Cryogenic deformation behavior of a dual-phase Mg-Li alloy investigated by in-situ neutron diffraction

Gong, W.; Gholizadeh, R.*; 川崎 卓郎; 相澤 一也; Harjo, S.

Magnesium Technology 2024, p.89 - 90, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-50240-8_19

Mg and its alloys generally exist as a single hcp crystal structure at room temperature. It is widely recognized that the application of Mg alloys is hindered by their limited formability at room temperature, primarily attributable to the scarcity of readily activated deformation modes within the hcp phase. The addition of Li in Mg alloy can stable the bcc phase at room temperature, and these dual-phase (hcp+bcc) Mg-Li alloys exhibit excellent formability. The Li-enriched bcc phase has been frequently considered as the origin for improving formability. However, these Mg-Li alloys show poor work-hardening ability and the resultant low strength at room temperature. Considering that the dislocation recovery can be suppressed by decreasing the deformation temperature and the activity of deformation mode may be changed with temperature, we investigated the deformation behavior of a commercial LZ91 magnesium alloy at cryogenic temperatures using in-situ neutron diffraction.

Strengthening of Mg and long-period stacking ordered phases in a Mg-Zn-Y alloy by hot-extrusion with low extrusion ratio

Harjo, S.; Gong, W.; 相澤 一也; 川崎 卓郎; 山崎 倫昭*

Acta Materialia, 255, p.119029_1 - 119029_12, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119029

An as-cast sample and two hot-extruded samples with different extrusion ratios (R) of MgZnY alloy containing the HCP matrix (Mg) and the long-period stacking ordered phase (LPSO) of about 25-vol%, were used in tensile deformation in situ neutron diffraction experiments, to elucidate the effects of uniquely different microstructural evolutions in Mg and LPSO with varying the R value to the mechanical properties. Mg behaved as the soft phase and LPSO as the hard phase, and hot-extrusion improved the strength of both. At the R value of 5.0, a bimodal microstructure was created in Mg, increasing largely the yield strength of Mg. With increasing the R value to 12.5, the bimodal microstructure of Mg collapsed and the yield strength of Mg decreased. However, the strength of LPSO increased monotonously with increasing the R value due to the developments of kink bands and texture.

Compressive deformation behavior of AZ31 alloy at 21K; An neutron diffraction study

Gong, W.; 川崎 卓郎; Zheng, R.*; 眞山 剛*; Sun, B.*; 相澤 一也; Harjo, S.; 辻 伸泰*

Scripta Materialia, 225, p.115161_1 - 115161_5, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.115161

Deformation behavior during uniaxial compression at 21 K and 298 K in a commercial AZ31 magnesium alloy was studied by neutron diffraction. Decreasing the deformation temperature resulted in a slight increase in yield stress (115 MPa 139 MPa), but a remarkable enhancement in both the fracture stress (365 MPa 551 MPa) and fracture strain (12.8% 16.5%). The low temperature sensitivity of the {102} extension twinning which governed the macroscopic yielding led to the slight increase in yield stress. At 21K, basal slip was suppressed, while the extension twinning was promoted resulted in higher twin volume fraction. In the late stage of deformation, the {101}-{102} double twinning was suppressed, which is considered to be the reason to delay the fracture at 21 K.

observation of twinning and detwinning in AZ31 alloy

Gong, W.; Zheng, R.*; Harjo, S.; 川崎 卓郎; 相澤 一也; 辻 伸泰*

Journal of Magnesium and Alloys (Internet), 10(12), p.3418 - 3432, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jma.2022.02.002

Twinning and detwinning behavior of a commercial AZ31 magnesium alloy during cyclic compression-tension deformation with a total strain amplitude of 4% (2%) was evaluated using the complementary techniques of neutron diffraction, identical area electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. In-situ neutron diffraction demonstrates that the compressive deformation was dominated by twin nucleation, twin growth, and basal slip, while detwinning dominated the unloading of compressive stresses and subsequent tension stage. A large number of -component dislocations observed in twins and the detwinned regions were attributed to the dislocation transmutation during the twinning and detwinning. The accumulation of barriers including twin boundaries and various types of dislocations enhanced the interactions of migrating twin boundary with these barriers during twinning and detwinning, which is considered to be the origin for increasing the work hardening rate in cyclic deformation of the AZ31 alloy.

