Compressive deformation and forging behavior of Ti14 alloy in semi-solid state

Deformation behavior and formability of Ti14, a new typical α + Ti₂Cu alloy in the semi-solid state, were investigated by compressive tests in temperature range between 1223 and 1473 K and by forging tests between 1223 and 1373 K. Tensile tests of the forged alloys were also performed to study the effect of forging on mechanical properties. The results show that the maximum compressive stress was greatly dependent on the fraction solid, and that a transition in stress occurred at a solid fraction between 0.94 and 0.98 (corresponding to the temperature between 1323 and 1373 K). This transition was related to the decrease in amount of solid bridges between grains. Excellent formability and grain refinement due to dynamic recrystallization were achieved during the semi-solid forging. Furthermore, tensile tests showed a high ultimate tensile strength and yield strength after semi-solid forging at more than 1273 K, which was attributed to the grain refinement caused by the semi-solid forging. Ductility was also improved by changing the forging ratio. These results indicate that both good formability and tensile properties can be simultaneously attained by the compressive processing in the semi-solid state.     

Evaluation of low strain rate constitutive equation of 7075 aluminium alloy at high temperature

Abstract

The 7075 aluminium alloy is one of the most important engineering alloys utilised extensively in aircraft and transportation industries due to its high specific strength. In the present research, the flow behaviour of this alloy has been investigated using hot compression test at strain rates of 0·001, 0·01, 0·1 and 1 s^?1 and temperatures of 350, 400 and 450°C. The results reveal that dynamic softening occurred in these temperatures and strain rates. The activation energy, strain rate sensitivity and two constitutive equations (hyperbolic sine law and the power law) are derived from the results. It is shown that the hyperbolic sine law has a better agreement with the experimental results.     

Grain structure of laser remelted 7075 aluminium alloy in presence of Al2O3 particles

Abstract

The effect of inert particles on grain structure development from alloy melt during laser rapid solidification has been investigated. It is found that the presence of Al₂O₃ particles may disrupt the usual epitaxial grain structure evolution of an aluminium 7075 alloy when processed by laser surface remelting. This result, in addition to observations of crystal termination at the particles and grain refinement in particle dense regions, indicates that a mechanism of particle restricted grain growth operates.     

Composition segregation in semi-solid metal cast AA7075 aluminium alloy

The composition distribution and microstructural evolution associated with the characteristic globular grain structure in semi-solid metal cast AA7075 aluminium alloy has been investigated. The primary globular grains possess uniform composition over nearly 90% of their diameter with fluctuations only occurring in the near surface of the individual grains. The inter-globular regions are solute rich and contain non-equilibrium eutectic. The segregation pattern in semi-solid cast structures occurs over a much greater length-scale than the dendritic pattern prevalent in conventional castings and it is proposed that the distinction arises from predominant planar growth of the α-primary globular grains during the SSM conditioning stage. Examination of the in-grain structure using electron backscattered diffraction revealed a quasi-periodic fluctuation in misorientation that may have arisen from local perturbations on the planar solid interface as solidification progressed. Homogenisation prior to artificial ageing is severely compromised by the undesirable segregation pattern.     

Multistep induction heating regimes for thixoforming 7075 aluminium alloy

Abstract

Thixoforming involves processing alloys with a spheroidal microstructure in the semisolid state. Commercially it is applied to conventional casting alloys, and one of the scientific challenges is to extend its application to high performance aluminium alloys such as 7075. Aluminium alloy 7075 is readily available in extruded form, and one route to a spheroidal microstructure is to reheat extruded material into the semisolid state to obtain recrystallisation, with the liquid penetrating the recrystallised boundaries. Here this route has been followed, but it has been found that the presence of pinning particles in the microstructure inhibits recrystallisation. To overcome this, a multistep induction heating regime has been developed consisting of a 1 min hold at 475-500 °C, a 1 min hold at 575-600 °C and a shorter 20 s hold for the final step at 620 °C.     

Influence of heat treatment and cutting speed on chip segmentation of age hardenable aluminium alloy

Abstract

A change in chip shape has been observed as a function of age hardening and cutting speed during high speed milling of the aluminium alloy 7075. In order to study this effect systematically, the aluminium alloy was heat treated to produce different precipitation states and machined under carefully controlled conditions at cutting speeds between 1000 and 7000 m min^-1. The underaged state shows local shearing producing segmented chips. The degree of segmentation increases with cutting speed. In contrast, the overaged state shows continuous chips up to the highest cutting speeds. The chips obtained with the peak aged state show a fluctuation between segmented and continuous parts. These results can be understood in terms of the differing work softening/hardening behaviour of the under- and overaged states owing to the specific interactions between dislocations and precipitates during chip formation.     

