A STUDY OF CONTINUOUS EXTRUSION-CLADDING PROCESSFOR PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM-CLADDING STEEL WIRE

In this study the process of cladding steel wires with aluminum is investigated experimentally. It is studied how the cladding process and the quality of products are influenced by the aluminum deformation temperature, the wheel speed, the temperature of steel wire, the wire speed and the steel wire tensile force. The relation among the process parameters above is discussed, and the effect of the aluminum deformation temperature on the coating microstructure is analyzed. This paper suggested a reasonable range of process parameters for producing aluminum cladding steel wires.

Defects Formation and Morphology in Large-sized MoSi_2 Rod Prepared by Continuous Extrusion

Incidence of defects in MoSi2 rods prepared by con- tinuous extrusion is dependent on the viscosity of binder. Generally, low viscosity results in surface defects while high viscosity is responsible for inner defects. Cross-section observations indicated that the typical inner defects in sintered MoSi2 rods were large fissure cavity, multiple small holes and single small cavity, of which the characteristic ultrasonic reflection patterns have been experimentally established. Formation of the inner defects is attributed to the inhomogeneous feedstock moving behav- ior in die, which is aggravated with increasing viscosity of binder. Defect free MoSi2 rods were prepared successfully via con. tinuous extrusion by carefully controlling the viscosity of binder.

Microstructure and Properties of 7075Al Alloy Fabricated by Directly Combined of Spray Forming and Continuous Extrusion Forming under Different Atomization Gas Pressures

A new process consisting of the spray forming and the continuous extrusion forming for manufacturing 7075A1 alloy was proposed. The microstructure evolution, mechanical properties and the resistance to stress corrosion cracking of the alloy were studied. The results indicate that the spray forming process induces obviously grain refinement and greatly lower segregation microstructure. Besides, the Conform process produces finer grains and conduces to more uniform distribution of the precipitates of A1Cu and MgZn2 phases. The fabricated alloy shows good comprehensive mechanical properties and superb performance of stress corrosion resistance. Moreover, a better combination of the mechanical properties and the resistance to stress corrosion cracking could then be obtained under a certain condition of atomization gas pressure of 0.19 MPa. The enhanced properties are attributed to the following factors, which include the grain refinement, the fine and homogeneous distribution of A1Cu and MgZn2 phases, the high density of the extruded products, as well as the discontinuous distribution of the grain boundaries after retrogression and reaging （RRA） heat treatment.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a CuCrZr Welding Joint After Continuous Extrusion

The effect of continuous extrusion forming(CEF) process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a CuCrZr welding joint was investigated. The experimental results showed that after the CEF process the grains were refined to submicron-scale through dynamic recrystallization,which improved the mechanical properties of the welding joint as well as the base material. Meanwhile,the micron-scale precipitates aggregated at the grain boundaries in the welding process were broken down to smaller ones and recrystallized grains of several micrometers formed around the precipitates after CEF process,which could alleviate the negative effect induced by the micron-scale precipitates during plastic deforming process. Finer grains and smaller micronscale precipitates made contributions to improve the properties of a CuCrZr alloy with a welding joint.

Quantitative mechanisms behind the high strength and electrical conductivity of Cu-Te alloy manufactured by continuous extrusion

The microstructure,mechanical performance,and electrical conductivity of Cu-Te alloy fabricated by continuous extrusion were quantitatively investigated.The results demonstrate that the grain size of the Cu-Te alloy is refined significantly by incomplete dynamic recrystallization.The Cu2Te phase stimulates recrystallization and inhibits subgrain growth.After extrusion,the tensile strength increases from217.8±4.8 MPa to 242.5±3.7 MPa,the yield strength increases from 65.1±3.5 MPa to 104.3±3.8 MPa,and the yield to tensile strength ratio is improved from 0.293±0.015 to 0.43±.0.091,while the electrical conductivity of room temperature decreases from 95.8±0.38%International Annealed Cu Standard(IACS)to 94.0%±0.32%IACS.The quantitative analysis shows that the increment caused by dislocation strengthening and boundary strengthening account for 84.6%of the yield strength of the extruded Cu-Te alloy and the electrical resistivity induced by grain boundaries and dislocations accounts for 1.6%of the electrical resistivity of the extruded Cu-Te alloy.Dislocations and boundaries contribute greatly to the increase of yield strength,but less to the increase of electrical resistivity.

