Failure mechanisms in SiC-fiber reinforced 6061 aluminum alloy composites under monotonic and cyclic loading

Micromechanisms influencing crack propagation in a unidirectional SiC-fiber (SCS-8) continuously reinforced Al-Mg-Si 6061 alloy metal-matrix composite (SiC_f/Al-6061) during monotonie and cyclic loading are examined at room temperature, both for the longitudinal (0 deg or L-T) and transverse (90 deg or T-L) orientations. It is found that the composite is insensitive to the presence of notches in the L-T orientation under pure tension loading due to the weak fiber/matrix interface; notched failure strengths are ∼1500 MPa compared to 124 MPa for unreinforced 6061. However, behavior is strongly dependent on loading configuration, specimen geometry, and orientation. Specifically, properties in SiC_f/Al in the T-L orientation are inferior to unreinforced 6061, although the composite does exhibit increasing crack-growth resistance with crack extension (resistance-curve behavior) under monotonie loading; peak toughnesses of ∼16 MPa√m are achieved due to crack bridging by the continuous metal phase between fibers and residual plastic deformation in the crack wake. In contrast, such bridging is minimal under cyclic loading, as the ductile phase fails subcritically by fatigue such that the transverse fatigue crack-growth resistance is superior in the unreinforced alloy, particularly at high stress-intensity levels. Conversely, fatigue cracks are bridged by unbroken SiC fibers in the L-T orientation and exhibit marked crack deflection and branching; the fatigue crack-growth resistance in this orientation is clearly superior in the composite.     

Creep and ductility in an Al-Cu solid-solution alloy

High-temperature creep was investigated in an Al-3 wt pct Cu alloy at temperatures in the range of 773 to 853 K and at a normalized shear stress range extending from 10^-5 to 7 × 10^-4. The results show the presence of three distinct regions. In region I (low stresses), the stress exponent is 4.5 and the activation energy is 155 kJ/mole. In region II (intermediate stresses), the stress exponent is 3.2 and the activation energy is 151 kJ/mole. In region III (high stresses), the stress exponent is 4.5 and the activation energy is 205 kJ/mole. Creep curves obtained in the three regions exhibit a normal primary stage, but the extent of the stage is less pronounced in region II than in regions I and III. The creep characteristics in regions I and II, along with the values of the transition stresses between the two regions, are in conformity with the prediction of the deformation criterion for solid-solution alloys. While the advent of region III (high stresses) correlates well with dislocation breakaway from a solute-atom atmosphere, the creep characteristics in this region are not entirely consistent with any of the existing high-stress creep mechanisms. The plot of elongation to fracturevs initial strain rate at 853 K exhibits two peaks at strain rates of 1 × 10^-4 and 6 × 10^-4 s^-1. The first peak (1 × 10^-4 s^-1) is attributed to the variation of the stress exponent for creep in the alloy with strain rate, and the second peak (6 × 10^-4 s^-1) appears to reflect the effect of solute drag on dislocation velocity.     

Strength and elasticity under pressure loading of human soft-tissue covered heads

Binding isotherms corresponding to several situations of ligand binding to a linear polymer are calculated, including cases of cooperativity or anticooperativity between the bound ligand states, multiple binding modes that are competitive or non competitive, and possible exclusive of an arbitrary number of adjacent sites upon occupancy of a site by a single ligand. The sequence generating function method of Lifson and Bradley is used, requiring the assumption that no end effects are involved. The case of strong binding of the dye proflavin to a DNA of high G-C content, that of M. lysodeikticus, is considered in detail, and a single model capable of reconciling the available kinetic and equilibrium data on this system, involving two competing binding modes, is discussed.     

Grain boundary segregation in a low alloy steel under tensile loading conditions

The influence of tensile stress on the grain boundary segregation behaviour in a NiCrMoV steel is elucidated through the measurement of grain boundary segregation isotherms and the determination of interaction processes amongst trace and alloying elements. The application of tensile stress accelerates and enhances the grain boundary coverage of elements P, N and S presumably through a stress-induced-diffusion process. The qualitative nature of the interaction processes which are operative in the absence of any applied stress remain unaltered on the application of the tensile stress. However, there is an enhancement of the interaction processes, in the presence of the applied stress; site-competitive, P + S, interaction process is particularly activated in the presence of a tensile stress.     

The surface tension of molten aluminum and Al-Si-Mg alloy under vacuum and hydrogen atmospheres

The surface tensions of pure molten aluminum, A356 alloy (Al-7 pct Si-0.3 pct Mg), and strontium-modified A356 alloy have been measured under vacuum and hydrogen atmospheres using the sessile drop technique. The values obtained for pure aluminum at 680 °C and for A356 alloy and modified A356 alloy at 630 °C are 1.007, 0.889, and 0.844 N/m, respectively, when measured under vacuum. The addition of hydrogen gas to the atmosphere of the liquid droplet has no significant effect on the surface tension of the unmodified A356 alloy, while it lowers the surface tension of the modified alloy to 0.801 N/m. This effect is possibly due to the formation of SrH₂.     

