Papers by Keyword: High Speed Rolling

Abstract: Magnesium AZ31 alloy sheets were rolled at 100 °C at a high rolling speed of 1000 m/min. After 30% reduction, the microstructure was heavily twinned and shear banded, while a partially dynamically recrystallized and twinned microstructure was seen at the reduction of 49%. The as-rolled specimens were then annealed at 500 °C for increasing times. Microstructure and texture were characterized by optical microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Texture weakening was found during annealing of the specimens at both reductions. However, the texture weakening was more effective in the fully twinned and shear banded specimen than the partially DRXed and twinned specimen. Effects of as-rolled microstructure on static recrystallization characteristics and texture evolution during annealing were studied.

Abstract: Magnesium alloys show low deformability at low temperature because of hcp structure and inactiveness of basal slip. Manufacturing of thin sheet is difficult in industries. Some approaches, such as small-draft multi-pass rolling, intermediate annealing, isothermal rolling and high-speed rolling were proposed to overcome the deformability. However, small edge cracks are still formed on the sheet. In this study, rolling speed of 1000m/min was employed to warm-roll AZ31B magnesium alloy in a single pass at different temperatures. The edge cracks formed after the rolling were classified into three main groups: minor, regular and zigzag edge cracks. ‘Crack contact length’ are introduced to explain the morphology of edge cracks. The results show that the critical reduction for crack initiation depends on the pre-heating temperature. The spacing between edge cracks increases linearly with the crack contact length regardless of roll diameter, speed and reduction. It is suggested that this approach is useful to understand the formation mechanism of edge cracks and to evaluate the rollability of magnesium alloys.

Abstract: Magnesium alloys are expected to be used widely as structural materials because of their lowest density (1.8g/cm3) among all practical alloys and superior specific strength. However, magnesium alloys exhibit poor ductility due to its hcp structure and inactiveness of non-basal slip systems below 523K. Accordingly, magnesium alloy sheets had to be rolled at elevated temperature to avoid edge cracking and fracture during rolling. The present authors succeeded in single pass large draught rolling of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets below 473K without heating rolls by rolling at the speed higher than 1000m/min. The rolled and quenched sheets had fine recrystallized microstructure and exhibited excellent mechanical properties. It was found that the high speed rolling is a promising method not only for increasing productivity but also for controlling microstructures and improving mechanical properties. If the above mentioned advantages of high speed rolling can be drawn from the rolling at the speed lower than 1000m/min, it is possible to mass-produce magnesium alloy sheets having superior mechanical properties at lower cost. In this study, we tried to determine the lower limiting rolling speed at which we can obtain advantages of high speed rolling. We revealed that the thickness could be reduced about 60% by single pass operation even at 250m/min without heating rolls. The rolled and quenched sheets had equiaxed fine recrystallized microstructure. For example, the mean grain size of 2.1m was obtained in the AZ31B sheet rolled at 250m/min at room temperature to the reduction of 60%.

Abstract: The present authors have succeeded in single pass large draught rolling of AZ31 and ZK60A magnesium alloy sheet below 200°C without heating rolls by raising the rolling speed above 1000m/min. Maximum reduction attained in single pass rolling was 60%. Among magnesium alloys, AZ31 is known as the most ductile alloy. It remains uncertain whether the high limiting reduction by high speed rolling can be attained in other magnesium alloys that are less ductile but stronger than AZ31. In this study, AZ80A (Mg-8.1%Al-0.63%Zn) sheets with the thickness of 2.7mm cut from the extruded sheets were used. Rolling temperature was varied from RT to 350°C. Rolling speed was 1000m/min. The limiting reduction in thickness increases with rolling temperature, and the maximum reduction of 52% is obtained at 250°C. The fracture surface of sheet rolled at 100°C shows ductile fractured surface, while it shows brittle fracture surface at 350°C. This difference in fracture mode is attributed to the precipitation of -particles at grain boundaries during holding at 350°C before rolling. From this result, high speed rolling can also be an effective tool for improving the rolling deformability of AZ80 sheet. The hardness of the rolled sheets measured on the transverse plane increases with increasing temperature and reduction. The variation of hardness with rolling temperature and reduction indicates the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The sheet rolled at 200°C with the reduction of 50% shows the tensile strength of 353MPa and the elongation of 29%, which is an excellent strength-ductility balance. By applying high-speed rolling process to AZ80 magnesium alloy, we can obtain a remarkable improvement in the material characteristics as well as rolling deformability.

Abstract: Magnesium alloy sheets had to be rolled at elevated temperature to avoid cracking. The poor workability of magnesium alloy is ascribed to its hcp crystallography and insufficient activation of independent slip systems. Present authors have succeeded in 1-pass heavy rolling of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet below 473K by raising rolling speed above 1000m/min. Heavy reduction larger than 60% can be applied by 1-pass high speed rolling even at room temperature. The improvement of workability at lower rolling temperature is due to temperature rise by plastic working. The texture of heavily rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet is investigated in the present study. The texture of sheets rolled 60% at room temperature was <0001>//ND basal texture. At the rolling temperature above 373K, the peak of (0001) pole tilted ±10-15 deg toward RD direction around TD axis
to form a double peak texture. The texture varied through thickness. At the surface, the (0001) peak tilted ±10-15 deg toward TD direction around RD axis to form a TD-split double peak texture. The direction of (0001) peak splitting rotated 90 deg from the surface to the center of thickness. Heavily rolled magnesium alloy sheets have non-basal texture. The sheets having non-basal texture are expected to show better ductility than sheets with basal texture.