Energy Dissipation and Apparent Viscosity of Semi-solid Metal during Rheological Processes PartⅡ:Apparent Viscosity

This study investigated the rheological properties of semi-solid metal. An analytical model of apparent viscosity was built up based on analysis of energy dissipation during rheological processes such as slurry preparing, delivering and model filling. The rheological properties of SSM （semi-solid metal） slurry was described by an analytical model in terms of microstructural parameters, which consist of effective solid fraction, particle size and shape, and flow parameters such as mean velocity, fluctuant velocity and relative velocity between liquid and solid phase. The model was verified in the experiment of A356 alloys with a coaxial double-bucket rheometer. And the maximum relative error between the theoretical value and measured one is less than 20%. The results of experiment and theoretical calculation also indicate that the microstructural parameters and flow parameters are two major factors that affect the apparent viscosity of semi-solid alloys, and fluctuant velocity and relative velocity between liquid and solid phase are the key factors to distinguish between steady and transient rheological properties.

Influence of surface liquid segregation on corrosion behavior of semi-solid metal high pressure die cast aluminium alloys

The corrosion behavior(in chloride medium) of the surface layer of SSM-HPDC plates of alloys 7075-T6 and 2024-T6 was compared with that of the wrought alloys 7075-T6 and 2024-T6.Potentiodynamic testing was performed in deaerated 3.5%NaCl solution.In separate tests,the open-circuit potential was monitored in aerated 3.5% NaCl for 30 min after immersion.The electrochemical tests show that there is no significant difference in the pitting potential of the wrought alloys and that of the Cu-enriched surfaces of the SSM-HPDC alloys.

Microstructural evolution during semisolid state strain induced melt activation process of aluminum 7075 alloy

7075 艾尔合金由导致的紧张生产了的半固体的微观结构进化上的压缩比率的效果融化激活(SIMA ) 过程被调查。样品是压缩使变形进不同高度直到 40% 减小的寒冷。等温的成立处理在 625 猠畬牲 ? 慷 ? 牰摯 ' 讚瓚?湩敪瑣湩 ? 楦敮朠獡戠 'T 汢獥椠瑮 ? 桴 ? 被执行敭瑬琠牨畯桧愠朠慲桰瑩 ? 楤晦獵牥搠牵湩 ?

Formation and Evolution of Non-dendritic Microstructures of Semisolid Alloys Prepared by Shearing/Cooling Roll Process

The shearing/cooling roll （SCR） process was adopted to prepare semi-solid A2017 alloy. The formation and evolution of non-dendritic microstructures in semi-solid A2017 alloy were studied. It is shown that the microstructures of semi-solid billets transform from coarse dendrites into fine equiaxed grains as the pouring temperature of molten alloy decreases o.r roll-shoe cavity height is reduced. From the inlet to the exit of roll-shoe cavity, microstructure of semi-solid slurry near the shoe surface is in the order of coarse dendrites, degenerated dendrites or equiaxed grains, but fine equiaxed grains are near the roll surface. Microstructural evolution of semi-solid slurry prepared by SCR process is that the molten alloy nucleates and grows into dendrite firstly on the roll and shoe＇s surface. Under the shearing and stirring given by the rotating roll, the dendrites crush off and disperse into the melt. Under the shearing and stirring on semi-solid slurry with high volume fraction of solid, the dendrite arms fracture and form equiaxed grain microstructures.

Preparation of semi-solid slurry containing fine and globular particles for wrought aluminum alloy 2024

The semi-solid slurry of wrought aluminum alloy 2024 was prepared by a well developed rheocasting process, low superheat pouring with shearing field(LSPSF). The appreciate combination of pouring temperature and rotation speed of barrel, can give rise to a transition of the growth morphology of primary α(Al) from coarse-dendritic to coarse-particle-like and further to fine-globular. The combined effects of both localized rapid cooling and vigorous mixing during the initial stage of solidification can enhance wall nucleation and nuclei survival, which leads to the formation of fine-globular primary α(Al). By using semi-solid slurry prepared by LSPSF, direct squeeze cast cup-shaped component with improved mechanical properties such as yield strength of 198 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 306 MPa and elongation of 10.4%, can be obtained.

Industrial development of gas induced semi-solid process

The gas induced semi-solid(GISS) is a rheocasting process that produces semi-solid slurry by applying fine gas bubble injection through a graphite diffuser.The process is developed to be used in the die casting industry.To apply the GISS process with a die casting process,a GISS maker unit is designed and attached to a conventional die casting machine with little modifications.The commercial parts are developed and produced by the GISS die casting process.The GISS die casting shows the feasibility to produce industrial parts with aluminum 7075 and A356 with lower porosity than liquid die casting.

