Papers by Keyword: Age Hardening

Abstract: Discontinuously reinforced SiCp/Al composites were extensively used in space applications including joints and attachment fittings for truss structures, electronic packages, thermal planes, mechanism housing and bushing. In this research work, the metal matrix composite of AA6061+ SiC_p 10% were produced by stir casting method with an aim to predict the mechanical properties of a Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) subjected to age hardening. The Ultimate tensile test and Vickers hardness test was carried on the both condition of produced MMC and Age hardened (HMMC). A comparative study of the mechanical properties of the MMC before and after age hardening has been reported.

Abstract: Aluminum alloys are important in aerospace industry, due to their mechanical properties, low specific weight and good corrosion resistance. Such properties are achieved due to a heat treatment of solubilization, quenching and aging, in order to precipitate metastables phases, which act as dislocation obstacles, increasing the strength of the alloy. In the present study, the precipitation sequence of Al-8%Ag alloy was analyzed via Vickers hardness and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The size and morphology of the precipitated particles, involved in the stages of precipitation process was characterized. It was determined the microstructure at the peak hardness, which is mainly composed of spherical GP zones with about 6 nm average diameter, which are responsible for the alloy achieve a value of 72 HVN. It was observed that this hardness value does not compete with others well known alloys, like AA 6061 and AA 2024, which can be precipitation hardened. The main reason for the low values of HVN, is because of there is no enough difference between the matrix and the precipitated particles lattice parameters, and dont cause a significant elastic strain by coherence in the matrix lattice, that could produce a substantial hardening. To ascertain this assumption, the aged material was severely plastic deformed, achieving 94 HVN, and the grain refinement and high dislocations density were the major hardening mechanisms, since the precipitates behavior was similar as the matrix, because particles were distorted instead of acting as impediment to material flow.

Abstract: The effect of impact compression on age hardening behavior was examined for Meso20 and 6061 aluminum alloys using a single stage gun. The hardness of Meso20 and 6061 aluminum alloy applied with an impact compression (about 5.0GPa) after the solution treatment increased with the aging time. The cluster of point defects like stacking fault tetrahedral (SFT) was observed in the 6061 aluminum alloys with the impact compression (5.3GPa) after the solution treatment. Even after the impact compression, distribution of the aging precipitates was clearly identified.

Abstract: Creep behavior of an Al-0.3%Mg-0.5%Si alloy affected by pre-aging condition was investigated to obtain fundamental knowledge on the thermal stability in the service temperature range for the precipitation-hardened aluminum heat-exchanger. The alloy was aged at 175 °C for 3 h (under-aged) and 24 h (peak-aged), after solution treatment, and then subjected to creep testing at temperatures of 150 °C and 200 °C. When the creep temperature was 150 °C, the under-aged (UA) specimen showed a lower creep rate than that of the peak-aged (PA) specimen. On the other hand, when the creep temperature was 200°C, both specimens showed almost the same creep rate. In other words, the UA specimen had higher creep resistance than the PA specimen at 150 °C, whereas this advantage disappeared at 200 °C. The difference was thought to originate from the precipitation during creep testing.

Abstract: The age hardening response of a quasi-binary Al-Mg₂Si alloy was studied using activation distance analysis of precise strain rate sensitivity experiments at 78 and 300K. The alloy of Al-0.7Mg-0.33Si-0.024Fe-0.006Ti(at.%) has a stochiometrically balanced composition of Mg₂Si. The alloy was solutionized at 550°C and ice water quenched before ageing in one of two ways: single-step or multi-step ageing. For single-step ageing: specimens were naturally aged for 70 days at room temperature (RT); pre-aged for 16 hours at 70°C; or artificially aged for 30 min or 10 hours at 175°C. For multi-step ageing: specimens were pre-aged at 70°C for 16 hours after natural ageing for 70 days at RT; artificially aged for 30 min or 10 hours at 175°C after pre-aging at 70°C for 16 hours; or artificially aged for 10 hours at 175°C after natural aging for 70 days at RT. The activation analysis reveals rate controlling obstacle dimensions ranging from 0.3 to 10 nm depending upon the ageing condition. A comparison is made to a prior three dimensional atom probe ageing study of the same alloy [Murayama and Hono, Acta Mater., 47 (1999) 1537-1578.].

