Relationship between micro-porosity and tensile properties of 6063 alloy

The micro-porosity is usually present in the as-cast microstructure, which decreases the tensile strength and ductility and therefore limit the application of cast aluminum parts. Although much work has been done to investigate the effects of various casting parameters on the formation of porosity in various aluminum alloys, up to now, little information has been available for the relationship between micro-porosity and tensile properties of 6063 alloy. In this study, the influences of size and area fraction of micro=porosity on the tensile properties and fracture behavior of 6063 aluminum alloy were investigated by means of tensile testing, optical microscopy （OM）, and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The tensile tests were conducted in air at 100 ℃, 200 ℃ and 300 ℃, respectively. Results show that the large micro-porosity with sizes between 100 pm and 800μm located at the center and top of the ingot, while the small micro-porosity with size between 2 IJm and 60 μm distributed at the edge and bottom of the ingot. The area fraction of micro-porosity at the center of the ingot is much bigger than that at the edge of the ingot. When tested at 100 ℃, with the decrease in the area fraction of micro-porosity from the top of the ingot to the bottom of the ingot, the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and the elongation are increased from 82 to 99 MPa, 32 to 66 MPa and 7% to 11%, respectively. When the temperature is no more than 200 ℃, the strain hardening exponent decreases with an increase in the area fraction of micro-porosity; while the deviation disappears when the temperature reaches 300 ℃. The fracture mode of the alloy is greatly influenced by the size and area fraction of the micro-porosity.

Quantitative analysis of orange peel during tension of 6063 alloy spun tubes

Severe surface roughening during plastic deforming of aluminum alloy parts can produce ＂orange peel＂ defects. To analyze ＂orange peel＂ of 6063 aluminum alloy tube quantificationally, the tensile tests of trapezoidal specimens were carried out. The tubes with different grain sizes were obtained by spinning and subsequent annealing heat treatment. The macroscopical behavior of surface roughening was characterized by surface roughness Ra using a laser scanning confocal microscope. The corresponding microscopic behavior was reflected by microstructures of specimens and in-situ observation using electron back-scattered diffraction（EBSD）. The obtained results show that the surface roughness increased firstly with increasing strain and then decreased slightly. There was a critical strain for aluminum alloy tube, below which ＂orange peel＂ defect would not occur. For the tube with a mean grain size of 80, 105, 130 and 175 μm, the critical strains were 10.17%, 5.74%, 3.15% and 1.62%, respectively. Meanwhile, the surface roughening behavior was produced by serious inhomogeneous deformation between grains as strain increased, and was aggravated as the grain size increased due to the larger local deformation in larger grains.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of ceramic coatings formed on 6063 aluminium alloy by micro-arc oxidation

The microstructure and mechanical properties of ceramic coatings formed on 6063 aluminium alloy obtained in silicate-,borate- and aluminate-based electrolyte without and with nanoadditive Al2O3 and TiO2 by micro-arc oxidation（MAO） were studied by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy（EDS）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,microhardness and friction-abrasion tests,respectively.SEM results show that coatings with nanoadditive have less porosities than those without nanoadditive.XRD results reveal that nanoadditive-containing coatings contain more oxides compared with nanoadditive-free coatings in all cases,which are consistent with the EDS analysis.Mechanical properties tests show that nanoadditive Al2O3-containing coatings have higher microhardness values compared with the other coatings obtained in silicate-,borate- and aluminate-based electrolyte.On the other hand,nanoadditive has a positive effect on improving the wearing-resistance of MAO coatings in all cases.Furthermore,the borate-MAO coatings present an inferior anti-wearing property compared with the silicate- and aluminate-MAO coatings for both the nanoadditive-free and nanoadditive-containing coatings.

