High corrosion and wear resistant electroless Ni–P gradient coatings on aviation aluminum alloy parts

A Ni–P alloy gradient coating consisting of multiple electroless Ni–P layers with various phosphorus contents was prepared on the aviation aluminum alloy. Several characterization and electrochemical techniques were used to characterize the different Ni–P coatings’ morphologies, phase structures, elemental compositions, and corrosion protection. The gradient coating showed good adhesion and high corrosion and wear resistance, enabling the application of aluminum alloy in harsh environments. The results showed that the double zinc immersion was vital in obtaining excellent adhesion (81.2 N). The optimal coating was not peeled and shredded even after bending tests with angles higher than 90°and was not corroded visually after 500 h of neutral salt spray test at 35℃. The high corrosion resistance was attributed to the misaligning of these micro defects in the three different nickel alloy layers and the amorphous structure of the high P content in the outer layer. These findings guide the exploration of functional gradient coatings that meet the high application requirement of aluminum alloy parts in complicated and harsh aviation environments.

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.

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.

Microstructure and properties of 35 kg large aluminum alloy flywheel housing components formed by squeeze casting with local pressure compensation

The squeeze casting method with local pressure compensation was proposed to form a flywheel housing component with a weight of 35 kg.The numerical simulation,microstructure observation and phase characterization were performed,and the influence of local pressure compensation on feeding of thick-wall position,microstructure and mechanical properties of the formed components were discussed.Results show that the molten metal keeps a good fluidity and the filling is complete during the filling process.Although the solidification at thick-wall positions of the mounting ports is slow,the local pressure compensation effectively realizes the local forced feeding,significantly eliminating the shrinkage cavity defects.In the microstructure of AlSi9Mg alloy,α-Al primarily consists of fragmented dendrites and rosette grains,while eutectic Si predominantly comprises needles and short rods.The impact of local pressure compensation on strength is relatively minimal,yet its influence on elongation is considerable.Following local pressure compensation,the average elongation at the compensated areas is 9.18%,which represents a 44.90%higher than that before compensation.The average tensile strength is 209.1 MPa,and the average yield strength is 100.6 MPa.The local pressure compensation can significantly reduce or even eliminate the internal defects in the 35 kg large-weight components formed by squeeze casting.

Effect of Sc on Al_(3)Fe phase and mechanical properties of as-cast AA5052 aluminum alloy

The AA5052 aluminum alloy is widely used in automobile and aerospace manufacturing,and with the development of light-weight alloys,it is required that these materials exhibit better mechanical properties.Previous studies have demonstrated that the addition of Sc to aluminum alloys can improve both the microstructure and properties of the alloys.In this study,the effect of Sc on the Fe-rich phase and properties of the AA5052 aluminum alloy was studied by adding 0%,0.05%,0.2%,and 0.3%Sc.The results show that with the increase of Sc,the coarse needle-like Fe-rich phase gradually transforms into Chinese-script and then nearly spherical particles,reduce the size of Fe-rich phase,and refine the grain with increase of high angle grain boundaries(HAGBs).These microstructure changes enhance the strength of the AA5052 alloy through Sc addition.The ductility of the alloy is obviously improved because the addition of a lower amount of Sc changes the morphology of Fe-rich phase from needle-like into a Chinese-script,and it is subsequently reduced as a result of significant increase in HAGBs with increasing Sc content.

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 process parameters on the morphology of aluminum/copper alloy lap joints by red and blue hybrid laser welding

