Enhanced prediction of anisotropic deformation behavior using machine learning with data augmentation

Mg alloys possess an inherent plastic anisotropy owing to the selective activation of deformation mechanisms depending on the loading condition.This characteristic results in a diverse range of flow curves that vary with a deformation condition.This study proposes a novel approach for accurately predicting an anisotropic deformation behavior of wrought Mg alloys using machine learning(ML)with data augmentation.The developed model combines four key strategies from data science:learning the entire flow curves,generative adversarial networks(GAN),algorithm-driven hyperparameter tuning,and gated recurrent unit(GRU)architecture.The proposed model,namely GAN-aided GRU,was extensively evaluated for various predictive scenarios,such as interpolation,extrapolation,and a limited dataset size.The model exhibited significant predictability and improved generalizability for estimating the anisotropic compressive behavior of ZK60 Mg alloys under 11 annealing conditions and for three loading directions.The GAN-aided GRU results were superior to those of previous ML models and constitutive equations.The superior performance was attributed to hyperparameter optimization,GAN-based data augmentation,and the inherent predictivity of the GRU for extrapolation.As a first attempt to employ ML techniques other than artificial neural networks,this study proposes a novel perspective on predicting the anisotropic deformation behaviors of wrought Mg alloys.

Effect of heat treatment on LPSO morphology and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y-Gd alloys

The mechanical properties and microstructure were investigated under different Zn content and heat treatment conditions in a Mg-Zn-YGd cast alloy.A part of the long period stacking order(LPSO)phases transformed to W-M^ZnaRE?phases with an increase in Zn content from 0.9 at.%to 1.8 at.%,and the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)increased from 229 MPa to 248 MPa.With solution treatment at 480°C,the content of the LPSO phase and strength sharply decreased in the Mg-1.8Zn-0.8Y-0.8Gd alloy,whereas this change was not significantly observed in the Mg-0.9Zn-O.8Y-O.8Gd alloy.After solution treatment,the elongation significantly improved and the UTS sharply decreased in both alloys.The lamellar and filminess LPSO phases were observed with aging treatment at 200℃.Moreover,the strengthening efficiency of lamellar and filminess LPSO phases was lower than that of the block LPSO phases.Therefore,the UTS of the T6 state was lower than that of the as-cast alloy.

Tailoring strength-ductility balance of caliber-rolled AZ31 Mg alloy through subsequent annealing

Recently,multi-pass caliber rolling has been shown to be effective for Mg alloys.This study investigated the effect of subsequent annealing on the mechanical properties of a caliber-rolled AZ31 Mg alloy to modulate the strength-ductility relationship.This annealing gave rise to different trends in mechanical properties depending on the temperature regime.Low-temperature annealing(T≤473 K)exhibited a typical trade-off relationship,where an increase in annealing temperature resulted in increased ductility but decreased strength and hardness.Such a heat treatment did not degrade the high strength-ductility balance of the caliber-rolled alloy,suggesting that the mechanical properties could be tailored for different potential applications.In contrast,high-temperature annealing(T>473 K)caused a simultaneous deterioration in strength,hardness,and ductility with increasing annealing temperature.These differences are discussed in terms of the varying microstructural features under the different investigated annealing regimes.

Improved tensile properties of AZ31 Mg alloy subjected to various caliber-rolling strains

A multi-pass caliber rolling has attracted attentions as an alternative to severe plastic deformation processes.The present study enhanced strength and ductility of AZ31 Mg alloy simultaneously through the application of caliber rolling.The improving trends in tensile properties were interpreted with various caliber-rolling strains.The oval/circular-shaped calibers imposed a high plastic strain at the center of crosssection,leading to effective grain refinement to submicron scale.This work also confirmed the texture randomizing effect of caliber rolling.Such microstructural evolutions gave rise to the fabrication of high-strength material.Moreover,the caliber-rolled AZ31 Mg alloys exhibited an improvement in ductility as compared to the as-received sheet-rolled material.This was discussed in terms of activation of non-basal slip systems and suppression of mechanical twinning.This study successfully proved the possibility of caliber rolling to produce a bulk Mg rod with enhanced tensile properties.

Improvement in tensile strength of extruded Mg-5Bi alloy through addition of Sn and its underlying strengthening mechanisms

Through an investigation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of extruded Mg–5Bi–x Sn(BT5x, x = 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt%) alloys,this study demonstrates that the addition of Sn to an Mg–5Bi binary alloy significantly improves the tensile strength of the extruded alloy.All the extruded alloys exhibit a typical basal fiber texture and a partially dynamically recrystallized(DRXed) microstructure consisting of fine DRXed grains and coarse un DRXed grains. As the Sn content increases from 0 wt% to 6 wt%, the average size of the DRXed grains decreases from 4.2 to 2.8 μm owing to the increase in the amount of precipitates via their grain-boundary pinning effect. The extruded B5 and BT52 alloys contain numerous Mg_(3)Bi_(2) precipitates, but their size and number density are smaller and higher, respectively, in the latter alloy.Numerous Mg_(2)Sn precipitates as well as Mg_(3)Bi_(2)precipitates are present in the extruded BT54 and BT56 alloys, and the number density of the Mg_(2)Sn precipitates is higher in the latter alloy because of its higher Sn content. The addition of 2 wt% Sn to the B5 alloy significantly improves the yield strength(YS) and ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of the extruded alloy—by 76 and 57 MPa, respectively. This drastic improvement is the combined outcome of enhanced grain-boundary hardening, precipitation hardening, and solid-solution hardening effects induced by the refined DRXed grains, numerous precipitates, and Sn solute atoms, respectively. The further addition of 2 wt% or 4 wt% Sn to the BT52 alloy leads to moderate increments in the YS and UTS of the extruded alloy. Specifically, each addition of 2 wt% Sn increases the YS and UTS by ~26 and ~20 MPa, respectively, which is attributed mainly to the additional precipitation hardening effect induced by the Mg_(2)Sn precipitates.

Origin of superior low-cycle fatigue resistance of an interstitial metastable high-entropy alloy

In this study, the deformation behaviors and related microstructural evolutions were investigated in either monotonic or cyclic deformation modes in an interstitial metastable high-entropy alloy. These investigations aimed to reveal the mechanisms underlying the superior low-cycle fatigue(LCF) life of this alloy.A thermomechanical process was applied to induce fine-grained(FG) and coarse-grained(CG) microstructures in Fe–30Mn–10Co–10Cr–0.4C(atomic percentage) alloy. Their superior combination of strength and ductility was attributed to the appearance of deformation-induced ε-martensite and the presence of carbon. The CG alloy showed a greater volume fraction of ε-martensite than the FG alloy in the monotonic deformation mode, and vice versa in the cyclic mode. Such a disparity was interpreted in light of the back-stress effect of the relaxed γ-grain boundaries in the latter mode. Meanwhile, the γ-to-ε phase transformation under cyclic loading at low strain amplitudes(0.4%) barely led to an improved fatigue life as compared with that at higher strain amplitudes(≥ 0.55%). The high reversibility of partial dislocation motions under cyclic loading and delaying the formation of dislocation cells through the martensitic transformation could explain why the alloys investigated in this study exhibited a superior LCF life compared with high-entropy alloys reported in previous studies.