Materials Science Forum Vols. 654-656

Abstract: The effect of Cd additions on NDE of an as-cast Mg-Cd alloy in 0.1M NaCl solution was investigated using the gas collection method, potentiostatic current decay test and in-situ Laser Raman Spectroscopy. The experimental results showed that, in the cathodic region the addition of Cd reduced the hydrogen evolution and the magnesium hydride formation; in the anodic region the addition of Cd restrained the NDE but slightly increased the anodic dissolution.

Abstract: The process of direct chill (DC) casting of aluminium and magnesium alloys is regarded as a mature technology. The thrust of more recent work to understand and upgrade the technology has been centred on developing models of the process, the most advanced of which (e.g., Alsim and Calcasoft) have been used to examine what may be considered macro-features of the process (macro-segregation, hot cracking, etc.). These models, being macroscopic, rarely elaborate on the role of mould-wall heat transfer in the DC casting process. As part of the work on DC casting being conducted at CAST, for the investigation of small scale features of the process (e.g. heat extraction through the mould wall), a 2D finite Difference model of the process near the mould-wall region has been developed. The basic features of the model are described and initial results outlined.In particular, the effect of mould-wall heat transfer on the solid shell formed during the steady state regime of DC casting will be presented.

Abstract: Currently, magnesium billets produced by ingot casting or direct chill casting process, result in low-quality surfaces and peer productivity. Continuous casting technology for high-quality surface billets with fine-grained and homogeneous microstructure can be a solution for the cost barrier breakthrough. The latent heat of fusion per weight (J/g) of magnesium is similar to that of other metals, however, considering the heat emitted to the mould surface during continuous casting in meniscus region and converting it to the latent heat of fusion per volume, magnesium will be rapidly solidified in the mould during continuous casting, which induces subsequent surface defect formation. In this study, electromagnetic casting and stirring (EMC and EMS) techniques are proposed to control solidification process conveniently by compensating the low latent heat of solidification by volume and to fabricate magnesium billets with a high quality surface.

Abstract: High pressure die casting (HPDC) is widely used for manufacturing aluminum parts in automotive industry. In high pressure die casting mold, chill vents are used to allow residual air and gases to exhaust out from the mold cavity. The objective of this paper is to design and develop a bi- metallic chill vent for high pressure die casting using copper alloy material having high thermal conductivity, coated with steel layer on the surface. Transient thermal analysis was carried out using ANSYS software, and temperature distribution was compared with bimetallic and tool steel chill vents. The results show a faster extraction of heat in bi-metallic chill vent than that with steel. This paper also presents the effect of varying internal diameter of cooling channel in chill vent cooling.

Abstract: In-line rolling was operated on the as-cast strip cast by a vertical type high speed twin roll caster. The AA6022 and AA6111 strip was tested. The casting and rolling speed was 60m/min. Reduction was from 20% to 55%. The temperature of the rolling was within from 400oC to 450oC. The porosity and crack in the strip were improved by the in-line rolling. The in-line as rolled strip was cold rolled down to 1mm, and T4 heat treatment was operated. The microstructure of the strip, on which in-line rolling was operated, became uniform at thickness direction than the microstructure of the strip on which only the cold rolling was operated. The surface defects like the ripple mark and trace line of the nozzle were improved.

Abstract: The electrolytic production of magnesium from magnesium chloride containing sodium chloride-rich melts has been studied using mono-polar cell, where originally designed in consideration of current efficiency and energy consumption. The magnesium was formed well at the surface of cathode and floated at the free surface of the molten salt, and chlorine gas was generated at the anode without any inverse reaction between the magnesium which is produced electrolysis process. The magnesium was collected about 200 g/hr by operating an optimized mono-polar cell with 500 A for 24 hours. The metallic magnesium produced from this study had a high purity with 99.92 %.

Abstract: High strength properties combined with low density has made magnesium alloys a highly attractive structural material, in particular where weight savings is of concern. In air and ground transport these alloys are used as alternative material in place of heavier ferrous or aluminium alloys. In this respect, much research has been directed at developing and deploying superior magnesium alloys using rare earth elements (REEs), an example the Mg-RE (Ce, Y, Nd) alloys for drive train components. With the overall aim of ascertaining the environmental impact of employing REEs as alloying agents in producing superior Mg-RE alloys, it is paramount that a fundamental understanding of the environmental burden imparted by the extraction and production of REEs be determined. This study reports on such an assessment of REEs by conducting a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) study of the environmental impact from mining to production of REEs.

Abstract: A significant research effort within the CSIRO Light Metal Flagship is aimed at developing new processes for the manufacture of (semi-finished) titanium products based on a powder metallurgy approach. The main driver for considering alternative processing and consolidation techniques to conventional ingot metallurgy is improved techno-economics associated with a reduction in processing steps and increased productivity via rapid consolidation of parts. In this respect, CSIRO has developed a process to manufacture sheet products utilising direct powder rolling; the process consists of cold rolling the powder feedstock to a green strip, which is then rapidly heated and hot rolled to consolidate the material completely. The work reported here was an investigation into the feasibility of fabricating Ti-6Al-4V strip by a blended elemental powder metallurgy route. The development of microstructures occurring during the processing and heat treatment steps has been studied. The generic roles of some process, material and heat treatment variables on the tensile properties and homogeneity of the final material have been assessed and are discussed in this paper.

Abstract: The green strength of a powder compact results from the mechanical interlocking of the irregularities on the particle surfaces. During compaction, particle rearrangement, plastic deformation and particularly surface deformation of powders occur. Titanium powder is susceptible to interstitial element contamination, which may lead to solid solution strengthening of the particles and/or the formation of non-metallic compounds on the surface. However, the influence of these various impurities, namely oxygen and nitrogen, on the green strength has not been investigated. This work investigates and quantitatively evaluates the factors influencing the green strength of the powder compacts. The indirect tensile test was applied for the determination of the green strength of the powder compacts, and test results were compared to that of a more conventional 3-point bending test. The substantial dependence of green strength on both the amount of impurity element in the core of the powder particles and the compaction pressure is demonstrated. The effect of the surface condition of the powder particles on green strength is also reported.

Abstract: Pure titanium has good specific properties i.e. low density of 4.5g/cm3, extremely high resistance for corrosion and good elongation. However, its mechanical properties are not enough to be employed as structural parts and components. Accordingly, titanium alloys are often applied to industrial fields due to their high specific strength. However, the application is limited to high-performance products because of their expensive material cost and poor plastic formability at low temperature. In the present study, from a view point of cost reduction, pure titanium was used as a starting material. The materials design by oxide dispersion strengthening (ODS) was basically applied to improve the poor mechanical strength of pure titanium. TiO2 powders were used as reinforcement dispersoids because of their easily obtainable and low material cost. Powder metallurgy (P/M) method was applied to fabricate TiO2 particles reinforced pure titanium composite. Pure titanium powder and TiO2 particles were elementally mixed by conventional mixing process. Their elemental mixture powders were consolidated by using spark plasma sintering (SPS) equipment to serve a high density compact billet. Subsequently, hot extrusion process was applied to the billet to prepare a full density rod specimen. The evaluation of mechanical properties at room temperature showed high tensile strength of 1040 MPa and good elongation of 25 % when the composite included 1.5mass% TiO2 particles.