Anisotropy of mechanical properties of 2297-T87 Al–Li alloy thick plates

The tensile properties of 2297-T87 Al–Li alloy thick plates at different thickness position and in different direction were analyzed via tensile testing,optical microscopy(OM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS),and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Results indicated that the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(YS)of the alloy decreased firstly and then increased from the 1/8T position to the 1/2T position,whereas elongation to failure(Ef)decreased gradually such that its value along the rolling direction(RD)was higher than those along the transverse direction(TD)at the same thickness position.From the 1/8T position to the 3/8T position of the alloy,the UTS and YS along the TD were higher than those along the RD.At the 1/2T position of the alloy,the UTS,YS,and Ef along the RD were the highest,whereas those along the normal direction(ND)were the lowest.Microstructural observations further revealed that the anisotropy of tensile properties was related to grain morphology,crystal texture,second-phase particles,and Li atom segregation.

High-Performance 3D Li-B-C-Al Alloy Anode and its Twofold Li Electrostripping and Plating Mechanism Revealed by Synchrotron X-Ray Tomography

The uncontrollable Li electrostripping and plating process that results in dendritic Li growth and huge volume change of Li anode limits the practicality of Li metal batteries(LMBs).To simultaneously address these issues,designing three-dimensional(3D),lithiophilic and mechanically robust electrodes seems to be one of the cost-effective strategies.Herein,a new 3D Li-B-C-Al alloy anode is designed and fabricated.The prepared 3D alloy anode exhibits not only superior lithiophilicity that facilitates uniform Li nucleation and growth but also sufficient mechanical stability that maintains its structural integrity.Superior performance of the prepared 3D alloy is demonstrated through comprehensive electrochemical tests.In addition,non-destructive and 3D synchrotron X-ray computed tomography(SX-CT)technique is employed to investigate the underlying working mechanisms of the prepared alloy anode.A unique twofold Li electrostripping and plating mechanism under different electrochemical cycling conditions is revealed.Lastly,improved performance of the full cells built with the 3D alloy anode and LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM811)cathode corroborate its potential application capability.Overall,the current work not only showcases the superiority of the 3D alloy as potential anode material for LMBs but also provides fundamental insights into its underlying working mechanisms that may further propel its research and development.

Impact Damage Identification of Aluminum Alloy Reinforced Plate Based on GWO-ELM Algorithm

As a critical structure of aerospace equipment,aluminum alloy stiffened plate will influence the stability of spacecraft in orbit and the normal operation of the system.In this study,a GWO-ELM algorithm-based impact damage identification method is proposed for aluminum alloy stiffened panels to monitor and evaluate the damage condition of such stiffened panels of spacecraft.Firstly,together with numerical simulation,the experimental simulation to obtain the damage acoustic emission signals of aluminum alloy reinforced panels is performed,to establish the damage data.Subsequently,the amplitude-frequency characteristics of impact damage signals are extracted and put into an extreme learning machine(ELM)model to identify the impact location and damage degree,and the Gray Wolf Optimization(GWO)algorithm is employed to update the weight parameters of the model.Finally,experiments are conducted on the irregular aluminum alloy stiffened plate with the size of 2200 mm×500 mm×10 mm,the identification accuracy of impact position and damage degree is 98.90% and 99.55% in 68 test areas,respectively.Comparative experiments with ELM and backpropagation neural networks(BPNN)demonstrate that the impact damage identification of aluminum alloy stiffened plate based on GWO-ELM algorithm can serve as an effective way to monitor spacecraft structural damage.

Electroless Ni-P plating on Mg-Li alloy by two-step method

Pretreated Mg-Li alloy sheets were pre-plated in a NiCO3？2Ni（OH）2？4H2O solution to form a thin Ni-P alloy film and then plating in a NiSO4？6H2O solution was carried out to obtain a protective coating.The surface morphology,structure and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied.The results showed that a flat,bright and compact plating layer,which was integrated into the matrix metal,was obtained.The P content of the Ni-P coating reached 13.56%（mass fraction）.The hardness value of the Ni-P coating was about HV 549.The polarization curve showed that the corrosion potential of the Ni-P coating reached ？0.249 V（vs SCE）.A long passivation region was found on the polarization curve,and this phenomenon indicated that the coating has an excellent anti-corrosion property.

