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.

Mechanical properties and interfacial characteristics of 6061 Al alloy plates fabricated by hot-roll bonding

This work aims to investigate the mechanical properties and interfacial characteristics of 6061 Al alloy plates fabricated by hotroll bonding(HRB)based on friction stir welding.The results showed that ultimate tensile strength and total elongation of the hot-rolled and aged joints increased with the packaging vacuum,and the tensile specimens fractured at the matrix after exceeding 1 Pa.Non-equilibrium grain boundaries were formed at the hot-rolled interface,and a large amount of Mg_(2)Si particles were linearly precipitated along the interfacial grain boundaries(IGBs).During subsequent heat treatment,Mg_(2)Si particles dissolved back into the matrix,and Al_(2)O_(3) film remaining at the interface eventually evolved into MgO.In addition,the local IGBs underwent staged elimination during HRB,which facilitated the interface healing due to the fusion of grains at the interface.This process was achieved by the dissociation,emission,and annihilation of dislocations on the IGBs.

Simulation of temperature and stress in 6061 aluminum alloy during online quenching process

The cooling curves of 6061 aluminum alloy were acquired through water quenching experiment. The heat transfer coefficient was accurately calculated based on the cooling curves and the law of cooling. The online quenching process of complex cross-section profile was dynamically simulated by the ABAQUS software. The results suggest that the heat transfer coefficient changes during online quenching process. Different parts of the profile have different cooling velocity, and it was verified by water quenching experiment. The maximum residual stress of the profile was predicted using FEM simulation based on ABAQUS software The relations between the temperature and stress were presented by analyzing the data of key points.

Influences of electric-hydraulic chattering on backward extrusion process of 6061 aluminum alloy

The possibility of the electric-hydraulic chattering technology and its application in the cold extrusion were presented.The conventional and electric-hydraulic chattering assisted backward extrusion processes were performed on 6061 aluminum alloy billets at room temperature.The experimental results showed that 5.65% reduction in the extrusion load was attained if the die and ejector were vibrated at a frequency of 100 Hz and amplitude of 0.013 mm in the longitudinal direction.The friction coefficient at the billet and tool system interface determined from the finite element analysis（FEA） decreased from 0.2 without chattering to 0.1 with application of electric-hydraulic chattering.The higher values of instantaneous velocity and direction change of material flow were achieved during the chattering assisted backward extrusion process.The strain distribution of the chattering assisted backward extrusion billet revealed lower maximum strain and smoother strain distribution in comparison with that produced by the conventional extrusion method.

Hot deformation behavior of high Ti 6061 Al alloy

The hot deformation behavior of a high Ti 6061 aluminum alloy in the temperature range from 350 to 510 ℃ and strain rate range from 0.001 to 10 s^-1 was investigated using stress-strain curve analysis, processing map, transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. The results show that the peak stress decreases with increasing deformation temperatures and decreasing strain rate. The average deformation activation energy is 185 kJ/mol in the parameter range investigated. The flow stress model was constructed. The main softening mechanism is dynamic recovery. The processing map was obtained using dynamic material model, and the suggested processing window is 400-440℃ and 0.001-0.1 s^-1.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of cryo-rolled AA6061 Al alloy

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the age hardening AA6061 Al alloy subjected to cryo-rolling（CR） and room temperature rolling（RTR） treatments were investigated. The rolled and aged alloys were analyzed by using DSC, EBSD, TEM, Vickers hardness analysis and tensile test. The results show that the cryo-rolled treatment has an effect on the precipitation sequence of AA6061 Al alloy. The ultrafine grain structures are formed to promote the fine second phase particles to disperse in the aluminum matrix after the peak aging, which is attributed to lots of dislocations tangled in the rolling process. Therefore, the strength and ductility of AA6061 Al alloy are simultaneously modified after the cryo-rolling and aging treatment compared with room temperature rolled one.

