Effect of pre-deformation on microstructures and mechanical properties of high purity Al-Cu-Mg alloy

The effects of pre-deformation following solution treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aged high purity Al-Cu-Mg alloy were studied by tensile test, micro-hardness measurements, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The micro-hardness measurements indicate that compared with un-deformed samples, the peak hardness is increased and the time to reach peak hardness is reduced with increasing pre-strain. Additionally, a double-peak hardness evolution behavior of cold-rolled （CR） samples was observed during aging. The results of TEM observation show that the number density of S′（Al2CuMg） phase is increased and the size is decreased in CR alloy with increase of pre-strain. The peak hardness and peak strength of the CR alloy are increased because of quantity increasing and refinement of S′ phase and high density dislocation.

Re-dissolution and re-precipitation behavior of nano-precipitated phase in Al-Cu-Mg alloy subjected to rapid cold stamping

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffractometry(XRD),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)and hardness test were used to study the re-dissolution and re-precipitation behavior of nano-precipitates of the spray-formed fine-grained Al-Cu-Mg alloy during rapid cold stamping deformation.Results show that the extruded Al-Cu-Mg alloy undergoes obvious re-dissolution and re-precipitation during the rapid cold-stamping deformation process.The plasticθ′phase has a slower re-dissolution rate than the brittle S′phase.The long strip-shaped S′phases and the acicularθ′phases in Al-Cu-Mg alloy after three passes of cold stamping basically re-dissolved to form a supersaturated solid solution.A large number of fine granular balanceθphases precipitate after four passes of rapid cold-stamping deformation.Rapid cold stamping deformation causes the S′phase andθ′phase to break and promote the nano-precipitate phases to re-dissolve.The high distortion free energy of the matrix promotes the precipitation of the equilibriumθphase,and the hardness of the alloy obviously increases from HB 55 to HB 125 after the rapid cold stamping process.

Corrosion behavior of 2024 Al-Cu-Mg alloy of various tempers

Corrosion behavior of 2024 Al-Cu-Mg alloy of different tempers was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization studies in 3.5% NaCl solution, 3.5% NaCI＋I.0% H2O2 solution and 3.5% NaCl solution at pH 12. Polarization curves showed shifting of corrosion potential （φPcor） towards more negative potential with increasing ageing time and shifting of φcorr in the positive direction with the addition of H2O2 in NaCl solution. Polarization curves in 3.5% NaCl solution at pH 12 exhibited distinct passivity phenomenon. Optical micrographs of the corroded surfaces showed general corrosion, extensive pitting and intergranular corrosion as well. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization curves exhibited wide hysteresis loop and the mode of corrosion attack confirmed that the alloy states are susceptible to pit growth damage. Attempts were made to explain the observed corrosion behavior of the alloy of various tempers in different electrolytes with the help of microstructural features.

Microstructure evolution of Al-Cu-Mg alloy during rapid cold punching and recrystallization annealing

The microstructure evolution of spray formed and rapidly solidified Al-Cu-Mg alloy with fine grains during rapid cold punching and recrystallization annealing was investigated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The results show that the precipitates of fine-grained Al-Cu-Mg alloy during rapid cold punching and recrystallization annealing mainly consist of S phase and a small amount of coarse Al6Mn phase. With the increase of deformation passes, the density of precipitates increases, the size of precipitates decreases significantly, and the deformation and transition bands disappear gradually. In addition, the grains are refined and tend to be uniform. Defects introduced by rapid cold punching contribute to the precipitation and recrystallization, and promote nucleation and growth of S phase and recrystallization. Deformation and transition bands in the coarse grains transform into deformation-induced grain boundary during the deformation and recrystallization, which refine grains, obtain uniform nanocrystalline structure and promote homogeneous distribution of S phase.

Accurate Deep Potential model for the Al-Cu-Mg alloy in the full concentration space

Combining first-principles accuracy and empirical-potential efficiency for the description of the potential energy surface(PES)is the philosopher's stone for unraveling the nature of matter via atomistic simulation.This has been particularly challenging for multi-component alloy systems due to the complex and non-linear nature of the associated PES.In this work,we develop an accurate PES model for the Al-Cu-Mg system by employing deep potential(DP),a neural network based representation of the PES,and DP generator(DP-GEN),a concurrent-learning scheme that generates a compact set of ab initio data for training.The resulting DP model gives predictions consistent with first-principles calculations for various binary and ternary systems on their fundamental energetic and mechanical properties,including formation energy,equilibrium volume,equation of state,interstitial energy,vacancy and surface formation energy,as well as elastic moduli.Extensive benchmark shows that the DP model is ready and will be useful for atomistic modeling of the Al-Cu-Mg system within the full range of concentration.

