André Barros

A promising approach to produce hydrogen without pollutant emissions consists of water‐splitting reactions occurring during the corrosion of Al‐based alloys in alkaline environment. However, the effects of microstructural features under varying thermal conditions on hydrogen production performance are not fully understood. This study investigates the combined influence of microstructural refinement and temperature on hydrogen production characteristics of an Al–5Zn–0.5Fe (wt%) alloy immersed in a 1 mol sodium hydroxide solution. Samples are then extracted from different relative positions within the solidified casting and subjected to hydrogen release tests at 30, 40, and 50 °C for 120 min. The results reveal that the reaction rate is strongly influenced by temperature, as described by the Arrhenius equation, allowing the calculation of the activation energy. Coarser microstructures are found to enhance hydrogen production over shorter periods compared to refined ones. This behavior persists with temperature increases in alkaline medium, leading to faster hydrogen production. Between primary dendritic arm spacings ( λ ₁ ) of 39.1 and 78.2 μm, the achieved hydrogen production increases by 105.8, 44.1, and 57.6% at the temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C, respectively. Total hydrogen production increases by 49.6% between temperatures 30 and 40 °C and 78.6% between 30 and 50 °C.

Zn-Fe alloys are gaining attention for their use as bioabsorbable implants, and their development requires a deeper understanding of the processing–microstructure–property relationships. This study aimed to analyze the influence of microstructural features on the hardness of a Zn-2 wt.%Fe alloy. To achieve this, a casting was fabricated using directional solidification, and samples that experienced various cooling conditions were extracted from it. The results show that the microstructure of the investigated alloy was composed of a Zn-rich phase (matrix) and FeZn₁₃ intermetallic particles. Four different morphological patterns of the microstructure could be formed, depending on the thermal conditions during solidification. For each of these patterns, a reduction in the spacing between FeZn₁₃ particles, a parameter representing the degree of microstructural refinement, did not lead to a considerable increase in the hardness of the Zn-2wt.%Fe alloy. Hardness was shown to be more dependent on the morphology of the FeZn₁₃ intermetallics and Zn-rich matrix than on the degree of refinement of these microstructural phases. Therefore, the present research provides valuable insights into the development of enhanced Zn-Fe alloys by demonstrating how microstructural features can affect their properties, particularly in terms of hardness and morphologies of the microstructural phases.

Tecnol. Metal. Mater. Min., vol.22, e3222, 2025

The reaction of water with Al-based alloys presents a promising alternative for on-board hydrogen production. This method, free from carbon emissions, has the advantage of addressing issues related to hydrogen storage and logistics. Al-Sn-Fe alloys are potential candidates for this application. However, the current literature lacks an in-depth understanding of the role of microstructural evolution in the hydrogen generation performance of these alloys. The present work investigates the influence of the microstructural length scale on the hydrogen production behavior of an Al-9Sn-1Fe (wt.) alloy. Directionally solidified samples with different microstructural length scales were subjected to hydrogen evolution tests in a 1 M NaOH solution. The results revealed that the microstructure of the studied alloy comprised α-Al-phase dendrites with a plate-like morphology along with the presence of Sn-rich particles and Al₁₃Fe₄ intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in the interdendritic areas. In addition, the microstructural refinement induced a 56.25% rise in hydrogen production rate, increasing from 0.16 to 0.25 mL g^–1 s^–1, without affecting the hydrogen yield, which stayed around 88%. The corrosion process was observed to be stimulated by Sn-rich particles and Al₁₃Fe₄ IMCs at their interfaces with the α-Al phase, positively impacting the hydrogen production rate. An experimental equation based on the Hall–Petch relationship and multiple linear regression (MLR) is proposed to associate the hydrogen production rate with dendritic arm spacings.

Recycled Al alloys not only offer environmental and economic benefits but also present a valuable base for the development of innovative materials, such as Al-Ni-Fe alloys. This work particularly focuses on the microstructural changes and hardness of an Al-5Ni-1Fe alloy (wt.%) solidified with an approximate 20-fold variation in cooling rates. For the various microstructural length scales obtained, only the eutectic regions exhibit a uniform pattern, with the eutectic colonies comprising an α-Al phase along with Al₃Ni and Al₉FeNi intermetallic compounds. It is shown that microstructural refinement can lead to a 36% increase in hardness. To represent this mathematically, hardness values are associated with the eutectic colony and intermetallic fiber spacings (λ_EC and λ_IF is, respectively) using experimental equations based on the Hall–Petch relationship and multiple linear regression. In addition, comparisons are undertaken with Al-5Ni and Al-1Fe (wt.%) alloy samples produced under the same conditions. The Al-5Ni-1Fe alloy exhibits higher hardness values than both the Al-5Ni and Al-1Fe binary alloys. Furthermore, the hardness of the ternary Al-Ni-Fe alloy is sensitive to microstructural refinement, a characteristic absent in the binary alloys. For λ_IF^−1/2 = 1.56 µm^−1/2 (coarser microstructure), the Al-5Ni-1Fe alloy exhibits a hardness of about 13% and 102% higher than that of the Al-5Ni and Al-1Fe alloys, respectively, while for λ_IF^−1/2 = 1.81 µm^−1/2 (finer microstructure), it demonstrates a hardness of approximately 39% and 147% higher as compared to that of the Al-5Ni and Al-1Fe alloys, respectively. Thus, this research provides experimental correlations that connect hardness, microstructure, and solidification thermal parameters, contributing to a better understanding for the design of as-cast Fe-contaminated Al-Ni-based alloys.

Sn-Mg alloys are potential Pb-free solder options. However, their mechanical strength and interfacial characteristics with electronic substrates remain barely understood. This study focuses on the interfacial heat transfer aspects, microstructure, and tensile strength of a Sn-2.1wt.%Mg alloy. Samples with various thermal histories were produced using a directional solidification apparatus. In these experiments, a Sn-2.1wt.%Mg alloy was solidified on Cu and Ni substrates, which are of interest in the electronics industry. Mathematical modeling was then employed, allowing for the determination of the overall and interfacial heat transfer coefficients (h_ov, and h_i, respectively). The results show that the Ni substrate exhibits higher interfacial thermal conductance with the Sn-2.1wt.%Mg alloy compared to the Cu substrate, as indicated by the higher h_i profiles. This fact occurs mainly due to their metallurgical interaction, resulting in a stronger bond with the presence of Sn-Ni-rich intermetallics at the interface. Finally, experimental equations based on the Hall–Petch relationship are proposed to describe how the refinement of the fibrous spacing of the Mg₂Sn interphase (λ_G) and an increase in h_i enhance both yield and ultimate tensile strengths.