Suppression of forced vibration due to chip segmentation in ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V

Ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4V is investigated in this research. Because products made of Ti–6Al–4V alloy are usually designed for possessing low-rigidity structures or good-quality cut surfaces, machining requirements such as low cutting forces and slow rate of tool wear need to be fulfilled for realization of their precision machining. Therefore, the ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting is applied as a novel machining method for those products. Machinability of Ti–6Al–4V alloy by the ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting with cemented carbide tools is examined to figure out suitable cutting conditions for precision machining of Ti–6Al–4V alloy. As experimental results, generated chips, cutting forces, and profiles of cut surfaces are indicated. A forced vibration problem occurred due to the segmented chip formation, which is also well-known in the ordinary non-vibration cutting. Therefore, characteristics of the forced vibration due to the chip segmentation are investigated in this research. Through the experiments, it is found that the frequency and magnitude of the forced vibration have relation with the average uncut chip thickness and cutting width. Especially, it is found that the averaging effect can suppress the forced vibration, i.e. the chip segmentation tends to occur randomly over the large cutting width, and hence the force fluctuations with random phases tend to cancel each other as the cutting width increases relatively against the average uncut chip thickness. Based on the investigations, a new practical strategy to suppress the forced vibration due to chip segmentation is proposed and verified. Using the proposed method significantly decreased cutting forces and good quality of surfaces are obtained when the forced vibration is suppressed compared to the ordinary non-vibration cutting results. Therefore, the results suggest that the precision machining can be realized without sacrificing the machining efficiency by increasing the width of cut and decreasing the average uncut chip thickness.     

喷射成形Al-Zn-Mg-Cu合金挤压态的组织和力学性能

研究了利用喷射成形辅以挤压制备Al-5.72Zn-2.36Mg-1.66Cu合金后优化的组织结构特征和力学性能。结果表明,合金基体组织均匀细化,晶粒形貌趋于圆整,平均晶粒大小达到10 μm左右。当合金的冷却条件通过快速凝固技术改变时,会产生不同程度的固溶强化效果和第二相弥散强化效果,从而改善了合金的整体性能。合金的屈服强度和抗拉强度分别平均提高了20%左右,且伸长率也略有提高。     

ZK60镁合金表面滚压强化试验研究

试验研究了ZK60镁合金表面滚压加工中工艺参数对试件表面粗糙度、表面形貌、表面残余应力和表层显微硬度的影响,结果表明滚压力和重复滚压次数对试件的表面粗糙度、表面形貌以及表面残余应力和表层硬度影响程度较大,滚压速度影响较小。对精车ZK60镁合金试件进行滚压加工,试件表面粗糙度R a、R z最大减小了50.3%和48.1%;残余压应力最大可达-54.55 MPa;显微硬度从试件表层到内部基体材料逐渐降低,表层硬度值最大为92.83 HV 0.25,比基体材料硬度提高了15.32%。     

Mn在2297铝锂合金中的微合金化作用

利用金相显微镜、拉伸测试、SEM、TEM、STEM-HAADF等手段研究了微量Mn的添加对2297铝锂合金微观组织与力学性能的影响。结果表明,Mn在2297铝锂合金中主要以AlCuMn棒状弥散粒子和Al(CuMnFe)粗大相形式存在,并且相比Mn-free合金,2297合金中粗大相尺寸较小、分布均匀,因而合金的抗拉强度得到提高。研究表明,Mn的添加没有影响Al_3Zr粒子的析出行为,尽管析出了AlCuMn棒状弥散相,但整体上没有改变2297合金的再结晶程度。     

Microstructure−fracture toughness relationships and toughening mechanism of TC21 titanium alloy with lamellar microstructure

The independent influence of microstructural features on fracture toughness of TC21 alloy with lamellar microstructure was investigated. Triple heat treatments were designed to obtain lamellar microstructures with different parameters, which were characterized by OM and SEM. The size and content of α plates were mainly determined by cooling rate from single β phase field and solution temperature in two-phase field; while the precipitation behavior of secondary α platelets was dominantly controlled by aging temperature in two-phase field. The content and thickness of α plates and the thickness of secondary α platelets were important microstructural features influencing the fracture toughness. Both increasing the content of α plates and thickening α plates (or secondary α platelets) could enhance the fracture toughness of TC21 alloy. Based on energy consumption by the plastic zone of crack tip in α plates, a toughening mechanism for titanium alloys was proposed.     

