Role of inclination angle on columnar-to-equiaxed transition in the eutectic Al-5Mg-2Si alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

In this study,the effect of inclination angles relative to the building direction in the additively manufactured eutectic Al-5Mg-2Si alloy was investigated through the laser powder bed fusion(LPBF).The microstructures and mechanical properties of the Al-5Mg-2Si alloy manufactured with different inclination angles(0°,30°,45°,60°and 90°)were reported and discussed.It is found that the“semicircular”melt pool(MP)in the load bearing face of 0°sample was eventually transformed into“stripe-like”MP in the 90°sample,accompanied by an increased fraction of melt pool boundaries(MPBs).Moreover,the microstructural analysis revealed that the columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)of theα-Al grains and eutectic Mg2Si was completed in the 90°sample,which were significantly refined with the average size of 10.6μm and 0.44μm,respectively.It is also found that the 90°sample exhibited good combination of strength and elongation(i.e.yield strength of 393 MPa,ultimate tensile strength of 483 MPa and elongation of 8.1%).The anisotropic mechanical properties were highly associated with the refined microstructures,thermal stress,and density of MPBs.Additionally,the CET driven by inclination angles was attributed to the variation of thermal conditions inside the local MPs.

Electrorefining of aluminum in urea-imidazole chloride-aluminum chloride ionic liquids

The electrochemical behavior of Al(Ⅲ)in urea-1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-aluminum chloride(urea-BMIC-AlCl_(3))ionic liquids,and the effect of potential and temperature on the characterization of cathode products,current efficiency and energy consumption of aluminum electrorefining have been investigated.Cyclic voltammetry showed that the electrochemical reduction of Al(Ⅲ)was a one-step three-electron-transfer irreversible reaction,and the electrochemical reaction was controlled by diffusion.The diffusion coefficient of Al(Ⅲ)in urea-BMIC-AlCl_(3)ionic liquids at 313 K was 1.94×10^(−7)cm^(2)/s.The 7075 aluminum alloy was used as an anode for electrorefining,and the cathode products were analyzed by XRD,SEM and EDS.The results from XRD analysis indicated that the main phase of the cathode products was aluminum.The results from SEM and EDS characterization revealed that the cathode product obtained by electrorefining−1.2 V(vs.Al)was dense and uniform,and the mass fraction of aluminum decreased from 99.61%to 99.10%as the experimental temperature increased from 313 K to 333 K.In this work,the optimum experimental conditions were−1.2 V(vs.Al)and 313 K.At this time,the cathode current efficiency was 97.80%,while the energy consumption was 3.72 kW·h/kg.

Effect of process parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of a nickel-aluminum-bronze alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

This work investigated the effect of process parameters on densification,microstructure,and mechanical properties of a nickel-aluminum-bronze(NAB)alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)additive manufacturing.The LPBF-printed NAB alloy samples with relative densities of over 98.5%were obtained under the volumetric energy density range of 200−250 J/mm^(3).The microstructure of the NAB alloy printed in both horizontal and vertical planes primarily consisted ofβ'martensitic phase and bandedαphase.In particular,a coarser-columnar grain structure and stronger crystallographic texture were achieved in the vertical plane,where the maximum texture intensity was 30.56 times greater than that of random textures at the(100)plane.Increasing the volumetric energy density resulted in a decrease in the columnar grain size,while increasing the amount ofαphase.Notably,β_(1)'martensitic structures with nanotwins and nanoscaleκ-phase precipitates were identified in the microstructure of LPBF-printed NAB samples with a volumetric energy density of 250 J/mm^(3).Furthermore,under optimal process parameters with a laser power of 350 W and scanning speed of 800 mm/s,significant improvements were observed in the microhardness(HV 386)and ultimate tensile strength(671 MPa),which was attributed to an increase in refined acicular martensite.