Time-temperature-property curves for quench sensitivity of 6063 aluminum alloy

The quench sensitivity of 6063 alloy was investigated via constructing time-temperature-property（TTP） curves by interrupted quenching technique and transmission electron microscopy（TEM） analysis.The results show that the quench sensitivity of 6063 alloy is lower than that of 6061 or 6082 alloy,and the critical temperature ranges from 300 to 410℃ with the nose temperature of about 360℃.From TEM analysis,heterogeneous precipitate β-Mg2Si is prior to nucleate on the（AlxFeySiz） dispersoids in the critical temperature range,and grows up most rapidly at the nose temperature of 360℃.The heterogeneous precipitation leads to a low concentration of solute,which consequently reduces the amount of the strengthening phase β＇＇ after aging.In the large-scale industrial production of 6063 alloy,the cooling rate during quenching should be enhanced as high as possible in the quenching sensitive temperature range（410-300℃） to suppress the heterogeneous precipitation to get optimal mechanical properties,and it should be slowed down properly from the solution temperature to 410℃ and below 300℃ to reduce the residual stress.

Constitutive equations for high temperature flow stress prediction of 6063 Al alloy considering compensation of strain

In order to develop the appropriate constitutive equation which can precisely model high temperature flow stress of 6063 Al alloy, a series of isothermal hot compression tests were performed at temperatures from 573 to 773 K and strain rates from 0.5 to 50 s?1 on a Gleeble?1500 thermo-simulation machine. Zener–Hollomon parameter in an exponent-type equation was used to describe the combined effects of temperature and strain rate on hot deformation behaviour of 6063 Al alloy, whereas the influence of strain was incorporated in the developed constitutive equation by considering material constants (α,n,Q andA) to be 4th order polynomial functions of strain. The results show that the developed constitutive equation can accurately predict high temperature flow stress of 6063 Al alloy, which demonstrates that it can be suitable for simulating hot deformation processes such as extrusion and forging, and for properly designing the deformation parameters in engineering practice.

Effects of current density on microstructure and properties of plasma electrolytic oxidation ceramic coatings formed on 6063 aluminum alloy

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) ceramic coatings were fabricated in a silicate-based electrolyte with the addition of potassium fluorozirconate (K2ZrF6) on 6063 aluminum alloy, and the effects of current density on microstructure and properties of the PEO coatings were studied. It was found that pore density of the coatings decreased with increasing the current density. The tribological and hardness tests suggested that the ceramic coating produced under the current density of 15 A/dm2showed the best mechanical property, which matched well with the phase analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization curves proved that the coating obtained under 15 A/dm2 displayed the best anti-corrosion property, which was directly connected with morphologies of coatings.

Corrosion Behavior of Extruded near Eutectic Al—Si—Mg and 6063 Alloys

In this work, a comparison study on corrosion behavior of extruded near eutectic Al-12.3%Si-0.26%Mg and 6063 alloys has been carried out by mass loss test in 4% H2SO4 aqueous solution in the open air and potentiodynamic polarization test in 3.5 wt.% NaCI aqueous solution. Results indicate that the corrosion resistance of the near eutectic AI-Si-Mg alloy is less than that of 6063 alloy. Macro/microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results clearly show the difference of the corrosion progress of these two alloys in 4% H2SO4 aqueous solution. The corrosion type of 6063 alloy is pitting corrosion. The Mg2Si and AIFeSi particles and surface defects act as nucleation sites for pitting, and the amount and distribution of them have a significant effect on the pitting behavior. For the near eutectic alloy, there are two types of corrosion cells. One is between the extruded primary α-AI and the eutectic, the other is between the eutectic AI and eutectic Si particles. Combination of these two types of corrosion cells leads to a lower corrosion resistance, a higher mass loss of the near eutectic alloy compared with 6063 alloy, and the formation of the paralleling corroded grooves.

Influence of heat treatment conditions on bending characteristics of 6063 aluminum alloy sheets

Bending deformation behaviors of solution treated(ST),natural aged(NA)and T6tempered6063aluminum alloy sheetswere studied by three-point bending tests.The changes of bending force,interior angle,bending radius and sheet thickness in thefillet region were analyzed by experimental measurements and numerical simulations.The results showed that the bendingcharacteristics were strongly dependent on the heat treatment conditions.The T6alloy sheets were bent more sharply and localplastic deformation occurred severely in the fillet region.However,the ST and NA alloy sheets exhibited relatively uniform bendingdeformation and large bending radius.The bending force of T6alloy was the highest,followed by the NA alloy and that of the STalloy was minimum.After unloading,as compared with the ST and NA alloys,the springback of T6alloys was markedly larger.Theaging time showed a positive sensitivity on the springback and non-uniform bending deformability.The bending characteristics areattributed to the combined effects of yield strength,yield ratio and coefficient of neutral layer.