Effect of strain rate on microstructure and mechanical properties of spray-formed Al-Cu-Mg alloy

Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD),and tensile tests were used to study the effects of strain rates(0.1,1 and 9.1 s^(-1))on the microstructure and mechanical properties of spray-formed Al-Cu-Mg alloys during large-strain rolling at 420℃.Results show that during hot rolling,the proportion of high-angle grain boundaries(HAGBs)and the degree of dynamic recrystallization(DRX)initially increase and then decrease,whereas the average grain size and dislocation density show the opposite trend with the increase of the strain rate.In addition,the number of S′phases in the matrix decreases,and the grain boundary precipitates(GBPs)become coarser and more discontinuous as the strain rate increases.When the strain rate increases from 0.1 to 9.1 s^(-1),the tensile strength of the alloy decreases from 492.45 to 427.63 MPa,whereas the elongation initially increases from 12.1%to 21.8%and then decreases to 17.7%.

Effect of Mg composition on sintering behaviors and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mg alloy

Al-3Cu-Mg alloy was fabricated by the powder metallurgy(P/M) processes. Air-atomized powders of each alloying element were blended with various Mg contents(0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5%, mass fraction). The compaction pressure was selected to achieve the elastic deformation, local plastic deformation, and plastic deformation of powders, respectively, and the sintering temperatures for each composition were determined, where the liquid phase sintering of Cu is dominant. The microstructural analysis of sintered materials was performed using optical microscope(OM) and scanning electron microscope(SEM) to investigate the sintering behaviors and fracture characteristics. The transverse rupture strength(TRS) of sintered materials decreased with greater Mg content(Al-3Cu-2.5Mg). However, Al-3Cu-0.5Mg alloy exhibited moderate TRS but higher specific strength than Al-3Cu without Mg addition.

Effect of secondary aging on microstructure and properties of cast Al-Cu-Mg alloy

To obtain better comprehensive properties of cast Al-Cu-Mg alloys,the secondary aging(T6I6)process(including initial aging,interrupted aging and re-aging stages)was optimized by an orthogonal method.The microstructures of the optimized Al-Cu-Mg alloy were observed by means of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy,and the properties were investigated by hardness measurements,tensile tests,exfoliation corrosion tests,and intergranular corrosion tests.Results show that the S phase andθ’phase simultaneously exist in the T6I6 treated alloy.Appropriately increasing the temperature of the interrupted aging in the T6I6 process can improve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Al-Cu-Mg alloy.The optimal comprehensive properties(tensile strength of 443.6 MPa,hardness of 161.6 HV)of the alloy are obtained by initial aging at 180℃for 2 h,interrupted aging at 90℃for 30 min,and re-aging at 170℃for 4 h.

Flow stress behavior of high-purity Al-Cu-Mg alloy and microstructure evolution

The flow stress behavior of high-purity Al-Cu-Mg alloy under hot deformation conditions was studied by Gleeble-1500,with the deformation temperature range from 300 to 500 °C and the strain rate range from 0.01 to 10 s-1. From the true stress-true strain curve, the flow stress increases with the increasing of strain and tends to be constant after a peak value, showing dynamic recover, and the peak value of flow stress increases with the decreasing of deformation temperature and the increasing of strain rate.When the strain rate is 10 s-1 and the deformation temperature is higher than 400 °C, the flow stress shows dynamic recrystallization characteristic. TEM micrographs were used to reveal the evolution of microstructures. According to the processing map at true strain of 0.7, the feasible deformation conditions are high strain rate(>0.5 s-1) or 440-500 °C and 0.01-0.02 s-1.

