Phase field model was employed to study the variations of interatomic potentials of Ni 3 Al (L1 2 phase) and Ni 3 V (DO 22 phase) as a function of temperature and concentration. The long-range order (LRO) parameter related interatomic potentials equations formulated by Khachaturyan were utilized to establish the inversion equations for L1 2 and DO 22 phases, with which interatomic potentials could be calculated. The interatomic potentials of Ni-Al and Ni-V exhibited approximately linear increases and decreases, individually, with enhanced Al concentration. Substituting the inverted interatomic potentials into the microscopic phase field equations led to three cases of precipitation sequence: the DO 22 phase preceded L1 2 phase precipitating at the interatomic potentials of Ni-V > Ni-Al; the vice cases; and two phases precipitated simultaneously at interatomic potentials of Ni-V and Ni-Al were equal.
DONG WeiPing WANG YongXin YANG Kun CHEN Zheng LU YanLi
Ordered domain interfaces formed between DO22 (Ni3V) phases along [100] direction during the precipitation process of Ni75AlxV25-x alloys were simulated by using the microscopic phase-field model. The atomic structure, migration process, and compositions of interfaces were investigated. It is found that there are four kinds of stable ordered domain interfaces formed between DO22 phases along [100] direction and all of them can migrate. During the migration of interfaces, the jump of atoms shows site selectivity behaviors and each stable interface forms a distinctive transition interface. The atom jump selects the optimist way to induce the migration of interface, and the atomic structures of interfaces retain the same before and after the migration. The alloy elements have different preferences of segregation or depletion at different interfaces. At all the four kinds of interfaces, Ni and Al segregate but V depletes. The degrees of segregation and depletion are also different at different interfaces.
Based on the microscopic phase-field model, the structure and migration characteristic of ordered domain interfaces formed between DO22 and L12 phase are investigated, and the atomistic mechanism of phase transformation from L12 (Ni3Al) to DO22 (Ni3V) in Ni75AlxV25-x alloys are explored, using the simulated microstructure evolution pictures and the occupation probability evolution of alloy elements at the interface. The results show that five kinds of heterointerfaces are formed between DO22 and L12 phase and four of them can migrate during the phase transformation from L12 to DO22 except the interface (002)D//(001)L. The structure of interface (100)D//(200)L and interface (100)D//(200)L·^1/2[001] remain the same before and after migration, while the interface (002)D//(002)L is formed after the migration of interface (002)D//(002)L·^1/2[100] and vice versa. These two kinds of interface appear alternatively. The jump and substitute of atoms selects the optimization way to induce the migration of interface during the phase transformation, and the number of atoms needing to jump during the migration is the least among all of the possible atom jump modes.
Based on the microscopic phase-field model, ordered domain interfaces formed between D022 (Ni3V) phases along [001] direction in Ni75AlxV25-x alloys were simulated, and the effects of atomic structure on the migration characteristic and solute segregation of interfaces were studied. It is found that the migration ability is related to the atomic structure of interfaces, and three kinds of interfaces can migrate except the interface (001)//(002) which has the characteristic of L12 (Ni3Al) structure. V atoms jump to the nearest neighbor site and substitute for Ni, and vice versa. Because of the site selectivity behaviors of jumping atoms, the number of jumping atoms during the migration is the least and the jumping distance of atoms is the shortest among all possible modes, and the atomic structures of interfaces are unchanged before and after the migration. The preferences and degree of segregation or depletion of alloy elements are also related to the atomic structure of interface.
Kinetics of order-disorder transition at antiphase domain boundary (APDB) formed between L12 (Ni3A1) phases is investigated using microscopic phase-field model. The results demonstrate that whether order-disorder transition happens or not depends on the atomic structure of the APDB. Accompanied with the enrichment of V and depletion of Ni and A1, the ordered APDB with phase-shift vector of a/2[100] transforms into a thin disordered phase layer. Whereas at the APDB with phase shift vector of a/2[110], which remains ordered with temporal evolution, Ni and A1 enrich and V depletes. Composition evolution of APDB with order-disorder transition favors the nucleation of DO22 phase, and the formation of disordered phase layer accelerates the growth of DO22 phase. The disordered phase caused by order-disordered transition of the APDB can be considered as the transient phase along the precipitation path of DO22 phase.
The influence of the elastic energy on L10→L12 transient ordering transformation was investigated by microscopic phase field method. It is found that there are three stages experienced in atomic ordering: solute clustering+L10 short range ordering → L10 long range ordering → L12 long range ordering. Before the formation of the high ordered L12 phase, it has firstly taken place the transformation from matrix to L10 phase, and then held the L10→L12 secondary transformation. Elastic energy is proved to take little effect on the stage of short range ordering, but as the elastic energy is multiplied, it obviously shortened the course of the solute clustering, and speeded up the proceeding of the L10 long range ordering transition. Accordingly, the increased elastic energy also strengthens the single crystalline directionality of L10 phase projecting on 2D plane and makes the ordered degree of Al and Zn atoms enhanced. With the temperature elevation, Al's and Zn's ordered degree decreased in L10 phase.
Microscopic phase field simulation is performed to study antisite defect type and temporal evolution characteristic of D022-Ni3V structure in Ni75AlxV25-x ternary system.The result demonstrates that two types of antisite defect VNi and NiV coexist in D022 structure;however,the amount of NiV is far greater than VNi;when precipitates transform from D022 singe phase to two phases mixture of D022 and L12 with enhanced Al:V ratio,the amount of VNi has no evident response to the secondary L12 phase,while NiV exhibits a definitely contrary variation tendency:NiV rises without L12 structure precipitating from matrix but declines with it;temporal evolution characteristic and temperature dependent antisite defect VNi,NiV are also studied in this paper:The concentrations of the both defects decline from high antistructure state to equilibrium level with elapsed time but rise with elevated temperature;the ternary alloying element aluminium atom occupies both α and β sublattices of D022 structure with a strong site preference of substituting α site.
ZHANG Jing,CHEN Zheng,ZHANG MingYi,LAI QingBo,LU YanLi & WANG YongXin School of Material Science and Engineering,Northwestern Polytechnical University,Xi’an 710072,China
By utilizing phase field method combined with analysis on free energy and interatomic potentials, pre-precipitation phase formation and transformation process of Ni0.75Al0.05Fe0.2 alloy in early precipitation stage during the ageing process under 1 000 K were studied. And free energy, microstructures, compositions and volume fractions of pre-precipitation phase and equilibrium phase were analyzed. The simulation results indicate that nonstoichiometric Llo pre-precipitation phase formed first, and then would gradually transform into L12 equilibrium phase. It is discovered that the phase transformation process was closely related to free energy and interatomic potentials. Additionally, it is revealed that free energy of Llo pre-precipitation phase was higher and interatomic potential was smaller than that of L12 equilibrium phase. Therefore, it is concluded that Llo phase was unstable, and phase transformation would occur to L12 which was more stable.