

Repository Staff Only: item control page