STUDY ON OPTIMUM OF LASER-SHOCKING PARAMETERS FOR IMPROVING FATIGUE LIFE OF AIRCRAFT ALUMINUM ALLOY

The aircraft aluminum 2024-T62 is shock-treated by pulsed laser with the same wavelength and different pulse durations. The laser parameters, arrangements of laser optics and strengthening effects are investigated. The optimal laser-shocking parameters, i.e., a pulse durotion (FWHM) of 30ns, shot spot 7 to 10mm in diameter and pulse energy of 15-20J are obtained under the condition that the Q modulation crystal is KD*P and the laser optical system has three amplification stages. Therefore, the fatigue life of aluminum specimens is increased greatly and the maximum increasement is 23. 7 times.

Towards understanding metallurgical defect formation of selective laser melted wrought aluminum alloys

The formation of balling,porosity and cracking defects is a vital obstacle in selective laser melting of wrought Al alloys.However,it lacks systematic research on the origins of these imperfections.Herein,the formation mechanisms and avoidance methods of metallurgical defects in slective laser melting(SLM)-processed Al-Cu-Mg alloy were investigated by numerical simulation and microstructure characterization.Process optimization by altering laser energy density can effectively suppress balling and porosity,thus enhancing relative density.Cracking results from the stress concentration and columnar grains arise due to the rapid cooling process during SLM.The methods that promote the columnar-to-equiaxed grain transition,such as microalloying by Sc/Zr/Ti elements,co-incorporation of ceramic particles and introducing ultrasound,can effectively enhance the cracking resistance and mechanical properties of wrought Al alloys.

Effects of scandium and zirconium combination alloying on as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-4Cu-1.5Mg alloy

The influences of minor scandium and zirconium combination alloying on the as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-4Cu-1.5Mg alloy have been experimentally investigated.The experimental results show that when the minor elements of scandium and zirconium are simultaneously added into the Al-4Cu-1.5Mg alloy,the as-cast microstructure of the alloy is effectively modified and the grains of the alloy are greatly refined.The coarse dendrites in the microstructure of the alloy without Sc and Zr additions are refined to the uniform and fine equiaxed grains.As the additions of Sc and Zr are 0.4% and 0.2%,respectively,the tensile strength,yield strength and elongation of the alloy are relatively better,which are 275.0 MPa,176.0 MPa and 8.0% respectively.The tensile strength is increased by 55.3%,and the elongation is nearly raised three times,compared with those of the alloy without Sc and Zr additions.

Effects of Zr additions on structure and tensile properties of an Al-4.5Cu-0.3Mg-0.05Ti(wt.%) alloy

The effects of different Zr additions(0.05wt.%-0.5wt.%)on the structure and tensile properties of an Al-4.5Cu-0.3Mg-0.05Ti(wt.%)alloy solidified under a high cooling rate(18℃·s^(-1)),in as-cast and T6 heat-treated conditions were studied.The as-cast structure of the alloy consists of equiaxed grains ofα-Al with an average size of 64μm which is unaffected by the Zr additions,indicating the ineffectiveness of Zr in the grain refinement of the alloy.Scanning electron microscopy,along with X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of elongatedθ-Al2Cu at the grain boundaries;in addition,coarse Al3Zr particles exist in the intergranular regions of the 0.5wt.%Zr-containing alloy.After the T6 heat treatment,the elongatedθparticles were fragmented;however,the coarse Al3Zr particles remained unchanged in the microstructure.Also,the formation of fineβ’-Al3Zr andθ’’-Al3Cu/θ’-Al2Cu phases during T6 heat treatment was revealed by transmission electron microscopy.The results of the tensile tests showed that the Zr additions increase the strength of the alloy in both as-cast and T6 heat-treated conditions,but reduce its elongation,especially with 0.5wt.%Zr addition.The 0.3wt.%Zr-added alloy in the T6 heat-treated condition has the highest quality index value(249 MPa).Fractography of the fracture surfaces of the alloys revealed ductile fracture mode including dimples and cracked intermetallic phases in both conditions.

