Schweißverhalten von Aluminium und seinen Legierungen

Weldability of Aluminium and Al Alloys Aluminium is behind steel the most used metal. Advantages of Al-materials are the low weight, the favourable strength and deformation properties, the good corrosion resistance and the good electrical and thermal conductivity. Welding of aluminium encounters difficulties due to high melting oxide layer at the surface, the strong heat dissipation from the welding region, the tendency to form craters or pores and the high heat extension. This contribution describes the basic facts and special features of arc welding and weld properties of aluminium and Al-alloys during welding.     

Zyklisches Werkstoffverhalten sprühkompaktierter Aluminiumwerkstoffe. Kennwerte für die Bauteilbemessung: Von der Probe zum Bauteil

The fatigue behaviour of spray compacted aluminium materials. Material properties for component design data: From specimen to component. Spray compacted, high performance aluminium alloys (DISPAL = DISpersion hardened Aluminium) are characterised by their high strength, high Young’s modulus, good wear resistance and low coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties vindicate both the application of these materials and the increasing interest of the automobile manufacturers. Within the framework of a bilateral project, tests were carried out by varying different parameters under both strain‐ and load‐controlled conditions in order to describe the fatigue behaviour of these materials.     

Selective case hardening of plain steel by carbon alloying with a plasma transferred arc (PTA) technique

The present work was undertaken in order to study the possibility of case hardening of a plain steel using the Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA) alloying process. It was found that, depending on the PTA operation parameters and cooling rates, either carburizing or case hardening can be obtained. The depth of carburizing reaches a depth up to 1 mm and can be pre-selected by adjusting the PTA operation parameters. Due to the beneficial effect of carburizing with the PTA alloying technique, wear resistance of the treated surface is significantly improved.     

Fortschritte beim Rührreibschweißen von Aluminium,Magnesium und Stahl

Progresses on the friction stir welding of aluminium, magnesium and steel Friction Stir Welding (FSW) represents an innovative welding process for joining light metal, especially, aluminium and its alloys. Friction Stir Welding offers an attractive alternative to conventional fusion welding processes because of the excellent properties (particularly ductility), reproducibility, robustness, and surface finish obtained with the process. Within the scope of this work the Friction Stir Welding‐Process with its possible joint configurations is explained. The focus of this work concentrates on weldability studies concerning cladded aluminium alloys, aluminium cast alloys, aluminium tailored welded blanks both from similar and dissimilar joints produced in aluminium, magnesium and steel. The mechanical properties of the welded samples will be discussed.     

Surface Refinement of Metal Foams

Aluminium foams produced via the PM‐process are characterized by a moderate specific strength, a high surface roughness, and a poor wear behavior; to increase their mechanical properties and to improve the surface finish, wear and corrosion resistance; thermally sprayed coatings can be applied. The quality of the coating depends on the coating material, the chosen process, the preparation of the surface and spraying parameters. Aluminium alloys and iron based alloys for abrasive applications were deposited via electric arc spraying, ceramic coatings against wear were deposited by means of plasma spraying. Hard metallic coatings for severe abrasive applications were applied by high‐velocity‐oxyfuel spraying (HVOF). The results proved the suitability of this technique to significantly enhance the mechanical properties and the surface finish of metal foams. The specific strength and stiffness of the new composite materials outperform pure metal foams. The corrosion behavior was tested performing a salt spray test.     

Erhöhung der Verschleißfestigkeit von Elastomerverarbeitungsmaschinen durch innovative Beschichtungsverfahren

Increasing the resistance to wear of elastomer processing machines by innovative coating processes A goal of the subsequent work is the evaluated of selected surface coating processes with respect to the attainable abrasion characteristics of the generated layers regarding to their suitability for the abrasion protection of elastomer processing equipment (e.g. interior kneading machines). Additionally the specifications of various commercial coating companies were layers compared to data concerning to the wear resistance of the created sections. On this base own experimental tests are performed dedicated to designated application cases and were evaluated by an abrasion test on its wearing properties. Apart from classical deposition‐welding, the Plasma‐Transferred‐Arc process, above all the innovative thermochemical techniques were applied. Due to of their steadily increasing market shares, particularly the arc and HVOF‐Spraying got in the center of attention thereby.     

Entwicklung hochverschleißbeständiger wolframschmelzkarbidbasierter Schichten auf Aluminiumbauteilen durch Plasma‐Pulver‐Auftragschweißen

Development of high wear‐resistant FTC‐based coatings on aluminium components using plasma transferred arc welding Nowadays, functional surfaces of components can be effectively protected from extreme wear with the help of fused tungsten carbide (FTC) coatings. The wear protection of steel components using FTC has been well known for many years. This paper presents the feasible study of improving the wear resistance of aluminium components with FTC particles using plasma powder arc welding. The FTC coatings are developed with two methods: one is the dispersion of carbide particles in aluminium and the other one is the combination of dispersing and alloying of FTC‐based composite powders. In this research, coatings within a thickness range of a few millimeters are developed with varying process parameters and compositions of the filler materials. The developed coating systems are tested with regard to their specific properties and their wear resistance. Finally, their application potential is presented.     