Enhanced electrical,mechanical and tribological properties of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys by continuous extrusion forming and subsequent aging treatment

As a promising material for the new generation of high-speed railway contact wires,the comprehensive optimization of the electrical conductivity,strength,hardness and wear resistance of the Cu-Cr-Zr alloy has received extensive attention.In this paper,a high-performance Cu-1Cr-0.1Zr alloy with an ultimate tensile strength of 599.1 MPa,a uniform elongation of 8.6%,a microhardness of 195.7 HV_(0.2) and an electrical conductivity of 80.07%IACS was achieved by the continuous extrusion forming(CEF)and subsequent peak-aging treatment.The grain refinement strengthening,dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening are identified to be responsible for the excellent electrical and mechanical properties of Cu-Cr-Zr alloy.The wear behavior of Cu-Cr-Zr alloy was investigated by examining the evolution of worn surface morphology and subsurface microstructure.The microhardness(H)and reduced elastic modulus(E_(r))of the subsurface below the worn surface measured by nanoindentation were calculated to gage the tribological performance of Cu-Cr-Zr alloy.Results show that the continuously extruded and subsequently peak-aged specimen has the best wear resistance,which indicates that the tribological properties of CuCr-Zr alloy strongly depend on its strength and hardness.It can be concluded that the CEF and subsequent aging treatment process provides a new and high-efficiency procedure for the continuous preparation of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys.

Microstructural and mechanical properties of ZA10 alloy tubes and their weld seams prepared by Conform continuous extrusion

In the present work,Zn-10 Al-2 Cu-0.05 Ti(ZA10)alloy tubes with a diameter of 12.5 mm and wall thickness of 1.2 mm were fabricated by one-pass and double-pass Conform continuous extrusion.A stabilizing heat treatment[350℃,30 min(furnace cooling)+120℃,12 h(air cooling)]was also applied to some of the double-pass tubes to improve the quality of their weld seams.The yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,elongation and expansion ratio of the one-pass continuous extrusion tube were 268.4 MPa,294.3 MPa,13.8%and 5.5%,respectively.Double-pass continuous extrusion improved these values to 278.4 MPa,317.2 MPa,15.4%and 11.4%,respectively.Double-pass tubes also had fewer aggregations of Al-αprecipitates along the welding seam,which improved seam quality and caused cracks to appear in the matrix,away from the weld-affected zone,during expansion testing.Heat-treated double-pass tubes exhibited superior yield strength(283.9 MPa)and ultimate tensile strength(328.5 MPa)but lower elongation(10.2%)and expansion ratios(10.3%).Additionally,the heat-treated tubes exhibited markedly lower elongation at room temperature due to the remarkable blockage of dislocation motions by fine-scale lamellar(α+η)eutectoid structures and a lower size effect when stretched.

Numerical modeling and optimization of process parameters in continuous extrusion process through response surface methodology, artificial neural network & genetic algorithm

The product of high complex profile,high strength,high productivity and excellent material properties with infinite length can be produced by Continuous Extrusion(CE)process.The numerical simulation of Aluminum(AA 1100)feedstock material at different wheel velocities,product diameter,feedstock temperature,die temperature and friction condition has been carried out using 3D simulation tool Design Environment for Forming(DEFORM-3D)in this paper.The development of mathematical model is carried out to investigate the influence of wheel velocity,extrusion ratio,feedstock temperature,die temperature and friction conditions on total load required for the deformation and extrusion of feedstock material through Response Surface Methodology(RSM).The statistical significance of mathematical model is verified through analysis of variance(ANOVA).The most optimum value of extrusion load has been found to be 136.4 kN through iterative process of Genetic Algorithm(GA)using Artificial Neural Network(ANN).The optimized value of input process variables for minimum value of extrusion load obtained has been found to be 13 Revolutions per Minute(RPM)as wheel velocity,5 mm as product diameter,0.95 as friction condition,650◦C as feedstock temperature and 550◦C as die temperature.This paper with proposed methodology will be helpful for industries working in the area of CE in terms of minimizing energy consumption during production process of bus bars,tubes,wires,cables,sheets,plates,strips,etc.