Effect of Y and Ce Micro-alloying on Microstructure and Hot Tearing of As-Cast Al-Cu-Mg Alloy

In this work,the Al-Cu-Mg alloy with different Y(0-0.2 wt%)and Ce(0.5-1.5 wt%)are designed.The effect of mixed addition of Y and Ce on the grain structure and hot tearing for Al-4.4Cu-1.5Mg-0.15Zr alloy was investigated using"cross"hot tearing mould.The results indicate that as rare earth Y and Ce increases,the grain size becomes finer,the grain morphology changes from dendrite to equiaxed grain,and effectively reduce the hot tearing sensitivity coefficient(HTS1)and crack susceptibility coefficient(CSC)of the alloy.With the increase of Ce element(0.5-1.5 wt%),the hot tearing susceptibility of the alloy decreases first and then increases.With the increase of Y element(0-0.2 wt%),the hot tearing sensitivity of the alloy decreases.When the content of rare earth is 0.2 wt%Y+1.0 wt%Ce,the minimum HTS1 value and CSC value of the alloy are 68 and 0.53,respectively.Rare earth Ce refines the alloy microstructure,shortens the feeding channel,and reduces the hot tearing initiation.Meanwhile,the rare earth Y can form Al6Cu6Y phase at the grain boundary,improve the feeding capacity of the alloy.Therefore,appropriate addition of rare earth Y and Ce can effectively reduce the hot tearing tendency of the alloy.

Pretreatment of lead anode slime with low silver by vacuum distillation for concentrating silver

The feasibility of separation of lead anode slime with low silver by vacuum distillation was analyzed theoretically. The volatilization rates and mass fractions of elements, influenced by distillation temperature, heat preservation time and material thickness, were investigated under laboratory conditions. The experimental results indicate that almost all of lead and bismuth can be separated from silver-contained multicomponent alloy at 1 223 K for 45 min when the chamber pressure maintains at 10-25 Pa. Silver can be easily enriched in the residue and its mass fraction increases from 3.6% to 27.8% when the distillation temperature is between 1 133 K and 1 373 K. Due to the forming ofintermetallic compounds Cu2Sb, Cul0Sb3 and Ag3Sb, the antimony could not be evaporated completely during the vacuum distillation. EDS analysis indicates that the condensate has a columnar crystal structure.

Influence of post-heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mg-Zr alloy manufactured by selective laser melting

The properties of modified conventional wrought aluminum alloys cannot be significantly enhanced by normal post-heat treatment in that the fine-grained strengthening,arising from high cooling rate in SLM,is underutilized.In this work,compared with the normal T6 heat treatment,a novel simple direct aging regime was proposed to maintain the grain-boundary strengthening and to utilize the precipitation strengthening of secondary AlZr.It was found that a heterogeneous grain structure,which consisted of ultrafine equiaxed(~0.82μm)and columnar(~1.80μm)grains at the bottom and top of molten pool,respectively,was formed in the SLM processed sample.After direct aging(DA),the ultrafine grains were maintained and a mass of spherical coherent L1-AlZr particles with a mean radius of approximately1.15 nm was precipitated.In contrast,after solution treatment and aging(STA),a significant grain coarsening occurred in the equiaxed grain region.Meanwhile,the coarsening L1-AlZr particles,nano-sized S phases and GPB zones were detected in the STA sample.This subsequently induced that the yield strength of the DA sample(~435 MPa)was higher than that of the STA sample(~402 MPa)owing to the grain boundary strengthening and precipitation strengthening.Both the STA and DA samples exhibited a higher strength than that of the other SLMed Al-Cu-Mg series alloys;this was comparable to that of the wrought AA2024-T6 alloy(~393 MPa).Both the STA and DA samples exhibited a higher strength than that of the other SLMed Al-Cu-Mg series alloys;this was comparable to that of the wrought AA2024-T6alloy(~393 MPa).

High strength Al-Cu-Mg based alloy with synchronous improved tensile properties and hot-cracking resistance suitable for laser powder b e d fusion