Shear deformation and plate shape control of hot-rolled aluminium alloy thick plate prepared by asymmetric rolling process

Asymmetric rolling （ASR）, as one of severe plastic deformation （SPD） methods to make ultra-fine materials with enhanced performance is mainly used to prepare foil and thin strip. The asymmetrical rolling was achieved by adjusting the diameters of the upper roll and the bottom roll and was used to prepare hot-rolled thick plate of 5182 aluminium alloy. The shear deformation and plate shape control were experimentally studied. The experimental results show that asymmetrical rolling has a significant effect on metal deformation stream and can somehow refine microstructure and improve the uniformity of microstructure and properties. The asymmetrical rolling process can also reduce the rolling force. However, bending of rolling plate often happens during asymmetrical rolling process. The factors affecting the bending were discussed.

Structure and effects of electroless Ni-Sn-P transition layer during acid electroless plating on magnesium alloys

An electroless ternary Ni-Sn-P transition layer with high corrosion resistance was applied for acid electroless nickel plating on magnesium alloys. The surface morphologies and microstructure of the traditional alkaline electroless Ni-P and novel Ni-Sn-P transition layers were compared by SEM and XRD, and the bonding strengths between the transition layers and AZ31 magnesium alloys were tested. The corrosion resistance of the samples was analyzed by porosity test, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） in acid electroless solution at p H 4.5 and immersion test in 10% HCl. The results indicate that the transition layer is essential for acid electroless plating Ni-P coatings on magnesium alloys. Under the same thin thickness（-6 μm）, the electroless Ni-Sn-P transition layer possesses superior properties to the traditional Ni-P transition layer, including high amorphization, smooth and dense surface without pores, enhanced bonding strength and corrosion resistance. Most importantly, acid electroless Ni-P coatings can be successfully deposited on magnesium alloys by using Ni-Sn-P transition layer.

Anisotropy of localized corrosion in 7050-T7451 Al alloy thick plate

The corrosion anisotropy of 7050-T7451 A1 alloy thick plate in NaCI solution was investigated by immersion tests, slow strain rate testing （SSRT） technique, potentiodynamic and anode polarization measurements, optical microscropy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） observations. The results show that the thick plate exhibits severe corrosion anisotropy due to the microstructure anisotropy. The observations of immersion surfaces together with the analysis of polarization curves reveal that the differences of the corrosion morphologies on various sections in this material are mainly related to the area fraction of the remnant second phase, and higher area fraction displays worst corrosion resistance. The stress corrosion cracking （SCC） susceptibility of different directions relative to the rolling direction is assessed by SSRT technique, ranked in the order： S direction 〉 L direction 〉 T direction. The result show that the smaller the grain aspect ratio, the better the corrosion resistance to SCC.

Influence of dent on residual ultimate strength of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy plate under axial compression

Drop-weight impact tests were conducted on 2024-T3 aluminum plates with five types of impactors, and then the effects of the dent on the residual ultimate strength of the 2024-T3 specimens were investigated through axial compression tests. Results indicate that with increase in dent depth, the five types of dents affect the ultimate strength of the plate in different trends. Nevertheless, other than the plate global deflection caused by impacting, the dent itself has unremarkable effect on the ultimate strength. The mathematical expressions are derived regarding the relationship between impact energy factor and the dent depth factor as well as the compressive ultimate strength reduction rate and the dent depth factor.

Reverse deep drawability of 5A06 aluminum alloy plate at elevated temperatures

In order to avoid the occurrence of fracture at room temperature in reverse deep drawing of aluminum alloy plate, the warm reverse deep drawing method was proposed. The experiments were conducted at room temperature, 280 and 360 ℃ with a 4.5 mm thick 5A06 aluminum alloy plate. The effect of temperature, blank-holding force and gap on the fracture and wrinkle of the reverse deep drawing process was investigated. A fully coupled thermal-mechanical simulation was carried out to obtain the stress distribution through the commercial software of Abaqus/Explicit. The results show that the fracture is avoided at 280 ℃ since the bending-induced stress gradient in the transient area between the inside corner and the straight wall decreases from 505 MPa at RT to 72 MPa at 280 ° C. Although the fracture is avoided as the temperature increases, the wrinkle occurs at the outside die corner at temperature over 280 ° C, where the circumferential compressive stress becomes larger than that at the inside. As the temperature increases to 360 ℃, the fracture occurs due to the excessive softening, the tensile stress in the straight wall reaches rapidly to the tensile strength at the beginning of reverse deep drawing. When 1.5t （t=4.5 mm） blank holding gap is applied at 280 ℃, both the fracture and wrinkle can be avoided, and 420 mm deep cups are drawn successfully.

