Papers by Author: Giovanni Mazzolai

Abstract: Hydrogen mobility has been studied at high temperature by absorption experiments in the Ni₅₂Ti₄₈ alloy, which does not transform martensitically but rather behaves like a so-called strain glass. The results obtained have been compared with those deduced from an anelastic relaxation occurring in this alloy below the strain-glass transition temperatures. An accurate analysis of the anelastic data has confirmed the conclusion that the relaxation is related to H rather than to the glass transition. Its relaxation time obeyed a Voogel-Fulcher type of temperature dependence. Combining absorption and anelastic results, the H diffusion coefficient in the B2 lattice structure of this alloy could be studied from 1200 K down to 170 K. The agreement between the absorption and mechanical spectroscopy data was satisfactory. The activation energy (0.33 eV) deduced from a Vogel-Fulcher representation of the H diffusion coefficient D was sensibly lower than earlier determinations (0.44-0.50 eV) from Arrhenius plots. The high temperature data of Ni₅₂Ti₄₈ alloy, compared with the ones available in the literature for other NiTi SMA in their B2 structure, show a substantial independence of D on the alloy composition.

Abstract: The diffusion of hydrogen has been investigated in the AB2 Laves phase Compounds TiCr1.78 and TiCr1.4Mn0.4, by absorption techniques. It has been found that H at temperatures higher than 700 K diffuses through the classical over-barrier mechanism, while at low temperature (around 100 K) the diffusion is governed by phonon-assisted tunnelling. The activation energy for classical hopping is rather high and increases with the substitution of Mn for Cr. In the range of H contents nH investigated (nH=H/Me0.03) the chemical diffusion coefficient does not depend on the H concentration.

Abstract: The diffusion of H and the thermal decomposition of hydrides have been investigated at high temperatures in two PdCe alloys of composition 5% and 9% Ce. It has been found that the H diffusion coefficient obeys an Arrhenius-type of law with the following values of the activation energy W and diffusion constant D0, ( )     = ± × = ± − s m D W eV 2 7 0 2 2 10 0.20 0.02 (Pd95Ce5 alloy) ( )     = ± × = ± − s m D W eV 2 7 0 2 1 10 0.24 0.01 (Pd91Ce9 alloy) The high-temperature absorption data match the low-temperature ones deduced from internal friction measurements, indicating that Ce atoms do not act as strong trapping centres for H. Thermal decomposition of hydrides in the Pd95Ce5H0.008 alloy occurs in a single stage showing a homogeneous solid solution state of the H-Me system.

Abstract: The internal friction (IF) and the Young’s modulus (E) of NiTi based alloys have been investigated at 1 Hz and 1 kHz frequencies after various sequences of thermo-mechanical treatments and hydrogen-doping given to the materials. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has also been used as a complementary investigation tool. Apart from the transient effects, only occurring at 1 Hz frequencies, the data indicate a substantial insensitivity of damping to frequency. The results show that the H-Snoek and the H-twin boundary relaxations get their maximum height for H contents nH (nH=H/Me) equal to about 0.025 and 0.008, respectively. At kHz frequencies the IF peaks associated with these relaxations occur at around room temperature in the Ni49Ti51 and Ni30Ti50Cu20 alloys. Thus, these appear to be the most promising materials for applications aimed at the reduction of vibrations.

Abstract: The ultrasound pulse echo overlap method has been used to determine the elastic stiffness coefficients and the corresponding ultrasonic attenuation for a single crystal of the Ni40Ti50Cu10 alloy as a function of temperature. The elastic stiffness coefficients exhibit anomalies near the martensitic phase transition. In the shear stiffness coefficient, corresponding to C44 propagation mode in austenite, a large jump occurs from 36 GPa, above the transition, down to 15 GPa, below the transition. This jump is accompanied by a strong increase in the ultrasonic attenuation. The stiffness coefficients corresponding to C11 and C' = (C11 – C12)/2 modes in austenite show an anomaly at the phase transition, however, these are small effects compared to the one associated with C44 mode. The elastic behavior of this crystal has been characterised down to a temperature of 100 K.

Abstract: The chemical diffusion coefficient (Dc) of hydrogen in the Ni30Ti50Cu20 shape memory alloy has been determined in the temperature range 700 - 1150 K by investigating the kinetics of H2 absorption. The mobility of H has also been deduced between 250 K and 280 K from a Snoek-type internal friction peak. The values of the Einstein diffusion coefficient (DE) derived from the relaxation time of this peak were in keeping with those of Dc obtained at low H contents (nH = H/Me < 0.01 ). The combined Arrhenius plot of DE and Dc gave the following values for the diffusion parameters: W = 0.52 ± 0.02 eV, D0 = (5±2)x10-4 cm2/s.