The effect of interfaces on mechanical and superplastic properties of titanium alloys

The effect of volume fraction of the β-phase on the mechanical and superplastic properties of ultrafine-grained titanium alloys with grain size d of ~0.2 µm was investigated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and tensile test experiments. The ultrafine-grained structure of the materials was formed by the multi-directional pressing technique. The structure in question is shown to improve the mechanical properties by 30–50 % and to lower down to 823 K, the temperature at which superplastic flow starts as compared to coarse-grained analogs, no matter what the phase composition and concentration of the alloying elements used. The reduced temperature is attributable to the activation of diffusion-controlled grain boundary sliding in the case of nonequilibrium interfaces of materials produced by severe plastic deformation. The fraction of the β-phase and its precipitation pattern are found to have significant influence on the temperature range in which superplastic flow occurs and on the maximum elongation to failure. A near-β Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-1Cr-1Fe alloy with a large fraction of the β-phase (>34 %) under superplastic conditions exhibits record-breaking strains (>1300 %) that do not cause fracture of the material and extremely low flow stresses. This is associated with the activation of the grain boundary sliding due to an increase in the diffusivity along the phase boundaries in a case of microduplex structure.     

Texture evolution with superplastic deformation of a AlCu4Mg/Si3N4/20p composite

The deformation mechanisms which operate during superplastic tensile deformation at 783 K in a AlCu4Mg/Si₃N₄/20p composite have been investigated by means of the crystallographic texture evolution with strain. Three stages of texture evolution have been observed: in stage I, little texture variation occurs up to a true strain of 0.4. In stage II, a progressive decrease of texture intensity up to a true strain of 0.8 is noted. This suggests that a mechanism of grain boundary sliding, GBS, typical of superplastic deformation of monolithic fine grained polycrystalline materials, prevails in this stage. At higher deformations, in stage III, the intensity of the main texture components tends to increase, indicating that the dominant deformation mechanism becomes crystallographic slip, CS.     

Post-forming tensile properties of superplastic Ti–6Al–4V alloy

Abstract

A study has been made of the influence of uniaxial superplastic deformation on the ambient temperature tensile properties of Ti–6Al–4V sheet. Material was deformed to various strains up to 200% at temperatures from 850 to 970°C at strain rates in the range 1·1?18 × 10^{;amp;#x2212;4}s^?1 (0·7?11% min^?1). Tests were also performed on statically annealed material to separate the effects of high temperature exposure and superplastic deformation. Mechanical property changes were complex and depended on the relative contributions from the strengthening and softening mechanisms occurring during either superplastic deformation or heat cycling. Structural features influencing mechanical properties were phase size and morphology, dislocation density, and crystallographic texture. The strength after superplastic deformation was always less than that of as-received material but a significant reduction in strength was attributable to heat cycling. In some cases, the strength of the superplastically deformed material was greater than that after heat cycling.

MST/593     

Einfluss der Al2Cu‐Phase auf die Superplastizität der AlCuMn Legierung

Influence of the Al₂Cu‐phase on the superplasticity of AlCuMn alloy High‐temperature creep‐resistant AlCuMn wrought alloy has been investigated and optimised with respect to their superplastic deformability; a maximal elongation ε of 850 per cent was thus attained at a deformation temperature of 530°C. Prerequisites for superplastic deformation behaviour and for the associated high elongation values of these aluminium alloys are an especially fine‐grained structure as well as a decrease in the amount of Al₂Cu phase and a uniform distribution of this phase in the structure. Superplastic deformation (SPD) results in a pronounced change in the shape of the large particles of the θ‐phase; the particles of this phase thereby form veins along the boundaries of adjacent grains. During deformation, the grains lose their equiaxial shape and elongate in the direction of tension as a result of pronounced intragranular sliding dislocation in the microstructure. Transmission electron micrographs of the deformed structure have revealed a pile‐up of dislocations in the grains of the aluminium alloy. The grain size of commercially available sheets of AlCuMn wrought alloys with a thickness of 1 mm is approximately 30 μm. After optimising, the grain size of the sheets produced by the new method was on 12 μm until 5 μm. The new technique differs only slightly from industrial manufacture.     

Investigation of the thermophysical properties of zirconium by subsecond pulsed heating technique

The heat capacity, enthalpy, and spectral (for the wavelength of 0.65 μm) emissivity of zirconium are investigated in the temperature range from 1000 to 2100 K by the method of single subsecond resistance pulsed heating. The heat of the α-β phase transition is measured. A number of singularities are discovered in the variation of the properties of material in the region of α-β transition and in the β phase, which are associated with variations in the oxide film and with the specific features of volume heat release during heating in the two-phase region.     

