Materials Science Forum Vols. 584-586

Abstract: It is well-known that the high-cycle fatigue (HCF) performance of severe plastically deformed wrought magnesium alloys is not as good as one might expect from the significant grain size refinement. Although enhanced HCF strength after ECAP as compared to as-cast material was observed its value was significantly lower than after conventional extruding. The present investigation was undertaken to determine whether the relatively poor HCF strength of the ECAP processed wrought magnesium alloy AZ80 is associated with the ECAP-induced unfavorable crystallographic textures. Post-ECAP thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT) was found to result in favorable texture modifications as well as in markedly improved HCF performance. The proposed novel technique consists of a not yet used combination of severe plastic deformation via ECAP followed by a 1-step swaging process. It is shown that the resulting combination of both ultrafinegrain sized material and beneficial crystallographic texture results in superior HCF performance not achievable by ECAP-processing alone.

Abstract: The present paper reports on the effect of texture on the cyclic stress-strain response (CSSR) and the fatigue life of ultrafine-grained (UFG) interstitial-free (IF) steel. Tests in the lowcycle fatigue (LCF) regime were conducted on material that was processed by the equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) technique along the so called “efficient” route 8E. This route has been shown to result in a homogeneous microstructure with a high fraction of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs), which are beneficial for a stable CSSR. In addition, the evolution of the microstructure was characterized by means of electron optical techniques, including electron backscattered diffraction, and by X-Ray diffractometry. It was found that the initial texture of specimens cut from the ECAE billet along different orientations with respect to the extrusion direction (ED) has a substantial effect on the CSSR of the UFG IF steel. Furthermore, microscopy results indicated the notable influence of the last ECAE processing step on the evolution of damage in the material.

Abstract: The deformation and fracture of submicrocrystalline aluminum Al-6%Mg and Al- 6.1%Mg-0.3%Sc-0.1%Zr alloys after severe plastic deformation (SPD) by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) as well as the same convenient alloys were investigated by acoustic emission (AE) method. ECAP resulted in predominantly submicrocrystalline structure with high angle grain boundaries and grain sizes ~ 100-400 nm in Al-6.1%Mg-0.3%Sc-0.1%Zr alloy and ~ 300-700 nm in Al-6%Mg alloy. The AE measurements carried out during material tension tests give new information regarding the processes deformation and fracture in materials and, together with the methods of microstructure, phase and fractography analysis.

Abstract: Microstructural stability is an important consideration during high temperature deformation and processing of nanomaterials. We will address issues relating to triple junctions in limiting grain growth during creep as well as densification. Although early studies on deformation have considered diffusion creep as a possible rate controlling deformation mechanism in nanocrystals, a critical inspection of available data indicates that there is no strong evidence for conventional diffusion creep in such materials. The possibility of diffusion creep by rapid diffusion along triple junctions will be analyzed, and interface controlled diffusion creep will also be discussed critically. It is shown that the critical grain size for dislocation activity is similar to that for occurrence of conventional diffusion creep.

Abstract: In this study, susceptibility to SCC of nanostructured Cu-10wt%Zn alloys, produced by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) was investigated under the constant stress test in ammonia vapour, which has been well-known typical environment for IGSCC of Cu-Zn alloy. Billets having diameter of 20 mm and length of 100 mm were subjected to ECAP for eight passes at room temperature to obtain structure with grain size of about 100 nm. After ECAP, some of the billets were flush-annealed in 473 K for 60 seconds to decrease excessive unequilibrium dislocations at grain boundaries. Coarse grained specimens without ECAP and one-pass specimens were also tested for comparison. The specimens for SCC were tensioned by a constant load in ammonia vapour inside a glass chamber for 24 hours at room temperature. After the SCC tests, maximum length of cracks was evaluated by SEM. Specimen having UFG structure by 8-passes exhibited cracks in lower applied stress ratio, (=σa/σys) compared with 0- and 1-pass samples, where σa is applied stress and σys is yield stress, respectively. Most importantly, the specimen with annealed at 473K for 60s after ECAP cracked in higher applied stress. It became less sensitive to SCC after flush annealing although mechanical properties were not changed considerably. In our previous studies, we reported that the SCC of UFG copper produced by ECAP, and the sensitivity to SCC becomes lower by flush annealing. Results are discussed in terms of grain boundary state with or without extrinsic grain boundary dislocations

