Diana K. Denzer

The Evolution of Plate and Extruded Products with High Strength and Fracture Toughness

From the first use of 2017-T74 on the Junkers F13, improvements have been made to plate and extruded products for applications requiring the highest attainable strength and adequate fracture toughness. One such application is the upper wing of large aircraft. The progression of these product improvements achieved through the development of alloys that include 7075-(T6 & T76), 7150-(T6 & T77) and 7055-(T77 & T79) and most recently 7255-(T77 & T79) is reviewed. The most current advancements include aluminum-copper-lithium, alloy 2055 plate and extruded products that can attain strength equivalent to that of 7055-T77 with higher modulus, similar fracture toughness and improved fatigue, fatigue crack growth and corrosion performance. The achievement of these properties is explained in terms of the several alloy design principles. The highly desired and balanced characteristics make these products ideal for upper wing applications.

Friction Stir Welding of Al-Li AA2199: Parameters, Precipitates and Post Weld Heat Treatment

The aerospace industry strives to develop materials allowing an increase in payload and reducing fuel consumption. Al-Li alloys, with their low density and high strength are currently in use for such applications and have potential for additional applications. When compared to composites, utilizing Al-Li alloy products is cost effective for aerospace companies as they do not need to redesign pre-existing fabrication facilities. The joining of these alloys by conventional methods is limited by segregation of alloying elements and the formation of oxides during high temperature exposure. This study focuses on solid state joining method that has the potential to generate low heat and be defect free - Friction Stir Welding (FSW). AA2199 sheets were joined by FSW. Process variables included table force, tool rotation speed and weld travel speed. A post weld heat treatment (PWHT) was applied to improve the mechanical properties by precipitation of strengthening phases. An increase in hardness of the weld zone from 95HV to 125HV upon PWHT was recorded for selected welding conditions. The type and morphology of second phase precipitates is deemed responsible for this effect. It is suggested that the high temperature and high strain levels characteristic of welds with fast tool rotation allow for the dissolution of precipitates during welding. The re-precipitation of these second phases during PWHT allowed the welds to recover strength to the level of the base material.