Bimodal grain structure formation and strengthening mechanisms in Mg-Mn-Al-Ca extrusion alloys

The effects of small additions of calcium (0.1%and 0.5%~1) on the dynamic recrystallization behavior and mechanical properties of asextruded Mg-1Mn-0.5Al alloys were investigated.Calcium microalloying led to the formation of Al_(2)Ca in as-cast Mg-1Mn-0.5Al-0.1Ca alloy and both Mg_(2)Ca and Al_(2)Ca phases in Mg-1Mn-0.5Al-0.5Ca alloy.The formed Al_(2)Ca particles were fractured during extrusion process and distributed at grain boundary along extrusion direction (ED).The Mg_(2)Ca phase was dynamically precipitated during extrusion process,hindering dislocation movement and reducing dislocation accumulation in low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and hindering the transformation of high density of LAGBs into high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs).Therefore,a bimodal structure composed of fine dynamically recrystallized (DRXed) grains and coarse un DRXed regions was formed in Ca-microalloyed Mg-1Mn-0.5Al alloys.The bimodal structure resulted in effective hetero-deformation-induced (HDI) strengthening.Additionally,the fine grains in DRXed regions and the coarse grains in un DRXed regions and the dynamically precipitated Mg_(2)Ca phase significantly enhanced the tensile yield strength from 224 MPa in Mg-1Mn-0.5Al to335 MPa and 352 MPa in Mg-1Mn-0.5Al-0.1Ca and Mg-1Mn-0.5Al-0.5Ca,respectively.Finally,a yield point phenomenon was observed in as-extruded Mg-1Mn-0.5Al-x Ca alloys,more profound with 0.5%Ca addition,which was due to the formation of (■) extension twins in un DRXed regions.

Difference in extrusion temperature dependences of microstructure and mechanical properties between extruded AZ61 and AZ91 alloys

The effects of extrusion temperature on the microstructure and tensile properties of extruded AZ61 and AZ91 alloys are investigated by subjecting them to hot extrusion at 300 and 400℃.Although the average grain size of the extruded AZ61 alloy slightly increases from 9.5 to 12.6μm with increasing extrusion temperature,its resultant microstructural variation is insignificant.In contrast,the average grain size of the extruded AZ91 alloy significantly increases from 5.7 to 22.5μm with increasing extrusion temperature,and the type of Mg17Al12 precipitates formed in it changes from fine dynamic precipitates with a spherical shape to coarse static precipitates with a lamellar structure.As the extrusion temperature increases,the tensile yield strength of the extruded AZ61 alloy increases from 183 to 197 MPa while that of the extruded AZ91 alloy decreases from 232 to 224 MPa.The tensile elongations of the extruded AZ61 and AZ91 alloys decrease with increasing extrusion temperature,but the degree of decrease is significant in the latter alloy.These different extrusion temperature dependences of the tensile properties of the extruded AZ61 and AZ91 alloys are discussed in terms of their microstructural characteristics,strengthening mechanisms,and crack initiation sites.

Method of fabricating artificial rock specimens based on extrusion free forming(EFF)3D printing

Three-dimensional(3D)printing technology has been widely used to create artificial rock samples in rock mechanics.While 3D printing can create complex fractures,the material still lacks sufficient similarity to natural rock.Extrusion free forming(EFF)is a 3D printing technique that uses clay as the printing material and cures the specimens through high-temperature sintering.In this study,we attempted to use the EFF technology to fabricate artificial rock specimens.The results show the physico-mechanical properties of the specimens are significantly affected by the sintering temperature,while the nozzle diameter and layer thickness also have a certain impact.The specimens are primarily composed of SiO_(2),with mineral compositions similar to that of natural rocks.The density,uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),elastic modulus,and tensile strength of the printed specimens fall in the range of 1.65–2.54 g/cm3,16.46–50.49 MPa,2.17–13.35 GPa,and 0.82–17.18 MPa,respectively.It is capable of simulating different types of rocks,especially mudstone,sandstone,limestone,and gneiss.However,the simulation of hard rocks with UCS exceeding 50 MPa still requires validation.

