Friction stir processing: An effective technique to refine grain structure and enhance ductility

Commercial 5083 Al rolled plates were subjected to friction stir processing (FSP) with a tool rotational speed of 430 rpm and a traverse feed rate of 90 mm/min. This treatment resulted in a fine grained microstructure of 1.6 μm and an average misorientation angle of 24°. Ductility was measured using tensile elongations at a temperature of 250 °C at three strain rates, and demonstrated that a decrease in grain size resulted in significantly enhanced ductility and lower forming loads. The ductility of the friction stir processed material was enhanced by a factor ranging from 2.6 to 5 compared to the ductility of the as received material, in the range of the strain rates tested. The strain rate sensitivity of the processed material is 0.33 while for the as received, it is 0.018. The deformation mechanism, in the fine-grained specimens is mainly controlled by solute drag creep, though the contribution of grain boundary sliding to the deformation process cannot be overlooked. Both mechanisms led to significant flow localization and simultaneous cavity formation.     

显微组织应变率对全片层TiAl合金室温塑性的影响

采用了特殊的热处理工艺,分别获得了不同晶粒度和不同片层厚度的显微组织的全片层TiAl合金,并在不同的应变速率下,对这些合金进行了室温单向拉伸实验.结果表明:在一定的应变速率下,晶粒度的降低和片层厚度的增加都会导致全片层TiAl合金室温塑性的增加.在确定的显微组织下,应变率的降低,会导致全片层TiAl合金室温塑性的增加.而当应变率较低、晶粒较大、片层较厚时,试样中容易萌生微裂纹.微裂纹多数在软取向的晶粒中出现.具有小晶粒、厚片层显微组织的全片层TiAl合金在较低的应变速率下将会具有较好的塑性.     

Influence of grain size on hot ductility of plain C–Mn steels

Abstract

The influence of grain size on the hot ductility of 0·19 and 0·65wt-%C steels of the C–Mn type has been determined. For the low-carbon steel, a gram Size increase from 70 to 180 μm had only a small influence on hot ductility, as measured by tensile reduction in area values. However, increasing the grain size to 290 μm raised the temperature at which ductility started to fall by 50°C. In the finer grained steels it is believed that the ductility trough starts at the Ar₃ temperature when films of ferrite form round the stronger austenite grains. Ductility soon recovers as the temperature is lowered because of a thickening of the ferrite and a consequent reduction of strain concentration at the boundaries, so that only a narrow trough is observed. In coarser grained steels it is considered that deformation induced ferrite can have a pronounced influence on hot ductility over a wide range of temperatures leading to a wide ductility trough. Refining the grain size had an even greater influence on the hot ductility of the 0·65wt-%C steel. Intergranular tensile fracture at coarse grain size was by grain boundary sliding in the austenite resulting in a very wide ductility trough. Refining the grain size prevented intergranular failure occurring in the γ down to the lowest temperature examined: 700°C. Although the main influence of grain size is in controlling the width of the trough, the depth also increased with an increase in grain size.

MST/420     

Influence of deformation induced ferrite,grain boundary sliding,and dynamic recrystallisation on hot ductility of 0·1–0·75%C steels

Abstract

The influence of C on hot ductility in the temperature range 600–1000°C has been examined for three C contents (0·1, 0·4, and 0·75 wt-%). Using a strain rate of 3 × 10^?3 s^?1, tensile specimens were heated to 1330°C before cooling to the test temperature. For the 0·4%C steel, two further strain rates of 3 × 10^?2 and 3 × 10^?4 s^?1 were examined. At the strain rate of 3 × 10^?3 s^?1, increasing the C content shifted the low ductility trough to lower temperatures in accordance with the trough being controlled by the γ–α transformation. Thin films of the softer deformation induced ferrite formed around the γ grain boundaries and allowed strain concentration to occur. Recovery to higher ductility at high temperatures occurred when these films could no longer form (i.e. above Ae₃) and dynamic recrystallisation was possible. The thin films of deformation induced ferrite suppressed dynamic recrystallisation in these coarse grained steels when tested at low strain rates. Recovery of ductility at the low temperature side of the trough in the 0·1%C steel corresponded to the presence of a large volume fraction of ferrite, this being the more ductile phase. For the 0·4%C steel decreasing the strain rate to 3 × 10^?4 s^?1 resulted in a very wide trough – extended to both higher and lower temperatures compared with the other strain rates. The high temperature extension was due to grain boundary sliding in the γ. Recovery of the ductility only occurred when dynamic recrystallisation was possible and this occurred at high temperatures. At the low temperature end, thin films of deformation induced ferrite were present and recovery did not occur until the temperature was sufficiently low to prevent strain concentration from occurring at the boundaries. Of the two intergranular modes of failure grain boundary sliding produced superior ductility. At the higher strain rates there was less grain boundary sliding, which led to a lower temperature for dynamic recrystallisation. Higher strain rates also increased the rate of work hardening of deformation induced ferrite, reducing the strain concentration at the boundaries. Ductility started to recover immediately below Ae₃, resulting in very narrow troughs. Finally, it was shown that the 2% strain that occurs during the straightening operation in continuous casting is sufficient to form deformation induced ferrite in steel containing 0·1%C.