A study of the strength of P/M 6061Al and composites during high strain rate superplastic deformation

Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) are potential candidate materials in the aerospace and automobile industries because of its attractive properties, in particular, their high specific properties, and Superplastic forming (SPF) is a good solution to the problems in the forming process of MMCs due to their low ductility resulting from the incorporation of reinforcement. High strain rate superplasticity (HSRS) is attractive for industrial applications because superplastic forming at high strain rates can reduce forming time greatly. The strength of P/M 6061 Al and 6061 Al/SiC_p (3 m) composites during superplastic deformation at temperatures of 853 K–871 K and a high strain rate of 0.1 s^–1 has been studied in this paper. Experimental results presented a softening effect by the SiC_p reinforcement. Mechanical and microstructural analyses show that the decrease in the strength during high strain rate superlastic (HSRS) deformation is associated with the decreased grain size of the Al matrix with increase of the SiC_p volume fraction or the extrusion ratio, and the occurrence of liquid phase. The formation of the liquid phase was related to segregation of the solute atom during HSRS deformation.     

Structural peculiarities of cermets design based on titanium carbide

The influence of chemical composition on the ductile brittle transition (DBT) temperature, microstructure and mechanical properties of cermets based on titanium carbide (chemical composition of cermets TiC _x , (x=0.55; 0.65; 0.75 and 1.0) — nickel-based superalloy (Russian Trade Mark GS6U containing (wt%) Ni-10W-10Co-9Cr-5.5Al-2.5Ti-2Mo-0.15C) was studied. It was shown that high strength in cermets can be achieved if the structure of the frames is retained and the DBT temperature of the refractory phase is controlled. By changing the microstructure and its homogeneity, the chemical composition of the frames, the porosity value and the binding material, it is possible to synthesize new cermets for certain temperature regions. The optimum operating temperature of such materials depends on the DBT temperature and the temperature of the transition to a superplastic state of refractory phases.     

Effects of thermal treatment of nanostructured trititanates on their crystallographic and textural properties

Nanostructured titanates (TTNT) with general formula Na_xH_2−xTi₃O₇·nH₂O were synthesized by hydrothermally reacting different TiO₂ anatase (distinct crystal sizes) with NaOH at 120 °C followed by washing with water or diluted acid and drying of the precipitate. The resulting powders with different sodium contents were submitted to various calcination temperatures up to 800 °C and each calcined product was characterized as for its phase structure, composition, crystallite size and textural properties, namely BET surface area, mesopore volume and pore size distribution. Thermal transformations of TTNT samples were investigated by monitoring the modifications on crystallographic (X-ray diffraction) and textural (N₂ desorption isotherms) properties, revealing the influence of the type of starting anatase and sodium content over the stability of TTNT. Moreover, a detailed study on the reduction of the interlayer distance in TTNT samples upon thermal treatment allowed corroborating the formation of an intermediate nanostructured hexatitanate, just before phase transformation into the corresponding TiO₂ polymorphs and/or titanate crystals, depending on the sodium content and calcination temperature.     

Deformation behaviour in α/β two-phase super-plastic brass

α/β brass consists of hard α and soft β phase in its superplastic temperature range. Because of the difference between their mechanical properties, the superplastic behaviour of the alloy differs from that of other single-phase and quasi-single-phase alloys. The mechanical properties and microstructure of leaded α/β brass during superplastic deformation were studied and the mechanism is discussed. It is shown that the boundary diffusion controls the superplastic deformation process and boundary sliding is the main deformation mechanism; there is little deformation in the α-phase, and intragranular slip as the accommodating mechanism mainly occurs in β-phase in the superplastic range. It is also shown that the bulk diffusion dominates the deformation process, and intragranular slip is the main mechanism in the non-superplastic range.     

High temperature compressive behaviour of as-cast Al-Cu alloys of varying composition

Al-Cu alloys with different copper contents ranging from 10 to 45 wt% were deformed in compression in the as-cast condition. Measurements of the strain-rate sensitivity parameterm using the crosshead speed jump technique show that alloys of composition close to the eutectic become superplastic after about 25% strain, withm increasing from about 0.2 at the beginning of deformation to about 0.5 or more, depending on composition. This transition to the superplastic state is accompanied by an important decrease of the flow stress during compression and it is associated by the breakdown of the initially lamellar structure of the eutectic phase in the highly deformed regions of the specimen. Moreover for the alloy with 37 wt% copper, the transition corresponds also to the degeneration of the dendritic primary phase and this alloy shows a particularly high value ofm and a low steady state flow stress in spite of the large volume fraction of the hard CuAl₂ compound. Alloys of composition far away from the eutectic do not exhibit superplastic behaviour during compression, at least in the range of strain rate investigated and this is due to the large grain size and the important grain growth that occurs during deformation.     