Simple shear extrusion versus equal channel angular pressing:A comparative study on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Mg alloy

Two severe plastic deformation(SPD)techniques of simple shear extrusion(SSE)and equal channel angular pressing(ECAP)were employed to process an extruded Mg-6Gd-3Y-1.5Ag(wt%)alloy at 553 K for 1,2,4 and 6 passes.The microstructural evolutions were studied by electron back scattered diffraction(EBSD)analysis and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The initial grain size of 7.5μm in the extruded alloy was reduced to about 1.3μm after 6 SPD passes.Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization was suggested to be operative in both SSE and ECAP,with also a potential contribution of continuous dynamic recrystallization at the early stages of deformation.The difference in the shear strain paths of the two SPD techniques caused different progression rate of dynamic recrystallization(DRX),so that the alloys processed by ECAP exhibited higher fractions of recrystallization and high angle grain boundaries(HAGBs).It was revealed that crystallographic texture was also significantly influenced by the difference in the strain paths of the two SPD methods,where dissimilar basal plane texture components were obtained.The compression tests,performed along extrusion direction(ED),indicated that the compressive yield stress(CYS)and ultimate compressive strength(UCS)of the alloys after both SEE and ECAP augmented continuously by increasing the number of passes.ECAP-processed alloys had lower values of CYS and UCS compared to their counterparts processed by SSE.This difference in the mechanical responses was attributed to the different configurations of basal planes with respect to the loading direction(ED)of each SPD technique.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of AM60B magnesium alloy prepared by cyclic extrusion compression

The cyclic extrusion compression （CEC） process was introduced into the AM60B magnesium alloy. The use of the CEC process was favorable for producing finer microstructures. The results show that the microstructure can be effectively refined with increasing the number of CEC passes. Once a critical minimum grain size was achieved, subsequent passes did not have any noticeable refining effect. As expected, the fine-grained alloy has excellent mechanical properties. The micro-hardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure of two-pass CEC formed alloy are 72.2, 183.7 MPa, 286.3 MPa and 14.0%, but those of as-cast alloy are 62.3, 64 MPa, 201 MPa and 11%, respectively. However, there is not a clear improvement of mechanical properties with further increase in number of CEC passes in AM60B alloy. The micro-hardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure of four-pass CEC formed alloy are 73.5, 196 MPa, 297 MPa and 16%, respectively.

Effect of extrusion process on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni_3Al-B-Cr alloy during self-propagation high-temperature synthesis

The well-densified Ni3Al-0.5B-5Cr alloy was fabricated by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis and extrusion technique. Microstructure examination shows that the synthesized alloy has fine microstructure and contains Ni3Al, Al2O3, Ni3B and Cr3Ni2 phases. Moreover, the self-propagation high-temperature synthesis and extrusion lead to great deformation and recrystallization in the alloy, which helps to refine the microstructure and weaken the misorientation. In addition, the subsequent extrusion procedure redistributes the Al2O3 particles and eliminates the γ-Ni phase. Compared with the alloy synthesized without extrusion, the Ni3Al-0.5B-5Cr alloy fabricated by self-propagation high-temperature synthesis and extrusion has better room temperature mechanical properties, which should be ascribed to the microstructure evolution.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.8Cu alloy prepared by squeeze casting and solid hot extrusion

Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.8Cu alloy ingots were prepared by squeeze casting under different specific pressures,and the fresh ingot with best mechanical properties was solid hot extruded.With the increase of the specific pressure from 0 to 250 MPa,the dendrites became round and small.Because the applied pressure increased the solid solubility of alloying elements,the number of MgZn2 phases decreased.When the specific pressure increased from 250 MPa to 350 MPa,the grain size increased.After solid hot extrusion,the a（Al） grains were refined obviously and the MgZn2 phases were uniformly dispersed in the microstructure.After solid hot extrusion,the ultimate tensile strength was 605.67 MPa and the elongation was 8.1%,which were improved about 32.22%and15.71%,respectively,compared with those of the metal mold casting alloy.The fracture modes of the billet prepared by the metal mold casting and by squeeze casting were intergranular and quasi-cleavage fractures,respectively,whereas,that of the solid hot extrusion was mainly dimple fracture.The refined crystalline strengthening was the main reason to improve the strength and elongation of alloy.