High spatial resolution neutron transmission imaging using a superconducting two-dimensional detector

宍戸 寛明*; 西村 和真*; Vu, TheDang*; 相澤 一也; 小嶋 健児*; 小山 富男*; 及川 健一; 原田 正英; 奥 隆之; 曽山 和彦; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 31(9), p.2400505_1 - 2400505_5, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2021.3111396

中性子イメージングは、重金属に対する高透過性、軽元素に対する高感度、同位体と中性子との特異な核反応による同位体選択性などの中性子ビームの特徴を活かした非破壊検査の有力な手段の一つである。本研究では、超伝導検出器である電流バイアス運動インダクタンス検出器(CB-KID)を用いて、パルス中性子源を用いた飛行時間法による波長分解中性子イメージングを行った。遅延時間型CB-KIDを用いて、GdAl単結晶を成長させたGd-Al合金試料の中性子透過像を取得した。その結果、単結晶はAl-Gd合金全体に渡って、形状,分布ともに良好に観察することができた。また、中性子の波長0.03nm以上でGdによる特徴的な中性子の吸収を確認した。さらに、15m 12mという限られた検出面で、同位体と中性子の核反応によって生じるGd共鳴ディップを観測することができた。また、Gdの共鳴ディップを用いてGd選択的イメージングを行ったところ、中性子の波長幅が1pmという限られた範囲で、明確なGd核の元素選択イメージング像を取得することに成功した。

Anisotropic thermal lattice expansion and crystallographic structure of strontium aluminide within Al-10Sr alloy as measured by in-situ neutron diffraction

Liss, K.-D.*; Harjo, S.; 川崎 卓郎; 相澤 一也; 徐 平光

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 869, p.159232_1 - 159232_9, 2021/07

AA2020-0822.pdf:1.94MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.159232

The aluminium strontium master alloy Al-10Sr has been investigated by in-situ neutron diffraction upon a heating-cooling cycle, revealing composition, crystallographic structure, lattice evolution and linear thermal expansion coefficients. Expansion of the Al matrix between (23.5 ... 26.7)10 K depends on temperature and fits well to the literature values, extrapolating to higher temperature at 800 K. Thermal expansion is highly anisotropic for tetragonal AlSr by a factor of 1.86 with values of 20.8 and 11.110 K in and -axis. The even large discrepancy to the Al matrix is prone to residual intergranular phase stresses, explaining the brittleness of such composite material. Upon first heating, recovery of the initially plastically deformed materials is observed until 600 K and 700 K, for AlSr and Al. Rietveld analysis refines the 4 Wyckoff positions of the 4/ crystal structure to = 0.39 revealing that local tetrahedrons are regular while local hexagons are stretched, in contrast to the literature. Its lattice parameters report to = 4.44240(48) , = 11.0836(15) at 300 K. Furthermore, the manuscript demonstrates full technical analysis of the neutron data. Findings feed into data bases and an outlook for improving mechanical properties of AlSr composites is given.

Homogeneity of neutron transmission imaging over a large sensitive area with a four-channel superconducting detector

Vu, TheDang; 宍戸 寛明*; 小嶋 健児*; 小山 富男*; 及川 健一; 原田 正英; 宮嶋 茂之*; 奥 隆之; 曽山 和彦; 相澤 一也; et al.