Microstructural Evolution of 6061 Alloy during Isothermal Heat Treatment

The semi-solid billet of 6061 aluminum alloy was prepared by the near-liquidus semi-continuous casting（LSC） with rosette or near-spheroide grains.The pre-deformation processing was applied before partial remelting to further improve the microstructure and properties of the semi-solid alloy.The effects of different processing parameters,such as holding temperature and holding time,on the semisolid microstructures during partial remelting have been investigated.It was found that the optimal partial remelting parameters should be 630℃ and 10-15 min for 6061 alloy cold rolled with 60% reduction in height of pre-deformation.The coarsening rates were anasysed by Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner（LSW） theory.The pre-deformed 6061 alloy exhibits lower coarsening rate constants than that of the as-cast one,and also lower than other alloys processed by different method found in previous literature.It is because the coarsening rate is associated with the initial microstructure and composition of the alloy.The secondary phases in the alloy inhibit the migration of the liquid film grain boundaries.The microstructure obtained by using the combination of near-liquidus semicontinuous casting and pre-deformation treatment is better than that without pre-deformation processing,which demonstrates that the used method is promising for fabricating high quality semi-solid alloys.

Corrosion evaluation of friction stir welded lap joints of AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy

Corrosion behavior of friction stir lap welded AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy was investigated by immersion tests in sodium chloride + hydrogen peroxide solution. Electrochemical measurement by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize corrosion morphology and to realize corrosion mechanism of weld regions as opposed to the parent alloy. The microstructure and shear strength of welded joint were fully investigated. The results indicate that, compared with the parent alloy, the weld regions are susceptible to intergranular and pitting attacks in the test solution during immersion time. The obtained results of lap shear testing disclose that tensile shear strength of the welds is 128 MPa which is more than 60% of the strength of parent alloy in lap shear testing. Electrochemical results show that the protection potentials of the WNZ and HAZ regions are more negative than the pitting potential. This means that the WNZ and HAZ regions do not show more tendencies to pitting corrosion. Corrosion resistance of parent alloy is higher than that for the weldments, and the lowest corrosion resistance is related to the heat affected zone. The pitting attacks originate from the edge of intermetallic particles as the cathode compared with the Al matrix due to their high self-corrosion potential. It is supposed that by increasing intermetallic particle distributed throughout the matrix of weld regions, the galvanic corrosion couples are increased, and hence decrease the corrosion resistance of weld regions.

Joint Characteristics and Corrosion Properties of Bypass-Current Double-Sided Arc-Welded Aluminum 6061 Alloy with Al–Si Filler Metal

Sheets of aluminum 6061 alloy were welded using bypass-current double-sided arc welding with Al-Si filler wire to investigate the effect of Al-Si intermetallic compounds on the microstructure, microhardness and corrosion behavior of weld joint. Experimental results indicated that the Al4.5FeSi phase in the topside of the weld joint was finer than that in the backside and newly formed phase of Al0.5Fe3Si0.5 was observed in the backside. The formation of reinforcing phases of Al-Fe-Si in the weld improved the microhardness of the weld by about 18%. The corrosion resistance of the weld zone was greater than that of the base metal, while the corrosion current displayed opposite, and the corrosion resistance of the weld region was better than that of the base metal.

Effect of nano-silver on microstructure, mechanical and tribological properties of cast 6061 aluminum alloy

Al6061matrix with different amounts of nano-silver(1%and2%)was produced by stir-casting method.Producedsamples were characterized by hardness,tensile,compression and wear tests.The hardness of the specimens at room temperature wasmeasured by Brinnell hardness testing machine.The magnitude of hardness increased evidently with the function of the mass fractionof the nano-Ag particle.The polished specimens were examined with an optical microscope.The fracture surfaces of tensile andcompressive specimens were further examined by scanning electron microscopy.Wear mechanisms were discussed based on thescanning electron microscopy observations of worn surface and wear debris morphology.There is an increase in compressivestrength,ultimate tensile strength,elongation and wear resistance of the Al?Ag composites compared with base alloy.The executionof stir-casting technique is relatively homogenous and fine microstructure which improves the addition of reinforcement material inthe molten metal.The results show that Al6061?nano-silver which is the best combination of hardness can replace the conventionalmaterial for better performance and longer life.