MST/1809     

Low temperature enhanced ductility of friction stir processed 5083 aluminum alloy

Commercial 5083 Al rolled plates were subjected to friction stir processing (FSP) with two different processing parameters, having 430 and 850 rpm tool rotational speed with a single traverse feed rate of 90 mm/min. These FSP conditions resulted in two fine grained microstructures of 0·95 μm (430 rpm) and 2·6 μm (850 rpm). Tensile elongations were measured at a relatively low temperature of 250°C at three strain rates, and demonstrated that a decrease in grain size resulted in significantly enhanced ductility and lower forming loads. The occurrence of a relatively high value of strain rate sensitivity, m of 0·45 for a grain size of 0·95 μm, suggests the operation of superplastic deformation under these present experimental conditions.     

奥氏体不锈钢晶粒细化对形变机制和力学性能的影响

利用相逆转变原理采用冷变形使得亚稳奥氏体转变为形变马氏体,采用不同温度和时间退火分别获得纳米晶/超细晶和粗晶奥氏体不锈钢。通过拉伸实验得到不同晶粒尺寸的奥氏体不锈钢力学性能,采用透射电镜观察形变组织结构并利用扫描电镜观察断口特征。结果表明:高屈服强度纳米晶/超细晶奥氏体不锈钢通过形变孪晶获得优良塑性;而低屈服强度的粗晶奥氏体不锈钢发生形变诱导马氏体效应,得到良好的塑性;两组具有不同形变机制的奥氏体不锈钢拉伸断口均为韧性断裂。形变机制由形变孪晶转变为形变诱导马氏体归因于晶粒细化导致奥氏体稳定性大幅度提高。     

Study on nanocrystalline dual phase Ni–Co alloy with high strength and excellent ductility

Abstract

In the present study, the room temperature mechanical properties of nanocrystalline Ni and Ni–75 wt-%Co alloy, prepared by pulse electrodeposition, were contrasted. Both higher strength and higher ductility were obtained for the Ni–75%Co alloy with a dual phase structure and an average grain size of 7·2 nm. By means of TEM observations of grain structures before and after tensile deformation for Ni and Ni–75%Co samples, a link between the ductility and the variation of stress induced grain growth during tensile deformation was established. Observations of TEM showed stress induced grain growth during tensile deformation, subjected to very high stresses and large strains, is very insignificant for the Ni–75%Co alloy in sharp contrast to the significant stress induced grain growth occurring in Ni. It was proposed that suppression of stress induced grain growth during tensile deformation can delay and even prohibit formation of shear banding plastic instability and thus enhances uniform strain leading to an enhanced ductility.     

Strain rate sensitivity of unequal grained nano-multilayers

Nanoscaled bimetallic Cu/Ta multilayers were fabricated and their deformation behaviors characterized under nanoindentation. The individual Cu and Ta layers had equal thickness (∼30 nm) but quite different grain sizes. By evaluating the hardness of the bi-metal system at various strain rates, a transitional point of its strain rate sensitivity at the strain rate of 10⁻³ s⁻¹ was observed. Contributions from dislocation and grain boundary (GB) motions to plastic deformation are found to be strongly dependent upon strain rate as well as grain size in alternative constituent layers. Whilst dislocation-mediated motions take up the majority of deformation in a Cu/Ta multilayer at high strain rates, GB motions occurring mainly in the Ta layers take over at low strain rates.     