Dynamical Solidification Behaviors and Metal Flow during Continuous Semisolid Extrusion Process of AZ31 Alloy

In this paper, a novel near-net-shape forming process, continuous semisolid extrusion process （CSEP） of AZ31 alloy was proposed, and the dynamical solidification behaviors and metal flow during the process were firstly investigated. During casting AZ31 alloy by this process, non-uniform microstructure distributions and non- equilibrium solidification region near the roll surface were found in the roll-shoe gap. Microstructural evolution from dendrite to rosette and spherical grains was observed during the casting by CSEP. Casting temperature, roll-shoe gap width and cooling ability have great effect on casting process and metal flow, so these factors should be carefully controlled, a proper casting temperature of 710-750℃ is suggested. The white α phases were strongly stretched during the processing, and the remnant liquids are correspondingly distributes along the solid phase boundaries and also show stripped lines.

Fabrication of ultra-high strength magnesium alloys over 540 MPa with low alloying concentration by double continuously extrusion

We prepare a new type of patented biodegradable biomedical Mg-Nd-Zn-Zr(JDBM)alloy system and impose double continuously extrusion(DCE)processing.The lowest processing temperature is 250℃for JDBM-2.1Nd and 310℃for JDBM-2.8Nd,which increases with the Nd concentration.The highest yield strength of 541 MPa is achieved in JDBM-2.1 Nd samples when extruded at 250℃and the elongation is about 3.7%.Moreover,the alloy with a lower alloying element content can reach a higher yield strength while that with a higher alloying element content can reach a larger elongation after DCE processing.However,when extruded under the same conditions,the alloy with a higher alloying contents exhibits better tensile properties.

Study on grain refinement of interstitial-free steel during continuous frictional angular extrusion

To explore the application of severe plastic deformation for grain refinement in steel production, a new method called continuous frictional angular extrusion （CFAE） was applied to refine the grain of interstitial-free steel. The deformation was carried out at room temperature and individual sheet specimens were processed in different number of passes. An overall grain size of 200nm was achieved after 8 passes and the proportion of high-angle boundaries to the total boundaries was more than 60%. Through the characterization of high resolution EBSD, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and hardness testing,this paper discussed the evolution of microstructures and textures during deformation and explored the development direction of the method.

Effect of Accumulative Strain on Grain Refinement and Strengthening of ZM6 Magnesium Alloy During Continuous Variable Cross-Section Direct Extrusion

In order to study the influence of die combination on continuous variable cross-section direct extrusion （CVCDE） in the extrusion process, the accumulative strain formula is derived, and it can be known that the extrusion ratio of various stages directly determines the size of corresponding stage strain by formula. In this paper, as an example of the two interim dies, three die combinations of different angles and extrusion ratio are designed. Aviation magnesium alloy ZM6 is studied, and the results show that dynamic recrystallization is even more complete when continuous shear deformation occurs, so that the refinement and homogenization of microstructure are obtained. By the use of different die combinations, the accumulative strain increases under the conditions of same total extrusion ratio. Thus, the refined crystalline strengthening effect of extrusion deformation can be further analyzed. Due to the dead-zone defects, the actual accumulative strain decreases significantly and the effect of microstructure and performance improvements also decreases with it. Therefore, the optimal design of die combination is the key to the process and product of CVCDE, which provides a scientific basis for the development of severe plastic deformation.