In order to overcome the problems of many pores,large deformation and unstable weld quality of traditional laser welded aluminumcopper alloy joints,a red-blue dual-beam laser source and a swinging laser were introduced for welding.T2 copper and 6063 aluminum thin plates were lap welded by coaxial dual-beam laser welding.The morphology of weld cross section was compared to explore the influence of process parameters on the formation of lap joints.The microstructure characteristics of the weld zone were observed and compared by optical microscope.The results show that the addition of laser beam swing can eliminate the internal pores of the weld.With the increase of the swing width,the weld depth decreases,and the weld width increases first and then decreases.The influence of welding speed on the weld cross section morphology is similar to that of swing width.With the increase of welding speed,the weld width increases first and then decreases,while the weld depth decreases all the time.This is because that the red laser is used as the main heat source to melt the base metals,with the increase of red laser power,the weld depth increases.As an auxiliary laser source,blue laser reduces the total energy consumption,consequently,the effective heat input increases and the spatter is restrained effectively.As a result,the increase of red laser power has an enhancement effect on the weld width and weld depth.When the swing width is 1.2 mm,the red laser power is 550 W,the blue laser power is 500 W,and the welding speed is 35 mm/s,the weld forming is the best.The lap joint of T2 copper and 6063 aluminum alloy thin plate can be connected stably with the hybrid of blue laser.The effect rules of laser beam swing on the weld formation were obtained,which improved the quality of the joints.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of stationary shoulder friction stir welding joint of 2A14-T62 aluminum alloy

2A14-T62 butt joint was successfully welded by stationary shoulder friction stir welding(SSFSW)method.The results showed that using a pin with small shoulder could broaden the process window,and under a rotation speed of 2000 r/min and welding speed of 30 mm/min,joint with smooth surface,small reduction in thickness and little inner defects was obtained.The weld nugget zone was approx-imately circular,which was a unique morphology for SSFSW.The heat-affected zone(HAZ)and thermo-mechanically affected zone(TMAZ)were both quite narrow due to the lower heat input and slight mechanical action of the stationary shoulder.The fraction of high angle grain boundaries(HAGBs)exhibited a“W”shape along horizontal direction(from advancing side to retreating side),and the minim-um value located at HAZ.The average ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the joint were 325 MPa and 4.5%,respectively,with the joint efficiency of 68.3%.The joint was ductile fractured and the fracture surface contained two types of dimples morphology in different re-gions of the joint.Microhardness distribution in the joint exhibited a“W”shape,and the difference along the thickness direction was negli-gible.The joint had strong stress corrosion cracking susceptibility,and the slow stain rate tensile strength was 139 MPa.Microcrack and Al2O3 particulates were observed at the fracture surface.

Influence of Non-Natural Ageing Temperature on the Microstructural Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Cast Aluminum 6063 Alloy

This research considered the effect of non-natural aging on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of as-cast aluminum 6063 alloys. The samples were developed through a sand casting process and machined into tensile and impact test samples before carrying out solution heat treatment at 550?C (0.83 Tm) on two parts of the samples while retaining one part as the control. The two parts were further divided into sets denoted A and B and were aged at 180?C (0.27 Tm) and 160?C (0.24 Tm), respectively, for 12 hours. The results showed that sample A has the optimal yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of 192 and 206 MPa, respectively. Likewise, the sample gave the highest impact strength value of about 9.63 J/mm2. The observed results were supported by the optical micrograph, which revealed that the sample has evenly dispersed precipitates in its microstructure. This is deemed responsible for the observed increase in strength of the sample.

Effect of heat treatment on stress corrosion cracking, fracture toughness and strength of 7085 aluminum alloy

The influences of heat treatment on stress corrosion cracking （SCC）, fracture toughness and strength of 7085 aluminum alloy were investigated by slow strain rate testing, Kahn tear testing combined with scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The results show that the fracture toughness of T74 overaging is increased by 22.9% at the expense of 13.6% strength, and retrogression and reaging （RRA） enhances fracture toughness 14.2% without reducing the strength compared with T6 temper. The fracture toughness of dual-retrogression and reaging （DRRA） is equivalent to that of T74 with an increased strength of 14.6%. The SCC resistance increases in the order： T6〈RRA〈DRRA≈T74. The differences of fracture toughness and SCC were explained on the basis of the role of matrix precipitates and grain boundary orecioitates.