Impact of cooling rate on exfoliation corrosion resistance of a Li-containing 7xxx aluminum alloy

The impact of cooling rate after solution heat treatment on exfoliation corrosion resistance of a Li-containing 7xxx aluminum alloy was investigated by accelerated immersion and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test,optical microscope,electron backscatter diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscope.With the decrease of cooling rate from 1700℃/s to 4℃/s,exfoliation corrosion resistance of the aged specimens decreases with rating changing from EA to EC and the maximum corrosion depth increasing from about 169.4μm to 632.1μm.Exfoliation corrosion tends to develop along grain boundaries in the specimens with cooling rates higher than about 31℃/s and along both grain boundaries and sub-grain boundaries in the specimens with lower cooling rates.The reason has been discussed based on the changes of the microstructure and microchemistry at grain boundaries and sub-grain boundaries due to slow cooling.

Hybrid machine learning and microstructure-based approach for modeling relationship between microstructure and hardness of AA2099 Al−Li alloy

A hybrid approach combining machine learning and microstructure analysis was proposed to investigate the relationship between microstructure and hardness of AA2099 Al−Li alloy through nano-indentation,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)technologies.Random forest regression(RFR)model was employed to predict hardness based on microstructural features and uncover influential factors and their rankings.The results show that the increased hardness correlates with a smaller distance from indentation to grain boundary(D_(dis))or a shorter minimum grain axis(D_(min)),a lower Schmidt factor in friction stir weld direction(SF_(FD)),and higher sine values of the angle between{111}slip plane and surface(sinθ_(min)).D_(dis) and D_(min) emerge as pivotal determinants in hardness prediction.High-angle grain boundaries imped dislocation slip,thereby increasing hardness.Crystallographic orientation also significantly influences hardness,especially in the presence of T_(1) phases along{111}Al habit planes.This effect is attributable to the variation in encountered T_(1) variants during indenter loading.Consequently,the importance ranking of microstructural features shifts depending on T_(1) phase abundance:in samples with limited T_(1) phases,D_(dis) or D_(min)>SF_(FD)>sinθ_(min),while in samples with abundant T_(1) phases,D_(dis) or D_(min)>sinθ_(min)>SF_(FD).

Effect of combination of ultraviolet radiation and biocide on fungal-induced corrosion of high-strength 7075 aluminum alloy

The effect of ultraviolet(UV)radiation and biocide benzalkonium chloride(BKC)on fungal-induced corrosion of AA7075 induced by Aspergillus terreus(A.terreus)was deeply studied using analysis of biological activity,surface analysis,and electrochemical measurements.Results demonstrated that the planktonic and sessile spore concentrations decline by more than two orders of magnitude when UV radiation and BKC are combinedly used compared with the control.UV radiation can inhibit the biological activity of A.terreus and influence the stability of passive film of AA7075.Except for direct disinfection,the physical adsorption of BKC on the specimen can effectively inhibit the attachment of A.terreus.The combination of UV radiation and BKC can much more effectively inhibit the corrosion of AA,especially pitting corrosion,due to their synergistic effect.The combined application of UV radiation and BKC can be a good method to effectively inhibit fungal-induced corrosion.

Modeling and characterization on electroplastic effect during dynamic deformation of 5182-O aluminum alloy

The coupling effects of electrical pulse,temperature,strain rate,and strain on the flow behavior and plasticity of 5182-O aluminum alloy were investigated and characterized.The isothermal tensile test and electrically-assisted isothermal tensile test were performed at the same temperature,and three typical models were further embedded in ABAQUS/Explicit for numerical simulation to illustrate the electroplastic effect.The results show that electric pulse reduces the deformation resistance but enhances the elongation greatly.The calibration accuracy of the proposed modified Lim−Huh model for highly nonlinear and coupled dynamic hardening behavior is not much improved compared to the modified Kocks−Mecking model.Moreover,the artificial neural network model is very suitable to describe the macromechenical response of materials under the coupling effect of different variables.