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of back-extruded Al 7075 alloy in the semi-solid state

The thixoforming process is a new method for manufacturing complicated and net shape components through which high strength materials can be formed more easily. In this study 7075 Al alloy which has low extrudability has been thixoformed by backward extrusion process. The recrystallisation and partial melting (RAP) route was used to obtain the semi-solid feedstocks for thixoforming. Microstructural evolution during partial remelting was studied at temperatures for times. Results showed that a fine and globular microstructure can be obtained by the RAP route. The results showed that high semisolid isothermal temperature would increase the liquid volume fraction and accelerate the spherical processing of the solid particles. Furthermore at long holding time, the globular grains coarsened slightly and the average grains size are increased. The experimental results showed that when the semisolid billet is hold at 580°C with the holding time, less than 30 min, the microstructure of the billet is composed of spherical grains and remnant liquids, the average grain size are smaller than 100 μm. So the remelted billet is suitable for thixoforming. In this paper, a back-extruding of 7075 Al alloy with a high solid fraction in the semi-solid state at 580°C for 10 min was performed. Mechanical properties of thixoformed components at room temperature were examined. Tempering treatment T6 has been applied after thixoforming to investigate the effects of heat treatment on mechanical properties of thixoformed parts. The tensile properties and low hardness values in the as-thixoformed 7075 Al alloy were improved by subsequent heat treatment. Post-forming heat treatment is one of the key parameters for improving the mechanical properties of thixoformed parts.     

Deformation behavior of semi-solid A356 Al–Si alloy at low shear rates: Effect of fraction solid

Conventional casting was employed to produce semi-solid metal, SSM, billets of A356 Al–Si alloy. The rheological behavior of the as-cast SSM billets was studied using the parallel plate compression viscometry. The compression tests were carried out at different applied pressures, billet temperatures and fractions solid. The rheological studies were conducted assuming the SSM slurry behaving as Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluid. The calculated viscosity numbers confirmed the pseudoplastic behavior of the SSM billets and were correlated to fraction solid and shear rate, through an empirical equation, to highlight the effect of metallurgical and process parameters on the viscosity of the SSM A356 alloy.

This equation is valid at very low shear rates, less than 0.01 s⁻¹.     

铝合金激光表面强化的研究进展

综述了铝合金表面激光强化的工艺方法和特点,阐述了铝合金激光表面强化层的组织特征、硬度变化及其耐磨、耐蚀性能,总结了国内外在此研究领域的最新进展．     

Fracture mechanisms of aluminium alloy AA7075-T651 under various loading conditions

The fracture behaviour of the aluminium alloy AA7075-T651 is investigated for quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions and different stress states. The fracture surfaces obtained in tensile tests on smooth and notched axisymmetric specimens and compression tests on cylindrical specimens are compared to the fracture surfaces that occur when a projectile, having either a blunt or an ogival nose shape, strikes a 20 mm thick plate of the aluminium alloy. The stress state in the impact tests is much more complex and the strain rate significantly higher than in the tensile and compression tests. Optical and scanning electron microscopes are used in the investigation. The fracture surface obtained in tests with smooth axisymmetric specimens indicates that the crack growth is partly intergranular along the grain boundaries or precipitation free zones and partly transgranular by void formation around fine and coarse intermetallic particles. When the stress triaxiality is increased through the introduction of a notch in the tensile specimen, delamination along the grain boundaries in the rolling plane is observed perpendicular to the primary crack. In through-thickness compression tests, the crack propagates within an intense shear band that has orientation about 45° with respect to the load axis. The primary failure modes of the target plate during impact were adiabatic shear banding when struck by a blunt projectile and ductile hole-enlargement when struck by an ogival projectile. Delamination and fragmentation of the plates occurred for both loading cases, but was stronger for the ogival projectile. The delamination in the rolling plane was attributed to intergranular fracture caused by tensile stresses occurring during the penetration event.     