Nondendritic Microstructure of 6061 Alloy Obtained by Electromagnetic Casting and Thixoformed Properties

Abstraet:The semi-solid 6061 aluminum alloy castings with t'me equiaxed nondendritic grains are obtained by means of electromagnetic casting method.Appropriate casting technical parameters are casting temperature---720 ℃,casting speed---100 mm/min,cooling water amount---0.09 m^3/min.The temperature field in the electric stove reheated to the liquid-solid zone is homogeneus and the prope reheating temperature is 630 ℃.When the mould temperature is 300-500 ℃,the parts used in automobiles can be thixoformed successfully,its σ_b is 392 MPa,vigid 142.3 HV and δ_5 11.5%after T6 heat treatment.

Effects of processing parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of powder-thixoforged 6061 aluminum alloy

A new processing technology,powder thixoforming,for preparation of particle reinforced metal matrix composites was proposed and 6061 aluminum alloy was prepared by powder thixoforging.6061 ingots were first prepared by cold-pressing the atomized 6061 alloy powders,and then the ingots were partially remelted followed by thixoforging.The effects of reheating time,mould temperature and reheating temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of the thixoforged alloys were investigated.The results indicate that all of the three parameters have large effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties.Owing to the microstructure changes,the fracture regime varies with the processing parameters.Furthermore,cracks always initiate from shrinkage porosities and inclusions,and then propagate either along the secondarily solidified structures or primary particles.The ultimate tensile strength,elongation and hardness of the resulting alloy are up to 196 MPa,11.0%and HV 55.7 respectively.

Effect of ball milling on microstructural evolution during partial remelting of6061 aluminum alloy prepared by cold-pressing of alloy powders

The effect of ball milling on the microstructural evolution was investigated during partial remelting of 6061 aluminum alloy prepared by cold-pressing of atomized alloy powders.The results indicate that the microstructural evolution of 6061 aluminum alloy can be divided into three stages,the dissolution of eutectic phases and the coarsening and growth behavior of the resulting grains,structural separation and spheroidization of primary particles,and the final coarsening behavior of the particles.Compared with the alloy without ball milling,ball milling accelerates the first stage of microstructural evolution due to the energy stored in the powders,but the latter two stages are slowed down because of the formation of large-sized powders.Moreover,the finer the as-cold-pressed microstructure is,the smaller and more spherical the primary particles in the final semisolid microstructure are.Furthermore,properly elevating the heating temperature is beneficial for obtaining small and spheroidal particles.

Effect of post-weld heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy

6061 aluminum alloy T-joints were welded by double-pulsed MIG welding process. Then, the post-weld heat treatment was performed on the welded T-joints. The weld microstructure under different aging temperature and time was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were examined by hardness test and tensile test. The results showed that the micro-hardness was sensitive to heat treatment temperature and time. Increasing temperature was beneficial to the shortening of peak aging time. There were a large number of dislocations and few precipitates in the welded joints. With the increase of post-weld heat treatment temperature and time, the density of dislocation decreased. Meanwhile, the strengthening phase precipitated and grew up gradually. When the post-weld heat treatment temperature increased up to 200℃, large Q' phases were observed. And they were responsible for the peak value of the micro-hardness in the welded joints.

Influence of sequence of cold working and aging treatment on mechanical behaviour of 6061 aluminum alloy

The influence of combination of different designated precipitation hardening and cold working on the tensile properties of 6061 aluminum alloy was investigated. The results indicate that applying single aging at 180 ℃ for 4 h in different thermal-mechanical treatments improves both the strength and elongation. However, double aging does not improve the mechanical properties. In addition, pre-aging shows a negative effect on the subsequent precipitation hardening of material. The changes in mechanical properties were discussed by explanation of microstructural evolution due to the competition of precipitation hardening, strain hardening and work softening processes.

Establishing empirical relationships to predict grain size and tensile strength of friction stir welded AA 6061-T6 aluminium alloy joints

AA 6061-T6 aluminium alloy(Al-Mg-Si alloy) has gathered wide acceptance in the fabrication of light weight structures requiring a high specific strength and good corrosion resistance.Compared with the fusion welding processes that are routinely used for joining structural aluminium alloys,friction stir welding(FSW) process is an emerging solid state joining process in which the material welded does not melt and recast.Joint strength is influenced by the grain size and tensile strength of the weld nugget region.Hence,an attempt was made to develop empirical relationships to predict grain size and tensile strength of friction stir welded AA 6061-T6 aluminium alloy joints.The empirical relationships are developed by response surface methodology(RSM) incorporating FSW tool and process parameters.A linear regression relationship was also established between grain size and tensile strength of the weld nugget of FSW joints.

