Review on the effect of different processing techniques on the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of AZ31 Magnesium alloy

Magnesium(Mg)alloys despite being the ideal candidate for structural applications,owing to their high specific strength and low density,are not widely used due to lack of active slip systems at room temperature in their hexagonal close-packed crystal structure,eliciting poor ductility and formability.Amongst the various series of Mg alloys,the AZ and ZK series alloys have been standouts,as they inherit better room temperature strength and flow characteristics through their solute elements.Grain refinement,as well as eliminating casting defects through metal processing techniques are vital for the commercial viability of these alloys since they play a key role in controlling the mechanical behaviour.As such,this review highlights the effect of different Bulk-deformation and Severe Plastic Deformation techniques on the crystal orientation and the corresponding mechanical behaviours of the AZ31 alloy.However,every process parameter surrounding these techniques must be well thought of,as they require specially designed tools.With the advent of finite element analysis,these processes could be computationally realized for different parameters and optimized in an economically viable manner.Hence,this article also covers the developments made in finite element methods towards these techniques.

Association between Phthalate Exposure and the Use of Plastic Containers in Shanghai Adults

Objective Consuming phthalates may be due to the presence of food contact materials, such as plastic containers. In this study, we investigated the association between plastic container use and phthalate exposure in 2,140 Shanghai adults. Methods Participants completed a questionnaire on the frequency of using plastic containers in different scenarios in the previous year （e.g., daily, weekly） and on the consumption of plastic-packaged foods in the previous three days （yes or no）. Urinary phthalate metabolites were used to assess the association between phthalate exposure and the use of plastic containers. Results The metabolites of di-（2-ethylhexyl） phthalate （DEHP） were the most frequently detected in urine. The results revealed that phthalate exposure was associated with consumption of plastic-packaged breakfast or processed food items in the previous three days. The consumption of these two food items had strong synergistic effects on increasing urinary concentrations of most phthalate metabolites. Conclusion Our results of plastic-packaged breakfast and processed food may be explained by the use of flexible plastic containers, indicating the importance of risk assessment for the application of flexible plastic containers.

On Numerical Modelling of Industrial Powder Compaction Processes for Large Deformation of Endochronic Plasticity at Finite Strains

Compaction processes are one the most important par ts of powder forming technology. The main applications are focused on pieces for a utomotive, aeronautic, electric and electronic industries. The main goals of the compaction processes are to obtain a compact with the geometrical requirements, without cracks, and with a uniform distribution of density. Design of such proc esses consist, essentially, in determine the sequence and relative displacements of die and punches in order to achieve such goals. A.B. Khoei presented a gener al framework for the finite element simulation of powder forming processes based on the following aspects; a large displacement formulation, centred on a total and updated Lagrangian formulation; an adaptive finite element strategy based on error estimates and automatic remeshing techniques; a cap model based on a hard ening rule in modelling of the highly non-linear behaviour of material; and the use of an efficient contact algorithm in the context of an interface element fo rmulation. In these references, the non-linear behaviour of powder was adequately desc ribed by the cap plasticity model. However, it suffers from a serious deficiency when the stress-point reaches a yield surface. In the flow theory of plasticit y, the transition from an elastic state to an elasto-plastic state appears more or less abruptly. For powder material it is very difficult to define the locati on of yield surface, because there is no distinct transition from elastic to ela stic-plastic behaviour. Results of experimental test on some hard met al powder show that the plastic effects were begun immediately upon loading. In such mater ials the domain of the yield surface would collapse to a point, so making the di rection of plastic increment indeterminate, because all directions are normal to a point. Thus, the classical plasticity theory cannot deal with such materials and an advanced constitutive theory is necessary. In the present paper, the constitutive equations of powder materials will be discussed via an endochronic theory of plasticity. This theory provides a unifi ed point of view to describe the elastic-plastic behaviour of material since it places no requirement for a yield surface and a ’loading function’ to disting uish between loading an unloading. Endochronic theory of plasticity has been app lied to a number of metallic materials, concrete and sand, but to the knowledge of authors, no numerical scheme of the model has been applied to powder material . In the present paper, a new approach is developed based on an endochronic rate independent, density-dependent plasticity model for describing the isothermal deformation behavior of metal powder at low homologous temperature. Although the concept of yield surface has not been explicitly assumed in endochronic theory, it is shown that the cone-cap plasticity yield surface (Fig.1), which is the m ost commonly used plasticity models for describing the behavior of powder materi al can be easily derived as a special case of the proposed endochronic theory. Fig.1 Trace of cone-cap yield function on the meridian pl ane for different relative density As large deformation is observed in powder compaction process, a hypoelastic-pl astic formulation is developed in the context of finite deformation plasticity. Constitutive equations are stated in unrotated frame of reference that greatly s implifies endochronic constitutive relation in finite plasticity. Constitutive e quations of the endochronic theory and their numerical integration are establish ed and procedures for determining material parameters of the model are demonstra ted. Finally, the numerical schemes are examined for efficiency in the model ling of a tip shaped component, as shown in Fig.2. Fig.2 A shaped tip component. a) Geometry, boundary conditio n and finite element mesh; b) density distribution at final stage of