Damage and fracture mechanism of aluminium alloy thick-walled cylinder under external explosive loading

The damage and failure mechanism of aluminium alloy were investigated by means of the radial collapse of a thick-walled cylinder under high-strain-rate deformation. Adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) initiated at the inner surface of the aluminium alloy cylinder, and most of them were in spiral form along the cross-section of the cylinder towards counterclockwise direction. Tip of a shear band propagated along the direction of the maximum shear stress. The propagating trajectory of small shear band rather than developed shear band could be affected by grain boundary. The morphologies of ASBs such as bifurcation, crossing and annihilation were observed, and the evolution of ASBs was affected to a great extent by stress state. The nucleation of microcrack was mostly observed at the weak microstructure in ASBs. The coalescence of microcracks formed the crack within ASBs, and when the critical crack length is reached catastrophic fracture occurs.     

The influence of aluminium alloy anisotropic texture on crack-tip plasticity

Crack‐tip plasticity in textured aluminium alloys was numerically analysed using an anisotropic yield function and an isotropic hardening law as the material constitutive response. Four real textures obtained from extrusions of rectangular and square shapes as well as five ideal textures typical of rolled products were considered and predicted crack‐tip plastic zones were compared with those obtained using the isotropic von Mises yield criterion. The use of the anisotropic yield function revealed important differences in crack‐tip plasticity compared with the isotropic case. The plastic zone features obtained for different textures were compared to single crystal results published in the open literature and similar crack‐tip plastic strain localization was observed.     

The stress–life fatigue behaviour of aluminium alloy foams

The tension–tension and compression–compression nominal stress versus fatigue life responses of Alulight closed cell aluminium alloy foams have been measured for the compositions Al–1Mg–0.6Si and Al–1Mg–10Si (wt %), and for relative densities in the range 0.1–0.4. The fatigue strength of each foam increases with the relative density and with the mean applied stress, and is greater for the transverse orientation than for the longitudinal orientation. Under both tension–tension and compression–compression loading the dominant cyclic deformation mode appears to be material ratchetting; consequently, the fatigue life is highly sensitive to the magnitude of the applied stress. A micromechanical model is given to predict the dependence of life upon stress level and relative density. Panels containing a central hole were found to be notch insensitive for both tension–tension and compression–compression fatigue loading: the net-section strength equals the unnotched strength.     

A study of fatigue crack growth of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy

Both standard and non-standard compact specimens were employed to experimentally study the crack growth behavior of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy in ambient air. The effects of the stress ratio (R), overloading, underloading, and high–low sequence loading on fatigue crack growth rate were investigated. Significant R-ratio effect was identified. At the same R-ratio, the influence of specimen geometry on the relationship between crack growth rate and stress intensity factor range was insignificant. A single overload retarded the crack growth rate significantly. A slight acceleration of crack growth rate was identified after a single underload. The crack growth rate resumed after the crack propagated out of the influencing plastic zone created by the overload or underload. A parameter combining the stress intensity factor range and the maximum stress intensity factor can correlate the crack growth at different stress ratios well when the R-ratio ranged from −2 to 0.5. The parameter multiplied by a correction factor can be used to predict the crack growth with the influence of the R-ratio, overloading, underloading, and high–low sequence loading. Wheeler’s model cannot describe the variation of fatigue crack growth with the crack length being in the overload influencing zone. A modified Wheeler’s model based on the evolution of the remaining affected plastic zone was found to predict well the influence of the overload and sequence loading on the crack growth.     

Quantitative assessment of preferential fatigue initiation sites in a multi‐phase aluminium alloy

Complex multi‐phase Al–Sn–Si alloys are commonly employed in the manufacture of small automotive plain bearings. The fundamental fatigue initiation behaviour of this class of alloys is currently not well understood. A range of analytical techniques were applied to investigate preferential initiation site location and to attempt to identify critical microstructural features. It was apparent from experimental studies that points of fatigue crack initiation are associated with the Si secondary phase. Using tessellation approaches and subsequently both adaptive numerical modelling and micro‐scale finite element modelling allowed the identification of features affecting the probability that a given Si phase would initiate a fatigue crack.     

On the mixed Mode II/III fatigue threshold behaviour for aluminium alloys 2014‐T6 and 7075‐T6

This paper describes an investigation into the fatigue threshold behaviour of two structural aluminium aerospace alloys, Al 2014‐T6 and Al 7075‐T6, when subjected to Mode II, Mode III and mixed Mode II/III loading. A unique four‐point shear loading test rig was employed to cyclically load sharply edge‐notched square bar specimens using an increasing load technique. The main aim of the work has been to generate Mode II–Mode III interaction diagrams for the fatigue threshold in each case, in order to facilitate improved design procedures for components fabricated from these alloys, which are susceptible to fatigue cracking under predominantly shear type loading. Aircraft are subjected to structural loads consisting of: pressurization, tension/compression, bending, shear and torsion, both on the ground and in flight. Representative fatigue fracture surfaces have been examined using scanning electron microscopy.     

