Heterostructured NiCrTi Alloy Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering with Enhanced Mechanical Properties, Corrosion and Tribocorrosion Resistance

doi:10.1007/s40195-024-01773-2

Abstract

Abstract:

Nickel-based alloys applied in marine environments often face multiple challenges of stress, corrosion and wear. In this work, heterostructured NiCrTi alloy was prepared by spark plasma sintering coarse Ni20Cr and ultrafine Ti powders. Apart that some are dissolved into the nickel alloy, Ti powders react in situ with Ni20Cr during sintering to form hard intermetallic Ni₃Ti. It builds up a typical heterostructure that endows NiCrTi alloy with well-balanced mechanical strength and plasticity, e.g. high yield strength of 1321 MPa, compressive strength of 2470 MPa, and compressive strain of 20%. On tribocorrosion, the hard shell enriched with Ti transforms to connected protrusion and form in situ surface texture. Oxides or wear debris are trapped at the textured surface and compacted to form a stable tribofilm. Thus negative synergy between corrosion and wear is observed for NiCrTi and high tribocorrosion resistance is achieved. At a potential of + 0.3 V, the tribocorrosion rate of NiCrTi is reduced by an order of magnitude to 1.87 × 10^− 5 mm³/(Nm) in comparison to the alloy Ni20Cr.

Key words: Nickel-based alloy, Spark plasma sintering, Corrosion, Heterostructure, Surface texturing, Tribocorrosion

Manzu Xu, Leipeng Xie, Shasha Yang, Chengguo Sui, Qunchang Wang, Qihua Long, Minghui Chen, Fuhui Wang. Heterostructured NiCrTi Alloy Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering with Enhanced Mechanical Properties, Corrosion and Tribocorrosion Resistance[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2025, 38(1): 164-176.

Figures/Tables 14

Fig. 1 Microstructures and phase compositions of NiCr and NiCrTi: a 3D SEM microstructures of NiCrTi, b XRD patterns, c and d EBSD maps of NiCr, NiCrTi, respectively

Fig. 2 TEM microstructures of NiCrTi: a, b bright field images and diffraction patterns at sites I, II, and III, c HR-TEM image illustrating the interfacial coherency between alloy and Ni3Ti with SAED patterns in regions I and II and d overlapping SAED image at the interface between alloy and Ni3Ti

Fig. 3 a Nanoindentation load-displacement curves for area 1 and area 2 in Fig. 1a, b the three-point bending load-displacement curves for NiCr and NiCrTi, c compressive stress-strain curves for NiCr and NiCrTi, d yield strength and strain of NiCrTi and comparison with other Ni matrix composites, stress distribution analyzed by finite element for e NiCr and f NiCrTi

Table 1 Mechanical properties of NiCr and NiCrTi

Materials	Hardness (HV)	Bending strength (MPa)	Yield strength (MPa)	Compressive strength (MPa)	Ultimate plasticity strain (%)
NiCr	216 ± 10	Unbroken	450 ± 36	Unbroken	Unbroken
NiCrTi	441 ± 72	2084 ± 26	1321 ± 18	2470 ± 23	20 ± 0.3

Fig. 4 Fracture topography of NiCrTi after three-point bending test: a general view, b enlarged view

Fig. 5 Schematic diagram showing a homemade tribocorrosion testing setup, b1 evolution of OCP, b2 COF, potentiodynamic polarization curves for c NiCr, d NiCrTi during corrosion (static) and tribocorrosion (sliding) tests, respectively

Table 2 Electrochemical data obtained from the potentiodynamic curves by standard Tafel extrapolation

Samples	E_corr (V)	J_corr (A cm⁻²)
NiCr-Static	− 0.325	3.07 × 10^-7
NiCrTi -Static	− 0.297	2.33 × 10^-7
NiCr-Sliding	− 0.552	3.13 × 10^-6
NiCrTi- Sliding	− 0.538	2.98 × 10^-6

Fig. 6 Nyquist plots, Bode plots, and electrical equivalent circuits used to fit the EIS data obtained a1, a2 during corrosion (static), b1, b2 tribocorrosion (sliding) tests of NiCr and NiCrTi

Table 3 Equivalent circuit parameters obtained from the impedance data fitting

Samples	R_s (Ω cm²)	n₁	Y₀ (sⁿ F cm⁻²)	R_ct (Ω cm²)	n₂	Y₀ (sⁿ F cm⁻²)	R_f (Ω cm²)
NiCr-Static	15.24	0.77	5.00 × 10^-5	8.67	0.98	8.09 × 10^-6	1.06 × 10⁵
NiCrTi-Static	13.98	0.81	2.97 × 10^-5	7.51	0.85	2.26 × 10^-5	2.43 × 10⁵
NiCr-Sliding	16.13	0.70	1.62 × 10^-4	0.36 × 10⁴	/	/	/
NiCrTi-Sliding	16.68	0.81	6.17 × 10^-5	1.02 × 10⁴	/	/	/

Fig. 7 Surface morphologies of a NiCr and b NiCrTi after sliding at applied potentials of −0.8 V, OCP, and 0.3 V in 3.5% NaCl, c the corresponding COF and d wear rate

Fig. 8 SEM surface morphology of wear tracks on a, b, c, g NiCr and d, e, f, i NiCrTi after sliding at applied potentials of − 0.8 V, OCP, and 0.3 V in 3.5% NaCl, h 3D surface topography of wear tracks

Fig. 9 Elements depth distribution and composition of passivation films analyzed by XPS in combination with Ar+ sputtering: a NiCr, b NiCrTi

Fig. 10 Contribution of factors Vm0, Vc0, Vmc and Vcm on materials lost during tribocorrosion

Fig. 11 Schematic illustration showing tribocorrosion mechanism of a NiCr and b NiCrTi in 3.5% NaCl solution at potential of + 0.3 V

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