Hot deformation and processing maps of extruded ZE41A magnesium alloy

The hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of extruded ZE41A magnesium alloy has been studied using the processing map. The compression tests were conducted in the temperature range of 250–450 °C and the strain rate range of 0.001–1.0 s⁻¹ to establish the processing map. The dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and instability zones were identified and validated through micrographs. The observations were performed in order to describe the behavior of the material under hot forming operation in terms of material damage and micro-structural modification.     

Hot deformation characterization of as-homogenized Al-Cu-Li X2A66 alloy through processing maps and microstructural evolution

Uniaxial compression tests were carried out on an Al-Cu-Li alloy at a temperature range of 300–500 °C and a strain rate range of 0.001–10 s⁻¹. Four representative instability maps based on Gegel, Alexander-Malas (A-M), Kumar-Prasad (K-P) and Murty-Rao (M-R) criteria were constructed. Through formula deduction and microstructural observation, it can be concluded that M-R criterion is more accurate than K-P criterion, and the first two criteria are better than Gegel and A-M criteria. From a power dissipation map and a M-R instability map, the optimized processing parameters are 480–500 °C/0.001–0.1 s⁻¹ and 420–480 °C/0.1-1 s⁻¹. The corresponding microstructural analysis shows that dynamic recovery and partial dynamic recrystallization are main dynamic softening mechanisms. Transmission electron microscopy observation indicated that a large number of primary coarse T₁ (Al₂CuLi) particles precipitated in the homogenized specimen. After deformation at 500 °C, most of the primary T₁ particles dissolved back into the matrix, and secondary fine T₁ particles precipitated at deformation-induced dislocations, high angle grain boundaries and other dispersed particles.     

Research on the hot deformation behavior of Ti40 alloy using processing map

The deformation behavior of a Ti40 titanium alloy was investigated with compression tests at different temperatures and strain rates to evaluate the activation energy and to establish the constitutive equation, which reveals the dependence of the flow stress on strain, strain rate and deformation temperature. The tests were carried out in the temperature range between 900 and 1100 °C and at strain rates between 0.01 and 10 s⁻¹. Hot deformation activation energy of the Ti40 alloy was calculated to be about 372.96 kJ/mol. In order to demonstrate the workability of Ti40 alloy further, the processing maps at strain of 0.5 and 0.6 were generated respectively based on the dynamic materials model. It is found that the dynamic recrystallization of Ti40 alloy occurs at the temperatures of 1050-1100 °C and strain rates of 0.01-0.1 s⁻¹, with peak efficiency of power dissipation of 64% occurring at about 1050 °C and 0.01 s⁻¹, indicating that this domain is optimum processing window for hot working. Flow instability domains were noticed at higher stain rate (≥1 s⁻¹) and stain (≥0.6), which located at the upper part of the processing maps. The evidence of deformation in these domains has been identified by the microstructure observations of Ti40 titanium alloy.     

Hot deformation and processing maps of X-750 nickel-based superalloy

The deformation behavior of X-750 superalloy was investigated using the hot compression test in the temperature range of 850–1050 °C, and strain rate of 0.1–50 s⁻¹. The experimental results show that the flow stress of superalloy is significantly sensitive to the strain, the strain rate and the deformation temperature. Using dynamic materials model the processing maps of X-750 superalloy at strain of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 were established respectively. Microstructure observations reveal that the grain size as well as the volume fraction of the recrystallized grains increased at higher deformation temperature or lower strain rate. At strain of 0.5, the flow instability domain mainly located at lower temperature which is associated with shear band formation and flow localization. The optimum parameters for hot working of the alloy are deformation temperature of 1000–1050 °C and strain rate of 0.1–1 s⁻¹ according to the processing map and microstructure at true strain of 0.5.     