Effects of extrusion and heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-8Zn-1Al-0.5Cu-0.5Mn alloy

The effects of extrusion and heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-8Zn-1Al-0.5Cu- 0.5Mn magnesium alloy were investigated. Bimodal microstructure is formed in this alloy when it is extruded at 230 and 260 ℃, and complete DRX occurs at the extruding temperature of 290 ℃. The basal texture of as-extruded alloys is reduced gradually with increasing extrusion temperature due to the larger volume fraction of reerystallized structure at higher temperatures. For the alloy extruded at 290 ℃, four different heat treatments routes were investigated. After solution ＋ aging treatments, the grains sizes become larger. Finer and far more densely dispersed precipitates are found in the alloy with solution ＋ double-aging treatments compared with alloy with solution ＋ single-aging treatment. Tensile properties are enhanced remarkably by solution ＋ double-aging treatment with the yield strength, tensile strength and elongation being 298 MPa, 348 MPa and 18%, respectively. This is attributed to the combined effects of fine dynamically reerystallized grains and the uniformly distributed finer precipitates.

Grain refinement and mechanical properties of pure aluminum processed by accumulative extrusion bonding

Ultrafine-grained aluminum processed by a new severe plastic deformation technique, accumulative extrusion bonding (AEB), was investigated. Microstructural characterization indicated good interfacial bonding and an average grain size of ~440 nm was obtained after six passes. Tensile testing revealed that the strength reached the maximum value of 195 MPa and the total elongation exceeded 16% after five passes. The hardness was also significantly improved and almost reached saturation after the first pass. SEM fractography of AEB-processed specimens after tensile test showed that failure mode was shear ductile fracture with elongated shallow dimples. Comparison with conventional accumulative roll bonding indicates that this new AEB technique is more effective in refining grain and improving mechanical properties of the specimens.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Pure Magnesium Subjected to Hot Extrusion

The as-cast pure magnesium(Mg), with a purity of 99.99%, was hot-extruded at 300 ℃ to prepare a Mg bar with a diameter of 8 mm. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the sample before and after extrusion were investigated. The results show that the as-extruded microstructure is obviously refined with a large number of subgrains rather than equiaxed grains. A great number of(102) tensile twins can be observed significantly in the microstructure at the temperature. Mechanical properties including yield strength(YS) and ultimate tensile strength(UTS) increase greatly but uniform elongation(UE) decreases slightly as a result of work hardening.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of as-extruded Mg-Sn-Zn-Ca alloy with different extrusion ratios

The effect of extrusion ratio on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-extruded Mg-6Sn-2Zn-1Ca （TZX621）（mass fraction, %） alloy was investigated. It is found that incomplete dynamic recrystallization （DRX） took place in as-extrudedTZX621 alloy. As the extrusion ratio was increased from 6 to 16, both fraction of un-DRXed grains and average size of DRXedgrains in as-extruded TZX621 alloy decreased and the basal texture was weakened. Coarse CaMgSn phase was broken into particlesand fine Mg2Sn phase precipitated from α-Mg matrix during hot extrusion. Yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation ofas-extruded TZX621 alloy with extrusion ratio of 16 reached 226.9 MPa, 295.6 MPa and 18.1%, which were improved by 36.0%,17.7% and 13.5%, respectively, compared to those of as-extruded TZX621 alloy with extrusion ratio of 6.

Effect of extrusion speed on microstructure and mechanical properties of the Mg-Ca binary alloy

This work reported the effect of extrusion speeds on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-Ca binary alloy.The results showed that yield strength of the as-extruded Mg-1.2wt.%Ca alloys decrease from∼360MPa to∼258MPa as the ram speed increases from 0.4mm/s to 2.4 mm/s,and the elongation increases from∼3.9%to∼12.2%.The microstructure changes from bimodal grain feature to the complete dynamical recrystallization(DRX)with increase of the extrusion speed.The ultrafine DRXed grains in size of∼0.85μm,the numerous nano-Mg_(2)Ca particles dispersing along the grain boundaries and interiors,as well as the high density of residual dislocations,should account for the high strength.It is believed that the high degree of dynamic recrystallization and the resulting texture randomization play the critical roles in the ductility enhancement of the high-speed extruded Mg alloys.