Microstructural stability and high-temperature mechanical properties of AZ91 and AZ91 + 2RE magnesium alloys

The effects of 2 wt.% rare earth element addition on the microstructure evolution, thermal stability and shear strength of AZ91 alloy were investigated in the as-cast and annealed conditions. The as-cast structure of AZ91 consists of α-Mg matrix and the β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂ intermetallic phase. Due to the low thermal stability of this phase, the strength of AZ91 significantly decreased as the temperature increased. The addition of rare earth elements refined the microstructure and improved both thermal stability and high-temperature mechanical properties of AZ91. This was documented by the retention of the initial fine microstructure and ultimate shear strength (USS) of the rare earth elements-containing material after long-term annealing at 420 °C. The improved stability and strength are attributed to the reduction in the volume fraction of β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂ and retention of the thermally stable Al₁₁RE₃ intermetallic particles which can hinder grain growth during the annealing process. This behavior is in contrast to that of the base material which developed a coarse grain structure with decreased strength caused by the dissolution of β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂ after exposure to high temperature.     

A low-firing microwave dielectric material in Li2O-ZnO-Nb2O5 system

LiZnNbO₄ ceramic was fabricated by the conventional solid state reaction method and its microwave dielectric properties were reported for the first time. The phase structure, microstructure, and sintering behavior were also investigated. The LiZnNbO₄ ceramic could be well densified at around 950 °C and demonstrated high performance microwave dielectric properties with a low relative permittivity ~ 14.6, a high quality factor (resonant frequency/dielectric loss) ~ 47, 200 GHz (at 8.7 GHz), and a negative temperature coefficient of resonant frequency approzmiately −64.5 ppm/°C. The LiZnNbO₄ ceramic is chemically compatible with Ag electrode material at its sintering temperature. It can be a promising microwave dielectric material for low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology.     

Low-temperature superplasticity of β-stabilized Ti-43Al-9V-Y alloy sheet with bimodal γ-grain-size distribution

The superplasticity of Ti-43Al-9V-0.2Y alloy sheet hot-rolled at 1100 ℃ was systematically investigated in the temperature range of 750-900 ℃ under an initial strain rate of 10-4 s-1.A bimodal γ grain-distribution microstructure of TiA1 alloy sheet,with abundant nano-scale or sub-micron γ laths embed-ded inside β matrix,exhibits an impressive superplastic behaviour.This inhomogeneous microstructure shows low-temperature superplasticity with a strain-rate sensitivity exponent of m =0.27 at 800 ℃,which is the lowest temperature of superplastic deformation for TiAl alloys attained so far.The maximum elongation reaches ～360％ at 900 ℃ with an initial strain rate of 2.0 × 10-4 s-1.To elucidate the softening mechanism of the disordered β phase during superplastic deformation,the changes of phase composi-tion were investigated up to 1000 ℃ using in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) in this study.The results indicate that β phase does not undergo the transformation from an ordered L20 structure to a disordered A2 structure and cannot coordinate superplastic deformation as a lubricant.Based on the microstructural evolution and occurrence of both y and β dynamic recrystallization (DR) after tensile tests as characterized with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD),the superplastic deformation mecha-nism can be explained by the combination of DR and grain boundary slipping (GBS).In the early stage of superplastic deformation,DR is an important coordination mechanism as associated with the reduced cavitation and dislocation density with increasing tensile temperature.Sufficient DR can relieve stress concentration arising from dislocation piling-up at grain boundaries through the fragmentation from the original coarse structures into the fine equiaxed ones due to recrystallization,which further effectively suppresses apparent grain growth during superplastic deformation.At the late stage of superplastic de-formation,these equiaxed grains make GBS prevalent,which can effectively avoid intergranular cracking and is conducive to the further improvement in elongation.This study advances the understanding of the superplastic deformation mechanism of intermetallic TiAl alloy.     

Investigation of high-strength and superplastic Mg–Y–Gd–Zn alloy

The Mg–7Y–4Gd–1Zn (wt.%) alloy was prepared by hot extrusion technology, and the microstructure, tensile properties and superplastic behavior have been investigated. The extruded alloy possesses high tensile strength both at room temperature and 250 °C, and especially the yield strength can remain above 300 MPa at 250 °C. The outstanding microstructure, i.e. bent 18R long period stacking ordered (LPSO) strips and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) Mg grains containing fine lamellae with 14H LPSO or stacking fault structures, is responsible for the excellent mechanical properties, and it is considered that the integrated performance can be further improved by controlling the size of LPSO phase. The alloy shows the maximum elongation of 700% at 470 °C and 1.7 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. The predominant superplastic mechanism is considered to be grain boundary sliding assisted by lattice diffusion. The fracture of superplastic deformation is related to the microstructure evolution, i.e. the disappearance of LPSO phase and the formation of cubic phase. Both high temperature and stress contribute to the phase transformation.     