Microstructure, mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms of an Al-Mg alloy processed by the cyclical continuous expanded extrusion and drawing approach

Al-Mg alloys are an important class of non-heat treatable alloys in which Mg solute and grain size play essential role in their mechanical properties and plastic deformation behaviors.In this work,a cyclical continuous expanded extrusion and drawing(CCEED)process was proposed and implemented on an Al-3Mg alloy to introduce large plastic deformation.The results showed that the continuous expanded extrusion mainly improved the ductility,while the cold drawing enhanced the strength of the alloy.With the increased processing CCEED passes,the multi-pass cross shear deformation mechanism progressively improved the homogeneity of the hardness distributions and refined grain size.Continuous dynamic recrystallization played an important role in the grain refinement of the processed Al-3Mg alloy rods.Besides,the microstructural evolution was basically influenced by the special thermomechanical deformation conditions during the CCEED process.

Cellulose Acetate Thermoplastics with High Modulus, Dimensicnal Stability and Anti-migration Properties by Using CA-g-PLA as Macromolecular Plasticizer

Cellulose diacetate(CDA)can be melt processed to produce numerous and widely-used plastic products.However,due to the high glass transition temperature(Tg)of CDA,the addition of up to 30 wt%of micromolecular plasticizers is indispensable,which significantly reduces the dimensional stability and raises safety concerns from the migration of plasticizers.In this work,a series of CDA-graft poly(lactic acid)(CDA-g-PLA)copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of lactide onto the hydroxyI groups of CDA.The resultant CDA-g-PLA copolymers possess adjustable degrees of substitution(DSpua)and side chain length(DPpLa)by controlling the reaction time and feed ratio.The Tgs and thermal flow temperatures(Ts)of CDA-g-PLA strongly depend on DPpA such as the Tgs decrease linearly with the increase of DPA.The CDA-g-PLA copolymers with the DPLA of 3-9 can be directly processed to transparent plastics by melt processing without any external plasticizers,because of their low Tfs of 170-215℃.More impressively.the CDA-g PLA can act as the macromolecular plasticizer.The obtained CDA/CDA-g-PLA has higher storage modulus,flexural modulus and Young's modulus than the commercial CDA plasticized with triethyl citrate.In addition,the CDA/CDA-g PLA exhibits high dimensional stabilty and anti-migration property.During a long term treatment at 80℃ and 60%humidity,the CDA/CDA-g-PLA can retain the initial shape.Therefore,this work not only proposes a facile method for achieving a direct thermoplastic processing of CDA,but also provides a macromolecular plasticizer for CDA to make lightweight,stable and safer biobased thermoplastics.

What is going on in magnesium alloys？

China has been developed into one of the most active regions in terms of both fundamental and applied research on magnesium （Mg） and its alloys in the world from a solid base laid by its prominent metallurgist and materials scientists over the past decades. Nowadays, a large number of young-generation researchers have been inspired by their predecessors and become the key participants in the fields of Mg alloys, which consequently led to the establishment of China Youth Scholar Society for Magnesium Alloys Research in 2015. Since then, the first two China Youth Scholars Symposiums on Mg Alloys Research had been held at Harbin （2015） and Chongqing （2016） China, respectively. A number of crucial research inter- ests related to fundamental and applied Mg research were discussed at the conferences and summarized in this short perspective, aiming to boost far-reaching initiatives for development of new Mg-based materials to satisfy the requirements for a broad range of industrial employments. Herein, four main aspects are included as follows： i） Plastic deformation mechanism and strengthening strategy, ii） Design and development of new Mg-based materials, iii） Key service properties, and iv） New processing technologies.