Superplastic Flow and Deformation Mechanism of the Rolled Al-Mg-Li-Sc-Zr Alloy with Banded Microstructure

A hot rolled Al-5Mg-2Li-0.2Sc-0.12Zr alloy sheet with an initial banded microstructure was subjected to high-temperature tensile tests in the temperature range of 450–550 °C, at strain rates ranging from 3 × 10−4 to 1 × 10−2 s−1. The microstructural evolution of the present non-ideal superplastic microstructure (banded morphology) was characterized by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the hot rolled non-ideal superplastic microstructure exhibited excellent superplasticity. The optimal superplastic forming temperature appeared at 500 °C and the largest elongation of 1180% was achieved at 500 °C and 1 × 10−3 s−1. As far as we know, this is the largest elongation for Al-Mg-Li-Sc-Zr alloys. The superplastic deformation of the present hot rolled banded microstructure can be divided into two stages: (i) dynamic globularization due to the dislocation movement and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), which is responsible for the plastic deformation in the low strain range; (ii) superplastic flow of the spheroidized equiaxed grains with a high ratio of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) and random grain orientation in the high strain range, during which grain boundary sliding (GBS) plays the dominant role in influencing the superplastic deformation.

Achieving Superplasticity in Fine-Grained Al-Mg-Sc Alloys

Superplasticity denotes the ability of a limited number of materials to achieve exceptionally high tensile elongations of at least 400%. Experiments show that the Al-Mg-Sc alloys provide excellent capabilities for achieving superplastic flow and also they can be formed easily in biaxial superplastic forming operations. It is important, therefore, to examine the superplastic flow mechanism when the alloy is prepared using different procedures. This report examines the superplastic characteristics of these alloys after preparation without subjecting to any severe plastic deformation (SPD), after processing using the two SPD procedures of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) and high-pressure torsion (HPT) and after processing using the alternative procedure of friction stir processing (FSP). The results are compared using each technique and they are examined with reference to a theoretical model that was developed specifically for superplastic flow in conventional alloys.

The Background to Superplastic Forming and Opportunities Arising from New Developments

The occurrence of superplastic flow in metals has a long history but it is only over the last three or four decades that it was recognized that this process provides an opportunity for fabricating complex parts, especially curved panels, that may be used in a wide range of industrial applications. In practice, this use is dependent upon the high strain rate sensitivity of ~0.5 which is an inherent feature of true superplastic flow but in practice excellent forming may be achieved also through the use of metals deforming within the range of dislocation glide where the strain rate sensitivity is close to 0.3. New possibilities have arisen over the last two decades with the demonstrations that exceptionally refined microstructures, usually within the submicrometer or even the nanometer range, may be prepared from a wide range of commercial alloys through the application of severe plastic deformation in which the material is subjected to a very high strain without any significant changes in the overall dimensions of the sample. This presentation examines these historical developments and describes the new processing procedures that provide new opportunities within the field of superplastic forming.

Thirty Years of Superplastic Ultrafine-Grained Materials: Examining the Legacy of Oscar Kaibyshev

The occurrence of superplasticity may be traced to the classic work of Pearson conducted in the U.K. in 1934 when an elongation of 1950% was reported in a Pb-Sn eutectic alloy. Subsequently, much attention in Russia was devoted to this scientific curiosity and this led to the first book on superplasticity written by Prof. A.A. Presnyakov and published in 1964. Later, in 1985, Oscar Kaibyshev established in Ufa the Institute of Problems of Superplasticity of Metals of the Russian Academy of Sciences and this was, and remains to this day, the only institute in the world devoted exclusively to studies of the phenomenon of superplastic flow and the development through superplastic forming of complex-shaped parts. An important development occurred in 1988 with the publication of a classic report by Kaibyshev and co-workers describing the potential for achieving low temperature superplasticity in a metallic Al-Cu-Zr alloy that had been specially processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD) to produce a remarkably small grain size of only 300 nm. This report formed the basis for the later development of SPD processing as a major tool for the production of exceptional grain refinement and as a procedure for achieving large superplastic elongations that cannot be achieved using more conventional processing. This report describes this early work, the subsequent developments and the modern status of superplastic flow in ultrafine-grained metals.

Superplastic Flow and Micro-Mechanical Response of Ultrafine-Grained Materials

The bulk ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials usually show superior mechanical properties. Since the occurrence of superplastic flow generally requires a grain size smaller than ~10 μm, it is anticipated that materials processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD) will exhibit superplastic ductilities when pulled in tension at elevated temperatures. Recent advances in the processing of UFG metals have provided an opportunity to extend the understanding of superplastic flow behavior to include UFG materials with submicrometer grain sizes. Recent studies showed the UFG materials demonstrated the development of plasticity in micro-mechanical response at room temperature by the significant changes in microstructure attributed to high-pressure torsion (HPT). Accordingly, this study summarizes recent results on excellent ductility and plasticity in a UFG Zn-22% Al alloy. Specifically, the alloy demonstrated the occurrence of exceptional superplastic flow at high temperature after equal-channel angular pressing and HPT and excellent room temperature plasticity of the alloy after HPT where the plasticity was evaluated by the nanoindentation technique. The significance of purity of the alloy is also considered for enhancing the ductility at room temperature.

Superplasticity in Ultrafine-Grained Materials.

Superplasticity refers to the ability of a polycrystalline solid to exhibit a high elongation, of at least 400% or more, when testing in tension. The basic characteristics of superplastic flow are now understood and a theoretical model is available to describe the flow process both in conventional superplastic materials where the grain sizes are a few micrometers and in ultrafinegrained materials processed by severe plastic deformation where the grain sizes are in the submicrometer range. This report describes the basic characteristics of superplastic metals, gives examples of flow in ultrafine-grained materials, demonstrates the use of deformation mechanism mapping for providing a visual display of the flow processes and provides a direct comparison with the conventional model for superplastic flow. The report also describes the potential for using nanoindentation to obtain detailed information on the flow properties using only exceptionally small samples.