In situ observations on shear and creep-fatigue fracture behaviors of SnBi/Cu solder joints

Shear and creep-fatigue fracture behaviors of the SnBi/Cu solder joints were investigated in this study. The deformation and fracture morphologies were in situ observed by scanning electron microscope, and the fracture mechanisms were discussed based on the observation results. It is found that the SnBi solder in the solder joint shows good ductility under shear stress, there is serious deformation mismatch between the Sn and Bi phases in micro-scale but no macro-scale cracking occurs inside the solder, and the shear fracture occurs along the Cu/solder interface. Under creep-fatigue loadings, the strain of the solder joints increases rapidly during the initial few cycles, but the increase rate decreases due to strain hardening. After the strain hardening becomes saturated, the strain increases exponentially with increasing cycles and the damage inside the solder keeps developing, final fracture occurs inside the solder near the joint interface. As the plastic deformation of the SnBi solder concentrates at the grain boundary, it is predicated that grain-boundary sliding is the major creep deformation mechanism. The influencing factors on creep-fatigue resistance include the stress range, holding time and grain size of the solder. Based on the understandings, techniques to enhance the creep-fatigue resistance were proposed.     

Mechanical properties of electrodeposited nanocrystalline copper using tensile and shear punch tests

Characterization of the mechanical properties of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Cu with an average grain size of 74 nm was carried out using two different testing techniques, shear punch tests and tensile tests. The grain size distribution was broad and the volume fraction of larger grains was appreciable. The electrodeposited Cu had a high yield strength combined with moderate ductility and strain hardening. Scatter in the ductility values was attributed to residual porosity and inhomogeneity in the microstructure. Measurements of the strain rate sensitivity showed a significant increase in the rate sensitivity and a decrease in the activation volume for the deformation of nanocrystalline Cu compared with similar tests on coarse-grained cold worked Cu.     

Size effect on deformation behavior and ductile fracture in microforming of pure copper sheets considering free surface roughening

In meso/micro-scaled plastic deformation, material deformation and ductile fracture are quite different from those in macro-scale. The roughness of the free surfaces of workpiece increases with deformation and the decrease of grain number in the sample thickness direction, leading to the nonuniformity of specimen thickness. The so-called size effect and free surface roughening may in turn affect the deformation behavior, ductility and fracture morphology of the samples. To explore the coupled effect of workpiece geometry and grain size on material flow behavior in meso/micro-scaled plastic deformation, uniaxial tensile test of pure copper sheets with different thicknesses and comparable microstructure was performed. The experimental results reveal that the material flow stress, fracture stress and strain, and the number of microvoids on fracture surface are getting smaller with the decreasing ratio of specimen thickness to grain size. In addition, the modified Swift’s equation and the corrected uniform strain are closer to the experimental ones considering the thickness nonuniform coefficient induced by the free surface roughening. Furthermore, the observation of fracture morphologies confirms that the local deformation caused by the free surface roughening leads to strain localization and a decreased fracture strain when there are only a few grains involved in plastic deformation.     

Influence of strain rate on production of deformation induced ferrite and hot ductility of steels

Abstract

Compression testing was used to explore the influence of strain rate on the formation of deformation induced ferrite. Samples of a 0·4%C–1·4%Mn plain C–Mn steel were heated to 1225°C, cooled to test temperatures in the range 1100–610°C, and then given a true strain of 0·6, at strain rates of3 × 10^?2, 3 × 10^?3, and 3 × 10^?4 S^?1. At the lowest strain rate it wasfound that the strain to peak stress decreased with decreasing temperature in the range 750–610°C. This behaviour is related to the formation of thin films of the softer deformation induced ferrite at the γ grain boundaries at the higher temperatures, and spheroidisation at the lower temperatures. More normal stress–strain curves were observed at the higher strain rates, as raising the strain rate prevents the formation of deformation induced ferrite and delays spheroidisation. The strain rate was also found to have an important influence on the extent of recovery in the deformation induced ferrite; the lowest strain rate enabling full recovery and or recrystallisation to occur, thus keeping the film soft. This behaviour is shown to account for the poor hot tensile ductility at the lowest strain rates. Raising the strain rate in this temperature range improves the ductility because work hardening takes place, raising the strength of the ferrite closer to that of the y, thus preventing strain concentration from occurring.

