Papers by Author: W.M. Rainforth

Abstract: There has recently been renewed interest in magnesium alloys from both the automotive and aerospace industries. Due to the low density (approximately 35% lower than aluminium) and high specific strength, these alloys can introduce significant weight savings, and consequently fuel savings, to both vehicles and aircraft. Elektron™ 675 is a new alloy based on the magnesium-yttrium-gadolinium ternary system, developed by Magnesium Elektron Ltd. for wrought applications. Elektron™ 675 has superior mechanical properties relative to the current commercially available wrought alloys AZ31B, WE43, and ZK60.

Abstract: The dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) behaviour of magnesium AZ31 is investigated using a plane strain compression (PSC) testing machine at 450°C. The variables included strain rate, double hit including intermittent anneal and double hits with different strain rate at each hit. The alloy shows higher peak stress and strain with increasing strain rates. Predominant basal texture with different intensities are observed at different strain rates. The annealing treatment between double tests leads to strong basal texture. Reversal of strain rate during double hit results in similar flow curves. This shows that in AZ31 alloy, DRX mechanism is independent of the initial microstructure and only depends on the test condition viz. temperature, strain rate and total equivalent strain.

Abstract: Plate steel S460 is intercritically rolled during the final stages of industrial processing. A series of experiments to represent the preliminary stages of an intercritical simulation were completed and the isothermal austenite to ferrite transformation kinetics investigated. The growth of the ferrite grains was interpreted using the classic JMAK model and the effect of processing history also examined. A double austenite deformation at 1323 K, to a true strain of 0.2, led to the most acceptable starting microstructure for the extended simulation. The role of niobium in this preliminary simulation is also considered.

Abstract: t is well known that alumina ceramics undergo a time dependent wear transition during sliding wear. The transition, which is associated with 1-2 orders of magnitude increase in specific wear rate, involves a change from mild wear to intergranular fracture. The transition is strongly grain size dependent, with the time to the transition decreasing with grain size. However, there is a minimum grain size that can be achieved in fully dense alumina using commercially viable processing. Alternative strategies for reducing grain size and increasing toughness are through the addition of a fine second phase, with SiC and ZrO₂ being the most promising. The resultant composite not only has finer grain size, but also exhibits additional toughening mechanisms. This paper reports on the microstructural control in alumina, zirconia toughened alumina and alumina-silicon carbide composites. The grain size and residual stress distribution are related to the damage accumulation mechanism that occur during frictional contact, in particular the surface specific dislocation activity.

Abstract: Recent observations show that the strain reversal affects significantly and in a complex way both the static recrystallisation (SRX) and strain-induced precipitation (PPT) kinetics in Nb-microalloyed steel. It is already known that the recrystallisation stagnation is a consequence of the competition between the driving pressure for recrystallisation and the pinning pressure caused by the strain-induced precipitation of Nb (C,N) precipitates. Both of these parameters depend in turn on the local dislocation density. Thus, it is expected that a variation of the local dislocation density due to reversal of the strain will affect at the same time the local driving and the pinning pressures, which will cause the difference in the hardening levels. In the present paper, the influence of strain path change on microstructure evolution and mechanical behaviour in Nb-microalloyed steel (API X-70 grade) was studied. The deformation schedules were designed in order to investigate an effect of strain reversal on both static recrystallisation and strain-induced precipitation process kinetics. Flow curves recorded during deformation of X-70 steel showed clear influence of applied strain path on both static recrystallisation kinetics and strain-induced precipitation process.