Hot deformation behavior of an extruded Mg-Li-Zn-RE alloy

A new Mg-7.8%Li-4.6%Zn-0.96%Ce-0.85%Y-0.30%Zr alloy has been developed. α phase, β phase and RE-containing intermetallics formed in the alloy. It is found that the alloy can easily be extruded at 260 °C with σ_0.2 = 256 MPa, σ_b = 260 MPa and δ = 14%. Hot deformation behavior of the extruded alloy was studied using the processing map technique. Compression tests were conducted in the temperature range of 250-450 °C and strain rate range of 0.001-10 s⁻¹ and the flow stress data obtained from the tests were used to develop the processing map. The different efficiency domains and flow instability region corresponding to various microstructural characteristics have been identified as follows: (1) Domain I occurs in the temperature range of 250-275 °C and strain rate range of 1-10 s⁻¹, with a peak efficiency of about 50% at 250 °C/10 s⁻¹. Incomplete DRX process has occurred in β phase and DRX process hardly occurs in α phase; (2) Domain II occurs in the temperature range of 250-275 ?C and strain rate range of 0.001-0.003 s⁻¹, with a peak efficiency of about 42% at 250 °C/0.001 s ⁻¹. Incomplete DRX process has occurred in β phase and α phase; (3) Domain III occurs in the temperature range of 400-450 °C and strain rate range of 1-10 s⁻¹, with a peak efficiency of about 42% at 450 °C/10 s⁻¹. Complete DRX process has occurred in β phase and α phase. No cracking, cavity and band of flow localization are observed in flow instability region. The optimum parameters for hot working of the alloy are 250 °C/10 s⁻¹ and 250 °C/0.001 s⁻¹, at which fine dynamic recrystallization microstructure will be achieved. RE-containing intermetallics and α phase accelerate the DRX process in β phase. The softer β phase reduces the driving force for DRX process in α phase, so DRX process in α phase is retarded.     

Hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of twin-roll-cast Mg–2.9Al–0.9Zn alloy: A study with processing map

The hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of twin-roll-cast of Mg–2.9Al–0.9Zn–0.4Mn (AZ31) alloy has been studied using the processing map. The tensile tests were conducted in the temperature range of 150–400 °C and the strain rate range of 0.0004–4 s⁻¹ to establish the processing map. The different efficiency domains and flow instability region corresponding to various microstructural characteristics have been identified as follows: (i) the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) domain in the range of 200–280 °C/≤0.004 s⁻¹ with fine grains which provides a potential for warm deformation such as deep drawing; (ii) the discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) domain around 400 °C at high strain rate (0.4 s⁻¹ and above) with excellent elongation which can be utilized for forging, extrusion and rolling; (iii) the grain boundary sliding (GBS) domain at slow strain rate (below 0.004 s⁻¹) above 350 °C appears abundant of cavities, which result in fracture and reduce the ductility of the adopted material; and (iv) the flow instability region which locates at the upper left of the processing map shows the metallographic feature of flow localization.     

The effect of heterogeneous deformation on the hot deformation of WE54 magnesium alloy

The high temperature forming behavior of WE54 magnesium alloy is studied by means of compression and tension tests. Metallographic investigation was performed to evaluate the heterogeneous deformation of the compression samples at high temperature. Dynamic recrystallization was found to be related to the amount of deformation in the various regions of the compression sample. The compression data allowed determination of the Garofalo equation describing the hot deformation behavior. The parameters n and Q, stress exponent and activation energy, of this equation were 4.4 and 237 kJ/mol respectively. This equation was used to predict the formability behavior for the hot rolling process and also to determine the maximum forming efficiency and stability of the alloy. The optimum rolling temperature was found to be 520 °C.     

Hot deformation characteristics and hot working window of as-cast large-tonnage GH3535 superalloy ingot

Deformation characteristics and range of optimized hot working parameters of a 6.5 tons GH3535 superalloy ingot with an average columnar grain size of over 1?mm in diameter were investigated. Axial compression experiments were performed in temperature range of 900–1240?°C and strain rate range of 0.001–30?s^?1 at a total strain of 0.8. The hot deformation activation energy of the experimental GH3535 alloy is calculated to be 483.22?kJ/mol. Furthermore, the deformation constitutive equation is established by the peak stresses obtained from the stress-strain curves under various conditions. The hot working window of the alloy ingot at a strain of 0.8 can be preliminarily discussed based on the deformed microstructures and processing maps. The optimized hot working window was thus determined at the strain of 0.95 for 6.5 tons GH3535 alloy ingot by the supplementary compression tests. A large-size GH3535 superalloy ring with a dimension of Φ3010?mm?×?410?mm was ultimately manufactured.     