MST/1934     

Measurements of spacing of sliding grain boundaries

The spacing of grain boundaries at which grain boundary sliding (GBS) had occurred during superplastic (SP) deformation was determined by measuring the length of segments of marker lines inscribed on the pre-polished surface in Pb-62%Sn after superplastic deformation in shear. Statistical distribution of this segment length (L) was bimodal at low strain levels, but became unimodal at high strain levels. The concept of cooperative GBS, i.e. sliding of groups of grains as an entity, has been invoked to explain the evaluation of the L-distribution with strain. This investigation suggests that the real spacing of sliding grain boundaries should be taken into account for modelling of SP flow.On leave from Ufa Aviation Institute, Ufa 450025, Russia.     

Metadynamic recrystallization of 300M steel after isothermal compression

Isothermal compression tests of 300M steel were performed on a Gleeble-1500 thermo-mechanical simulator at deformation temperatures ranging from 1173 to 1373 K, strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 s^?1, and a strain of 0.69. Metadynamic recrystallization and grain growth after complete metadynamic recrystallization were investigated by isothermal compression with different inter-pass times. It was found that the inter-pass time, deformation temperature and strain rate markedly affected the austenite grains size of metadynamic recrystallization. The austenite grain size model and grain growth model of metadynamic recrystallization were determined based on the results of quantitative grain size. A good agreement between the predicted and measured austenite grain size and grain growth of metadynamic recrystallization was obtained, and the present models were effective to predict the austenite grain size and grain growth of metadynamic recrystallization in the isothermal compression of 300M steel.     

Warm multiaxial forging of AISI 1016 steel

In this work, the microstructural evolution in AISI 1016 steel processed by using warm multiaxial forging technique is studied. With increase in multiaxial forging strain, a finer substructure evolved. Structural evolution in pearlite phase is addressed in detail considering the strain paths and strain rate. Pearlitic cementite fragmented into ultrafine particles of about 100–300 nm size. Warm multiaxial forging process also dispersed the ultrafine cementite particles into the ferrite matrix. Based on the grain boundary characterization and textural evolution, mechanism of ferrite grain refinement is explained. Up to six strain steps, crystallographic slip is the dominant mode of deformation and grain subdivision and recovery is the mechanism for ferrite grain refinement. At nine strain steps, dominant deformation mechanism appears to be grain boundary sliding and random grain rotation. After nine strain steps, initial grains of average 17 μm size reduced to submicron sized grains with the fraction of high angle grain boundaries exceeding 0.7. Double-n behavior is observed during tensile testing of some multiaxially forged steels. Tensile strength and hardness values of multiaxially forged steel increased by more than 100% after eighteen warm multiaxial forging strain steps, whereas ductility reduced by only about 30%.     

镁合金 AZ40M 再结晶晶粒尺寸与硬度模型研究

目的研究变形温度及变形速率对镁合金AZ40M再结晶晶粒尺寸以及硬度的影响。方法在gleeble-1500D热模拟机上进行热物理模拟压缩实验,变形温度为250~400℃,变形速率为0.001~1 s-1,通过金相法观测AZ40M镁合金在不同变形条件下的组织形貌,采用维氏硬度计测出镁合金热变形后的硬度值。结果当升高变形温度或降低变形速率时,材料的晶粒尺寸增大且硬度减小。结论得出了再结晶晶粒尺寸的变化规律,建立了AZ40M镁合金的晶粒尺寸与硬度的关系模型。     

超塑性Y-TZP的压缩塑性形变

通过恒定横梁速度和恒定载荷压缩试验,对超塑性3mol％Y₂O₃稳定四方ZrO₂多晶体的压缩塑性形变进行了研究．测定了平均晶粒尺寸从0．30～1．33μm的3Y－TZP材料的塑性流动应力,应力指数和蠕交活化能;用扫描和透射电镜观察了试样的显微结构．结果表明,3Y－TZP材料塑性形变的机理为扩散适应的晶界滑移．随着晶粒尺寸由0．30μm增大至1.33μm,应力指数从3．2减小至1．4,活化能从580kJ／mol减小至500kJ／mol．形变机理随晶粒大小发生变化．对于晶粒较粗的3Y－TZP材料,当应变速率较高时,形变过程中在材料内产生晶间孔穴．     