Comparisons of microstructure homogeneity,texture and mechanical properties of AZ80 magnesium alloy fabricated by annular channel angular extrusion and backward extrusion

This paper provided an efficient single pass severe plastic deformation(SPD)method,annular channel angular extrusion(ACAE),for fabricating AZ80 magnesium alloy shell part.The effect of ACAE process on the microstructure homogeneity,texture,and mechanical properties of extruded part was experimentally investigated.For comparison,conventional backward extrusion(BE)was also conducted on processing AZ80 part with same specification.The results showed that ACAE process has a better capacity to refine the microstructure and dramatic improve the deformation homogeneity of the extruded part than BE process.Due to two strong shear deformations were implemented,ACAE process could also concurrently modify the basal texture more notably than BE process.In particular,a bimodal texture was found in ACAE extruded part,which was greatly related to the enhanced synergetic action of basal slip and secondary<c+a>slip caused by the effective shear stress.More uniform and superior hardness along the thickness and height of part were achieved via ACAE process.Further surveying of tensile tests also showed that the part fabricated by ACAE process exhibited significantly higher and far more homogeneous tensile properties with an excellent balance of strength and ductility.The remarkable enhanced tensile properties of ACAE extruded part could be primarily attributed to the significant grain refinement,which provided a powerful grain boundary strengthening effect and meaningfully suppressed the development of twin-sized cracks during tensile deformation.It was established that ACAE process seemed to be a very promising single pass SPD method for manufacturing Mg-based alloy shell parts with more homogeneous microstructure and superior performance.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy prepared by cyclic expansion extrusion with asymmetrical extrusion cavity

The microstructure,texture evolution and mechanical properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated during the cyclic expansion extrusion with the asymmetrical extrusion cavity(CEE-AEC)process.The results show that continuous dynamic recrystallization(CDRX)and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization(DDRX)occur during the CEE-AEC process.After 3 passes,the microstructures of the deformed samples are refined,and the average grain size of the alloys in asymmetrical cavity region is 6.9μm.The maximum intensities of the basal textures increase with the increase in the number of passes,and the basal textures are deflected during the deformation process.The basal texture of the alloys in asymmetrical cavity region is tilted by approximately±45°from the normal direction(ND)to the extrusion direction(ED).Grain refinement strengthening and texture deflection significantly improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of the deformed alloys.After 3 passes,tensile yield strength(TYS),ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and elongation-to-failure of the alloy in the asymmetric cavity region are 146 MPa,230 MPa and 29.7%,respectively.

Optimization of mechanical and damping properties of Mg-0.6Zr alloy by different extrusion processing

In this study,the optimization of mechanical and damping capacities of Mg-0.6 wt.%Zr alloys by controlling the recrystallized(DRXed)grain size under varying extrusion processing parameters including extrusion temperature T and strain rate was investigated.The relationship between the DRXed grain size and damping properties of the studied alloy was also discussed.The DRXed grain size of the as-extruded Mg-Zr alloys decreased as the extrusion temperature T decreased and the strain rateεincreased.As the DRXed grain size decreased,the strength and elongation of the as-extruded alloys exhibited improved performance through the grain refinement mechanism,while the damping properties deteriorated.The extrusion temperature of the Mg-Zr alloy had relatively greater effects on the mechanical and damping properties than the strain rate.The results of the present work indicate that alloys with appropriate mechanical and damping properties may be obtained from controlling the DRXed grain size by careful tailoring of the extrusion process parameters.