Effects of extrusion speed of continuous extrusion with double billets on welding performance of 6063 Al alloy

During continuous extrusion,the welds were formed at the confluence of two billets.Influences of extrusion wheel rotational speed on micromorphology and properties of welds of 6063 Al alloy were investigated through microstructure observation,tensile test,and SEM analyses.Welding parameters were analyzed using finite element simulation.Results indicated that metal welding was remarkably affected by oxide on outer surface of the double billets during continuous extrusion.Degree of oxide breakage on the welding surface increased due to the evident increase in effective strain rate with increasing extrusion speed.The high temperature induced by increased extrusion speed accelerated the formation of metallurgical bonding.A portion of weld seam lines slowly disappeared,and the proportion of the welding interface that failed to reach metallurgical bonding was also gradually reduced.Tensile strength and elongation of the weld specimen increased with the increase of extrusion speed.

Damage and fracture mechanism of 6063 aluminum alloy under three kinds of stress states

To study the damage and fracture mechanism of 6063 aluminum alloy under different stress states,three kinds of representative triaxial stress states have been adopted,namely smooth tensile,notch tensile,and pure shear.The results of the study indicate the following.During the notch tensile test,a relatively higher stress triaxiality appears in the root of the notch.With the applied loading increasing,the volume fraction of microvoids in the root of the notch increases continuously.When it reaches the critical volume fraction of microvoids,the specimen fractures.During the pure shear test,the stress triaxiality almost equals to zero,and there is almost no microvoids but a shear band at the center of the butterfly specimen.The shear band results from nonuniform deformation constantly under the shear stress.With stress concentration,cracks are produced within the shear band and are later coalesced.When the equivalent plastic strain reaches the critical value（equivalent plastic fracture strain）,the butterfly specimen fractures.During the smooth tensile test,the stress triaxiality in the gauge of the specimen remains constant at 0.33.Thus,the volume of microvoids of the smooth tensile test is less than that of the notch tensile test and the smooth specimen fractures due to shearing between microvoids.The G-T-N damage model and Johnson-Cook model are used to simulate the notch tensile and shear test,respectively.The simulated engineering stress-strain curves fit the measured engineering stress-strain curves very well.In addition,the empirical damage evolution equation for the notch specimen is obtained from the experimental data and FEM simulations.

Deformation simulation of low-temperature high-speed extrusion for 6063 Al alloy

The hot compression test of 6063 Al alloy was performed on a Gleeble-1500 thermo-simulation machine, and the forming of 6063 rod cxtrudate in low-temperature high-speed extrusion was simulated with extrusion ratio of 25 on the platform of DEFORM 2D successfully. From the compression experimental results, the flow stress model of this Al alloy is obtained which could be the constitutive equation in the simulation of low-temperature high-speed extrusion process. From the numerical simulation results, there is a higher strain concentration at the entrance of the die and the exit temperature reaches up to 522 ℃ in low-temperature high-speed extrusion, which approaches to the quenching temperature of the 6063 Al alloy. The results show that the low-temperature high-speed extrusion method as a promsing one can reduce energy consumption effectively.

Deformation Behavior of 6063 Aluminum Alloy During High-Speed Compression

The deformation behavior characteristics of 6063 aluminum alloy were studied experimentally by isothermal compression tests on a Gleeble- 1500 thermal-mechanical simulator. Cylindrical specimens of 14mm in height and 10mm in diameter were compressed dynamically at temperatures ranging from 473 to 723K and at higher strain rntes from 5 to 30s^-1. It is fouud that the flow curves not only depend on the strain rate and temperature but nlso on the dynamic recovery aud recrystallization behavior. The results show that the flow stress decreased with the increase of temperature, while increased with the increase of strain rate. The discontinuous dynamic recrystallization （DDRX） may take place at a high strain rate of 20s^-1 under the tested conditions. At 30s^-1 , the flow curve can exhibit,flow softening due to the effect of temperature rise that raised the temperature by aboat 32K in less than 0.05s.

