Papers by Author: Stephan Scheriau

Abstract: In this study ultrafine grain structure evolution during high pressure torsion (HPT) of commercial aluminium alloy AA6082 at increased temperature is presented. Two different initial structural states of the alloy were prepared by thermal treatment. The progress in structure refinement in dependence on the shear strain level strain was investigated by TEM of thin foils. The impact of different amount of strain (ε_ef) introduced was analyzed with respect to the effect of increased temperature. The microhardness results measured across the deformed discs pointed out that some data scattering. The results of microstructure analyses showed that ultrafine grain (ufg) structure was already formed in deformed disc upon the first turn, regardless the initial structure of alloy, resulting from prior thermal treatment. The observed heterogeneity in ufg structure formation across the deformed disc was observed, supporting microhardness results scattering. By increasing the strain level (number of turns N-2,4,6), more effectively homogenized ufg structure was observed across the deformed discs. The effect of increased deformation temperature became evident and dynamic recrystalization modified locally ufg structure.. The retardation of new grains growth and higher thermal stability of ufg structure was observed, when two steps thermal treatment of alloy (quenching and ageing) was executed prior deformation. Strength measurements results yielded form tensile tests showed that the effect of structure strengthening was degraded by local recrystallization. The results of torque measurement versus the time showed that the torque required to deform the sample was increasing until the first turn and then kept stable or even decreased.

Abstract: In this study ultrafine grain structure evolution during high pressure torsion (HPT) of commercial aluminium alloy AA6082 at increased temperature is presented. Two different initial structural states of the alloy were prepared by thermal treatment. The progress in structure refinement in dependence on the shear strain level strain was investigated by TEM of thin foils. The impact of different amount of strain (εef) introduced was analyzed with respect to the effect of increased temperature. The microhardness results measured across the deformed discs pointed out that some data scattering. The results of microstructure analyses showed that ultrafine grain (ufg) structure was already formed in deformed disc upon the first turn, regardless the initial structure of alloy, resulting from prior thermal treatment. The observed heterogeneity in ufg structure formation across the deformed disc was observed, supporting microhardness results scattering. By increasing the strain level (number of turns N -2,4,6), more effectively homogenized ufg structure was observed across the deformed discs. The effect of increased deformation temperature became evident and dynamic recrystalization modified locally ufg structure. The retardation of new grains growth and higher thermal stability of ufg structure was observed, when two steps thermal treatment of alloy (quenching and ageing) was executed prior deformation. Strength measurements results yielded from tensile tests showed that the effect of structure strengthening was degraded by local recrystallization. The results of torque measurement versus the time showed that the torque required to deform the sample was increasing until the first turn and then kept stable or even decreased.

Abstract: The microstructural evolution, the changes in microhardness and the recrystallization behavior of a modified 316L stainless steel were investigated during high pressure torsion (HPT) and subsequent annealing. To study the impact of the governing process parameters on the evolving microstructures, the applied strain, the strain path and the annealing temperatures were varied. In contrast to ordinary single phase steels, which showed a decrease in the structural size ending in a saturation of the microstructural refinement between an equivalent strain eq of 10 and 15, HPT of the modified 316L results in a steep increase in shear stress at very small strains and the saturation region is reached far before eq = 10. Studies using the transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that at large strains the original coarse grains are converted by the massive intersection and fragmentation of twins into a nanometer-scaled microstructure. In the case of monotonic HPT, shock annealing of the deformed discs results in rows of fine and coarse grains. In the cyclic deformed discs a homogenous, fine-grained and almost fully recrystallized microstructure was observed. The results clearly show that both the strength and ductility of the material can be significantly influenced by SPD and subsequent annealing. Possible reasons for the observed differences in the deformation and annealing behavior are discussed.

Abstract: Industrial available FeSi, FeCo and FeNi alloys with an initial grain size of 20-50 m were subjected to Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) up to strain levels where a saturation of the microstructural refinement is observed. For both SPD conditions, ambient temperature (293 K) and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), the microstructure of the severely deformed state is analysed by Back Scattered Electrons (BSE) micrographs captured in a SEM. Additionally, samples that were deformed at 77 K are examined in a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The magnetic properties were characterised by means of SQUID-magnetography providing information about the magnetization behaviour of the material in the as-processed state. Depending on the SPD conditions the mean microstructural sizes in the steady state are about 100-150 nm and 30-80 nm at 293 K and 77 K, respectively. The small microstructural sizes influence significantly the magnetic properties of these ferritic alloys. The initial soft-magnetic behaviour of the coarse grained state shifts towards a hard-magnetic with decreasing crystallite size. For crystallite sizes smaller than ~80 nm the magnetic properties become again more soft-magnetic. The experiments show that very low coercitivity can be obtained by SPD if the grain size is smaller than ~50 nm.

Abstract: Long-range ordered intermetallic alloys with L12 (Ni3Al, Cu3Au) and B2 (FeAl) structures were deformed by high-pressure torsion at room temperature up to high grades of deformation. Transmission electron microscopy shows that disordering caused by the deformation occurs on a very local scale within coarse grains along glide planes (Cu3Au, Ni3Al) and in the form of well defined local regions (Ni3Al, FeAl). The latter leads to a duplex structure consisting of an ordered coarse-grained structure and a disordered nanocrystalline structure. The different mechanisms that can lead to disordering during severe plastic deformation are discussed on the basis of the different ordering energies and on the basis of antiphase boundaries associated with gliding dislocations. The results indicate that in intermetallic alloys the formation of a nanocrystalline structure by severe plastic deformation is facilitated by the loss of order.

Abstract: The improvements in the design of the HPT tools lead to a well defined torsion deformation and permits, therefore, a comparison with other SPD-techniques. The design of the tools, the advantages and disadvantages of HPT, as well as the limitation in the sample size are discussed.

Abstract: A pure OFHC copper is subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD) by a well defined high pressure torsion process at ambient temperature. The change in microstructure of samples deformed to different strains, up to ε=64, is investigated in-situ, during annealing at 170°C, within a scanning electron microscope. The spatial distribution of nucleation sites changes significantly with increasing strain from nucleation at triple junctions and grain boundaries to a random distribution of sites for von Mises equivalent strains beyond ε=4. The resulting mean size of recrystallized grains is about 6.75 times larger than the mean microstructural size of the corresponding as-deformed state. For strains larger than ε=16 the recrystallized microstructure appears to be independent of preceding strain. A detailed investigation of the nucleation of recrystallized grains following very large strains shows that certain microstructural elements are favoured as nuclei and were particularly taken into account.