Papers by Author: Jan Šerák

Abstract: Germanium is an element which is used in metallurgy in a very small extent. Much more significant is its use as a semiconductor material. Most of magnesium alloys are usually used for applications at ambient temperature. The significant decrease in mechanical properties is observed already at the temperature higher than 150°C. This is the reason for the effort to prepare a new low-priced magnesium based alloys with improved mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, e.g. for components of combustion engines. Therefore, new unconventional alloying elements are studied for increase the thermal stability of magnesium alloys. The effect of germanium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Ge alloys at ambient and elevated temperatures was studied in this paper.

Abstract: Pressureless reactive sintering production of iron aluminides is always connected with high porosity of the product. Previous research showed that silicon reduces the porosity significantly. In this work, the effect of alloying elements (Cu, Ni) on the reactive sintering behaviour and on the porosity of Fe-Al and Fe-Al-Si alloys was studied. Microstructure, phase composition, mechanical and tribological properties were studied as functions of alloy composition.

Abstract: Hydrogen is suggested as a promising fuel of the near future for the utilization in automotive and mobile applications. Therefore, safe and effective hydrogen storage systems need to be developed. One of the possibilities, suitable especially for mobile applications, is the storage of hydrogen in the form of light-metal hydrides. In this work we studied microstructure and hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics in selected Mg-Ni alloys. Hydrogen saturation was carried out by the cathodic polarization in alkaline water-based solution. It was confirmed that hydrogen could be stored in the Mg2Ni intermetallic phase forming Mg2NiH0.3 phase using this technology. MgH2 hydride is also formed when the temperature of 90 °C is applied. The total content of hydrogen in the material after saturation is approx. 0.7 wt. % according to the thermogravimetry analysis. This low value is caused probably by the surface oxidation, blocking further hydrogen diffusion. Thermal hydrogen desorption tests showed that the Mg2NiH0.3 phase is able to release hydrogen even at temperatures lower than 100 °C.

Abstract: Hydrogen is the promising pollutant-free fuel of the near future. For various hydrogen applications, suitable storage systems have to be developed. One of the safe ways is the reversible storage of hydrogen in the form of light metal (lithium or magnesium) hydrides. MgH2 magnesium hydride shows very high storage capacity (approx. 7 wt. %), but its problem is high thermodynamic stability. Therefore, high temperature (over 400°C) is necessary for MgH2 to decompose producing hydrogen. The solution of this problem can be the utilization of the complex magnesium hydrides containing nickel, copper or other transition metals. In this work, the microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of the various magnesium alloys (Mg-Ni, Mg-Zn, Mg-Cu and Mg-Cu-Al) are described. The aim was to find suitable hydrogen storage system with good storage capacity and sufficient rate of formation and decomposition of hydrides. Microstructure, chemical and phase composition of the alloys were determined by the light and scanning electron microscopy, EDS and XRD. Hydrogen saturation was carried out by cathodic polarization in the alkaline solution. Hydrogen content in the material was estimated by XRD from the shift of the diffraction lines of present phases.

Abstract: In the presented paper, properties of Al-Cr-Fe-Ti alloy produced by powder metallurgy (PM) are described. Rapidly solidified powder alloy was prepared by the pressure nitrogen melt atomization. The granulometric powder fraction of less than 45 μm was then hot-extruded. Microstructure of the as-extruded material comprised recrystallized α-Al grains and spheroids of intermetallic phases. Tensile strength of the investigated material was similar to that of a conventional casting Al-Si alloy commonly used in elevated temperature applications. Excellent thermal stability of the PM Al-Cr based material, which much exceeded the elevated temperature casting alloy, was proved by room temperature tensile tests after long-term annealing at elevated temperature. Reasons for the observed thermal stability of the investigated PM alloy are discussed.

Abstract: The aim of this work was to describe the mechanism and kinetics of plasma nitriding of a Nb-containing PM (powder metallurgy) tool steel. Material containing 2.5 wt.% C, 3.3% Si, 6.2% Cr, 2.2% Mo, 2.6% V, 2.6% Nb and 1.0% W was prepared by nitrogen melt atomization and hot isostatic pressing. Heat-treated steel (quenching from 1100 °C, triple tempering at 550 °C for 1h) was plasma nitrided at temperatures ranging from 470 °C to 530 °C / 30 - 180 min. Light microscopy, TEM, SEM and WDS were used to study the nitrided steel. It has been shown, that nitriding at 470°C leads to the formation of thin layers composed only of a diffusion zone containing nitrogen-rich martensite and fine nitride precipitates, no layer of nitrides is formed on the surface. Nitriding is probably controlled by the nitrogen diffusion in martensite to the material or by the processes in the nitriding atmosphere at this temperature. Nitriding at the temperature of 500°C and more leads to the formation of a continuous layer of nitrides and carbonitrides on the surface that limits further nitrogen diffusion. Niobium, as a prospective element in tool steels, was not found to play a role in the formation of the nitrided layer directly. Niobium replaces vanadium in very thermodynamically stable primary MC carbides. This results in higher vanadium content in others less stable carbides and in the matrix. Due to this effect, higher portion of vanadium can precipitate as VC carbides and VN nitrides during heat treatment and nitriding, respectively.