Effect of Current Density on Microstructure and Corrosion Behavior of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coated 6063 Aluminum Alloy

Plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO) coatings were fabricated on 6063 aluminum alloy in a cheap and convenient electrolyte. The effect of different current densities, i e, 5, 10, 15, and 20 A/dm2on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of coatings was comprehensively studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), stereoscopic microscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS), respectively. It is found that the pore density decreases and the pore size increases with increasing current density. The XRD results show that the coatings are only composed of α-Al2O3and γ-Al2O3. Potentiodynamic polarization test proves that the coating formed under 10 A/dm2possesses the best anticorrosion property. The long time EIS test shows that the coating under 10 A/dm2is able to protect the aluminum alloy substrate after long time of immersion in 0.59 M NaCl solution, which confirms the salt solution immersion test results in 2 M NaCl solution.

Influence of welding parameters on material flow,mechanical property and intermetallic characterization of friction stir welded AA6063 to HCP copper dissimilar butt joint without offset

Joining of dissimilar aluminium-copper is an emerging area of interest for both research and industry due to its complex nature.Friction stir welding was attempted to evaluate the joint strength without offset at the butt line between AA6063 to HCP copper sheet under different combination of rotational speed of 800 and 1000 r/min and travel speed of 20 and 40 mm/min.Material flow was studied in detail for different combinations of parameters with optical microscopy and elemental mapping by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy（EDS）.The results were correlated with the microstructural characteristics and formation of intermetallics at the bond interface using microhardness test and X-ray diffraction（XRD） technique.Material flow clearly suggests that energy input at 800 r/min and 20 mm/min is sufficient to plasticize both the materials with formation of higher amount of thermodynamically stable and hard intermetallic phases Al4Cu9 and Al Cu4（slower cooling rate of 88 K/s） than that at 800 r/min and 40 mm/min（faster cooling rate of 154 K/s）,attributed maximum joint strength（~78.6% of aluminium base metal）.

Investigation on corrosion behaviour of asextruded near eutectic Al-Si-Mg alloy by neutral salt spray test

In order to provide scientific basis for advanced applications of near eutectic Al-Si-Mg alloys as architectural profiles, a comparative study on the corrosion resistance of an as-extruded near eutectic AI-Si-Mg alloy and AA6063 aluminium alloy was carried out by means of neutral salt spray test. The corroded surfaces of the alloys were examined with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope （SEM）. Results show that the corrosion type of these two alloys is pitting corrosion. The number of corrosion pits in the AA6063 aluminium alloy is more than that in the near eutectic AI-Si-Mg alloy, but the pits in the latter alloy are much larger and deeper. Because the relatively low polarization resistance of the near eutectic alloy leads to poorer repassivation ability, autocatalytic acidification occurs once a pit forms. Thus, occluded corrosion cells are developed in this alloy.

Effects of nugget alloying on microstructures and properties of resistance spot welded joints of aluminum and steel

The resistance spot welding of 6063-T6 aluminum alloy and 16Mn steel was studied by nugget alloying. The results indicated that the Al-steel joint had characteristics of welding-brazing. The nugget zone consisted mainly of α-Al solid solution with dislocations and fine Mg2Si particles. The interface zone had a double-layer structure： Fe2Al5 layer at steel side and Fe4Al13 layer at Al nugget side. The nugget alloying has a significant effect on the joint properties by changing phase composition and refinement of grains. When alloy elements Cu, Zn, Ti and Ni were added, the tensile shear load of Al-steel joints reached 2 780 N, 2 910 N, 2 915 N and 2 929 N respectively, which increased by 24. 1%, 29.9%, 30. 1% and 30. 7% respectively compared with that （2 241 N） of joint without nugget alloying. Therefore, it is an effective way for improving mechanical properties of resistance spot welded Al-steel joints.