Grain refinement and orientation of AZ31B magnesium alloy in hot flow forming under different thickness reductions

An analysis of the hot flow forming of Mg-3.0Al-1.0Zn-0.3Mn (AZ31B) alloy was conducted by experiments and numerical simulations. The effects of different thickness reductions on the microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated at a temperature of 693 K, a spindle speed of 800 rev/min and a feed ratio of 0.1 mm/rev. Thickness reductions have great influence on the uniformity of microstructure along the radial direction (RD) and the grain sizes become refined and uniform when the thickness reduction reaches 45%. The c-axes of most grains are approximately parallel to the RD, with a slight inclination towards the axial direction (AD). The best mechanical properties with UTS of 280 MPa and YS of 175 MPa near the outer surface while 266 MPa and 153 MPa near the inner surface have been achieved due to grain refinement and texture. Moreover, the material flow behavior and stress/strain distributions for single-pass reductions were studied using the ABAQUS/Explicit software. The calculated results indicate that the materials mainly suffer from triaxial compressive stresses and undergo compressive plastic strain in RD and tensile strains in other directions. The higher stress and strain rate near the outer surface lead to more refined grains than that of other regions along the RD, whereas the orientation of the maximum principal compressive stress leads to a discrepancy of the grain orientations in RD.     

Hot deformation behavior and processing map development of AZ110 alloy with and without addition of La-rich Mish Metal

In order to compare the workability of AZ110 alloy with and without addition of La-rich Mish Metal(MM), hot compression tests were performed on a Gleeble-3500 D thermo-mechanical simulator at the deformation temperature range of 473-623 K and strain rate range of 0.001-1 s-1. The flow stress, constitutive relation, DRX kinetic model, processing map and microstructure characterization of the alloys were investigated. The results show that the flow stress is very sensitive to deformation temperature and strain rate, and the peak stress of AZ110 LC(LC = La-rich MM) alloy is higher than that of AZ110 alloy.The hot deformation behavior of the alloys can be accurately predicted by the constitutive relations. The derived constitutive equations show that the calculated activation energy Q and stress exponent n for AZ110 alloy are higher than the calculated values of AZ110 LC alloy. The analysis of DRX kinetic models show that the development of DRX in AZ110 LC alloy is earlier than AZ110 alloy at the same deformation condition. The processing maps show that the workability of AZ110 LC alloy is significantly more excellent than AZ110 alloy and the microstructures are in good agreement with the calculated results.The AZ110 LC alloys can obtain complete DRX microstructure at high strain rate due to its higher stored energy and weak basal texture.     

Constitutive modeling and prediction of hot deformation flow stress under dynamic recrystallization conditions

Simple modeling approaches based on the Hollomon equation, the Johnson–Cook equation, and the Arrhenius constitutive equation with strain-dependent material’s constants were used for modeling and prediction of flow stress for the single-peak dynamic recrystallization (DRX) flow curves of a stainless steel alloy. It was shown that the representation of a master normalized stress–normalized strain flow curve by simple constitutive analysis is successful in modeling of high temperature flow curves, in which the coupled effect of temperature and strain rate in the form of the Zener–Hollomon parameter is considered through incorporation of the peak stress and the peak strain into the formula. Moreover, the Johnson–Cook equation failed to appropriately predict the hot flow stress, which was ascribed to its inability in representation of both strain hardening and work softening stages and also to its completely uncoupled nature, i.e. dealing separately with the strain, strain rate, and temperature effects. It was also shown that the change in the microstructure of the material at a given strain for different deformation conditions during high-temperature deformation is responsible for the failure of the conventional strain compensation approach that is based on the Arrhenius equation. Subsequently, a simplified approach was proposed, in which by correct implementation of the hyperbolic sine law, significantly better consistency with the experiments were obtained. Moreover, good prediction abilities were achieved by implementation of a proposed physically-based approach for strain compensation, which accounts for the dependence of Young’s modulus and the self-diffusion coefficient on temperature and sets the theoretical values in Garofalo’s type constitutive equation based on the operating deformation mechanism. It was concluded that for flow stress modeling by the strain compensation techniques, the deformation activation energy should not be considered as a function of strain.     

