Thin-Walled Tube Made of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Fabricated by New Compound Extrusion Including Direct Extrusion and Multi-pass Bending

A new severe plastic deformation for manufacturing thin-walled tube made of AZ31 magnesium alloy called TEB(Tube-Extrusion-Bending ) process, which combines direct extrusion with two step bending,has been developed to manufacture tube.The TEB process has been researched by using finite element modeling (FEM) method. The rules of extrusion temperatures and the extrusion forces varying with process parameters have been developed. A TEB process with installed containers and dies has been constructed to perform tests in order to validate the FEM model with different process conditions. And the microstructures evolution have been researched based on effective strains evolution. The results showed that refined and uniform microstructures can be achieved by TEB process. The research results showed that the TEB process would produce the serve plastic deformation and improve the recrystallization of the grains.The comparisons of FEM simulation and experimental results have been made to obtain the relative important principles of TEB process.

Experimental study of the simultaneous effects of severe plastic deformation and secondary radial strain on copper

Due to the widespread use of copper wires in electrical power transmission, the need for raw materials with a homogeneous structure and high strength while maintaining their conductive properties is of high importance. The present study investigates the production of copper wire with improved mechanical properties and homogeneous microstructure due to its nanometre-sized structure. Therefore, the commercial pure copper specimens were subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD) by means of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) during four steps at ambient temperature. Due to the creation of a structure with elongated grains in the ECAP process, the deformed specimens were subjected to the direct extrusion operations; thus, a more homogeneous structure was created in them due to the appearance of a secondary radial strain. The obtained results indicate that by applying the simultaneous effects of SPD and direct extrusion on the microstructure, the mechanical properties such as strength and hardness have improved significantly, while the electrical conductivity of pure copper decreased slightly. The outcome can be used as an alternative to current methods for producing high-strength copper wires with suitable electrical conductivity properties.

Influence of the Microstructure of the Initial Material on the Zn Wires Prepared by Direct Extrusion with a Huge Extrusion Ratio

In this study, we prepared zinc wires with a diameter of 250 µm by direct extrusion using an extrusion ratio of 576. We studied the influence of the extrusion temperature and microstructure of the initial Zn billets on the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of the extruded wires. The extrusion temperature played a significant role in the final grain size. The wires extruded at 300 °C possessed a coarse-grained microstructure and the shape of their tensile stress–strain curves suggested that twinning played an important role during their deformation. A significant influence of the initial grain size on the final microstructure was observed after the extrusion at 100 °C. The wires prepared from the billet with a very coarse-grained microstructure possessed a bimodal grain size. A significant coarsening of their microstructure was observed after the tensile test. The wires prepared from the medium-grained billets at 100 °C were relatively coarse-grained, but their grain size was stable during the straining, resulting in the highest ultimate tensile strength. This preliminary study shows that strong attention should be paid to the extrusion parameters and the microstructure of the initial billets, because they significantly influence the microstructure and mechanical behavior of the obtained wires.

On the Direct Extrusion of Solder Wire from 52In-48Sn Alloy

In this article, a technology for producing wire and rod solder from 52In-48Sn alloy has been developed and investigated in the conditions of small-scale production. The use of direct extrusion of wire and rods instead of the traditional technology for producing solder, which includes pressing, rolling and drawing, can significantly reduce the fleet of required equipment. Using only a melting furnace and a hydraulic press, solder wires and rods can be produced in various sizes. Shortening the production cycle allows you to quickly fulfill small orders and be competitive in sales. The article developed a mathematical model of direct extrusion, which allows you to calculate: extrusion ratio, extrusion speed and pressing force. The results of modeling the process of extrusion of wire ∅2.00 mm and rods ∅8.0 mm made of 52In-48Sn alloy are presented. The temperature of the solder and the tool is simulation in software QForm based on the finite element method. Experimental results of manufacturing ∅2.0 mm solder wire and ∅8.0 mm rods are presented. The microstructure of the direct extruded solder is a eutectic of phases γ and β. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping of the 52In-48Sn alloy showed that the solder obtained by direct extrusion has a uniform distribution of structural phases. The developed technology can be used in the manufacture of wires and rods from other low-melting alloys.