Papers by Author: Warren J. Poole

Abstract: Line tension simulations were implemented to study the glide of a single dislocation through an array of randomly distributed point obstacles. The strength of each obstacle in the glide plane was populated from an assumed distribution, mimicking what might be expected in engineering alloys containing precipitates. The effect of changing the width of the distribution was investigated. It was found that the assumption of a uniform strength gives a lower bond to the critical resolved shear stress.

Abstract: Laser ultrasonics for metallurgy (LUMet) is an innovative sensor technology for in-situ measurement of microstructure evolution during thermomechanical processing. This unique sensor has been attached to a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical simulator for dedicated laboratory studies during processing of steel, aluminum, magnesium and titanium samples. Advanced processing software has been developed for the measurement of grain size and texture evolution from laser ultrasonic signals. Results of austenite grain growth measurements in low carbon steels will be described to demonstrate the capabilities of the LUMet technique. Further, applications of the system to measure recrystallization of ferrite and austenite formation during intercritical annealing simulations of dual phase steels will be presented. The ability to rapidly acquire data both during a single test and for multiple conditions over a range of conditions from different samples has important implications on expediting process modelling and alloy design. Although certain limitations exist, the LUMet technique offers a very reliable characterization platform with a number of potential applications in metallurgical process engineering.

Abstract: The microstructural evolution has been studied for hot rolling of a dual-phase steel with a lean C-Mn-Si chemistry. This study includes the investigation of austenite grain growth during reheating, constitutive behaviour and static recrystallization kinetics of austenite, and austenite decomposition during simulated run-out table cooling conditions. To develop and validate the microstructure models for these phenomena, experimental studies have been carried out in the laboratory using a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical simulator. The hyperbolic sine relationship between flow stress and Zener-Hollomon parameter is employed to describe the constitutive behaviour. The Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK) theory is used to predict the static recrystallization kinetics. Ferrite transformation start is described with an approach that considers early growth of corner nucleated ferrite. The fraction of ferrite transformed from austenite during continuous cooling is described using the JMAK approach in combination with the additivity rule. The ferrite grain size is quantified as a function of the transformation start temperature. The overall microstructure model has been validated based on a number of laboratory simulations of the entire hot strip rolling and controlled cooling process with an emphasis on industrially relevant run-out table cooling strategies.

Abstract: The application of 6000 series alloys is widespread and of particular importance to the automotive sector. Their functionality depends on the detailed behaviour of the strengthening phases. In this study, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supplemented with a variety of mechanical tests were used to examine the precipitates and their role in aspects such as the Bauschinger effect, damage and fracture events, and in recovery and recrystallization processes.

Abstract: In order to improve the understanding of hot tearing during laser welding of aluminium alloys, the rheology of the alloys in the mushy state must be characterized. The present work investigates the mechanical behaviour of the aerospace alloy AA6056 using a specially designed isothermal tensile test in the mushy state. Using a Gleeble thermo-mechanical machine, two different tests have been performed: i) tests during partial remelting and ii) tests after partial solidification at a high cooling rate. These tests have been carried out not only on the 6056 alloy but also on a mix between 6056 and 4047 Al-Si alloy which corresponds to the composition of the nugget of a laser using a filler wire. The increase of the solid fraction results in an increase of the maximum stress and a change on the fracture surface from a smooth dendritic to a more ductile one. Moreover, the alloys exhibit a typical visco plastic behaviour with an increase of the maximal stress with the strain rate. When the test is performed at a particular solid fraction of 0.97, the fracture is more erratic and the ductility is low. The results show the existence of a ductile/brittle/ductile transition with the fraction of solid. The fracture stress is shown to be higher when testing after partial remelting as compared to partial solidification for the same solid fraction. This is due to the difference in microstructure of the mushy zone and more particularly in the connectivity of the solid skeleton. An adapted creep law is used to describe the mechanical behaviour of alloys during the partial remelting test using the fraction of grain boundary wetted by the liquid given by Wray. This law is shown to be irrelevant to the partial solidification tests, as a result of the modified geometry of the liquid phase. From these tests, we have determined a new law relating the solid fraction to the fraction of grain boundaries wetted by the liquid. This law is a useful tool to predict the mechanical behaviour when mechanical loading occurs during solidification.

Abstract: An investigation was conducted on the softening behaviour of cold rolled continuous cast (CC) AA5754 Al alloy and compared to the results for the ingot cast (IC) material. The present study suggests that the CC material exhibits greater resistance to softening as compared to the IC AA5754 for the same amount of cold deformation. The differences in the softening kinetics become more noticeable with increasing level of cold deformation and from a processing point of view can be attributed to the absence of the homogenization stage during the processing of the CC material. Resistivity measurements were carried out during the annealing treatment of the CC materials to examine the possibility of concurrent precipitation, which could potentially retard the softening kinetics for these materials. In addition, the current research reveals that the CC material produces a finer recrystallized grain size as compared to the IC material.

Abstract: Despite extensive studies on the aging behaviour of Al3Sc containing alloys, the underlying mechanism of the precipitation strengthening is still not well understood. In particular, the transition radius at which particles become non-shearable is not known. In this work, the work hardening behaviour of an Al-2.8Mg-0.16Sc (wt%) alloy has been characterized for different stages of aging and the corresponding slip line features at the surface of strained specimens have been examined using Nomarski interference contrast. Moreover, the work hardening behaviour is discussed in the framework proposed by Kocks, Mecking and Estrin. It is proposed that changes in macroscopic work hardening behaviour can be used as a signature of the shearable/non-shearable transition.

Abstract: In this paper, tension compression tests are carried out on AA6111 specimens in order to characterize the internal stress. The impact of the microstructure is investigated by applying a variety of ageing conditions to the specimens prior testing. It is shown that the Bauschinger effect depends strongly on the precipitation state. More precisely, when the precipitates are still shearable by the dislocations, no significant internal stress is found, although when the precipitates are large enough, a large internal stress, up to 30% of the yield stress, is observed.

Abstract: This paper examines the challenges which are encountered when using electrical resistivity measurements for characterization of microstructures in aluminum alloys. Experimental examples are provided of electrical resistivity studies conducted on two aluminum alloys, a heattreatable alloy (AA6111) and a non-heat-treatable alloy (AA5754), which demonstrate how the technique can be used to characterize changes in the microstructure. Results on AA6111 show that the dependence of the measurement on solute atoms and fine scale precipitates makes deconvolution of the resistivity signal non-trivial and therefore, utilization of supplementary technique(s) in conjunction with electrical resistivity measurements is essential. In the next example, room temperature electrical resistivity measurements as a function of cold work for AA5754 illustrate a larger resistivity contribution from dislocations in this alloy as compared to that reported for pure aluminum. The interaction of solutes and dislocations is cited as the possible source for the increased dislocation contribution.

Abstract: The process of work hardening in aluminum alloys is important from the viewpoint of formability and the prediction of the properties of highly deformed products. However the complexity of the strengthening mechanisms in these materials means that one must carefully consider the interaction of dislocations with the detailed elements of the microstructure and the related influence of the elements on dislocation accumulation and dynamic recovery. In addition, it is necessary to consider the influence of the work hardening process at various levels of plastic strain. This permits the possibility of designing microstructure for tailored plastic response, e.g. not simply designed for yield strength but also considering uniform elongation, spring-back, ductility etc. This presentation will explore the concept of identifying the various interactions which govern the evolution of the work hardening and their possible role in alloy design.