Surface quality, microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-Sn alloy plate prepared by two-phase zone continuous casting

Cu-4.7%Sn （mass fraction） alloy plate was prepared by the self-developed two-phase zone continuous casting （TZCC） process. The relationship between process parameters of TZCC and surface quality of the alloy plate was investigated. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the TZCC alloy plate were analyzed. The results show that Cu-4.7%Sn alloy plate with smooth surface can be obtained by means of reasonable matching the entrance temperature of two-phase zone mold and the continuous casting speed. The microstructure of the TZCC alloy is composed of grains-covered grains, small grains with self-closed grain boundaries, columnar grains and equiaxed grains. Compared with cold mold continuous casting Cu-4.7%Sn alloy plate, the room temperature tensile strength and ductility of the TZCC alloy plate are greatly improved.

Construction and solution of strain model along thickness of aluminum alloy plate under plastic deformation

A thickness strain model of aluminium alloy plate under plastic deformation,based on thin plate assumption was proposed.It is found that when ratio of stress fractions is constant during in-plane loading,ratios of strain components under various loading conditions are linearly related and these points of ratios form a η-η line.Under these simple loadings,strains in thickness direction can be easily calculated by the η-η line equation without integral and differential work.When the plate is under more complicated loading conditions,the thickness can be computed by the proposed optimization and piecewise calculation model.Validation computations indicate that the relative error of the results of the presented model is less than 0.75% compared with the proven theories and FE simulation.Therefore,the developed model can be applied to engineering calculation,e.g.pre-stretching analysis of aerospace aluminium thick plate,with acceptable accuracy.

Electroless plating and growth kinetics of Ni-P alloy film on SiC_p/Al composite with high SiC volume fraction

After Sn/Pd activating, the SiCp/Al composite with 65% SiC (volume fraction) was coated by electroless Ni?P alloy plating. Surface morphology of the composite and its effect on the Ni?P alloy depositing process and bonding action of Ni and P atoms in the Ni?P alloy were studied. The results show that inhomogeneous distribution of the Sn/Pd activating points results in preferential deposition of the Ni?P alloy particles on the Al alloy and rough SiC particle surfaces and in the etched caves. The Ni?P alloy film has an amorphous structure where chemical bonding between Ni and P atoms exists. After a continuous Ni?P alloy film formed, electroless Ni?P alloy plating is not affected by surface morphology and characteristics of the SiCp/Al composite any longer, but by the electroless plating process itself. The Ni?P alloy film follows linear growth kinetics with an activation energy of 68.44 kJ/mol.

Homogenization pretreatment and electroless Ni-P plating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Electroless nickel plating on AZ91D substrate with a new and eco-friendly pretreatment process based on tuning an electrochemical homogeneous surface was investigated. The morphology, deposition process, chemical composition and microstructure of Ni-P coating were studied. It is indicated that β phases are selectively removed, producing a microstructural homogeneous surface and the subsequent uniform and compact Zn immersion layer. A defect-free and well adhesive Ni-P coating can be successfully obtained due to its uniform nucleation and growth based on such pretreatment. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） tests reveal that Ni-P coating could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of AZ91D substrate.

The study of electroless Ni-W-P alloy plating on glass fibers

Ni-W-P coatings were deposited on the surface of glass fibers by the electroless plating process. The bath was very stable through the palladium salt test. There was no phenomenon of peeling and blistering on the surface of the Ni-W-P alloy glass fibers in the thermal shock test. It showed that the deposit had high impact strength and good adhesion. The morphology of the coatings was observed by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The elements and their contents were tested and analyzed by energy dispersion spectrometer （EDS）. The tungsten content reached up to 12.1 wt.%. The effects of the concentrations of NiSO4, Na2WO4, and NaH2PO2.H20 on the conductivity of the coatings were studied. The resistivity of the Ni-W-P alloy glass fibers reached 7.39 × 10^-3 Ωcm. The alloy coatings on glass fibers were analyzed by XRD. The results indicated that the deposit had an amorphous structure and good heat stability. The suitable work temperature range was lower than 190℃. Finally, the electromagnetic parameters of the Ni-W-P alloy glass fibers were tested and analyzed primarily. The magnetic loss reached 0.04023 and the dielectric loss reached -5.80239. The plated alloy is a kind of soft magnetic material.

Ageing behavior of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy pre-stretched thick plate

The ageing behavior of a pre-stretched thick plate of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy was systemically studied including one-step ageing, two-step ageing, and retrogression and reageing treatment （RRA）. One-step ageing of the alloy resulted in peak ultimate tensile strengths of 595 and 575 MPa after 22 and 6 h at 120 and 135°C, respectively. The strengthening phase in peak aged （T6 temper） alloy contained GP zones and the η′ phase predominantly. After two-step ageing, the electrical conductivity was increased markedly, but the pre-stretched thick plate sacrificed a great loss of strength. RRA treatment provided a method for maintaining the strength close to that obtained by T6 temper and for obtaining the high electrical conductivity close to that obtained by T7 temper; the ultimate tensile strength and electrical conductivity were 583 MPa and 21.0 MS/m, respectively. TEM analysis of T7 and RRA specimens revealed two types of precipitates that contributed to age strengthening i.e. the η′ and η phases.

