Materials Science Forum Vols. 838-839

Abstract: New Al-Mg alloys have been developed for super-plastic forming (SPF) based on commercial AA5083/AA5086 alloys, but with an increased Mn content from 0.5 to 1.5 wt.% and a decreased impurity Fe level from 0.25 to 0.05 wt.%.The effects of Mn and Fe levels on super-plasticity have been investigated by high temperature tensile testing of cold rolled H18 sheets at 425 to 525°C with a strain rate of 2×10^-3 s^-1. The microstructure evolution during different processing stages, grain size and grain size stability were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Both Mn and Fe showed a similar and significant contribution to grain size control in recrystallization, but their effect on high temperature sheet formability was different. An increase in Mn level led to an improvement in high temperature tensile elongation, while an increase in Fe content reduced the sheet formability. A new alloy with 1.5 wt.% Mn and 0.05 wt.% Fe, when processed to H18 temper, was able to reach more than 400% tensile elongation at 450 - 500°C with a strain rate of 2×10^-3 s^-1.

Abstract: In recent years there has been a largely unspoken demand for a high strength, non-heat treatable aluminium alloy for superplastic forming applications. This is particularly true for the automotive industry since the high strength, superplastic aluminium alloys, such as AA7475, are both too time consuming (in forming and heat treatment) and too expensive. Compound this with the expense of corrosion protection and almost all aluminium alloys except for AA5083 fall by the wayside for the automobile industry.However, the need for a higher strength alloy has remained. To achieve this Hydro has systematically investigated the basis behind the superplastic forming of AA5083. On this basis a new high strength 5xxx alloy was extrapolated. The resulting alloy was then characterised and benchmarked against the existing SPF alloy, AA5083. The new alloy, an AA5456-type alloy demonstrated a higher strength than AA5083 while improving the formability and rate of forming. This paper will discuss some of the lessons learned during the development of this alloy.

Abstract: Friction stir processing (FSP) is a novel thermo-mechanical technique for modifying the microstructure of metals and alloys at targeted locations. In the present study, the microstructures and mechanical properties of friction stir processed Mg-9Al-1Zn (AZ91) alloy were evaluated. 4 mm thick sand cast AZ91 plates with a coarse dendritic microstructure and visible intermetallic phase were processed using single-pass FSP with different combinations of tool rotational and traverse speeds. Significant grain refinement (<10 μm), elimination of casting defects and the dissolution of intermetallic phase were observed at the stir zone (SZ) of all tested specimens. Microhardness tests showed increased microhardness along the SZ with a more uniform microhardness profile as compared to the regions outside the SZ. Mechanical properties evaluation using shear punch testing and subsequent microstructure analysis performed using scanning electron microscopy and microchemical analysis using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy are discussed in this paper.

Abstract: The grain refinement after thermo-mechanical treatment (TMT) was investigated in AZ91, AE42, und QE22 magnesium alloys. The optimal over-aging temperature was determined to be 300 °C in the case of AZ91 and AE42 alloys and 350 °C for QE22 alloy. After optimized TMT, the average grain sizes were 13.5 µm (AE42), 11.1 µm (AZ91) and 1.9 µm (QE22). The QE22 alloy exhibited the superior superplastic properties, with maximum elongation to failure 750 % and strain rate sensitivity parameter m=0.73. The Friction Stir Welding showed that the original base material grain structure of the alloys AZ31 and AZ91 replaced by ultrafine grains in the stir zone. The purpose of the present paper is to present the results of the grain refinement in magnesium alloys by thermo mechanical treatment and stir welding.

Abstract: In order to fabricate fine-grained and dense nanoceramic materials, the effect of spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) conditions was examined in MgAl₂O₄ spinel as a reference material. The SPS conditions, such as heating rate and loading temperature, strongly affected the microstructures. Although the density can be improved with decreasing the heating rate to less than 10 °C/min, it requires a long processing time. In order to fully utilize the high heating rate that is a primary advantage of the SPS technique, load controlling is very effective to achieve high density with maintaining fine grain size. An increase in the loading temperature during SPS processing can reduce the residual porosity in a spinel even at the widely used high heating rate of 100 °C/min. This suggests that for the SPS processing in ceramics, the load controlling is an important factor as well as the heating rate and sintering temperature.

Abstract: Closed-cell superplastic Zn-22Al alloy foams were manufactured through the melt foaming process using sodium hydrogen carbonate powder as a foaming agent. Foaming tests were carried out under different foaming temperatures, times and additive amounts of foaming agent. The porosity of Zn-22Al alloy foams were between 30 and 70%. The cell wall consisted of fine equiaxial crystal grains after solution treatment. The compressive properties of the Zn-22Al alloy foams were investigated at room temperature and high temperature. Zn-22Al alloy foams exhibited high strain rate sensitivity, which was caused by superplastic deformation of the cell wall material.

Abstract: During milling of thin-walled components, obtaining minimum distortion is essential in order to achieve production goals. In this study, a mechanical model based on deformation machanism is established, and is help to analyse relationship between residual stress and deformation in component. Researched on simulation and experiment, the stress-deformation characteristics of different component shape is obtained. The results indicate that the deformation of thin-walled component in milling primarily depends on the distribution of initial residual stress, which can generate bending moment and lead to distortion. And then milling stress on the surface is easy to make bending moment baesd on this distortion, and make the deformation of component intensify.

Abstract: Titanium alloys are widely used in aerospace components, with the most widely used alloy being (α+β)-type Ti-6Al-4V (hereafter designated as Ti-64) alloy owing to its high specific strength and high formability associated with superplasticity. This work examines the tensile deformation behavior of the Ti-64 alloy with the acicular α′ martensite microstructure tested at from 700°C to 900°C. Higher tensile-elongation and higher strain-rate-sensitivity value are seen in the Ti-64 alloy with the α′ martensite microstructure as compared to that with the lamellar (α+β) microstructure. During deformation of the α′ martensite microstructure at 700°C or 800°C, acicular microstructure evolves into fine equiaxed (α+β) structure, whereas there is no apparent change in microstructure in the case of the lamellar (α+β) starting microstructure. This result indicates that dynamic globularization during deformation is strongly enhanced in the acicular α′ martensite starting microstructure, thereby leading to higher tensile elongation.

Abstract: Class-I or Class-A solid solutions are substitutional with a relatively large difference in size between the solute and solvent atoms. High-temperature deformation of these solid solutions causes uniform transgranular deformation because of the solute drag motion of dislocations. Consequently, enhanced ductility can be obtained regardless of grain size. In our research, we specifically investigated the effects of second-phase particles resulting from adding impurity atoms on the hot ductility; i.e., how the second-phase particles obstruct the solute drag motion of dislocations. In this study, the effect of Mn and Cr impurities on the high-temperature ductility of typical Class-I Al−Mg solid solutions is investigated. The results show that hot ductility in the basic Al−Mg alloy leads to an elongation to fracture of above 200% at 673 and 723 K. We found that the dominant deformation mechanism causing high ductility is solute drag creep. The hot ductility decreases when Cr is added to the basic alloy, but an elongation to fracture of above 200% can still be achieved by adding Mn, although the elongation is less than that of the basic alloy.

Abstract: Superplastic deformation behavior was investigated for a dual-phase Mg-Ca alloy. The elongation-to-failure reached more than 120% with the strain rate sensitivity, m, over 0.4. The activation energy required for the deformation was estimated to be 98 kJ/mol which is close to the activation energy for grain boundary diffusion in magnesium. Therefore, the superplastic deformation mechanism was suggested to be the grain boundary sliding rate, which is controlled by boundary diffusion.