Investigation of microstructure, mechanical properties, martensitic transformation and magnetic hyperfine interactions in Ti-substituted FeNiSi shape memory alloys
摘要
This study investigates the impact of Ti substitution on the microstructural features, mechanical hardness, martensitic transformation behaviour and magnetic hyperfine interactions of FeNiSi-based alloys. FeNiSi and FeNiSiTi alloys were synthesized via arc melting and subsequently characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Vickers microhardness testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Microstructural analysis revealed that the Fe-34.5%Ni-4.2%Si alloy exhibits an austenitic matrix with lenticular martensitic structures, while Fe-28.5%Ni-4.1%Si-0.6%Ti alloy showed microstructural changes attributed to lower nickel content and titanium addition. Mechanical hardness measurements showed that the Fe-28.5%Ni-4.1%Si-0.6%Ti alloy exhibited lower microhardness compared to the Fe-34.5%Ni-4.2%Si alloy, which is potentially due to reduced nickel content, coarser grain size or processing variations. DSC analysis indicated nearly identical martensitic transformation temperatures for both alloys, but the Fe-28.5%Ni-4.1%Si-0.6%Ti alloy exhibited a significantly more distinct exothermic peak, releasing approximately 65 times more energy during transformation, suggesting a more extensive or complete phase transformation in the titanium-containing alloy. Mössbauer spectroscopy confirmed the presence of both magnetic (martensite) and non-magnetic (austenite) phases in both alloys. The Ti-containing alloy showed a slight increase in the volumetric percentage of the austenite phase and a weakening of magnetic interactions within the ferromagnetic phases, along with changes in isomer shift and quadrupole splitting values. This indicates the influence of titanium on the electronic environment and local symmetry around iron nuclei. These results highlight the significant role of titanium in influencing the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties and phase transformation characteristics of FeNiSi-based alloys.