Improving sliding and abrasive wear behaviour of cast A356 and wrought AA7075 aluminium alloys by plasma electrolytic oxidation

An important limitation of aluminium alloys for mechanical applications is their poor tribological behaviour. In this study, surface treatment by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) has been applied to two widely used aluminium alloys: A359 (hypoeutectic Al–Si–Mg) cast alloy and AA7075 (Al–Zn–Mg–Cu) wrought alloy, in order to improve their wear resistance, under sliding and abrasive wear conditions. The main aim of this work was the comparison of the properties and wear resistance of the oxide layers grown under the same PEO treatment conditions on two different aluminium alloys which might be coupled in engineered components. Significant differences in the phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties measured by microindentation were observed in the oxide layers grown on the two substrates, and were ascribed to the effects of the different compositions and microstructures of the substrate alloys. Abrasion tests were carried out in a micro-scale abrasion (ball-cratering) test, with both alumina and silicon carbide abrasive particles. The results demonstrated the influence of the abrasive material on wear behaviour: whereas relatively aggressive SiC particles gave comparable results for both PEO treated and untreated samples, with the less aggressive Al₂O₃ abrasive the wear rates of the PEO treated samples, for both substrates, were significantly lower than those of the untreated substrates. In unlubricated sliding the PEO treatment significantly increase the wear resistance of both the aluminium alloys, at low applied load. In this condition the wear behaviour of the PEO treated alloys is strongly influenced by the stability of a protective Fe–O transfer layer, generated by wear damage of the steel counterpart. Under high applied loads however, the transfer layer is not stable and the hardness of the PEO layer, as well as the load bearing capacity of the substrate, become the main factors in influencing wear resistance.     

Designing metal matrix composites to meet their target: particulate reinforced aluminium alloys for missile applications

Abstract

Aluminium alloys have traditionally been used for the manufacture of missile structural parts. As the performance of missiles improves, kinetic heating will increase and the continued use of conventional monolithic aluminium alloys for the manufacture of structural parts for short to medium range missiles will be limited by their elevated temperature performance. Steel or titanium alloys could be used but these may add weight or be more expensive. The alternative is to exploit the potential benefits of the high specific properties of aluminium based metal matrix composites (MMCs) which may be substantially retained during short term exposure to elevated temperatures. The improvements in strength and stiffness could enable weight savings to be made by reductions in wall thickness of the missile structure or alternatively, the improved stiffness of components such as wings and fins may prove beneficial for improved missile accuracy. The aim of the present paper is to highlight the results of demonstrator programmes which have been designed to assess the potential benefits of both particulate and fibre reinforced aluminium based MMCs for missile applications.     

Lasergaslegieren – ein Verfahren zur Erzeugung verschleißfester Randschichten auf Titanwerkstoffen

Laser gas alloying – manufactoring process for wear resistant layers on titanium alloys Titanium alloys combine very high specific strength with biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. Because of these excellent properties they were frequently used in space travel, aeronautics, chemical industry, medicine and, increasingly, automotive industry. A handicap of titanium alloys is their low wear resistance against abrasive and sliding wear. Additional applications for titanium alloys can be established by increasing their wear resistance High loadable and wear resistant layers on titanium alloys are generated by the new method for laser gas alloying, developed at the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden. The new method overcomes drawbacks of conventional methodes and is a reliable process for industrial application. By a hard amorphous carbon layer (DLC), deposited by Laser-Arc, an additional increase of sliding wear resistance is possible. First we briefly present the methode itself. The enormous increase of wear resistance is proven with the help of diverse wear tests.     

The wear of aluminium-based journal bearing materials under lubrication

The aluminium-based alloys, nowadays, are developed to be used in high performance engine bearings. In this study, new Al-based bearing alloys, which are produced by metal mould casting, were developed; and tribologic properties of these alloys under lubrication were analyzed experimentally. Four different aluminium alloys were carried out on pin on disc wear tester for that purpose. SAE 1040 steel was used as the disc material in the wear tester. Friction tests were carried out at 0.231–1.036 N/mm² pressures and at 0.6–2.4 m/s sliding speeds. Wear tests were carried out at 1.8 m/s sliding speed and at 70 N normal load. Friction coefficients and weight losses of the samples were determined under various working conditions as a result of the experiments. The morphographies of the worn surfaces were analyzed. Hardness, surface roughness, and surface temperature of the samples were measured. The results showed that the friction and wear behaviors of the alloys have changed according to the sliding conditions. The effects of the elements except aluminium composing alloys on the tribologic properties were analyzed. Al8.5Si3.5Cu alloy has a lower friction coefficient value than other alloys. Al8.5Si3.5Cu and Al15Sn5Cu3Si alloys, on the other hand, have the highest wear resistance. Al15Pb3.7Cu1.5Si1.1Fe alloy is the most worn material; and Al15Pb3.7Cu1.5Si1.1Fe alloy has the highest wear rate. As a result of the evaluations conducted, Al–Sn and Al–Si alloys, which include Si and Sn, can be preferred, among the aluminium alloys that will work under lubrication, as the bearing material.     