Coarsening rate of microstructure in semi-solid aluminium alloys

The rate of microstructural coarsening of recrystallisation and partial melting (RAP) and cooling slope (CS) processed materials in the semi-solid state is compared with rates found in the literature.The rate of coarsening depended on the liquid fraction but RAP route 2014 alloy with 37% liquid coarsened slightly more slowly than the CS route 2014 alloy with a lower liquid fraction of 17%, contrary to expectations.For the CS route, an increase in liquid fraction resulted in faster coarsening.A modified 2014 alloy with Fe, Mn and Zn stripped out of the composition gave a relatively high coarsening rate.The coarsening rate was also relatively high for CS 201 alloy in comparison with either RAP 2014 or CS 2014.Low coarsening rates are thought to be associated with the presence of particles which inhibit the migration of liquid film grain boundaries.This could be the result of pinning or of the liquid film impeding diffusion at the boundary.

Microstructure evolution of semi-solid 2024 alloy during two-step reheating process

A two-step reheating process was proposed and applied to perform reheating experiments on the semi-solid 2024 alloy billet. In this process, the semi-solid billet was firstly heated over liquidus temperature and then isothermally held at solid-liquid zone temperature. Microstructure evolution of the semi-solid billet during two-step reheating was studied by optical microscope and compared with that during isothermal reheating. The results show that the remelting rate of the semi-solid billet during two-step reheating is faster than that during isothermal reheating. Under the same reheating time, the grains of the semi-solid billet reheated by two-step reheating process are finer and rounder than those by isothermal reheating process. The present experimental results indicate that accelerating the formation of liquid phase during the two-step reheating process can restrain the coalescence of grains to a certain extent, and thus refine the grain size and promote the grain spheroidization.

Analysis of semi-solid response under rapid compression tests using multi-scale modelling and experiments

Simulating semi-solid metal forming requires modelling semi-solid behaviour.However, such modelling is difficult because semi-solid behavior is thixotropic and depends on the liquid-solid spatial distribution within the material.In order to better understand and model relationships between microstructure and behavior, a model based on micromechanical approaches and homogenisation techniques is presented.This model is an extension of a previous model established in a pure viscoplastic framework to account for elasticity.Indeed, experimental load-displacement signals reveal the presence of an elastic-type response in the earlier stages of deformation when semi-solids are loaded under rapid compression.This elastic feature of the behaviour is attributed to the response of the porous solid skeleton saturated by incompressible liquid.A good quantitative agreement is found between the elastic-viscoplastic predicted response and the experimental data.More precisely, the strong initial rising part of the load-displacement curve, the peak load and the subsequent fall in load are well captured.The effect of solid fraction on mechanical response is in qualitative agreement with experiments.

Development of aluminum rheo-extrusion process using semi-solid slurry at low solid fraction

An aluminum extrusion process is mainly used to fabricate long tubes, beams and rods for various applications.However, this process has a high production cost due to the need for investment of high-pressure machinery.The objective of this work is to develop a new semi-solid extrusion process using semi-solid slurry at low solid fractions.A laboratory extrusion system was used to fabricate aluminum rods with the diameter of 12 mm.The semi-solid metal process used in this study was the gas induced semi-solid (GISS) technique.To study the feasibility of the GISS extrusion process, the effects of extrusion parameters such as plunger speed and solid fraction on the extrudability, microstructure, and mechanical properties of extruded samples were investigated.The results show that the plunger speed and solid fraction of the semi-solid metal need to be carefully controlled to produce complete extruded parts.

Effect of original microstructures on microstructural evolution of A2017 semi-solid alloy billets during reheating

The microstructural evolution of the A2017 semi-solid alloy billets provided with rheocasting and extruding/extending forming by shearing-cooling-rolling(SCR) technology during reheating in semi-solid state was investigated. The microstructural differences and their generation causes for both billets were also analyzed. The results show that during reheating, the grains of rheocasting billets grow up and spheroidize gradually with the prolongation of isothermal holding time, the eutectic liquid phase at low melting point forms mainly among the grains. However, the grains of the extruding/extending forming billets grow up abnormally through grain coalescence in the initial stage of the reheating, the entrapment of large amount of liquid within grains occurs, and the grain sizes in the reheating billets are coarse and inhomogeneous. Compared with extruding/extending forming billets, rheocasting billets have smaller and uniform grains in reheating microstructure and can rapidly form liquid phase among grains. Therefore, rheocasting billets are more suitable for the semi-solid forming than the extruding/extending forming billets.

Cellular automaton modeling of semisolid microstructure formation

Computer modeling of semi-solid structure formation is of significance in both understanding the mechanisms of globular structure formation and determining the effect of solidification conditions on final microstructure.A modified cellular automaton(mCA) model has been developed,which is coupled with macroscopic models for heat transfer calculation and microscopic models for nucleation and grain growth.The mCA model is applied to A356 Al alloy-one of the most widely used semi-solid alloys,to predict grain morphology and grain size during semi-solid solidification,and determines the effects of pouring temperature on the final microstructure.The modeling results show that the lower the initial temperature,the finer grain size will be obtained.In addition,the model can be used to predict the solutal micro-segregation.