Abstract: In the present paper, an extended age hardening model for Al-Mg-Si alloys is presented. In this new approach the combined precipitation, yield strength and work hardening model, known as NaMo Version 1, has been further developed to account for the effects of room temperature storage and cold deformation on the resulting age hardening behaviour. Incorporation of these two new stages in NaMo largely increases the versatility of the model by allowing simulations of complex multi-stage industrial processing involving thermomechanical treatment as well. Part 1 of this work deals with the theoretical background and experimental validation of the extended version of NaMo, while Part 2 focuses on the new applications of the model by showing some numerical examples related to production of automotive body panels.

Abstract: It is known that Al-Mg-Ge alloys show a similar precipitation sequence to that of Al-Mg-Si alloys, and that ther equilibrium phase is β-Mg₂Ge according to the phase diagram. In this study, the precipitation sequence and age-hardening behavior of Al-1.0mass%Mg₂Ge alloys has been investigated by hardness test, write out in full first time used TEM and HRTEM observations on.The hardness curves showed no big difference between peak values hardness for samples aged at 423, 473 and 523K. The precipitates in the peak-aged samples have been classified as some metastable phases, such as the β’-phase and parallelogram-type precipitates by HRTEM observation. The large precipitates are similar to the A-type precipitate in the Al-Mg-Si alloy with excess Si.

Abstract: It is well know that the 7000 series Al-Zn-Mg alloy has good age hardening ability and high strength among commercial aluminum alloys. In this study, hardness measurement, tensile test, SEM and TEM observation have been performed in order to understand the effect of the Zn/Mg ratio on age hardening behaviour in Al-Zn-Mg alloys. It was seen from hardness measurement that the peak hardness increased with increasing amount of Zn and Mg. Tensile tests were performed for the samples of peak aged condition. It was seen that UTS increased with increasing amount of the Zn and Mg. The elongation decreased with increasing the amount of the Zn and Mg. Intregranular fracture was observed in alloys with low amount of Zn and Mg.Transgranular fracture was observed with high amount of Zn and Mg alloy. TEM observation was performed for peak aged samples. The size of precipitates became finer and the number density increased with increasing Zn and Mg contents.T’ Phase and h₁ phase were observed in low Zn/Mg alloy. The h’ phase was observed in high Zn/Mg alloy.

Abstract: In order to improve limited ductility of ultrafine grained (UFG) Al alloys, mechanical properties of an UFG Al alloy having fine precipitates within grains were investigated. An Al-0.2wt%Sc-4.2wt%Ag alloy was severely deformed by the ARB process at room temperature and subsequently heat-treated by a two-step aging. After the first aging in the two-step aging, fine Al₃Sc precipitates were formed. In the specimen ARB processed by 4cycles, the fine Al₃Sc precipitates were homogeneously dispersed within the grains. On the other hand, in the specimen ARB processed by 8 cycles, Al₃Sc precipitates were linearly-aligned on the grain boundaries that had moved during the heat treatment. After the second aging, fine G.P. zones of Ag as well as Ag₂Al precipitates were observed within the grains in the specimen ARB processed by 4 cycles. Coarse precipitates of Ag₂Al at grain boundaries were observed in the specimen ARB processed by 8 cycles. The difference in the distribution of precipitates was considered to be due to the difference in fraction of high angle grain boundaries in the matrix microstructures. The strength of the solution treated specimen increased by the two-step aging while the tensile elongation decreased. On the other hand, both of the strength and elongation of the specimen ARB processed by 4 cycles increased after the two-step aging. In case of the specimen ARB processed by 8 cycles, the strength decreased slightly and the elongation increased by the two-step aging, and the aged specimen exhibited a good balance between strength and elongation.

Abstract: Effects of high-speed deformation on age hardening and microstructural evolution behavior of 6061 aluminum alloys were studied. By affecting the high-speed impact compression (about 5 GPa) to the 6061 aluminum alloy plate in the state of quenching after the solution heat treatment, the maximum hardness became twice as high as the original hardness. Even after the impact compression, age-hardening was clearly identified both at 175 °C and 100 °C. TEM observation revealed that point defect clusters were distributed densely inside grains after the impact compression, possibly due to the effect of high-speed deformation. The point defect clusters observed were assumed to be stacking fault tetrahedra on the basis of high resolution TEM analysis. The point defect clusters and precipitates were both visible even after the peak-aged condition at 175 °C. The 6061 aluminum alloy specimen after the solution heat treatment, followed by the impact compression (8.0 GPa) and the peak-aged condition showed the highest hardness value (154 Hv) among the testing conditions selected in the present study.