Effect of matrix alloy and influence of SiC particle on the sliding wear characteristics of aluminium alloy composites

This article presents an effect of matrix alloy and influence of SiC particle on the sliding wear characteristics of high strength aluminium alloys AA7010, AA7009 and AA2024, composites was examined under varying applied pressure and a fixed sliding speed of 3.35 m/s. The results revealed that the wear resistance of the composite was noted to be significantly higher than that of the alloy and is suppressed further due to addition of SiC particles. The overall observation among the matrix alloys, AA7010 alloy shows maximum wear resistance than that of the other, and can withstand the seizure pressure up to 2.6 MPa. The wear mechanism was studied through worn surfaces and microscopic examination of the developed wear tracks. The wear mechanism strongly dictated by the formation and stability of oxide layer, mechanically mixed layer (MML) and subsurface deformation and cracking. The overall results indicate that the high strength aluminium alloys and composite could be considered as an excellent material where high strength and wear resistance components are prime importance especially designing for structural applications in aerospace and general engineering sectors.     

Investigation of wear resistance and microstructure of a newly developed chromium and vanadium containing iron‐based hardfacing alloy

Plasma transferred arc (PTA) welded Ni and Co‐based alloys have gained high acceptance in many industrial applications for the wear protection of components. Recently, the cost of nickel and cobalt is rising drastically. This paper presents the development of a cost‐effective high chromium and vanadium containing iron‐based hardfacing alloy with high hardness and wear resistance. The welding processing of the alloy is carried out by PTA welding of atomized powders. Investigations on powder production as well as on weldability are presented. The coatings are metallographically studied by optical microscopy, SEM, EDX and micro‐hardness measurements. The wear resistance properties of the coatings are examined using pin on disk, dry sand rubber wheel and Miller testing, the corrosion properties are determined by immersion corrosion tests. The newly developed iron‐based alloy has nearly the same wear resistance as Ni‐based alloys with fused tungsten carbides at a higher level of corrosion resistance and much lower cost.     

Plasmaelektrolytische Oxidation thermisch gespritzter Aluminiumschichten

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of arc sprayed aluminium coatings Up to now different post treatment methods are developed to improve the properties of thermally sprayed coatings. In this work, arc sprayed aluminium coatings on aluminium substrates are post‐treated by plasma electrolytic oxidation. To estimate the wear resistance of resulting oxide coatings, two abrasive wear tests (ASTM G65 and ASTM C1624) are carried out. Worn surfaces are examined by scanning electron microscopy in order to establish the wear mechanisms. These results of the abrasive wear tests are correlated with the parameters of the PEO process and the resulting micro structures of the coatings.     

Schichtentwicklung für die schmiermittelfreie Umformung von hochfesten Aluminiumwerkstoffen

Development and evaluation of coatings for lubricant free forming of high strength aluminium Many applications in light weight construction require massive formed high strength aluminium parts. For economical and ecological reasons the use of lubricants for massive forming has to be avoided. Both, lubricant free forming and processing of high strength materials are big challenges that can be realized by using coated tools with functional surfaces that show high wear resistance, low friction and low adhesion to aluminium [1–7]. For goal‐oriented surface engineering different coating technologies, such as Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) and Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) have been used for the preparation of specimens. The coating properties are evaluated by mechanical tests and numeric simulation to investigate the massive forming processes and the coating‐substrate‐behaviour. On the base of TiCN‐, TiC‐TiN‐ and DLC‐coatings on steel it is shown how relevant coating properties like Young’s Modulus, crack behaviour and hardness can be analyzed with regard to small coating thicknesses. In order to scale up the results to industrial conditions, finally the simulation is correlated to real deforming.     