Modeling of recrystallization behaviour of AA6xxx aluminum alloy during extrusion process

An innovative approach was introduced for the development of a AA6063 recrystallization model.This method incorporated a regression-based technique for the determination of material constants and introduced novel equations for assessing the grain size evolution.Calibration and validation of this methodology involved a combination of experimentally acquired microstructural data from the extrusion of three different AA6063 profiles and results from the simulation using the Qform Extrusion UK finite element code.The outcomes proved the agreement between experimental findings and numerical prediction of the microstructural evolution.The trend of the grain size variation based on different process parameters was accurately simulated,both after dynamic and static recrystallization,with an error of less than 25% in almost the whole sampling computations.

Effect of quenching cooling rate on residual stress and microstructure evolution of 6061 aluminum alloy

In this study,the cooling rate was manipulated by quenching with water of different temperatures(30,60 and 100℃).Surface and internal residual stresses in the quenched 6061 aluminum alloy samples were measured using hole-drilling and crack compliance methods,respectively.Then,the processability of the quenched samples was evaluated at cryogenic temperatures.The mechanical properties of the as-aged samples were assessed,and microstructure evolution was analyzed.The surface residual stresses of samples W30℃,W60℃and W100℃is−178.7,−161.7 and−117.2 MPa,respectively along x-direction,respectively;and−191.2,−172.1 and−126.2 MPa,respectively along y-direction.The sample quenched in boiling water displaying the lowest residual stress(~34%and~60%reduction in the surface and core).The generation and distribution of quenching residual stress could be attributed to the lattice distortion gradient.Desirable plasticity was also exhibited in the samples with relatively low quenching cooling rates at cryogenic temperatures.The strengthes of the as-aged samples are 291.2 to 270.1 MPa as the quenching water temperature increase from 30℃to 100℃.Fine and homogeneous β"phases were observed in the as-aged sample quenched with boiling water due to the clusters and Guinier-Preston zones(GP zones)premature precipitated during quenching process.

Cryogenic springback of 2219-W aluminum alloy sheet through V-shaped bending

A V-shaped bending device was established to evaluate the effects of temperature and bending fillet radius on springback behavior of 2219-W aluminum alloy at cryogenic temperatures.The cryogenic springback mechanism was elucidated through mechanical analyses and numerical simulations.The results indicated that the springback angle at cryogenic temperatures was greater than that at room temperature.The springback angle increased further as the temperature returned to ambient conditions,attributed to the combined effects of the “dual enhancement effect” and thermal expansion.Notably,a critical fillet radius made the springback angle zero for 90° V-shaped bending.The critical fillet radius at cryogenic temperatures was smaller than that at room temperature,owing to the influence of temperature variations on the bending moment ratio between the forward bending section at the fillet and the reverse bending section of the straight arm.

Microstructural evolution and deformation mechanisms of superplastic aluminium alloys:A review

Aluminium alloy is one of the earliest and most widely used superplastic materials.The objective of this work is to review the scientific advances in superplastic Al alloys.Particularly,the emphasis is placed on the microstructural evolution and deformation mechanisms of Al alloys during superplastic deformation.The evolution of grain structure,texture,secondary phase,and cavities during superplastic flow in typical superplastic Al alloys is discussed in detail.The quantitative evaluation of different deformation mechanisms based on the focus ion beam(FIB)-assisted surface study provides new insights into the superplasticity of Al alloys.The main features,such as grain boundary sliding,intragranular dislocation slip,and diffusion creep can be observed intuitively and analyzed quantitatively.This study provides some reference for the research of superplastic deformation mechanism and the development of superplastic Al alloys.