High-temperature tribological properties of Ni-P alloy coatings deposited by electro-brush plating

High-temperature tribological properties of Ni-P alloy coatings processed by electro-brush plating on 20CrMo steel have been investigated. A baU-on-disc configuration was employed and 4 mm diameter Si3N4 balls were used as static counterpart. All the wear tests were carried out at 450℃ for 180 rain without lubricants. The electro-brush plating Ni-P coating is amorphous in as-deposited condition, and it becomes polycrystalline with the formation of Ni and Ni3P after heat treatment at 450℃for 1 h. The friction coefficient of the Ni-P coating is just 50% of that of the 20CrMo steel at the friction temperature of 450℃. A mild adhesive wear mechanism was found for the electro-brush plating Ni-P coating tested at 450℃, whereas for the 20CrMo steel at the same temperature a mixed adhesive and abrasive wear mechanism was observed.

Composition and Morphology of Zn-Co Alloy Coatings Deposited by Means of Pulse Plating Containing Reverse Current

The influence of bath constituents and pulse parameters on cobalt content, surface morphologies and grain size of Zn-Co alloy deposits was studied using a pulse plating technique with a square- wave current containing reverse pulse, It is found that Zn-Co alloy coatings obtained from the bath with the cobalt ion concentration over 60 wt% have a higher cobalt content in deposits. The results of pulse plating show that the average current density and reverse anodic current density amongst the variables investigated have very strong effects on the cobalt content in the Zn-Co alloy deposits. It is possible to electrodeposit Zn-Co alloy coatings with 10-90 wt% cobalt by modulating pulse parameters. The grain size, surface appearance and internal stress in the deposit were improved significantly by introducing the reverse current.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Structure and Magnetic Performance of Ni-Fe-P Alloy Obtained by Electroless Plating

The electroless deposition of Ni68-Fe10.5-P21.5 alloy has been investigated. The crystallization behavior of the deposit was comparatively studied by using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry. The deposit transforms into a square Ni3P phase at 380. 0 ℃, then changes into a cubic FeNi3 phase at 490. 0 ℃. The microhardness, the size of the formed grains and the magnetic performance of the deposit increase with the increase of the heat treatment temperature below 500 ℃, then they decrease after this temperature. The effect of heat treatment time at 500 ℃ on the surface micromorphology, the structure and the magnetic performance of the deposit were also studied. The resuits show that with the increase of heat treatment time, the extent of crystallization of the deposit increases and the size of the formed grains becomes uniform. The results also show that the magnetic performance of the deposit under heat treatment for 40 min is maximal and then decreases with the increase of heat treatment time. The property change of the deposit is related to the crystal structure and the size of the formed grains of the deposit.

Progress of electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloy

The current research processes of electroplating and electroless Ni-P alloy plating on magnesium alloys were reviewed. Theoretically,the reason for difficulties in electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys was given.The zinc immersion, copper immersion,direct electroless Ni-P alloy plating and electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys prepared by chemical conversion coating were presented in detail.Especially,the research development of magnesium alloy AZ91 and AZ31 was discussed briefly.Based on the analysis,the existing problems and future research directions were then given.

Relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of 5083 aluminum alloy thick plate

The microstructure and mechanical properties of 105 mm thick 5083 aluminum alloy hot rolled plate were investigated by metallurgical microscope, scanning electron microscope and tensile testing machine, and three major characteristic problems in mechanical properties inhomogeneity were explained. The results show that the mechanical properties of the rolled plate are inhomogeneous along the thickness direction. From the surface to the center, the strength shows an inverted "N" shape change and the elongation presents a semi "U" shape change. Several similar structural units composed of long fibrous grains(LFG) and short fibrous grains bands(SFGB) exist in a special layer(Layer 2) adjacent to the surface. This alternating layered distribution of LFG and SFGB is conducive to improving the plasticity by dispersing the plastic deformation concentrated on the boundary line(BL) between them. However, their different deformability will cause the alternation of additional stresses during the hot rolling, leading to the strength reduction. The closer the location to the center of the plate is, the more likely the recovery rather than the recrystallization occurs. This is the possible reason for the unnegligible difference in strength near the central region(Layer 4 and Layer 5).