Papers by Author: Hans J. Roven

Abstract: Microstructure and mechanical properties of a 6013 Al-Mg-Si-Cu aluminum alloy processed by a combination of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and preaging treatment were comparatively investigated using quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tensile tests. In addition, the precipitation sequences were obtained by thermodynamic calculations using the FactSage software package. Average grain sizes measured by XRD are in the range 211–501 nm while the average dislocation density is in the range 0.35-1.0 × 10¹⁴ m^-2 in the deformed alloy. TEM analysis reveals that fine needle β′′ precipitates with an average length of 4-10 nm are uniformly dispersed in the preaging ECAPed alloy. The local dislocation density in this sample is as high as 2.2×10¹⁷ m^-2. The strength is significantly increased in the preaging-ECAPed samples as compared to that of the undeformed counterparts. The highest yield strength among the preaging ECAPed alloys is 322 MPa. This value is about 1.25 times higher than that (258 MPa) of the static peak-aging sample. The high strength in the preaging ECAPed alloy is suggested to be related to grain size strengthening and dislocation strengthening, as well as precipitation strengthening contributed from both preaging treatment and ECAP deformation.

Abstract: This work reports the experimental evidence of localized solid-state amorphization (SSA) in a nanostructured Al–Mg alloy processed by high pressure torsion at room temperature. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis indicated that the deformed alloy had a very small average grain size of about 79 nm. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations illustrated that the deformation-induced SSA were frequently located in the vicinity of grain boundaries (GBs) and GB junctions where high density dislocations, severe lattice distortion, deformation twins and stacking faults coexisted in the deformed alloy. The SSA phenomenon may primarily be attributed to the strong interactions of the high dislocation densities, GBs and the planar interfaces. A possible formation process of amorphization is proposed based on the HRTEM investigations. The present results suggest that the crystalline-to-amorphous transformation could also occur in binary Al–Mg alloys through severe plastic deformation that are usually produced by rapid solidification.

Abstract: Ultrafine-grained (UFG) binary Al-xMg (x=1, 5 and 7 wt %) alloys were processed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at room temperature via route B_c combined with inter-pass annealing. The effects of Mg content, grain size and strain rate on mechanical properties and dynamic strain aging (DSA) behaviour of the Al-Mg alloys upon tensile testing at room temperature were studied. An increase in Mg content from 5 to 7 wt % leads to a pronounced increase in strength and uniform elongation in both the as-homogenized and as-ECAP Al-Mg alloys. Thereby, the Al-7Mg alloy, either prior to or after ECAP processing, possess significantly higher strength and comparable or even higher uniform elongation than the more dilute Al-Mg alloys. However, the as-ECAP Al-Mg alloys exhibit significantly higher strength but little work hardening and hence rather limited uniform elongation. In general, decreasing grain size leads to significant increase in strength while dramatic decrease in ductility. Moreover, DSA serration amplitudes increase with reducing grain size in the micrometer range. However, the UFG Al-Mg alloys exhibit much less DSA effect than the micrometer scaled grain size counterparts, i.e. probably due to the high dislocation densities and special grain boundary features in the UFG materials. Also, the Al-Mg alloys, especially those with a UFG structure, exhibit higher strength and ductility at lower strain rate than at higher strain rate, due mainly to enhanced DSA effect and hence work hardening at a lower strain rate.