Investigation of Slow Eutectoid Element on Tensile Properties and Superplasticity of a Forged SP700 Titanium Alloy

The tensile properties and superplasticity of a forged SP700 alloy with slow eutectoid element (1.5%Cr) addition were investigated in the present paper. The results of the microstructures showed that slow eutectoid element Cr has a significant influence on stabilizing the β phase and the SP700Cr alloy showed a uniform duplex and completely globular microstructure after annealing at 820 °C for 1 h and aging at 500 °C for 6 h. The results of the tensile tests showed that the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the alloy with optimized microstructure were 1312 MPa, 1211 MPa and 10% at room temperature, and the elongation was achieved to 1127% at 770 °C. Compared with that of the SP700 alloy, the strain rate sensitivity of the SP700Cr alloy showed a higher value. The microstructures after elevated temperature tensile tests showed that the higher density of dislocations and twins exists in SP700 alloy and the lower density of dislocations favor distribution in SP700Cr alloy. Based on the above results, the tensile properties and superplasticity of the forged SP700 alloy with 1.5% Cr addition was analyzed. In addition, microstructure characteristics were investigated by the TEM and EBSD technologies.

Producing non-dendritic A356 and A380 feedstocks: Evaluation of the effects of cooling slope casting parameters

In this study, low superheat casting and cooling slope casting processes were carried out with A356 and A380 aluminum alloys in order to obtain feedstocks with near globular microstructures. Castings were conducted at 20 °C above of the liquidus temperature for both processes and molten alloys were cast through a copper cooling slope with two different lengths (350 mm and 650 mm) and two different tilt angles (30° and 60°). In order to evaluate the significance of boron nitride coating on cooling slope, castings in short slope were carried out under both coated and uncoated conditions. Microstructural examinations and hardness measurements were carried out. According to obtained results, cooling slope casting caused superior microstructural properties as compared to low superheat casting, especially for A356 alloy. 30° tilt angle was found more efficient in order to obtain a more globular microstructure for A356, while, on the other hand, the tilt angle of 60° was detected more favorable in that manner for A380. Obtained grain size measurements were slightly improved with the employment of short slope and coating was found beneficial especially for A356 alloy. The measured hardness values did not display any significant difference in the same alloy type except in the low superheat cast A356 specimen, which was obtained with coarser microstructure.

Effect of Strain Rate on Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Behavior of Titanium-Based Materials

The goal of the present work is a systematic study on an influence of a strain rate on the mechanical response and microstructure evolution of the selected titanium-based materials, i.e., commercial pure titanium, Ti-6Al-4V alloy with lamellar and globular microstructures produced via a conventional cast and wrought technology, as well as Ti-6Al-4V fabricated using blended elemental powder metallurgy (BEPM). The quasi-static and high-strain-rate compression tests using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique were performed and microstructures of the specimens were characterized before and after compression testing. The strain rate effect was analyzed from the viewpoint of its influence on the stress–strain response, including the strain energy, and a microstructure of the samples after compressive loading. It was found out that the Ti-6Al-4V with a globular microstructure is characterized by high strength and high plasticity (ensuring the highest strain energy) in comparison to alloy with a lamellar microstructure, whereas Ti6-Al-4V obtained with BEPM reveals the highest plastic flow stress with good plasticity at the same time. The microstructure observations reveal that a principal difference in high-strain-rate behavior of the tested materials could be explained by the nature of the boundaries between the structural components through which plastic deformation is transmitted: α/α boundaries prevail in the globular microstructure, while α/β boundaries prevail in the lamellar microstructure. The Ti-6Al-4V alloy obtained with BEPM due to a finer microstructure has a significantly better balance of strength and plasticity as compared with conventional Ti-6Al-4V alloy with a similar type of the lamellar microstructure.

Microstructure Evolution and Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Doped with Fe and Mo during Deformation at 800°C

Microstructure evolution and mechanical behavior of alpha/beta Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-4V-0.75Mo-0.5Fe titanium alloys during uniaxial compression to a height strain of 70% was studied. The plastic-flow response for both alloys is characterized by successive stages of strain hardening, flow softening, and steady-state flow. During compression the lamellae spheroidized to produce a globular microstructure with higher rate of globularization in Ti-6Al-4V-0.75Mo-0.5Fe. The globularization kinetics in Ti-6Al-4V-0.75Mo-0.5Fe was also found to be much faster than that in Ti-6Al-4V. This difference can be partially associated with different interphase energy due to doping of β-stabilizing elements.

Effect of Globular Microstructure on Cavitation Erosion Resistance of Aluminium Alloys

In this paper the effect of globular microstructure on the cavitation erosion resistance was assessed and compared to that of conventional dendritic one. Three different wrought aluminum alloys in as-cast conditions were investigated. The samples were completely characterized by metallographic analyses and microhardness measurements. Cavitation erosion tests were performed according to ASTM G 32 standard. The volume loss was evaluated during the test by periodical interruptions. It was identified the damaging mechanism in case of both dendritic and semisolid microstructure. It was also found that the globular microstructure increases the cavitation erosion resistance only for one of the studied alloys.

On the Development of an Al4.8 wt% Cu Alloy Obtained from Recycled Aluminum Cans Designed for Thixoforming Process

This work has focused on the development of a new aluminum alloy containing 4.8 wt% of Cu alloy obtained from recycled aluminium cans designed for thixoforming process. After the step of melting and solidification of the alloy in a metallic permanent mold, samples were solution heat treated at 525°C for times ranging from 2 h to 48 h, quenched in water and followed by natural aging. Results have shown the evolution of hardness so from them solubilization solution heat treatment was chosen for 24 h. The best condition for aging was 190°C during 3 h. With this data pieces were thixoforged at 580°C and 615°C corresponding, respectively, to solid fraction (fs) of 0.8 and 0.6. The optimized T6 temper was applied and tensile tests were performed. The mechanical properties obtained are compatible with those obtained for consolidated alloys processed in semisolid state (SS) and after T6 temper hardness increases from 95 HB to 122 HB and the best results were a tensile strength of 324 MPa ± 10 MPa, yield strength of 257 MPa ± 18 MPa, and an elongation of 7.1% ± 1%. For alloys designed for thixoforming process, these results are in accordance with what was expected whereas globular microstructure, high ductility, and good performance under cyclic conditions are desirable.