Microstructural characteristics and deformation of magnesium alloy AZ31 produced by continuous variable cross-section direct extrusion

Magnesium（Mg） alloy AZ31 was produced by continuous variable cross-section direct extrusion（CVCDE）to study its deformation behavior. Metallographic microscopy（OM）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） were used to observe the variations in microstructure and fracture morphology of Mg alloy AZ31 as a function of processing methods. The results reveal that grains of Mg alloy AZ31 were refined and their microstructure was homogenized by CVCDE. The recrystallization in Mg alloy AZ31 produced by CVCDE with 2 interim dies was more complete than that produced by conventional extrusion（CE） and CVCDE with 1 interim die, and the grains were finer and more uniform.Plasticity of the AZ31 alloy was improved. Fracture mode was evolved from a combination of ductility and brittleness to a sole ductile form. In summary, a CVCDE mold structure with 2 interim dies can improve microstructure, plasticity, and toughness of Mg alloy AZ31.

Microstructure, mechanical properties and deformation characteristics of Al-Mg-Si alloys processed by a continuous expansion extrusion approach

In the present work,a double-pass continuous expansion extrusion forming(CEEF) process was proposed for an Al-Mg-Si alloy,in which the diameter of rods was gradually expanded.The microstructural evolution,mechanical properties and deformation characteristics were investigated by utilizing microstructural observations,mechanical testing and a finite element method coupled with a cellular automata model.The results showed that the strength and ductility of the double-pass CEEF processed Al-Mg-Si alloys were improved synchronously,especially in artificially aged alloys.The grain size of the processed Al-Mg-Si alloy rods was refined remarkably by continuous dynamic recrystallization(CDRX)and geometric dynamic recrystallization(GDRX),and the homogeneity of microstructure was gradually improved with increasing number of processing passes.The artificially aged alloy processed with double-pass CEEF and water quenching contained fine(sub)grains and high-density dislocations,which resulted in more needle-shaped β" precipitates and a larger precipitate aspect ratio than the as-received and air-cooled CEEF alloys owing to the different precipitation kinetics.The severe cumulate strain and microshear bands were found to accelerate CDRX and GDRX for grain refinement between adjacent positions of the parabolic metal flow due to the special temperature characteristics and la rge shear straining during the CEEF process.

Microstructural evolution and properties of a Cu-Cr-Ag alloy during continuous manufacturing process

Microstructure evolution and properties of a Cu-Cr-Ag alloy during the continuous manufacturing process were investigated in detail by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)in the study.The Cu-Cr-Ag alloy rod with uniform compositions is fabricated by upward continuous casting technology.Few of the Cr phases are observed in the ascast alloy.During the continuous extrusion process,the severe shear deformation and the dynamic aging occur.The average grain size of as-extruded alloy is much smaller than that of as-cast alloy.Both fcc and bcc Cr precipitates appear in the matrix.The interaction mode between dislocations and precipitates can be identified as Orowan bypass mode according to the TEM observations.The overall difference in the yield strength between as-cast and as-extruded Cu-Cr-Ag alloy is attributed to solid solution strengthening,grain refinement strengthening,precipitation hardening and working hardening.

Dual Strengthened Control of Recrystallization Behavior on CVCDE Magnesium Alloy Containing Characteristic Structure

Various characteristic structures in typical magnesium alloys,including dislocation cells,substructures and twins,have an important influence on the dynamic recrystallization behavior,and the DRX(dynamic recrystallization)behavior is closely related to the grain refinement and texture weakening of the hot deformed structure.Therefore,this study reveals the influence of the above characteristic structures on the dynamic recrystallization behavior of magnesium alloys,which have great significance for regulating the high-performance hot deformed microstructure of magnesium alloys and optimizing the macro mechanical properties.In this study,continuous variable channel direct extrusion(CVCDE)magnesium alloy was prepared by CVCDE,and its macro mechanical properties including hardness and uniaxial tension were characterized.The thermoplastic deformation behavior and texture evolution of magnesium alloy with characteristic structure were analyzed by electron back-scattering diffraction technology.It is found that the dislocation recombination was realized by deformation mechanism(slip,climb and cross slip),the formation of grain substructure in coarse grains and the induction of recrystallization by twins promote the recrystallization behavior in hot deformed structures more adequate,which effectively improves the degree of microstructure refinement and deformation uniformity.