ICP-AES法测定纯铝及铝合金中9种元素

采用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法对纯铝及各种铝合金中硅、锰、铬、铁、钛、铜、镁、镍、锌的分析方法进行了试验研究 ,包括试样的溶解方法 ,内标及共存元素的干扰试验 ,通过试验找到了一个分析纯铝和铝合金的准确可靠的方法 ,此方法灵敏度及准确度高 ,操作简便、快速     

离子液体电解质体系铝及铝合金电沉积与铝精炼研究进展

传统上,铝、稀土和碱金属及碱土金属等活泼金属主要是通过高温熔盐电解法得到,其电解工艺流程能耗高.近几年来,对离子液体的不断深入研究,提出离子液体为电解质体系用于金属铝、铝精炼和铝合金.综述目前采用离子液体体系进行铝及铝合金电沉积,粗铝、铝合金和铝基复合材料电解精炼回收铝的研究现状和研究进展.介绍和评述离子液体电解质电沉积、精炼铝的应用情况和所取得的研究成果,探讨离子液体电解质用于铝行业的发展趋势和研究动向.      

Grain size and hydrogen concentration effects on the ductility return in a refractory alloy

The effects of grain size (in the range 30 to 220 μm) and hydrogen concentration on the ductility return of a hydrogen doped 25 at. pct V-75 at. pct Nb alloy was investigated at low strain rates. Since this alloy has a large terminal hydrogen solubility and since the hydrogen additions were kept low, hydride formation seems not to contribute to the alloy’s embrittlement. It was found that the ductility return is present only for small grain sizes and low hydrogen concentrations. Cracks leading to failure were initiated intergranularly. It appears to be unlikely that the ductility return, if present, is caused by the low diffusivity of hydrogen in that temperature range. A qualitative model is proposed to explain the observations. Formerly a Graduate Student at Ames Laboratory     

Isotropic and kinematic hardening in a dispersion-strengthened aluminum alloy

The room temperature mechanical behavior of a dispersion strengthened aluminum alloy was examined in tension, compression, and in fully reversed loading. The alloy, 8009, is characterized by a high volume fraction of 50–100 nm dispersoid (25%) and 0.5 mm grain size. In tension, 8009 exhibits low strain to UTS and large post uniform elongation; in compression, near steady state deformation is observed after 2–3% strain. The Bauschinger effect was quantified as a function of prestrain in the forward direction. The experimental reverse loading curves were compared to those expected for ideal isotropic hardening and ideal K1 type kinematic hardening. The alloy exhibits nearly pure kinematic hardening of the K1 type. Based on the microstructure and the fully reversed loading behavior, the monotonic deformation behavior is explained.     

Fracture mechanism and toughness of the welding heat-affected zone in structural steel under static and dynamic loading

Due to the influence of the welding thermal cycle, the toughness of structural steel generally degenerates. Recently, the intercritically reheated coarse-grained heat-affected zone (IC CG HAZ) was found to demonstrate the worst toughness in welded joint, which was associated with its fracture mechanism. In this article, two IC CG HAZs of a structural steel were prepared by welding thermal-cycle simulation techniques. For the two IC CG HAZs, the static and dynamic fracture toughness were evaluated; the fracture mechanism was also studied. Under both static and dynamic loading, cracks in the IC CG HAZ were found to initiate at the intersection of bainitic ferrite α _B ^/0 packets with different orientations, followed by propagation in cleavage. In some crack propagation regions, adjacent cleavage facets are connected by shear, thus producing dimple zones. Though the brittle fracture initiation mechanism remains unchanged, the cleavage facet size, the proportion of the dimple zones between facets, and the distance from the cracking initiation site to the crack tip vary with loading speed and welding conditions. These changes were found to be related to the variations caused by strain rate and welding conditions in fracture toughness for the IC CG HAZs.     

Thermoelastic martensite and shape memory effect in B2 Base Ni-Al-Fe alloy with enhanced ductility

A ductile shape memory alloy of the Ni-AI-Fe system has been developed using principles through the control of microstructure. Addition of Fe to the binary Ni-Al shape memory alloy allows the introduction of a ductile face-centered cubic (fcc) phase in an otherwise extremely brittle β phase alloy, leading to an improvement in its ductility while retaining its ability to exhibit shape memory arising from the martensitic transformation of theβ phase to Ll₀ structure. It is shown that the transformation temperature in the ternary Ni-AI-Fe alloy can be easily controlled by the preannealing in the β+ γ region. Experimental results on the effect of different annealing treatments on the microstructures and the shape memory behavior in this alloy are presented and discussed.     