Force analysis and experimental study of pure aluminum and Al-5%Ti-1%B alloy continuous expansion extrusion forming process

The deformation zone of CONFORM extrusion was divided into primary gripping zone,gripping zone,conical expansion chamber zone,cylindrical zone and sizing zone of die,and corresponding force equilibrium equations were established using the Slab method.The deformation force formulae of CONFORM machine at any wrapping angle with an expansion chamber were obtained.Experiment on pure aluminum and Al-5%Ti-1%B alloy was conducted on the CONFORM machine self-designed.The resistance to deformation of Al-5%Ti-1%B alloy at the deformation temperature of 400℃ and the strain rate of 3.07 s-1 was measured to be 50 MPa using Gleeble-1500 thermal simulation machine.The calculation results of deformation forces for CONFORM process with an expansion chamber for pure aluminum and Al-5%Ti-1%B alloy were given.The experimental CONFORM radial force is in agreement with the radial force obtained by theoretical formula.

Effects of cold rolling and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of AA 5052 aluminum alloy

The microstructures and mechanical properties of homogenized-rolled AA5052 aluminum alloys with different rolling reductions and following annealing treatments were investigated by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, micro-hardness and tensile tests. The results show that with increasing rolling reduction, the equiaxed grains are elongated along the rolling direction obviously, and accumulation of rolling reduction increases the work hardening effect, which results in the enhanced strength and degraded plasticity. When rolling reduction is 87%, the ultimate tensile strength reaches 325 MPa but elongation is only 2.5%. There are much more secondary phase precipitates after annealing treatment. With an increase of annealing temperature, the amount of precipitates increases and work hardening diminishes continuously. The elongation is improved to ~23% but the tensile strength is decreased to 212 MPa after annealing at 300 °C for 4 h, which are comparable to those of as-homogenized alloy.

Homogenization on microstructure and mechanical properties of 2A50 aluminum alloy prepared by liquid forging

The homogenization on microstructure and mechanical properties of 2A50 aluminum alloy prepared by liquid forging was investigated.Wheel hubs were produced using direct and compound loading.The results show that the microstructure and mechanical properties are inhomogeneous in direct forged samples.The microstructure of the wall is coarser than that of the base,and the mechanical properties are lower and some defects are detected at the wheel corner.Using compound loading,the microstructure and mechanical properties of the wall are improved evidently.With increasing feeding amount,the microstructure and mechanical properties become more homogeneous.The defects disappear when the feeding amount is 4 mm.The forged wheel hubs could obtain fine and homogeneous microstructure with grain size of 20-30 μm,tensile strength of 355 MPa and elongation of 10% when the feeding amount is 10 mm.The microstructure and mechanical properties of liquid forged workpieces could be controlled and homogenized using compound loading.

Effects of silicon content on microstructure and stress corrosion cracking resistance of 7050 aluminum alloy

Evolution of microstructure and stress corrosion cracking （SCC） susceptibility of 7050 aluminum alloy with 0.094%, 0.134% and 0.261% Si （mass fraction） in T7651 condition have been investigated. The results show that the area fraction of Mg2Si increases from 0.16% to 1,48% and the size becomes coarser, while the area fraction of the other coarse phases including Al2CuMg, Mg（Al,Cu,Zn）2 and A17Cu2Fe decreases from 2.42% to 0.78% with Si content increasing from 0.094% to 0.261%. The tensile strength and elongation of 7050-T7651 alloys is decreased with the increase of Si content by slow strain rate test （SSRT） in ambient air. However, electrical conductivity is improved and SCC susceptibility is reduced with the increase of Si content by SSRT in corrosion environment with 3.5% NaCl solution.

Forced convection rheoforming process for preparation of 7075 aluminum alloy semisolid slurry and its numerical simulation

A self-developed forced convection rheoforming （FCR） machine for the preparation of light alloy semisolid slurry was introduced. The microstructure characteristics of 7075 aluminium alloy semisolid slurry at different stirring speeds prepared by the FCR process were analyzed. The experimental results suggest that with the increase of the stirring speed, the mean grain size of the semisolid decreases and the shape factor as well as the number of primary grains increase. Meanwhile, the preparation process of semisolid slurry was numerically simulated. The flow characteristics of the melt in the device and the effect of the stirring speed on temperature field and solid fraction of the melt were investigated. The simulated results show that during the preparation process of semisolid slurry, there is a complex convection within the FCR device that obviously changes the temperature field distribution and solid fraction of the melt. When the convection intensity increases, the scope of the undercooling gradient of the melt is reduced and temperature distribution is improved.