Recrystallization mechanism of as-cast AZ91 magnesium alloy during hot compressive deformation

Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior of as-cast AZ91 magnesium alloy during hot compression at 300 °C and the strain rate of 0.2 s⁻¹ was systematically investigated by electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) analysis. Twin DRX and continuous DRX (CDRX) are observed in grains and near grain boundaries, respectively. Original coarse grains are firstly divided by primary {} tensile twins and {} compression twins, and then {}–{} double twins are rapidly propagated within these primary compression twins with increasing compressive strain. Some twin-walled grains are formed by the mutual crossing of twins or by the formation of the {}–{} double twins and furthermore, subgrains divided by low-grain boundaries in the double twins are also formed. Finally, DRXed grains are formed by the in situ evolution of the subgrains with the growth of low-angle boundaries to high-angle grain boundaries in twins. CDRX around the eutectic Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phases at grain boundaries occurs together with the precipitation of discontinuous Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phase and the fragmentation of the precipitates during compression. The discontinuous fragmented precipitates distribute at the newly formed CDRXed grain boundaries and have remarkable pinning effect on the CDRXed grain growth, resulting in the average grain size of about 1.5 μm.     

Deformation band and texture of a cast Mg-RE alloy under uniaxial hot compression

Microstructural evolution and texture of a cast Mg-9Gd-4Y-0.6Zr ingot under hot compression were studied in this paper. Post-deforming microstructures were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, while crystallographic orientation information was obtained from X-Ray macro-texture measurement and EBSD micro-texture analysis. Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) initiated from the deformation bands (DB) forming on original grain boundaries; the DB became widen with continuously conversion of low-angle-boundary grains into high-angle-boundary grains. The tendency of strain localization increased with Z parameter. The macro-texture analysis indicates that uniaxial compression yielded out the randomized basal texture component. This texture component was found to be strengthened with increasing Z parameter. The micro-texture analysis shows that the deviation from the ideal basal texture arose from orientated growth within DBs. Moreover, the localization deformation promoted dynamic precipitation within DBs, which inhibited the development of DRX.     

Hot deformation behavior and workability characteristics of bimodal size SiCp/AZ91 magnesium matrix composite with processing map

The hot deformation behavior of (0.2 um 1.5 vol.% + 10 um8.5 vol.%) bimodal size SiCp/AZ91 magnesium matrix composite fabricated by stir casting was investigated at the temperature of 270–420 °C and strain rate of 0.001–1 S⁻¹. The flow stress at the strain of 0.5 was used for kinetic analysis. Results indicate that dislocation climb is likely to be the main deformation mechanism responsible for the present composite. By evaluating the efficiencies of power dissipation and instability parameters, the processing maps are developed to optimize the hot working processing. Two domains of dynamic recrystallization are found in the processing map. One exists at the temperature of 270–370 °C and strain rate of 0.001–0.01 s⁻¹ with maximum dissipation efficiency of 38%; the other exists at 420 °C and 0.01 s⁻¹ with peak dissipation efficiency of 24%. The instability region of flow behavior can also be recognized at the temperature of 270–320 °C and the strain rate of 0.1–1 s⁻¹. The characteristic microstructures predicted from the processing map agree well with the result of microstructure observations.     