Superconductor Science and Technology, 34(1), p.015010_1 - 015010_10, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6668/abc2af

We demonstrated that a four-readout superconducting neutron imaging system shows good spatial heterogeneity and linearity using the delay-line method. We examined the precise pattern of a B-dot-array absorber and found the X-direction pitch (Px) = 250.7 um with a scatter of (Hx)= 5.4 um and the Y-direction pitch (Py)= 249.1 um with a scatter of (Hy)= 3.4 um while the B dot array was fully extended toward the X direction across the detector sensitive area. We consider that this demonstrates detection with good spatial homogeneity and conclude. The transmission-imaging system is suitable for use at pulsed neutron facilities. We also reported a clear transmission image of tiny screws and nuts, and ladybug (insect). We recognize that further efforts to improve the detection efficiency are necessary to make using the detector more practical.

Development and application of a He neutron spin filter at J-PARC

奥平 琢也; 奥 隆之; 猪野 隆*; 林田 洋寿*; 吉良 弘*; 酒井 健二; 廣井 孝介; 高橋 慎吾*; 相澤 一也; 遠藤 仁*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 977, p.164301_1 - 164301_8, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2020.164301

We are developing a neutron polarizer with polarized He gas, referred to as a He spin filter, based on the Spin Exchange Optical Pumping (SEOP) for polarized neutron scattering experiments at Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). A He gas-filling station was constructed at J-PARC, and several He cells with long spin relaxation times have been fabricated using the gas-filling station. A laboratory has been prepared in the MLF beam hall for polarizing He cells, and compact pumping systems with laser powers of 30 W and 110 W, which can be installed onto a neutron beamline, have been developed. A He polarization of 85% was achieved at a neutron beamline by using the pumping system with the 110 W laser. Recently, the first user experiment utilizing the He spin filter was conducted, and there have been several more since then. The development and utilization of He spin filters at MLF of J-PARC are reported.

Neutron diffraction monitoring of as-cast MgZnY during compression and tension

Harjo, S.; 相澤 一也; Gong, W.*; 川崎 卓郎

Materials Transactions, 61(5), p.828 - 832, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.MT-MM2019003

In situ neutron diffraction measurements during compressive and tensile tests of an as-cast MgZnY alloy consisting of phase (Mg) as the matrix and a long period stacking ordered phase (LPSO) of 25 vol%, were performed to understand deformation behavior of each phase and to monitor the occurrence of kinking during deformation. The LPSO grains yielded possibly via kinking during compressive deformation above the applied true stress of about 137 MPa. The stress partitioning among Mg grains was observed larger in the compressive deformation than in the tensile deformation, that might be due to the large load sharing of Mg grains as a result of the yielding of LPSO grains during compressive deformation.

Monte Carlo radiation transport modelling of the current-biased kinetic inductance detector

Malins, A.; 町田 昌彦; Vu, TheDang; 相澤 一也; 石田 武和*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 953, p.163130_1 - 163130_7, 2020/02

AA2019-0261.pdf:0.84MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2019.163130

Radiation transport simulations were used to analyse neutron imaging with the current-biased kinetic inductance detector (CB-KID). The PHITS Monte Carlo code was applied for simulating neutron, He, Li, photon and electron transport, B(n,)Li reactions, and energy deposition by particles within CB-KID. Slight blurring in simulated CB-KID images originated He and Li ions spreading out in random directions from the B conversion layer in the detector prior to causing signals in the and superconducting Nb nanowire meander lines. 478 keV prompt gamma rays emitted by Li nuclei from neutron-B reactions had negligible contribution to the simulated CB-KID images. Simulated neutron images of B dot arrays indicate that sub 10 m resolution imaging should be feasible with the current CB-KID design. The effect of the geometrical structure of CB-KID on the intrinsic detection efficiency was calculated from the simulations. An analytical equation was then developed to approximate this contribution to the detection efficiency. Detection efficiencies calculated in this study are upper bounds for the reality as the effects of detector temperature, the bias current, signal processing and dead-time losses were not taken into account. The modelling strategies employed in this study could be used to evaluate modifications to the CB-KID design prior to actual fabrication and testing, conveying a time and cost saving.