Formation of twinned dendrites during unidirectional solidification of Al-32%Zn alloy

The present study focused on the formation and crystallographic orientation of twinned dendrites coexisting with equiaxed grains in unidirectional solidification of Al-32%Zn (mass fraction) alloy. The morphology was investigated by optical metallograph and electron back-scattered diffraction technique. Results showed that the macrostructure of the alloy exhibited a typical feathery and fan-like structure while the microstructures were elongated lamellas, which were separated by coherent and incoherent twin boundaries. Both the primary trunk and all lateral arms of twinned dendrites grew along 〈110〉 directions, unlike regular 〈100〉 α(Al) dendrites. The facet growth of crystals at solid/liquid interface was responsible for the origin of twinned dendrites during the weak local convection, and high thermal gradient and medium solidification velocity had significant contribution to the formation of twinned dendrites. The formation mechanism of twinned dendrites which consisted of three multiplication ways of new twin boundaries formation and one way of dendrite evolution in twin plane was shown schematically.     

Nonmechanical criteria proposed for prediction of hot tearing sensitivity in 2024 aluminum alloy

Two theoretical criteria represented by Katgerman, and Clyne and Davies for prognosticating hot tearing sensitivity were compared. Both unrefined and grain-refined samples of Al2024 alloy were solidified at various cooling rates ranging from 0.4 to 17.5 °C/s. Thermal analysis was used to detect dendrite coherency point and temperature of eutectic reaction. Curves of solid and liquid fractions were plotted based on Newtonian method to determine hot tearing susceptible areas. The experimental results show that the most susceptible zone in which hot tearing can occur in Al2024 is where Al₂CuMg intermetallic compound forms as a eutectic phase at last stage of mushy-state interval. Also, both criteria are in a good agreement with each other at high cooling rates used in direct-chill casting process while Clyne and Davies' model is more acceptable to determine hot tearing tendency from low to medium cooling rates.     

Microstructural characteristics of as-forged and β-air-cooled Zr–2.5Nb alloy

Multiple characterization and analysis techniques including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channeling contrast (ECC) imaging, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and microhardness test were jointly employed to investigate microstructural characteristics such as local composition, morphology, grain boundary characteristics and interphase orientation relationship of a forged Zr–2.5Nb alloy before and after β-air-cooling. Results show that the as-forged specimen is composed of equiaxed and lamellar α grains and continuous net-like β-Zr films. After the β-air-cooling, the microstructure of the specimen is featured by basket-weave Widmanstätten structure, in which the inter-α-plate second phases are nanoscale β-Zr. Analyses for crystallographic orientations reveal that the Burgers relationship has been strictly followed during the β→α cooling. Compared to the as-forged specimen, the hardness of the β-air-cooled specimen is higher, which could be attributed to the decreased structural sizes of both α and β phases, and the increased fraction of high angle boundaries as well.     

Cellular/dendritic transition,dendritic growth and microhardness in directionally solidified monophasic Sn-2%Sb alloy

Horizontal directional solidification experiments were carried out with a monophasic Sn-2%Sb (mass fraction) alloy to analyze the influence of solidification thermal parameters on the morphology and length scale of the microstructure. Continuous temperature measurements were made during solidification at different positions along the length of the casting and these temperature data were used to determine solidification thermal parameters, including the growth rate (V_L) and the cooling rate (T_R). High cooling rate cells and dendrites are shown to characterize the microstructure in different regions of the casting, with a reverse dendrite-to-cell transition occurring for T_R>5.0 K/s. Cellular (l_c) and primary dendrite arm spacings (l₁) are determined along the length of the directionally-solidified casting. Experimental growth laws relating l_c and l₁ to V_L and T_R are proposed, and a comparative analysis with results from a vertical upward directional solidification experiment is carried out. The influence of morphology and length scale of the microstructure on microhardness is also analyzed.     

Process and joint quality of ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir lap welding

In order to improve the process effectiveness and joint quality, ultrasonic vibrations were integrated with friction stir lap welding. Effect of ultrasonic exertion on the process and joint quality of AA 6061-T6 were investigated. Upon ultrasonic exertion, joints owned larger effective lap width, shorter hooks and improved strength. Weld fracture mode changed from a ductile–brittle mixed mode to a more ductile mode while the fracture path shifted from lap interface to beyond the stir zone. Material flow and interface defects were characterised using lap welded dissimilar aluminium alloy joints. Ultrasonic vibration improved the material flow and reduced the interfacial defects. Variations in failure load of joints were found in accordance with the variations in material flow and interfacial defects.