Solid State Phenomena Vols. 141-143

Abstract: A new rheo-extrusion technique has been developed to produce extruded profiles. The AZ31 slurry is fabricated by a twin-screw mechanism, and has spheroidal solid particles with a grain size of about 50 to 80μm. The slurry was introduced into an extrusion container with an inner diameter of 95mm, and then squeezed to a billet before extruding into a round bar with a diameter of 22mm using a 500kN extrusion machine. It is found that the new technique has a lower deformation resistance than that of the conventionally hot extrusion technique in the same extrusion velocity. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the rheo-extruded bars were examined in detail. The results illustrated that grains of the bar were very fine with the average grain size about 2.3μm，and the mechanical properties were improved substantially compared with those of the same alloy produced by the conventional hot extrusion.

Abstract: Thixoforging involves shaping alloys with a globular microstructure in the semi-solid state. To reach this kind of material, the Recrystallisation and Partial Melting (RAP) process can be used to obtain a globular microstructure from extruded material with liquid penetrating the recrystallised boundaries. Induction heating is used to apply the RAP process to slugs. One of the benefits of using this method of heating is the fast heating rate (20°C/s). This paper will help to improve heating parameters by showing their influence on 7075 aluminium alloy recrystallisation. These parameters are the heating rate; heating frequencies-power; presence or not of protective gas; position of the slug in the inductor; energy stored inside the slug; oxide layer on the slug side; chamfer of the slug upper corner.

Abstract: Aluminum alloys are increasingly used in automotive and aeronautic applications to produce high performance, lightweight parts. Among the reasons for this, is the emergence of high integrity processes (HIP), which widens the field of application for cast aluminum alloys. In fact, metallurgical quality and consistency that characterize components produced by HIP are necessary for critical safety components. In addition to attaining maximum strength, critical safety components need to be ductile and resistant to cyclic loading. According to the North American Die Casting Association, rheocasting is a high integrity process capable of producing parts with fewer defects than conventional casting process. Rheocast components are known to have better mechanical properties than permanent mold castings. Moreover, they can be heat-treated which is impractical in the case of classical die cast components. However, the fatigue behavior of rheocast aluminum alloys has been investigated since about 2000 and few results have been published on this subject. This paper reviews the studies of fatigue behavior of aluminum semi-solid cast components. Published experimental results on high cycle fatigue resistance (S-N diagrams), long crack propagation, crack closure effects and short crack particularities are presented.

Abstract: This study demonstrates fabricating rheological material by EMS system attached vacuum pump, in order to improve mechanical properties of rheoforged products by removing defects such as porosity and oxides arising from rheological forging process. The billet fabricated by EMS in vacuum pressure reduced formation of oxides and porosities of the inner material. The billet fabricated by EMS in vacuum pressure below 56 cm/Hg remarkably reduced porosities, comparing to the EMS in atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: The heat treatment cycles that are currently applied to semi-solid processed components are mostly those that are in use for dendritic casting alloys. These heat treatments are not necessarily the optimum treatments for non-dendritic microstructures. For rheocast alloy A356, it is shown that natural aging prior to artificial aging causes the time-to-peak-hardness to be longer compared to the time when only artificial aging is used. Furthermore, a hardness plateau is maintained during artificial aging at 180oC between 1 and 5 hours without any prior natural aging. A natural aging period as short as 1 hour results in a hardness peak (rather than a plateau) to be reached during artificial aging after 4 hours at 180oC.

Abstract: The effects of thixoforming defects on the stress-strain curves of aluminum structural part were quantitatively investigated. The A357-MHD billet was thixoformed to manufacture a shock tower part of a small electric vehicle. All tensile specimens were machined from only a shock tower product to minimize the effects of different processing conditions. Tensile tests were performed under the almost same conditions. The fraction of solid and liquid phase, the sizes and area fractions of defects in the specimens were measured and analyzed by an image analyzing program using OM and SEM micrograph. The fracture strain values of the stress-strain curves were greatly affected by amount of defects. However, the analyses with defects existed in the area of gauge length did not show a clear explanation about the relation with the fracture strain values. The measurements of defects in the fractured surface represented more plausible results about the correlation of forming defects and fracture strains.

Abstract: This study was carried out to characterize thixoextruded AZ31 Mg alloy in terms of its symmetric behavior through the optical microscope, electron back scattering diffraction and mechanical test. The elongated grains to the extrusion direction were generally observed during hot extrusion, while the thixoextruded microstructures were isotropic. Texture of hot extruded bar showed the strong fiber component, while that of thixoextruded bar was random distribution. The aspect ratio of hot extruded bar was irregular at each position. On the contrary, the aspect ratio of thixoextruded bar was almost uniform below 2 at each position.

Abstract: Semi solid processing reduces porosity and amount of trapped gas and it allows heat treatment T6 that improves a hard anodized oxide layer. The aim of this work is to show the anodizing possibility of A356 T6 components conformed by Sub-liquidus Casting (SLC) to improve wear and corrosion resistance. This work compares the anodizing effect on tribological properties and corrosion resistance between components obtained by A6061 T6 extruded alloys and from A356 T6 produced by SLC. The effect of rounded silicon crystals on the coating formation and the fracture produced during the coating growth are described.

Abstract: We have developed new type semi-solid injection process, that is, runner-less injection process which can obtain high material yield of about 90% for magnesium alloy. In this process, alloy billets are heated to the semi-solid temperature in the injection cylinder and are injected into a permanent mold. In order to investigate the effects of volume fraction solid and injection speed on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ91D magnesium alloy injected into the permanent mold, semi-solid forming testing machine which has the same system as a runner-less injection machine, has been made on an experimental basis. The magnesium billet precisely controlled at given temperature has been injected into a permanent mold with two kinds (slow and high) of speed and plate-like specimens with each fraction solid have been fabricated. Microstructure has been observed by optical microscopy and X-ray computerized tomography (CT) scanner. Mechanical properties have been measured by tensile test. The effects of volume fraction solid of the alloy slurry and injection speed on mechanical properties have been clarified.