Microstructure evolution of Mg–Al–Zn alloys during compression test at low strain and temperature

The microstructure evolutions and texture changes during the compression test were investigated using an extruded magnesium alloy with average grain sizes of 11.4 and 49.6 μm. The deformation twins were formed in all the samples; however, a comparison of the fraction of deformation twins on the effect of grain size and initial texture, i.e., the cutting position (normal or parallel to the extrusion), showed that the fine-grained alloy and/or the sample with the normal-cut to the extrusion had a lower fraction of deformation twins. On the other hand, the texture change showed different tendencies depending on the grain size and/or the initial texture. In the coarse-grained alloy, since the dominant deformation mechanism was the deformation twins, the lattice was rotated without relation to the initial texture. However, in the fine-grained alloy, even the applied strain of 0.20, the intensity peaks existed at 10-10 and the basal texture remained in the sample with the parallel- and normal-cut to the extrusion, respectively. This resulted from the difference in the fraction of deformation twins and the occurrence of partial grain boundary sliding.     

Interfacial microstructure evolution and bonding mechanisms of 14YWT alloys produced by hot compression bonding

Hot compression bonding was first used to join oxide-dispersion-strengthened ferrite steels (14YWT) under temperatures of 750–1100°C with a true strain range of 0.11–0.51. Subsequently, the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the joints were characterized, revealing that the 14YWT steels could be successfully bonded at a temperature of at least 950 °C with a true strain of 0.22, without degrading the fine grain and nanoparticle distribution, and the presence of inclusions or micro-voids along the bonding interface. Moreover, the joints had nearly the same tensile properties at room temperature and exhibited a similar fracture morphology with sufficient dimples compared to that of the base material. An electron backscattered diffraction technique and transmission electron microscopy were systematically employed to study the evolution of hot deformed microstructures. The results showed that continuous dynamic recrystallization characterized by progressive subgrain rotation occurred in this alloy, but discontinuous dynamic recrystallization characterized by strain-induced grain boundary bulging and subsequent bridging sub-boundary rotation was the dominant nucleation mechanism. The nuclei will grow with ongoing deformation, which will contribute to the healing of the original bonding interface.     

Flow behavior and processing map for hot deformation of ATI425 titanium alloy

Flow behavior and processing map play important roles in the hot deformation process of titanium alloys. In this research, compression Gleeble tests have been carried out to investigate the stress–strain relationship at temperatures ranging from 700 to 1000℃ and strain rates ranging from 0.001 to 1 s~(-1) for ATI 425 titanium alloy. Arrhenius type constitutive equation was obtained to describe the compressive flow behavior with modification of additional deformation dead zone, friction model, temperature model and strain rate. The introduction of novel calculation method for value in Arrhenius equation gives more accurate fitting than traditional one. Processing maps were drawn based on the distribution of dissipator co-content, and optimized deformation temperature and strain rate range obtained. It is proven to be accurate and effective through the experimental results. The microstructure analysis shows that more dynamic recrystallization can be achieved in the area with larger value on the processing map.     

Study on hot workability and optimization of process parameters of a modified 310 austenitic stainless steel using processing maps

To investigate the optimized hot deformation parameters of a modified 310 austenitic stainless steel, the hot compression tests were performed using a Gleeble 3500 thermal simulator. The hot deformation behavior and hot workability characteristics were investigated in a temperature range of 800–1100 °C and a strain rate range of 0.1–10 s⁻¹. The hot processing maps of the tested steel were developed based on the dynamic material model (DMM), from which the safe deformation regions and instable deformation regions were determined. The corresponding microstructural and hardness evolutions during deformation were analyzed in detail. It was found that the deformation in the safe regions was beneficial to dynamic recovery (DRY) and dynamic recrystallization (DRX), while the deformation in unstable region would lead to flow instability, kink boundaries and grain growth. Near 950 °C, the energy dissipation rates were unusually lower, and the hardness of the deformed sample exhibited a significant increase, as a result of strain-induced precipitation. Coupled with the microstructure analysis and processing map technology, the workability map was schematically plotted and the optimal working conditions were determined. Such conditions were: temperatures in the range of 1075–1100 °C and strain rates in the range of 0.5–1.7 s⁻¹. These conditions are critical to attain an excellent homogeneous microstructure with fine grains after deformation for the modified 310 austenitic stainless steel.