The relation between microstructure and toughness in 7075 aluminum alloy

Electron microscopy, fractography, and notched tear tests have been used to investigate the effects of heat treatment upon the fracture behavior of aged 7075 aluminum alloy sheet. Toughness, as measured by crack propagation energy, decreases as the yield stress increases; the toughness of an overaged structure is inferior to that of an underaged structure at the same yield stress. The decrease of toughness with increased aging time is accompanied by a change in fracture mode from predominantly transgranular to intergranular. Transgranular fracture proceeds by dimple rupture and is facilitated by chromium-rich particles which are dispersed throughout the microstructure. Intergranular fracture proceeds by the fracture of grain boundary precipitate particles. The variation of fracture mode with aging time is attributed to a steady decrease of the intergranular fracture stress relative to the transgranular fracture stress, due to increasing grain boundary particle size. A possible explanation of this effect is discussed using the stress concentration due to colinear crack arrays as an analogy. The effects of quenching variations and two-step aging are discussed. It is shown that, in aged 7075, microstructural variables such as the width of precipitate-free zones and the nature of the matrix precipitate do not have a controlling effect on toughness.     

Effects of microstructure of the behavior of an aluminum alloy and an aluminum matrix composite tested under low levels of superimposed hydrostatic pressure

Experiments have been conducted on an aluminum alloy and an aluminum matrix composite tested in tension under the influence of superimposed hydrostatic pressure. Monolithic alloys heat-treated to underaged (UA) and overaged (OA) conditions exhibited significant differences in their responses to the superimposition of hydrostatic pressure during tension testing. Significant increases in ductility were obtained with moderate increases in confining pressure for the OA alloy, while the UA alloy exhibited little effect of pressure. In contrast, significant increases in ductility were obtained for the composites, regardless of the matrix aging condition. The effects of pressure on frature are determined in light of the micromechanisms of fracture in these materials.     

Anisotropy of intermetallic particle cracking damage evolution in an Al-Mg-Si base wrought aluminum alloy under uniaxial compression

Particle cracking is an important damage mode in numerous engineering alloys having anisotropic microstructures. In this contribution, cracking of anisotropic Fe-rich intermetallic particles in an extruded 6061 (T651) Al-alloy is quantitatively characterized as a function of compressive strain for two loading directions. The Fe-rich intermetallic particles rotate when a compressive load is applied parallel to the extrusion direction, which in turn affects the particle cracking process. At low compressive strains, the number fraction of cracked Fe-rich particles is higher in specimens loaded perpendicular to the extrusion axis as compared to that in specimens loaded parallel to the extrusion axis. However, the reverse is true at the high strain levels. These differences in damage evolution are explained on the basis of particle rotations and microstructural anisotropy.     

铝及铝合金中元素分析的标准应用现状与方法研究进展

从中国国家标准、中国有色行业标准、中国航空行业标准、中国进出口检验检疫行业标准、ISO国际标准、日本标准、欧洲标准、美国材料与试验协会(ASTM)标准等160余项国内外标准分析方法的角度,介绍了各区域和行业的标准分析方法现状。结合文献(期刊论文)方法,进一步综述了湿法化学分析方法和现代仪器分析方法及试样制备与预处理方法在铝及铝合金50余种元素项目分析中的应用现状和研究进展,重点评述了紫外-可见分光光度法、滴定法、重量法、电化学方法、火花放电原子发射光谱法、X射线荧光光谱法、原子吸收光谱法、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法、质谱法、红外吸收法、热导法等分析方法的基本特点、测定范围和应用实例。引用文献74篇。     

A novel method for the determination of the hydrogen solubility in aluminum and aluminum alloy melts

The CHAPEL method, which was developed for the direct and continuous determination of the hydrogen activity in aluminum melts by measuring the equilibrium hydrogen pressure, has been modified for the determination of the hydrogen solubility in aluminum and aluminum alloy melts. The change of the hydrogen equilibrium pressure due to addition or removal of a given amount of hydrogen from a melt of known mass yields directly the Sieverts constant. Such experiments provide reliable data only if no additional gas exchange takes place between the melt and the gas phase. In the present work, a quasi-impermeable interface between the melt and the surrounding hydrogen atmosphere has been realized by maintaining the hydrogen pressure above the melt continuously at the level of the hydrogen equilibrium pressure. By this technique, which is performed by a relatively simple experimental setup, fast determination of the hydrogen solubility is possible. The main advantage of this novel method is the fact that it can be applied also for aluminum alloys without protective oxide layer on the surface. Preliminary results on pure aluminum and Al-Cu alloy melts show good agreement with the data obtained by the classical method of Sieverts that is not well suited for routine determinations on a wide range of alloy composition and temperature since it is very time-consuming. The method can also be applied for the investigation of other metal and alloy melts.