Effect of extrusion temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of a low-alloying and ultra-high strength Mg-Zn-Ca-Mn matrix composite containing trace TiC nanoparticles

Mechanical properties of microalloying Mg-2.2Zn-1.8Ca-0.5Mn(wt%)matrix composites reinforced by 0.5 wt%TiC nanoparticles before and after extrusion were investigated based on the detailed microstructural analysis.A uniform distribution of TiC nanoparticles was realized in the nanocomposite by the method of ultrasonic-assisted semisolid stirring.The morphology of eutectic Ca2Mg6Zn3 phases changed from plate-like in the free TiC nanoparticles region to lamellar in the dense TiC nanoparticles region for the as-cast nanocomposite.Both the grain structure and precipitates were obviously refined as the extrusion temperature decreased from 350 to 270℃.The nanocomposite exhibited excellent tensile yield strength(352-428 MPa)which was governed by the extrusion temperature.The grain refinement strengthening with the contribution ratio of^80%to this strength increment was much higher relative to thermal expansion effect,Orowan strengthening and dislocation strengthening.Ultrafine recrystallized grain structure with a substantial of ne precipitates appeared in the nanocomposite extruded at 270℃.The refined grain structure was not only due to dynamic recrystallization,but also the synergistic pinning effect of nano-TiCp,precipitated MgZn2 and α-Mn particles.The tensile toughness value of nanocomposite after extrusion improved with increasing the extrusion temperature.Massive micro-cracks formed along the remnant coarse Ca2Mg6Zn3 led to the structural failure during tension.

Effect of extrusion ratio on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ91D magnesium alloy recycled from scraps by hot extrusion

A method for recycling AZ91D magnesium alloy scraps directly by hot extrusion was studied.Various microstructural analyses were performed using the techniques of optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS).Microstructural observations revealed that all the recycled specimens consisted of fine grains due to the dynamic recrystallization.The main strengthening mechanism of the recycled specimen was grain refinement strengthening and homogeneous distribution of oxide precipitates.The interfaces of individual scraps of extruded materials were not identified when the scraps were extruded with the extrusion ratio of 40-1.Oxidation layers of the scraps were broken into pieces by high compressive and shear forces under the extrusion ratio of 40-1.The ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure increased with increasing the extrusion ratio.Recycled specimens with the extrusion ratio of 40:1 showed higher ultimate tensile strength of 342.61 MPa and higher elongation to failure of 11.32%,compared with those of the cast specimen.

Effect of extrusion process on microstructure and mechanical and corrosion properties of biodegradable Mg-5Zn-1.5Y magnesium alloy

The effect of extrusion temperature and ratio on the microstructure, hardness, compression, and corrosion behavior of Mg-5Zn-1.5Y alloy were analyzed in this study. The microstructural observations revealed that the cast alloy consists of α-Mg grains, and Mg3Zn6Y and Mg3Zn3Y2 intermetallic compounds, mostly located on the α-Mg grain boundaries. Extruded alloy at higher temperatures showed coarser grain microstructures, whereas those extruded at higher ratios contained finer ones, although more dynamic recrystalized grains with lower intermetallics were measured at both conditions. Combined conditions of the lower temperature (340°C) and higher ratio (1:11.5) provided higher compressive strengths. However, no significant hardness improvement was achieved. The extrusion process could decrease the corrosion rate of the cast alloy in simulated body fluid for over 80% due to primarily the refined microstructure. The extrusion temperature showed a more pronounced effect on corrosion resistance compared to the extrusion ratio, and the higher the extrusion temperature, the higher the corrosion resistance.

Influence of extrusion temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-4Y-4Sm-0.5Zr alloy

The solution-treated Mg-4Y-4Sm-0.5Zr alloy was extruded at temperatures from 325℃ to 500℃.Dynamic recrystallization(DRX) completely occurs when the alloy is extruded at 350℃and above.The grains of the extruded alloy are obviously refined by the occurrence of DRX.The average grain size of the extruded alloy increases with increasing the extrusion temperature,leading to a slight decrease of the ultimate tensile strength(UTS) and the yield strength(YS) .On the contrary,the UTS and YS of the extruded and aged alloy increase with increasing the extrusion temperature.Values of UTS of 400 MPa,YS larger than 300 MPa and elongation(EL) of 7%are achieved after extrusion at 400℃ and ageing at 200℃ for 16 h.Both grain refinement and precipitation are efficient strengthening mechanisms for the Mg-4Y-4Sm-0.5Zr alloy.