Metallurgical problems associated with the production of aluminium-tin alloys

Of all the plain bearing alloys available, aluminium alloys have a better combination of ideal bearing characteristics than any other single material. Conventional Babbit alloys, especially the lead bronzes are increasingly being replaced by aluminium alloys, particularly in the automobile industry. It has been known, that the addition of elements, like tin or lead, improves the antiscoring and antifrictional properties of aluminium. Aluminium tin alloys have a wide miscibility gap in the molten state and are virtually insoluble in each other during solidification. Further difficulties arise from the large freezing range of the alloys, which together with the wide density difference between the two components greatly increase the tin segregation during alloy preparation. It has, therefore, been difficult to introduce and uniformly disperse tin in aluminium to the desired extent by conventional melting and casting techniques. The present authors have developed a simple foundry technique which has been used successfully to disperse and retain tin at contents up to 20 wt% in aluminium ingots, which is the subject of the present paper.     

Kriterien zur Auswahl von Aluminium-Legierungen für Wärmetauscherlamellen

Selecting Al Alloys for Light Weight Heat Exchanger Fins Aluminium usage for heat exchangers for the motor car industry has increased significantly in recent years. The intrinsic advantage of aluminium alloys has enabled the replacement of traditional heat exchanger materials such as brass and copper. Alloy development has enabled the aluminium industry to prepare a range of alloys in different conditions and gauges that can meet the requirements of heat exchanger designers. This paper refers to the background for choice of available alloys and to development trends on a fitness for purpose basis.     

Room and high temperature tensile tests on the AA6061/10vol.%Al2O3p and AA7005/20vol.%Al2O3p composites

Aluminium alloy based Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs), reinforced with ceramic particles such as Al₂O₃ or SiC, have a number of advantages over conventional aluminium alloys, primarily enhanced stiffness and increased wear resistance. In order to improve the fields of application, fundamental understanding of the relationship between microstructural features and mechanical properties is however required. In this work, the tensile behaviour of two composites based on 6061 and 7005 aluminium alloys, reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles, at room temperature, at 100°C and at 150°C was studied. The ductility of the composites was found to be much lower than that of the unreinforced alloys, while a significative increase of the elastic modulus and tensile strength was found. Both materials showed a slight decrease of the tensile strength with temperature, while elongation increased. Large particles and clusters of the reinforcement were found to be locations prone to failure in the composite, due to the high stress concentrations, mainly at room temperature. With increasing temperature, the fracture surfaces showed a dimpled appearance with a large amount of plastic deformation of the matrix, indicating that void nucleation, growth and coalescence is the main fracture mechanism.     

Joining of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites

Aluminium metal matrix composites (AlMMCs) offer several advantages relative to monolithic aluminium alloys such as high stiffness, strength, wear resistance, low thermal expansion coefficient, etc. However, despite considerable improvements in developing AlMMCs, the lack of reliable joining methods restrict their greater application. Fusion welding of AlMMCs has not proved successful because high temperature nature of the process normally causes unfavorable reactions between the reinforcement and the matrix, leading to the formation of a variety of defects. On the other hand, solid-state welding and diffusion bonding may not be suitable due to the presence of chemically stable surface layer of aluminium oxide, which, being insoluble in aluminium, inhibits metal-to-metal contact during diffusion bonding. Furthermore, diffusion bonding requires a very smooth and clean contact surface, which is difficult to obtain in industrial applications. As an alternative, transient liquid phase (TLP) diffusion bonding, which operates at a lower temperature, can be used to circumvent the problems associated with the oxide layer. The formation of liquid phase (eutectic) can assist the disruption of the oxide layer and promote metallic contact. The composite material used in the present study consisted of 6061 alloy containing 15 volume % of SiC particulates of 23 μm diameter. TLP bonding was carried out at 560 ˚C in argon atmosphere using copper as an interlayer with different pressures and holding times. TLP-bonded AlMMCs were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, microhardness survey, and shear tests. The results indicated that adequate bond strength could be achieved with suitable bonding parameters such as holding time and initial pressure.     

The microstructural control of cast and mechanical properties of zinc-aluminium alloys

The zinc-aluminium alloys containing 8, 12, and 27% aluminium are finding increasing applications in the casting industry. These alloys are stronger than most aluminium alloys. In addition, they possess high wear resistance and bearing properties. However, surface sinks and shrinkage defects are observed on the bottom faces of such castings, contrary to general foundry practice. In the present investigation, this problem observed in the Zn-8%Al, Zn-12%Al, Zn-27%Al alloys was tackled by controlling various casting parameters and also by additions of the master alloys of strontium and lithium into the molten alloys. It was found that the underside shrinkage problem was influenced by the aluminium content of the alloy, melt superheat, casting size and cooling conditions. The strontium and lithium additions were found to be beneficial in reducing the underside shrinkage problem. The ultimate tensile strength, fracture elongation and Vickers hardness were all increased with aluminium concentration and lithium addition. It was found also that the most problematical Zn-27%Al alloy, which provided the highest mechanical properties, was very suitable for the squeeze-casting technique. The mechanical properties were increased sharply in these squeeze-cast bars.