Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU), Saint Petersburg, Russia:

D. G. Letenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Construction Materials Engineering and Metrology, Candidate of Physics & Mathematics Sciences, e-mail: Dletenko@mail.ru

Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint Petersburg, Russia:
A. S. Ivanov, Associate Professor at the Department of General and Applied Physics, Candidate of Technical Sciences, e-mail: ivaleks58@gmail.com
V. V. Fitsak, Associate Professor at the Department of General and Applied Physics, Candidate of Technical Sciences

One of the most critical areas in today’s metallurgy includes the development and production of high-strength structural materials, in particular metal alloys. High strength can be achieved in alloys through the introduction of nanoinoculants – i.e. nanodispersed fullerenes, which are capable of modifying the structure to a fine-dispersed state. Since nanoinoculants tend to demonstrate a particular type of behavior in liquid environments, a specific production cycle had to be designed that would ensure effective blending because not only nanodispersed fullerenes should be properly introduced into liquid alloy, but they should also be properly prepared. In order to achieve an even distribution of inoculants throughout a specimen made of bronze BrNKhK and reach a given concentration, the authors had to tackle two problems:
– ensure quick submersion, melting and dissolution of the master alloy with a nanoinoculant in the liquid alloy before the solidification has started (preventing at the same time the contact of nanodispersed fullerene with atmospheric air); for this, tablet-shaped specimens were made out of copper powder PMS-1-based master alloys, the specific weight of which exceeded the one of similar items made of the actual alloy, and thus the master alloy would dissolve and fuse with the nanoinoculant under the alloy layer;
– break the agglomerates formed by groups of fulleroid particles in liquid environments as the result of co-interaction due to their high cohesion.

For this purpose, a process of deep dispersion was developed that involves mechanical activation and ultrasonic impact with simultaneous quality control at each stage. It is shown that nanoinoculation changes the microstructure of the alloy resulting in enhanced physico-mechanical properties.

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