My research in August:

I used nano-AlN powder to produce third series of composites with 7475 aluminium alloy matrix. As previously, the composites were produced through powder-metallurgy processing. Pre-alloyed 7475 aluminium powders were mixed with ceramic particles and milled in a high energy planetary ball mill.

I also made an literature review concerning heat treatment of composites with aluminium alloy matrix with particular emphasis on precipitation hardening in aging process.

Research in August:

- preparing samples of AA1050 alloy to observations in the scanning electron microscope (EBSD)- grinding, polishing;
- preparing orientation maps of samples of the aluminum alloy after ECAP and recrystallization (in different temperatures and constant time = 1h);
- annealing samples of the aluminum alloy 3004 for 1 h in different temperatures (in the range 100-400°C).

Analysis of obtained results from the scanning electron microscope with used technique EBSD (electron backscattered diffraction) for the alloy AA1050 after different times of annealing in 270°C. In analysis were used tools: TSL OIM Analysis 5 and MS Excel. There were noted the following relationships:

- quantity of low and high angle grain boundaries are decreasing with time of annealing of aluminum alloy at 270°C;
- quantity of low angle grain boundaries calculated to the total number of all boundaries firstly decrease with time of annealing but after 30 min is observed that their number increases;
- the low angle grain boundaries constitute from 18% (for 30min annealing) to 37% (in the deformed state = without annealing), while a high angle constitute from 63% to 82%.

Most of the month was spend on holidays, however I am not going to describe it in details here. The rest of August I was reading scientific articles. It is quite quiet in the institute during holidays season so it is easier to focus on reading and learning.

Main studies carried out during August:

- preparation of ribbons samples with vanadium, molybdenum, titanium and chromium addition for observation with Scanning Electron Microscopy by embedding in resin, polishing, sputtering with thin carbon layer. The best results from microscopy investigation, concerning homogeneity of ribbon’s microstructure were obtained for ribbons with molybdenum addition

- observation of ingots (with Cr and Mo addition) microstructure, determination of chemical composition of observed phases with SEM

- TEM investigations of Al-Mn-Fe of crystallographic relationships between phases occurring in ribbons microstructure in as-cast state and after annealing

- preparation of poster for MCM 2011 - 10th Multinational Congress on Microscopy
in Urbino, Italy with the title: ‘TEM study of the quasicrystalline phase transformation
in Al-Mn-Fe melt-spun ribbon’.

- participation in seminar about magnesium alloys with rare earth elements addition given by prof. Lazar L. Rokhlin from Moscow

Main studies carried out during July:

- preparation of ribbons with zirconium addition for observation with Scanning Electron Microscopy by embedding in resin, polishing, sputtering with thin carbon layer. As a result of microscopy investigation inhomogeneous structure of obtained ribbons was observed (as in previous obtained ribbons)
- preparation of new alloys with addition of the following elements: V, Ti, Mo, Cr
- observation of prepared ingots microstructure, determination of chemical composition of observed phases with SEM
- obtaining ribbons from prepared ingots by melt-spinning technique
- TEM investigations of Al-Mn-Fe ribbon in as-cast state and after annealing
-preparation of the article for 39th School in Material Science in Krynica, Poland (26-30 September): “Microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal stability of Al-Mn-Fe melt-spun ribbons” and an abstract: „Characterization of Al-Mn-Fe melt-spun ribbon” for publication in “Archives of Metallurgy and Materials”.