Effect of hydrogen in aluminium and aluminium alloys: A review

Susceptibility of aluminium and its alloys towards hydrogen embrittlement has been well established. Still a lot of confusion exists on the question of transport of hydrogen and its possible role in stress corrosion cracking. This paper reviews some of the fundamental properties of hydrogen in aluminium and its alloys and its effect on mechanical properties. The importance of hydrogen embrittlement over anodic dissolution to explain the stress corrosion cracking mechanism of these alloys is also examined in considerable detail. The various experimental findings concerning the link between hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking are also discussed.     

Effect of orientation on self-organization of shear bands in 7075 aluminum alloy

The spatial distribution of shear bands was investigated in the rolled 7075 aluminum alloy through the thick-walled cylinder (TWC) technique with 0°, 90° and 45° angles between the aluminum alloy cylinder axial direction and the rolling direction. Self-organization of multiple adiabatic shear bands was observed in different orientation specimens and investigated by using Schmid factor theories. The experimental results indicated obvious differences in the morphology and self-organization of shear bands for the specimens. At the initial stage, the spacing of the shear bands in the 0° specimen is smaller than in the other specimens. The nucleation of the shear bands in the 90° specimen is early. Due to the shielding effect, fast-developed shear bands block the development of the neighboring smaller shear bands in the 90° specimen. The spacing of the shear bands in the 45° specimen is much larger than in the other specimens under the similar effective strain. At the late stage, a large number of shear bands nucleate in the 0° specimen, and the spacing of the shear bands is small. The shear bands in the 90° specimen are well-developed with obvious shielding effect and the largest spacing. The 45° specimen has the maximum average nucleation rate of the shear bands. Owing to the close Schmid factors of the slip systems of the 45° specimen, the spacing of the shear bands in the 45° specimen is still larger than in the 0° specimen.     

Subzero tensile properties of 7010 aluminium alloy and Ti-6A1-4V and IMI550 titanium alloys in sheet form

Tensile properties are reported for Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.7Cu-0.12Zr (7010), Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-4Al-4Mo-2Sn-0.5Si (IMI550) alloy sheet, 1.7 mm thick tested at 293, 223, 173 and 77 K. The strength of these alloys increased and the reduction of area decreased with decreasing test temperature. The Young's Modulus (E), 0.1% proof stress (σ_0.1) and true tensile strength ($\text{σ}{}_{\mathrm{TS}}$) were related to temperature T in degrees absolute (in the range 293-173 K for E and 293-77 K for σ_0.1 and $\text{σ}$_TS) by     

Self-organization behaviors of shear bands in 7075 T73 and annealed aluminum alloy

The self-organization behaviors of multiple adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) in the 7075 T73 aluminum alloy were investigated by means of the thick-walled cylinder (TWC) technique. Shear bands first nucleate at the inner boundary of the aluminum alloy tube and propagate along the maximum shear stress direction in the spiral trajectory. On the cross section of the specimen, shear bands distribute either in the clockwise or the anticlockwise direction. The number of ASBs in the clockwise direction is roughly twice that in the anticlockwise direction. However, the 7075 annealed alloy does not generate any shear band under the same experimental conditions.Numerical simulation with coupled thermo-mechanical analysis was carried out to investigate the evolution mechanism of adiabatic shear bands. Both uniform and non-uniform finite element models were created. The simulation results of the non-uniform model are in better agreement with those of the experiment. In the non-uniform case, the spacing between ASBs is larger than that of the uniform model, and most of the ASBs prefer to propagate in the clockwise direction. For the first time, two types of particles (second phase), hard particles and soft particles, are separately introduced into the metal matrix in the non-uniform model to simulate their effects on the self-organization of ASBs. The soft particles reduce the time required for ASBs nucleation. Stress collapse first occurs at the region where the soft particles are located and most of the ASBs pass through these soft particles. However, ASBs propagate along the paths that are adjacent to the hard particles instead of passing through them. As experimental observations, there is no shear band nucleating in the annealed alloy in simulation. Under the same conditions, the energy barrier for the formation of ASBs in the annealed aluminum alloy is about 2.5 times larger than that in the T73 alloy, which means that the adiabatic shearing is less likely to nucleate in the annealed alloy. This is consistent with the experimental and numerical simulation results.