In present work,a novel crack-free Al-Cu-Mg-Si-Ti alloy with synchronous improved tensile properties and hot-cracking resistance was proposed and successfully manufactured by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).The microstructure evolution behaviors and the corresponding strengthening mechanisms were investigated in detail.The LPBF-processed Al-Cu-Mg-Si-Ti alloy presents a heterogeneous microstructure consisting of ultrafine equiaxed grains(UFGs)at the boundary and coarse columnar grains(CGs)at the center of the single molten pool.Pre-precipitated D022-Al 3 Ti particles were found to act as the nuclei to refine the grains at the boundary of the molten pool during solidification process,which is attributed to the low cooling rate providing the sufficient incubation time for the precipitation of D022-Al 3 Ti.There are two orientation relationships(ORs)betweenα-Al and D022-Al 3 Ti,i.e.[001]α-Al//[001]D022-Al3Ti,(200)α-Al//(200)D022-Al3Ti and[1¯1¯2]α-Al//[¯111]D022-Al3Ti,(1¯11)α-Al//(¯11¯2)D022-Al3Ti,which are two of the eight ORs predicted with the E2EM model.Refined grains in present alloy,no matter for UFGs or CG,exhibited high critical hot-cracking stress,which means a strong hot-cracking resistance.Dual-nanoprecipitation of Cu-,Mg-,and Si-rich Q’and S’phases was introduced to enhance the mechanical performance ofα-Al matrix.The as-built sample exhibits superior tensile properties,with the yield strength(YS)of 473±8 MPa,ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of 541±2 MPa and elongation(EI)of 10.9%±1.2%.

Dislocation ordering and texture strengthening of naturally aged Al-Cu-Mg alloy

Stability of grain structure,dislocation ordering and strengthening mechanisms of the naturally aged AlCu-Mg alloy after solution treatment are investigated by using optical microscope(OM),scanning electron microscope(SEM),electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD),X-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscope(TEM).Results show that {100}<001>,{100}<110>,{110}<110> and {110}<001>slip systems can be activated after solution treatment,which can promote the formation of {110}<001>Goss texture.The combination effect of T-Al_(20)Cu_(2) Mn_(3) phase and Goss-oriented grains with large Taylor factor makes the solution-treated alloys display excellent stability of grain structure.The enhanced yield strength of the alloy is ascribed to grain-refine strengthening,dispersed particles strengthening,dislocation strengthening and texture strengthening.The coarsening of the second phase is responsible for softening of the alloy after annealing at 400 ℃+solution treatment at 475 ℃.

Laser powder bed fusion of Zr-modified Al-Cu-Mg alloy:Processability and elevated-temperature mechanical properties

Zr modification is an effective method for improving hot-cracking resistance and elevated-temperature mechanical properties during laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)of traditional medium and high strength wrought aluminum alloys.This study investigated the l-PBF processability and elevated-temperature mechanical properties of a Zr-modified 2024Al alloy.It was found that the hot-cracking susceptibility increased with the increased scanning speed,which was in reasonable agreement with the modified Rappaz-Drezet-Gremaud criterion.Furthermore,the primary L1_(2)-Al_(3)Zr precipitates,which acted as ef-ficient nucleation sites,precipitated at the fusion boundary of the melt pool,leading to the formation of a heterogeneous grain structure.The yield strength(YS)of the as-fabricated samples at 150,250,and 350℃was 363,210,and 48 MPa,respectively.Despite the slight decrease to 360 MPa of the YS when tested at 150℃,owing to the additional precipitate strengthening from the L1_(2)-Al_(3)Zr precipitates,the YS achieved yield strengths of 253 and 69 MPa,an increase of 20.5%and 30.4%,when tested at 250 and 350℃,respectively.The yield strengths in both the as-fabricated and T6-treated conditions tested at 150 and 250℃were comparable to those of casting Al-Cu-Mg-Ag alloys and superior to those of traditionally heat-resistant 2219-T6 and 2618-T6 of Al-Cu alloys.

Quench sensitivity of Al-Cu-Mg alloy thick plate

The quench sensitivity of Al-Cu-Mg alloy was investigated at different thicknesses of the thick plate.The quenching process was simulated via finite element analysis(FEA);time-temperature-property(TTP)curves and time-temperature-transformation(TTT)curves were obtained through hardness test and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)test;and the microstructural observation was carried out by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Experimental results exhibit that the quench cooling rate decreases dramatically from the surface to the center of the plate,and the inhomogeneous quenching causes the difference in microstructure.With the decrease in quench cooling rate,constituent particles are coarsening gradually;the quantity of T-phase(Al_(20)Cu_(2)Mn_(3))increases and the S-phase(Al_(2)Cu Mg)decreases.According to the precipitation kinetics analysis,the decrease in S-phase is caused by the increase in precipitate activation energy.So that the center of the plate shows the highest quenching sensitivity,which is consistent with the analysis of time-temperature-property curves and time-temperature-transformation curves.