A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys
Abstract Iron alloys, including steels and magnetic functional materials, are widely used in capital construction, manufacturing, electromagnetic technology, etc. However, they face the long-standing challenge of high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), limiting the applications in high-precisio...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55551-w |
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| author | Hao Lu Chang Zhou Yuzhu Song Yuanpeng Zhang Yiming Wu Feixiang Long Yonghao Yao Jiazheng Hao Yan Chen Dunji Yu J. Jakob Schwiedrzik Ke An Lunhua He Zhaoping Lu Jun Chen |
| author_facet | Hao Lu Chang Zhou Yuzhu Song Yuanpeng Zhang Yiming Wu Feixiang Long Yonghao Yao Jiazheng Hao Yan Chen Dunji Yu J. Jakob Schwiedrzik Ke An Lunhua He Zhaoping Lu Jun Chen |
| author_sort | Hao Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Iron alloys, including steels and magnetic functional materials, are widely used in capital construction, manufacturing, electromagnetic technology, etc. However, they face the long-standing challenge of high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), limiting the applications in high-precision fields. This work proposes a strategy involving the in-situ formation of a nano-scale lamellar/labyrinthine negative thermal expansion (NTE) phase within the iron matrix to tackle this problem. For example, a model alloy, Fe-Zr10-Nb6, was synthesized and its CTE is reduced to approximately half of the iron matrix. Meanwhile, the alloy possesses a strength-plasticity combination of 1.5 GPa (compressive strength) and 17.5% (ultimate strain), which outperforms other low thermal expansion (LTE) metallic materials. The magnetovolume effect of the NTE phase is deemed to counteract the positive thermal expansion in iron. The high stress-carrying hard NTE phase and the tough matrix synergistically contribute to the high mechanical properties. The interaction between the slip of lamellar microstructure and the slip-hindering of labyrinthine microstructure further enhances the strength-plasticity combination. This work shows the promise of offering a method to produce LTE iron alloys with high mechanical properties. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53bb1885d92d40738d6b516927bc4f37 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-53bb1885d92d40738d6b516927bc4f372025-01-05T12:38:51ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-011611910.1038/s41467-024-55551-wA strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloysHao Lu0Chang Zhou1Yuzhu Song2Yuanpeng Zhang3Yiming Wu4Feixiang Long5Yonghao Yao6Jiazheng Hao7Yan Chen8Dunji Yu9J. Jakob Schwiedrzik10Ke An11Lunhua He12Zhaoping Lu13Jun Chen14Department of Physical Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, University of Science and Technology BeijingState Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology BeijingDepartment of Physical Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, University of Science and Technology BeijingNeutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEmpa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and NanostructuresDepartment of Physical Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, University of Science and Technology BeijingDepartment of Physical Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, University of Science and Technology BeijingSpallation Neutron Source Science CenterNeutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryNeutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryEmpa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and NanostructuresNeutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratorySpallation Neutron Source Science CenterState Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology BeijingDepartment of Physical Chemistry, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome Engineering, University of Science and Technology BeijingAbstract Iron alloys, including steels and magnetic functional materials, are widely used in capital construction, manufacturing, electromagnetic technology, etc. However, they face the long-standing challenge of high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), limiting the applications in high-precision fields. This work proposes a strategy involving the in-situ formation of a nano-scale lamellar/labyrinthine negative thermal expansion (NTE) phase within the iron matrix to tackle this problem. For example, a model alloy, Fe-Zr10-Nb6, was synthesized and its CTE is reduced to approximately half of the iron matrix. Meanwhile, the alloy possesses a strength-plasticity combination of 1.5 GPa (compressive strength) and 17.5% (ultimate strain), which outperforms other low thermal expansion (LTE) metallic materials. The magnetovolume effect of the NTE phase is deemed to counteract the positive thermal expansion in iron. The high stress-carrying hard NTE phase and the tough matrix synergistically contribute to the high mechanical properties. The interaction between the slip of lamellar microstructure and the slip-hindering of labyrinthine microstructure further enhances the strength-plasticity combination. This work shows the promise of offering a method to produce LTE iron alloys with high mechanical properties.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55551-w |
| spellingShingle | Hao Lu Chang Zhou Yuzhu Song Yuanpeng Zhang Yiming Wu Feixiang Long Yonghao Yao Jiazheng Hao Yan Chen Dunji Yu J. Jakob Schwiedrzik Ke An Lunhua He Zhaoping Lu Jun Chen A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys Nature Communications |
| title | A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys |
| title_full | A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys |
| title_fullStr | A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys |
| title_full_unstemmed | A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys |
| title_short | A strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys |
| title_sort | strategy to reduce thermal expansion and achieve higher mechanical properties in iron alloys |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55551-w |
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