Flow softening behavior and microstructure evolution of Al-5Zn-2Mg aluminum alloy during dynamic recovery

The flow stress behavior and microstructure development of Al-5Zn-2Mg （7005） aluminum alloy were studied by hot compression tests at deformation temperatures between 300-500 ＆#176;C and strain rates between 0.05-50 s-1. The deformed structures of the samples were observed by optical microscopy （OM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and electron backscattering diffraction （EBSD） analysis. The calculated activation energy is 147 kJ/mol, which is very close to the activation energy for lattice self-diffusion in aluminum （142 kJ/mol）. Dynamic recovery is the dominant restoration mechanism during the deformation. At high strain rate of 50 s-1, temperature rise due to deformation heating leads to a significant flow softening. Microstructure observations indicated that the remaining softening after deformation heating correction at high strain rate and the softening observed at high temperature are associated with grain coarsening induced by grain boundary migration during dynamic recovery process.

Effects of boric acid on microstructure and corrosion resistance of boric/sulfuric acid anodic film on 7050 aluminum alloy

The microstructure and corrosion resistance of different boric/sulfuric acid anodic（BSAA） films on 7050 aluminum alloy were studied by atomic force microscopy（AFM）,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） and scanning Kelvin probe（SKP）.The results show that boric acid does not change the structure of barrier layer of anodic film,but will significantly affect the structure of porous layer,consequently affect the corrosion resistance of anodic film.As the content of boric acid in electrolyte increases from 0 to 8 g/L,the resistance of porous layer（Rp） of BSAA film increases,the capacitance of porous layer（CPEp） decreases,the surface potential moves positively,the pore size lessens,and the corrosion resistance improves.However,the Rp,CPEp and surface potential will change towards opposite direction when the content of boric acid is over 8 g/L.

Effect of hot deformation conditions on grain structure and properties of 7085 aluminum alloy

The influences of deformation conditions on grain structure and properties of 7085 aluminum alloy were investigated by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy in combination with tensile and fracture toughness tests. The results show that the volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization increased with the decrease of Zener-Hollomon （Z） parameter, and the volume fraction of static recrystallization increased with the increasing of Z parameter. The strength and fracture toughness of the alloy after solution and aging treatment first increased and then decreased with the increase of Z parameter. The microstructure map was established on the basis of microstructure evolution during deformation and solution heat treatment. The optimization deformation conditions were acquired under Z parameters of 1.2×10^10-9.1×10^12.

Dynamic mechanical properties and constitutive equations of 2519A aluminum alloy

To analyze the effects of strain rate and temperature on the flow stress of 2519A aluminum alloy, the dynamic mechanical properties of 2519A aluminum alloy were measured by dynamic impact tests and quasi-static tensile tests. The effects of strain rate and temperature on the microstructure evolution were investigated by optical microscopy （OM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results indicate that 2519A aluminum alloy exhibits strain-rate dependence and temperature susceptibility under dynamic impact. The constitutive constants for Johnson--Cook material model were determined by the quasi-static tests and Hopkinson bar experiments using the methods of variable separation and nonlinear fitting. The constitutive equation seems to be consistent with the experimental results, which provides reference for mechanical characteristics and numerical simulation of ballistic performance.

Segregation in fusion weld of 2219 aluminum alloy and its influence on mechanical properties of weld

Three kinds of welds were made using low frequency pulse current variable polarity tungsten inter gas （LPVPTIG） with argon shielding, direct current TIG （DCTIG） with helium shielding and high frequency pulse current variable polarity TIG （HPVPTIG） with argon shielding, respectively. It was found that macrosegregation bands with large amount of thick continuous eutectics and microporosities formed in the LPVPTIG weld due to the fluctuation of the pulse varied heat input. Only microsegregation existed in the DCTIG weld and HPVPTIG weld. However,the HPVPTIG weld had lower extent of Cu microsegregation since its welding speed was slower. The tensile results indicated that the mechanical properties of the weld decreased with the increase of the segregation extent of Cu and porosities, and LPVPTIG weld had lower tensile properties in the longitudinal direction than those in the transverse direction due to the macrosegregation bands.