Rheology of Superplastic Ceramics

Constitutive equation of rheology describing a phenomenological level of superplastic deformation as functional correlation between tensor components of stress and strain rate has been analyzed for the case of superplastic ceramic flow. Rheological properties of material are taken into account by means of scalar rheological coefficients of shear and volume viscosity, which are functions of temperature, effective stress (or strain rate) and density of material.     

Complex impedance analysis of layered perovskite structure electroceramics—NaDyTiO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

A ceramic oxide (NaDyTiO₄), having layered perovskite structure, has been prepared by a standard high-temperature solid-state reaction technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies have confirmed material formation under reported condition along with the presence of impurity (Na₂Dy₂Ti₃O₁₀) as the minor phase. Complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS) analysis has been carried out to investigate its microstructure and electrical properties as a function of frequency and temperature. CIS analysis has indicated that the electrical behavior of the material sample shows negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) typical to a semiconductor. Impedance studies have also indicated the presence of temperature dependent relaxation process in the material with a spread of relaxation time. The d.c. conductivity of the material as evaluated from the impedance spectrum has been observed to be ∼10⁻⁹ Scm⁻¹ at room temperature (RT). It has been observed to increase as a function of temperature with a maximum of ∼10⁻⁵ Scm⁻¹ at 550∘C. The conductivity variation shows a cross over from Mott-type hopping phenomena at lower temperatures to a thermally activated Arrhenius type behavior at high temperature.     

Microwave dielectric properties of LaMgAl11O19

The suitable choice of a substrate material is one of the aims to be fulfilled in high speed microwave technology. LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ oxide ceramic material, which belongs to the magnetoplumbite family, has been reported earlier as a potential candidate for such applications. This material has been prepared by conventional solid-state ceramic route. The structure has been studied by X-ray diffraction and characterized at microwave frequencies. The effect of dopant and glass addition on the microwave dielectric properties of this material has also been investigated. LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ has relatively low dielectric constant (ε_r=14), low dielectric loss or high quality factor (Q_u×f>28,000 GHz at 7 GHz) and small temperature variation of resonant frequency (τ_f=−12 ppm/°C) at room temperature (300 K). These properties make LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ as a good substrate material and as a dielectric resonator to be used in microwave devices operating at relatively high frequencies.     

X-ray crystallographic and thermal studies on the hydrides of magnesium and its intermetallics

Magnesium nickel hydride, Mg₂NiH₄, exists in two crystallographic modifications, the low temperature phase crystallizing in monoclinic structure and the high temperature phase having a cubic structure. The phase transition (∼510 K) was accompanied by a small composition change. The enthalpies and entropies of formation of these hydrides were calculated from the DTA data and compared with the values obtained by other methods.     

Development of a high strain rate superplastic Al–Mg–Zr alloy

Abstract

For superplastic forming of aluminium to break out of the niche market that it currently occupies, alloys will be required to possess a higher strain rate capability, appropriate in service properties, and a significantly lower price and to be capable of volume production. This paper describes an approach that has been developed in an attempt to address these fundamental requirements. A series of Al–Mg–Zr alloys with increasing levels of zirconium (0–1 wt-%)has been prepared via extrusion consolidation of cast particulate (solidification rate ～10³ K s^-1). The superplastic properties of the resultant cold rolled sheet have been evaluated as a function of thermomechanical treatment and zirconium addition. It has been found that increasing the level of zirconium has the twofold effect of improving the superplastic properties of the alloy while significantly decreasing the concomitant flow stress. At present the optimum superplastic behaviour has been obtained at strain rates of 10^-2 s^-1, with the 1%Zr material exhibiting ductilities in excess of 600%. The manufacturing route produces a bimodal distribution of Al₃Zr comprising >1 µm primary particles in combination with nanoscale solid state precipitates. The current postulation is that this high strain rate superplasticity is conferred by a combination of particle stimulated and strain induced recrystallisation.     

Influence on martensite‐start‐temperature and volume expansion of low‐transformation‐temperature materials used for residual stress relief in beam welding

Low‐transformation‐temperature materials (LTT) are used as high‐alloy welding filler material for high‐strength steels in order to minimize the tensile stresses and resulting distortion of the component during the welding process. The increase in the volume of the structure produced during martensitic transformation is utilized in order to counteract the volume shrinkage due to the cooling process. As stated in the field of study various elements influence the starting temperature of the martensite transformation, the influence on the volume expansion during the martensite formation is unknown. The influence of alloying elements nickel and chromium on the conversion behavior of low‐transformation‐temperature materials is to be investigated in detail. In particular, the effect of the variation of the mentioned elements on the starting temperature of the martensitic phase transformation and the extent of the volume expansion associated with that is investigated. In addition, the change in the hardness of the different low‐transformation‐temperature alloys is recorded and compared.