Deformation mechanism and forming properties of 6061Al alloys during compression in semi-solid state

The 6061 semi-solid aluminium alloy feedstocks prepared by near-liquidus casting were compressed in semi-solid state by means of Gleeble-3500 thermal-mechanical simulator.The relationship between the true stress and the true strain at different temperatures and strain rates was studied with the deformation degree of 70%.The microstructures during the deformation process were characterized.The deformation mechanism and thixo-forming properties of the semi-solid alloys were analyzed.The results show that the homogeneous and non-dendrite microstructures of semi-solid 6061Al alloy manufactured by near-liquidus casting technology could be transformed into semi-solid state with the microstructure suitable for thixo-forming which are composed of near-spherical grains and liquid phase with eutectic composition through reheating process.The deformation temperature and strain rate affect the peak stress significantly rather than steady flow stress.The resistance to deformation in semi-solid state decreases with the increase of the deformation temperature and decrease of the strain rate.At steady thixotropic deformation stage, the thixotropic property is uniform, and the main deformation mechanism is the rotating or sliding between the solid particles and the plastic deformation of the solid particles.

Optimization of ECAP-RAP process for preparing semisolid billet of 6061 aluminum alloy

6061 aluminum alloy semisolid billet was prepared by the equal-channel angular processing(ECAP)-recrystallization and partial(RAP)process(a combination of equal-channel angular processing and recrystallization and partial remelting).The effects of different process parameters on the alloy microstructure were studied and the quantitative relationship between the process parameters and microstructure was established by response surface methodology(RSM)to optimize the process parameters.According to the orthogonal test,the holding temperature and holding time of the four ECAP-RAP process parameters were found to have the greatest impact on the microstructural characteristics,including average grain size and average shape factor.Through RSM,it was also found that when the average grain size or the average shape factor is optimized separately,another will be degraded.When the two indexes were simultaneously considered,the optimal process parameters were found to be a holding temperature of 623°C and holding time of 13 min,and the corresponding average grain size and average shape factor were 35.97μm and 0.8535,respectively.Moreover,comparing the experimental and predicted values,the reliability of the established response surface model was verified.

Solidification behavior of 6061 wrought aluminum alloy during rheo-diecasting process with self-inoculation method

The semisolid slurry of the 6061 wrought aluminum alloy was prepared by the self-inoculation method（SIM）. The effects of the isothermal holding parameters on microstructures of rheo-diecastings were investigated, and the solidification behavior of 6061 wrought aluminum alloy during the rheo-diecasting process was analyzed using OM, SEM, EDS and EBSD. The results indicate that the isothermal holding process during slurry preparation has great effect on primary α（Al） particles（α1）, but has little effect on the microstructure of secondary solidification in the process of thin-walled rheo-diecasting. Nucleation is expected to take place in the entire remaining liquid when the remaining liquid fills the die cavity, and the secondary solidification particles（α2） are formed after the process of stable growth, unstable growth and merging. The solute concentration of remaining liquid is higher than that of the original alloy due to the existence of α1 particles, hence the contents of Mg and Si in α2 particles are higher than those in α1 particles.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir weld of dissimilar AZ31-O magnesium alloy to 6061-T6 aluminum alloy

Dissimilar friction stir welding between AZ31-O Mg and 6061-T6 Al alloys was investigated. 3 mm thick plates of aluminum and magnesium were used. Friction stir welding operations were performed at different rotation and travel speeds. The rotation speeds varied from 600 to 1400 r/min, and the travel speed varied from 20 to 60 mm/min. Defect-free weld was obtained with a rotation speed of 1000 r/min and travel speed of 40 mm/min. Metallographic studies showed that the grain size in the stir zone is much finer than that in the base metals. Complex flow pattern was formed in the stir zone. Microhardness measurement revealed an uneven distribution in the stir zone. Tensile test results indicated that the tensile strength of the welded specimen is about 76% of AZ31 Mg alloy and 60% of the 6061 Al alloy in tensile strength. SEM fracture surface image of the welded specimen indicated that the welded specimen failed through brittle-mode fracture.