Grain size effect on high-speed deformation of Hadfield steel

The influence of the microstructure on the tensile properties and fracture behavior of Hadfield steel at high strain rate were studied. Hadfield steel samples with different mean grain sizes and carbon phases were prepared by rolling at medium temperatures and subsequent annealing. A sample with an average grain size larger than 10 μm, and a small number of carbides shows ductility with local elongation (post uniform elongation) at a high-speed tensile deformation rate of 10³ s⁻¹. In addition, the fracture surface changes from brittle to ductile with increasing strain rate. In contrast, a fine-grained sample with carbides undergoes brittle fracture at any strain rate. The grain size dependence is discussed by considering the dynamic strain aging as well as the emission of dislocation from cracks. The accelerated diffusion of carbon due to grain refinement is considered as one of the important reason for brittle fracture in the fine-grained Hadfield steel.     

高强度超细晶金属材料塑性行为及增塑研究进展

强度和塑性是金属结构材料最重要的力学性能指标,金属高性能化的关键是在高强度水平下保证良好的塑性,然而两者往往不能兼顾。在众多强化方法中,晶粒细化长期以来被认为是强化金属最理想的手段,在传统晶粒尺寸范围,细化晶粒既可以显著提高材料的强度,又能改善材料的塑韧性。因此,近几十年来超细晶/纳米晶金属得到了广泛研究和发展,出现了以大塑性变形(SPD)、先进形变热处理(ATMP)技术为代表的超细晶制备方法,所得晶粒可以细化到亚微米或纳米尺度,金属性能大大提高。然而,大量研究证实当晶粒细化到亚微米或纳米尺度时金属强度提高但塑性显著下降,与传统的细晶强化规律不符。对此,国内外学者进行了很多研究,试图阐明其机理、揭示晶粒超细化导致塑性降低的物理本质。此外,由于细化晶粒方法受到塑性的限制,新的高强度水平下增强塑性的方法成为钢铁材料高性能化的研究热点。针对塑性下降的事实,为了进一步提高超细晶金属材料性能,研究者开展了许多增强塑性的工作,获得了较好的效果,但仍存在一些不足。关于金属晶粒超细化导致塑性降低的普遍共性现象,目前广泛认可的理论主要有晶界捕获(吸收)位错的动态回复理论、位错运动湮灭理论、高初始位错密度以及位错源缺失机制等。前三者都主要关注超细晶金属材料低(无)加工硬化能力,并将其归结为延伸率降低所致。主要是因为低(无)加工硬化使材料在变形早期发生塑性失稳或局部变形从而表现出低塑性。超细晶金属增塑研究主要体现在增塑方法和机理方面,目前,增塑方法主要有(1)形成纳米孪晶;(2)获得粗晶-细晶双峰组织;(3)利用相变诱发塑性/孪生诱发塑性(TRIP/TWIP)效应;(4)引入铁素体软相;(5)利用纳米第二相粒子等。这些增塑方法的主要机理是利用组织结构的改变提高超细晶金属的加工硬化能力以维持良好的均匀塑性变形以及利用组织相变提高塑性。本文归纳了常用的超细晶金属制备方法,综述了超细晶金属材料塑性降低的研究进展,总结了超细晶金属增塑的研究结果,分析了目前研究中存在的不足,探讨了超细晶金属增强增塑的发展趋势,以期为超细晶金属塑性降低理论及增强增塑研究提供参考。     

Enhanced tensile properties of 316L steel via grain refinement and low-strain rolling

Excellent strength–ductility synergy of metallic materials is significant for their industrial applications. This study presents a fine-grained 316L stainless sheet (average grain size of ～5?µm) with a good combination of strength and ductility achieved via low-strain cold rolling (rolling strain of 30%). The fabricated steel sheet exhibits maximum yield strength and ultimate tensile strength values of 1045 and 1080?MPa, respectively, with a uniform elongation of 7%. Experimental results confirm that the high density of dislocations, strain-induced martensitic phase, and deformation twins together contribute to the high strength of the rolled stainless steel. Moreover, its good ductility is attributable to the strain-induced martensitic transformation and deformation twins.