Forward hot extrusion forming process of 4-lobe aluminum alloy helical surface rotor

The 4-lobe aluminum alloy helical surface rotors are widely applied in industry,such as superchargers.Generally,the conventional manufacturing processes of aluminum alloy helical surface are time consuming and costly.To make the manufacturing processes more flexible and economical,the forward hot extrusion process is proposed to form the 4-lobe aluminum alloy helical surface rotors.In this work,we implement both simulations and experiments to the forming process of the helical surface,of which the material is 6063 aluminum alloy.The forward hot extrusion process is simulated with finite element method in DEFORM-3D.Based on the simulation method,the influences of different extrusion parameters,such as extrusion temperature,extrusion speed and extrusion ratio,on the extrusion process are studied.According to the numerical simulation results,the optimal case is chosen to carry out the experiment.Furthermore,the experimental results show that the surface is smooth;the toothed fill is full;the twist angle in the length direction is evenly distributed;the value of twist angle is roughly in line with the design angle,which is mainly due to the modified die structure,having a positive and significant effect on the increment of twist angle.Therefore,the twist angle has an increase of about 76%,which verifies the modified die structure.

Influence of dynamic recrystallization on microstructure and mechanical properties of welding zone in Al-Mg-Si aluminum profile during porthole die extrusion

The effect of dynamic recrystallization(DRX)on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 6063 aluminum alloy profile during porthole die extrusion was studied through experiment and simulation.The grain morphology was observed by means of electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)technology.The results show that,at low ram speeds,increasing the ram speed caused an increase in DRX fraction due to the increase of temperature and strain rate.In contrast,at high ram speeds,further increasing ram speed had much less effect on the temperature,and the DRX faction decreased due to high stain rates.The microhardness and fraction of low angle boundaries in the welding zones were lower than those in the matrix zones.The grain size in the welding zone was smaller than that in the matrix zone due to lower DRX fraction.The decrease of grain size and increase of extrudate temperature were beneficial to the improvement of microhardness.

Formation and elimination of burst phenomenon in ultrasonic-assisted resistance brazing

A two-step ultrasonic-assisted brazing method and its associated apparatus were developed to make 6063 aluminum alloys joints with Al-Si-Mg filler metal. The burst phenomenon and the effect of ultrasonic direction and time, as well as the welding joint geometry on the burst phenomenon were investigated. The results show that the burst phenomenon occurs in the liquid filler metal under the effects of high current density, heat, and interaction force. The burst phenomenon is eliminated when the oxide film on the edge of the cross-section of the two parent metals is removed with more than or equal to 6 s ultrasonic time. A model of formation and elimination for burst was proposed, through which the blasting phenomenon can be controlled by changing the ultrasonic time and the geometrical shape of the welded joint.

Migrating behaviors of interfacial elements and oxide layers during diffusion bonding of 6063Al alloys using Zn interlayer in air

The oxide layer on the surface has always been a key obstacle to achieving the diffusion bonding of Al alloys.It is a challenge for performing diffusion bonding without removing oxide layers.Herein,diffusion bonding of Al alloy retaining continuous oxide layers was successfully achieved in the air by a low-temperature and low-pressure diffusion bonding mothed using a Zn interlayer.During the bonding processes,conducted at 360℃ and 3 MPa,Zn diffused into Al through cracks of thin oxide layers to form the joint composed Al/(diffusion layer)/(oxide layer)/(Zn)/(oxide layer)/(diffusion layer)/Al.The diffusion layers were composed of Zn-Al eutectoid,and the oxide layer included nanocrystals and amorphous Al_(2)O_(3).The shear strength of joints containing continuous oxide layers was about 30 MPa.Interestingly,the migration behavior toward the joint center of the interfacial oxide layers was observed with consuming of the Zn interlayer.The cracking phenomenon,the“subcutaneous diffusion”and the migration behavior of oxide layers were verified and analyzed by the diffusion bonding of anodized 6063Al-6063Al.Subsequently,the dynamic migration mechanism of oxide layers with elements diffusion and bonding interface strengths were discussed in detail.The ability to join Al alloys in the air at low temperatures and low pressure suggests a highly practical and economic method for diffusion bonding.