Abstract: The thermal stability of equal channel angular extruded VT-6(Ti-6Al-4V) has been examined using micro-hardness, nano-hardness of the individual αand β phases backscattered scanning (BSEI) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After straining to an equivalent total equivalent of 6.5 samples were annealed for 1 h at temperatures between 175 and 800 o C followed by water quenching. Micro and nano-hardness measurements showed an initial hardness increase, the former rising to a maximum at 175°C, while the latter exhibited a maximum at 500°C. BSEI and TEM analysis showed that these observations can be understood by considering the microstructure changes occurring at different length scales. Annealing in the temperature range of 175 to 500°C did not significantly alter the α and β particle size, while TEM showed that recovery and continuous recrystallization occurred in the α phase, higher temperatures being required to activate the recovery and recrystallization processes within the β phase. Finally at temperatures above 600°C spheroidization and growth of the β phase occurred with the volume fraction of this phase increasing from 15 pct at lower temperature to 25 pct at 800°C, an equi-axed α+ β microstructure being observed at this temperature.

Abstract: Ultra-fine grained (UFG) materials can be produced by several techniques involving severe plastic deformation (SPD). Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) is one of the SPD methods that enable the production of large amounts of UFG sheets. UFG sheets were prepared by up to six cycles of ARB at ambient temperature from an Al-0.22Sc-0.13Zr alloy in two states: a non-agehardened and a peak-aged. The effect of Al3(Sc1-xZrx) precipitates on the thermal stability of the UFG structures produced by ARB was investigated by isochronal annealing at temperatures between 200 and 550 °C. Additionally, the non-age-hardened ARB material was peak-aged prior to annealing and annealed together with both as-ARB-processed materials. The changes of microstructure and hardness due to annealing were studied. Annealing at 300 °C induces an additional strengthening in both non-pre-aged ARB materials that may be ascribed to precipitation and growth of coherent Al3(Sc1-xZrx) particles. This result suggests that the hardness decrease introduced by ARB in the peak-aged specimen is due to dissolution of precipitates during deformation. The annealing response of the materials above 300 °C does not depend on their thermal pre-treatment. However, the finely dispersed Al3(Sc1-xZrx) precipitates stabilise the refined deformed microstructure suitable for superplastic forming up to relatively high temperatures.

Abstract: Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) is a severe plastic deformation process that allows producing ultrafine-grained materials (UFG). UFG sheets exhibit enhanced strength and very fine grain structure. Foils used as fins in heat exchangers have to be very thin but must exhibit high strength combined with relatively high formability. Thus, materials produced using ARB may fulfil the exacting requirements on foil properties for such applications. The thermal stability of Al-Fe- Mn-Si foils produced using ARB and subsequent cold rolling was studied and compared with conventionally cold rolled (CCR) counterparts. The stability was assessed by isothermal annealing in the temperature range from 200 to 450 °C. Electron back scatter diffraction in a scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy examinations of foils microstructure in the deformed and annealed states allowed the monitoring of structural changes. The magnitude of mechanical properties changes due to annealing was evaluated by microhardness measurements. Significant hardness increase was observed after annealing at 200 °C only in the ARB samples and was assigned to an annealing-induced hardening. The CCR foil exhibits higher non-recrystallized fraction and smaller mean lamellae boundary spacing in the temperature interval of 200-250 °C than ARB foils. The annealing at 450 °C results in identical hardness values and fully recrystallized microstructure of all foils, regardless the method used for their manufacturing. However, the ARB samples show higher stability of the refined substructure than their cold rolled counterparts due to continuous recrystallization occurring in the ARB foils.

Abstract: The effect of rolling strain on precipitation kinetics of Al 7075 alloy processed at liquid nitrogen temperature has been investigated in the present work. The Al 7075 alloy plates were solutionized and cryorolled with thickness reduction of 35% and 90%. The microstructural characterizations of the bulk and cryorolled Al alloy samples were carried out by electron backscatter diffraction analysis (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The cryorolled Al alloys upon 90% thickness reduction exhibit ultrafine grained microstructure. The DSC results of cryorolled Al 7075 alloys obtained at different heating rates are used to calculate activation energies for the evolution of precipitates. The influence of different reduction rates on activation energy of precipitate formation in the cryorolled Al 7075 alloys was analyzed. The present study has shown that an ultrafine-grained Al 7075 alloy exhibits a higher driving force for the precipitation formation when compared to that of its bulk Al alloys.

Abstract: Characteristic features and thermal stability of the structure of molybdenum processed by high pressure torsion, equal-channel angular pressing or multy-step forging have been investigated using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and orientation imaging microscopy. The structural factors responsible for the strengthening and thermal stability of molybdenum processed have been obtained. It has been demonstrated that only high pressure torsion is an effective method to refine molybdenum structure (down to 0.2 µm). Recrystallization occurs during the others investigated processing disabling significant grain size reduction.