Effects of processing parameters on microstructure of semi-solid magnesium alloy

In this paper, the effects of pouring temperature of magnesium melt, preheating temperature of the barrel of the screw mixer, and shear rate on the solidified microstructures of semi-solid slurry were investigated by a mechanical stirring semi-solid process. The appropriate processing parameters of slurry preparation were obtained, and the mold filling ability of semi-solid slurry for thin-walled casting was examined. Results indicate that the solid volume fraction of non-dendritic microstructure increases with a decrease in pouring temperature of magnesium melt and the barrel preheating temperature of the screw mixer. Also the grain size of primary α-phase is reduced. Furthermore, the solid volume fraction of semi-solid nondendritic structure decreases with an increase of shear rate. The fine and round granular microstructure with 30～50 μm in size of semi-solid AZ91D magnesium alloy was presented. Finally, a 1.0 mm thin-walled casting with a clear contour and good soundness was successfully made by semi-solid rheo-diecasting.

Continuous Extruding Extending Forming of Semi-solid A2017 Alloy

Continuous extruding/ extending formiug process for A2017 alloy in semi-solid state was proposed through installing extending die at the outlet of shearing- cooling- rolling （SCR） machine. A series of experiments to produce fiat bar of A2017 alloy were carried oat. The forming process, metal flow behavior in die and microstructure and mechanical property of prodacts were investigated. It is shown that if the pouring temperature of melt was higher, the die was filled with semi-solid slurry with low solid fraction and periodical cracks would occur on the product surface ; If its pouring temperature was lower or the preheating temperature of die was lower, semisolid slurry would solidify rapidly and block the die after entering the cavity. The analysis of mass flow trace shows that the semi-solid slurry move forward layer by layer and fills the die extending cavity in radiation manner and the velocity of mass flow in the central area of extending cavity and exit of mould is the maximum, and then decreases gradually from the center to both sides of die wall. By inereasiug the die extending angle, the velocity of mass flow becomes more homogeneous. Under rational process control and die design, the A2017 fiat bar with transverse section of 10 × 50 mm and with good surface and fine equiaxed grains can be obtained by continuous extruding/extending forming process. The product＇s tensile strength and elongation are 420.5 MPa and 14.2% , respectively.

金属半固态浆料非枝晶微观组织形成机制与表征

半固态技术自20世纪70年代由麻省理工学院开发以来,因其独特的优势而在全球范围内得到了广泛的研究。非枝晶组织的形成机理是半固态成形技术的基石,它决定了在特定条件下应采用哪些工艺来获得优质的半固态组织,对开发新工艺具有重要的指导作用。经过近半个世纪的发展,半固态浆料制备过程中非枝晶结构的形成机理已经发展出许多不同的观点。由此衍生了丰富的半固态浆料制备技术,大大促进了半固态领域的发展。为了进一步理解凝固过程中球晶的形成机制,对各种非枝晶组织的形成机制进行了梳理,基于制备原理将半固态制浆技术分为搅拌制备技术类和低过热度制备技术类,并对常见的几种技术的原理和应用进行了总结。半固态产品的性能在很大程度上取决于其微观组织结构,但半固态形态复杂,传统的二维表征手段对材料内部空间结构的理解可能存在误差。对半固态浆料的二维微观组织和三维显微组织表征技术进行总结分析,为理解金属半固态浆料的微观结构演变和微观组织与性能之间的关系提供了理论基础。

半固态等温热处理对Zr基非晶复合材料塑性变形机制的影响

通过添加不同体积分数的Nb,本工作设计了一系列Zr基非晶复合材料,主要研究了Nb含量对铸态、半固态非晶复合材料的微观组织及塑性性能的影响。结果表明:非晶复合材料塑性应变量随晶体相(β-Zr相)体积分数增加而呈现S型增强规律。半固态等温处理后的非晶复合材料塑性提升,但其塑性增长率随Nb含量增加而减小。当D C(当量直径)/X(平均自由程间距)≥0.65时,β-Zr相体积分数出现最小临界阈值35%,此时材料塑性开始迅速提升;D C/X≥1.5时,β-Zr相体积分数超过54%后,材料塑性保持稳定,进一步说明非晶复合材料塑性与β-Zr相体积分数有关。

半固态浆制备技术的新进展

制浆是半固态金属加工的关键环节 .论述了半固态金属浆制备技术的发展与现状 ,提出了制浆新工艺———液相线铸造 .通过对 2 61 8及 70 75铝合金的实验研究表明 ,采用液相线铸造法可以获得均匀、细小的非枝晶 ,其晶粒尺寸小于 50 μm ,该铸造组织经二次加热后完全转变为均匀、细小的等轴晶 ,是完全适合触变成型的理想的半固态组织 .液相线铸造制浆技术具有工艺简单、投资省、生产效率高、适合大规模工业化生产等优点 ,尤其对变形铝合晶半固态浆料的制备具有独特优势 .

半固态金属成形应用的新进展与前景展望

论述了半固态金属坯料制备工艺、成形工艺、半固态金属成形件的性能和半固态金属成形在一些发达国家应用的最新进展，并展望了半固态金属成形在我国应用的前景及意义。

半固态金属成形的本构关系

将半固态金属成形的本构关系的描述分为低固相率的流变模型和高固相率的应力应变率关系,阐述了其发展过程中具有代表性的材料本构关系,为深入研究半固态金属成形工艺提供了参考。