Strengthening mechanism of T8-aged Al-Cu-Li alloy with increased pre-deformation

The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a T8-aged Al-Cu-Li alloy with increased pre-deformation(0-15%) were investigated,revealing the microstructure-strength relationship and the intrinsic strengthening mechanism.The results show that increasing the pre-deformation levels remarkably improves the strength of the alloy but deteriorates its ductility.Dislocations introduced by pre-deformation effectively suppress the formation of Guinier-Preston(GP) zones and provide more nucleation sites for T1 precipitates.This leads to more intensive and finer T1 precipitates in the samples with higher pre-deformation levels.Simultaneously,the enhanced precipitation of T1 precipitates and inhibited formation of GP zones cause the decreases in number and sizes of θ′ precipitates.The quantitative descriptions of the strength contributions from different strengthening mechanisms reveal that strengthening contributions from T1 and θ′ precipitates decrease with increasing pre-deformation.The reduced diameters of T1 precipitates are primarily responsible for their weakened strengthening effects.Therefore,the improved strength of the T8-aged Al-Cu-Li alloy is mainly attributed to the stronger strain hardening from the increased pre-deformation levels.

Improvement of ionic conductivity of solid polymer electrolyte based on Cu-Al bimetallic metal-organic framework fabricated through molecular grafting

A composite solid electrolyte comprising a Cu-Al bimetallic metal-organic framework(CAB),lithium salt(LiTFSI)and polyethylene oxide(PEO)was fabricated through molecular grafting to enhance the ionic conductivity of the PEO-based electrolytes.Experimental and molecular dynamics simulation results indicated that the electrolyte with 10 wt.%CAB(PL-CAB-10%)exhibits high ionic conductivity(8.42×10~(-4)S/cm at 60℃),high Li+transference number(0.46),wide electrochemical window(4.91 V),good thermal stability,and outstanding mechanical properties.Furthermore,PL-CAB-10%exhibits excellent cycle stability in both Li-Li symmetric battery and Li/PL-CAB-10%/LiFePO4 asymmetric battery setups.These enhanced performances are primarily attributable to the introduction of the versatile CAB.The abundant metal sites in CAB can react with TFSI~-and PEO through Lewis acid-base interactions,promoting LiTFSI dissociation and improving ionic conductivity.Additionally,regular pores in CAB provide uniformly distributed sites for cation plating during cycling.

^(60)Coγ射线在Au/Al界面剂量分布测量及其蒙特卡罗模拟

研究了高原子序数材料金与铝交界时60Coγ射线入射产生的剂量深度分布。用电离室测量了Au/Al界面剂量梯度分布,并且用蒙特卡罗方法对界面附近的剂量梯度分布进行了计算,得到了与实验符合较好的结果。采用的实验测试及理论模拟方法为研究γ射线剂量增强提供了手段。

Effect of interrupted aging on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of 7A75 aluminum alloy

The effects of interrupted aging on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of 7A75 aluminum alloy extruded bar were investigated through various analyses,including electrical conductivity,mechanical properties,local corrosion properties,and slow strain rate tensile stress corrosion tests.Microstructure characterization techniques such as metallographic microscopy,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)were also employed.The results indicate that the tensile strength of the alloy produced by T6I6 aging is similar to that produced by T6I4 aging,and it even exceeds 700 MPa.Furthermore,the yield strength increases by 52.7 MPa,reaching 654.8 MPa after T6I6 aging treatment.The maximum depths of intergranular corrosion(IGC)and exfoliation corrosion(EXCO)decrease from 116.3 and 468.5μm to 89.5 and 324.3μm,respectively.The stress corrosion factor also decreases from 2.1%to 1.6%.These findings suggest that the alloy treated with T6I6 aging exhibits both high strength and excellent stress corrosion cracking resistance.Similarly,when the alloy is treated with T6I4,T6I6 and T6I7 aging,the sizes of grain boundary precipitates(GBPs)are found to be 5.2,18.4,and 32.8 nm,respectively.The sizes of matrix precipitates are 4.8,5.7 and 15.7 nm,respectively.The atomic fractions of Zn in GBPs are 9.92 at.%,8.23 at.%and 6.87 at.%,respectively,while the atomic fractions of Mg are 12.66 at.%,8.43 at.%and 7.00 at.%,respectively.Additionally,the atomic fractions of Cu are 1.83 at.%,2.47 at.%and 3.41 at.%,respectively.

