Papers by Author: Hiroshi Numakura

Abstract: We have studied the crystal defects in severely deformed pure iron, by combining mechanical spectroscopy with measurements of Vickers hardness and electrical resistivity. Iron of 99.99% purity and a material in which the C content is further reduced to below 1 at. ppm were deformed to strains up to 5.6 by accumulated roll-bonding. Mechanical loss and dynamic shear modulus of as-deformed samples were measured over the temperature range from –195°C to 800°C. Effects due to dislocations and grain boundaries have been identified. Thermal stabilities of the defects have been examined through variations in the mechanical loss during heating-run and cooling-run measurements. It is found that the small difference in the carbon content influences the densities of defects and microstructure, as well as the thermal stability. They are consistent with the recovery behaviour observed through hardness and resistivity in isochronal annealing experiments.

Abstract: To establish the method for determining the amount of carbon in the ferrite phase in ferrite + martensite dual-phase low-alloy steels, mechanical loss measurements have been performed on a series of Fe–C alloys with varying constitution. The observed mechanical loss spectra of two-phase alloys turned out to be simple superposition of those of single phase alloys, of ferrite and of martensite. The concentrations of carbon in solution evaluated from the magnitude of the Snoek relaxation in the two-phase alloys agree well with those expected from the Fe–C phase diagram. It is thus possible to selectively analyse the carbon dissolved in the ferrite phase in the complex structure, at least in simple binary alloys.

Abstract: Aging solution-treated Cu-Ti alloys in a hydrogen atmosphere significantly improved their electrical conductivity without degradation of the mechanical strength, compared to conventionally aged alloys. In this study, the influence of prior deformation on the mechanical and electrical properties of Cu-4.2 at.% Ti alloys aged in a hydrogen atmosphere was examined. The Vickers hardness of the solution-treated specimen increased from 127 kgf/mm2 to 265 kgf/mm2 by aging at 673 K for 180 h in a hydrogen atmosphere of 0.8 MPa, while that of the deformed specimen achieved a maximum of approximately 280 kgf/mm2 by aging for 100 h in the same atmosphere. Prior deformation resulted in a more rapid increase in conductivity during aging than that without deformation. The conductivity at the peak-hardness of the deformed specimen was 22% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard), which exceeded that for the solution-treated specimen. Thus, prior deformation assisted in a significant improvement of the mechanical and electrical properties during aging in a hydrogen atmosphere.

Abstract: Ferromagnetic L10 ordered alloys are extensively studied nowadays as good candidates for high density magnetic storage media due to their high magnetic anisotropy, related to their chemical order anisotropy. Epitaxial thin bilayers NiPt/FePt/MgO(001) have been grown at 700 K and annealed at 800 K and 900 K. At 800 K, the L10 long-range order increases without measurable interdiffusion. At 900 K, the interdiffusion takes place without destroying the L10 long-range order. This surprising observation can be explained by different diffusion mechanisms that are energetically compared using molecular dynamics simulations in CoPt in the second moment tight binding approximation. In addition, the frequencies of the normal modes of vibration have been measured in FePd, CoPt and FePt single crystals using inelastic neutron scattering. The measurements were performed in the L10 ordered structure at 300 K. From a Born-von Karman fit, we have calculated the phonon densities of states. The migration energies in the 3 systems have been estimated using the model developed by Schober et al. (1981). The phonon densities of states have also been used to calculate several thermodynamic quantities as the vibration entropy and the Debye temperature.

Abstract: The Snoek relaxation is associated with the redistribution of interstitial atoms in the bcc lattice under the application of the oscillatory stress. Addition of substitutional solutes introduces new peaks or broadening of the normal Snoek peak. The experimental and theoretical investigations of the effect are briefly reviewed.

Abstract: The tracer diffusion coefficients of Fe and Pd have been measured in FePt and FePt3 by standard radiotracer experiments. In FePt3 the diffusion coefficients are lower than extrapolations of those in the high-temperature disordered state, exhibiting curved Arrhenius plots below the transformation temperature. The diffusion of Pd is faster than that of Fe, and noticeable dependence on composition is found for the latter. In the L10 ordered FePt, the diffusion of Fe has been verified to be slower in the direction of the tetragonal axis, but the case of Pd appears more complex. The diffusion coefficients of Fe and Pd are similar in magnitude in the L10 ordered state.

Abstract: The diffusion coefficient of In in TiAl has been measured using ion implantation technique and secondary ion mass spectrometry. The diffusion coefficients of Fe and Pd in FePt have been measured at two compositions by radioactive tracer method. In order to clarify diffusion anisotropy, single crystal of each alloy was used. The In diffusion perpendicular to the [001] axis is faster than that parallel to the [001] axis. Such trend is similar to Ti diffusion previously measured in our group. The diffusion of Fe in FePt perpendicular to the [001] axis is faster than that parallel to the [001] axis at each composition, while the anisotropy of the Pd diffusion is different with composition. The predominant process of the diffusion in perpendicular to the [001] has been discussed on the basis of the expressions of the diffusion coefficients.