Effect of ultrasonic and mechanical vibration treatments on evolution of Mn-rich phases and mechanical properties of Al−12Si−4Cu−1Ni−1Mg−2Mn piston alloys

Effects of ultrasonic vibration(UV)and mechanical vibration(MV)on the Mn-rich phase modification and mechanical properties of Al−12Si−4Cu−1Ni−1Mg−2Mn piston alloys were investigated.The results show that the UV and UV+MV treatments can significantly refine and fragmentize the microstructures.In addition,UV treatment can significantly passivate the primary Mn-rich Al15Mn3Si2 intermetallics.The formation mechanisms of refinement and passivation of the grains and non-dendrite particles were discussed.Compared with the gravity die-cast alloys,the UV and UV+MV treated alloys exhibit improved tensile and creep resistance at room and elevated temperatures.These results can be attributed to the refinement of theα(Al)grains and the secondary intermetallics,the increased proportion of refined heat-resistant precipitates,and the formation of nano-sized Si particles.The ultimate tensile strength of the UV treated alloys at 350℃ exceeds that of commercial piston alloys.This indicates the high application potential of the developed piston alloys in density diesel engines.

Fatigue behavior and life prediction of A7N01 aluminium alloy welded joint

Fatigue characteristics of A7N01 aluminium alloy welded joint were investigated and a fatigue crack initiation life-based model was proposed. The difference of fatigue crack initiation life among base metal, weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ) is slight. Furthermore, the ratio of fatigue crack initiation life (Ni) to fatigue life to failure(Nf) is a material dependent parameter, 26.32%, 40.21% and 60.67% for base metal, HAZ and weld metal, respectively. Total fatigue life predicted using the presented model is in good agreement with the experimental data and that using Basquin’s model. The observation results of fatigue fracture surfaces, using scanning electron microscope (SEM), demonstrate that fatigue crack initiates from smooth surface due to welding process for weld metal, blowhole in HAZ causes fatigue crack initiation, and the crushed second phase particles play an important part in fatigue crack initiation in base metal.

Role of tensile forces in hot tearing formation of cast Al-Si alloy

The instrumented applied rod casting apparatus （ARCA） was developed to investigate the effects of tensile forces in the hot tearing formation of cast AI-Si alloys. The obtained data of tensile forces/temperature was used to identify hot tearing initiation and propagation and the fracture surface of samples was also investigated. The result shows that the applied tensile forces have a complex effect on load onset for the hot tearing initiation and propagation. During the casting solidification, the tensile forces are gradually increased with the increase of solid fraction. Under the action of tensile forces, there will appear hot tearing and crack propagation on the surface of the sample. When the tensile forces exceed the inherent strength of alloys, there will be fractures on the sample. As for the A356 alloy, the critical fracture stress is about 0.1 MPa. The hot tearing surface morphology shows that the remaining intergranular bridge and liquid films are thick enough to allow the formation of dendrite-tip bumps on the fracture surface.

Flow behavior and processing map of PM Ti-47Al-2Cr-0.2Mo alloy

The flow stress features of PM Ti-47Al-2Cr-0.2Mo alloy were studied by isothermal compression in the temperature range from 1000 to 1150 °C with strain rates of 0.001-1 s-1 on Gleeble-1500 thermo-simulation machine.The results show that the deformation temperature and strain rate have obvious effects on the flow characteristic,and the flow stress increases with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature.The processing maps under different deformation conditions were established.The processing maps of this alloy are sensitive to strains.The processing map at the strain of 0.5 exhibits two suitable deformation domains of 1000-1050 °C at 0.001-0.05 s-1 and 1050-1125 °C at 0.01-0.1 s-1.The optimum parameters for hot working of the alloy are deformation temperature of 1000 °C and strain rate of 0.001 s-1 according to the processing map and microstructure at true strain of 0.5.