Giuliano Angella

Microstructure Evolution and Aging Kinetics of Al-Mg-Si and Al-Mg-Si-Sc Alloys Processed by ECAP

A study was carried out on a ECAP processed Sc-containing Al-Mg-Si alloy and on a reference 6082 alloy to investigated grain structure evolution during severe plastic deformation and post-ECAP aging behaviour. The results showed that the mechanism of ultrafine structure development was substantially unchanged with respect to a reference Sc-free alloy. Also the aging sequence and precipitation kinetics of the two alloys revealed to be comparable. The ECAP processed samples of the 6082 reference alloy showed a clear recrystallization peak at temperatures in the range 315-360°C, depending on the amount of strain experienced, whereas the Sc-containing alloy retained its ultrafine structure up to temperatures well exceeding 450°C, under the conditions reproduced in a DSC temperature scan.

Electron Beam Welding of IN792 DS: Effects of Pass Speed and PWHT on Microstructure and Hardness

Electron Beam (EB) welding has been used to realize seams on 2 mm-thick plates of directionally solidified (DS) IN792 superalloy. The first part of this work evidenced the importance of pre-heating the workpiece to avoid the formation of long cracks in the seam. The comparison of different pre-heating temperatures (PHT) and pass speeds (v) allowed the identification of optimal process parameters, namely PHT = 300 °C and v = 2.5 m/min. The microstructural features of the melted zone (MZ); the heat affected zone (HAZ), and base material (BM) were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-hardness tests. In the as-welded condition; the structure of directionally oriented grains was completely lost in MZ. The γ’ phase in MZ consisted of small (20–40 nm) round shaped particles and its total amount depended on both PHT and welding pass speed, whereas in HAZ, it was the same BM. Even if the amount of γ’ phase in MZ was lower than that of the as-received material, the nanometric size of the particles induced an increase in hardness. EDS examinations did not show relevant composition changes in the γ’ and γ phases. Post-welding heat treatments (PWHT) at 700 and 750 °C for two hours were performed on the best samples. After PWHTs, the amount of the ordered phase increased, and the effect was more pronounced at 750 °C, while the size of γ’ particles in MZ remained almost the same. The hardness profiles measured across the joints showed an upward shift, but peak-valley height was a little lower, indicating more homogeneous features in the different zones.

Features on Grain-Structure Evolution during Asymmetric Rolling of Aluminium Alloys

The possibility of refining the grain structure of commercial Al-Mg-Si and Al-Mg-Mn alloys was evaluated using the asymmetric rolling technique in the severe plastic deformation regime. The study demonstrated that asymmetric rolling can readily promote the achievement of an ultrafine grained structure in the alloys investigated. Comparative analyses showed that by increasing the asymmetry ratio and by alternating the shear direction during rolling, higher hardness values and reduced crystallite size could be obtained in the alloys.

A Contribution to New Material Standards for Ductile Irons and Austempered Ductile Irons

Some results of materials characterization activities, dedicated to classical and notch mechanics fatigue and elastoplastic properties, have already been published for some Ferritic–Pearlitic Ductile Iron, including the patented heat treated Isothermed (IDI) and Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) grades. Others have not yet been published. The possible use of all of these results in new standards is discussed in this paper. It is proposed that new standards should provide a criterion that is able to measure the process quality that represents more accurately the actual market needs and manufacturing capabilities. Classification of grades, considered by existing standards, is based on minimum properties for strength and ductility parameters that are separately evaluated. A different approach that is based on a quality index, which considers strength and ductility all in one, is proposed. However, this new proposed approach may not be sufficient to provide a satisfactory classification for the ADIs. This is because their fracture mechanical behavior and machinability can be correlated with their austenite stability. It could also be insufficient for the classification of the recent High Silicon Solid Solution Strengthened Ductile Irons that exhibit a decreasing ultimate tensile strength/proof stress ratio with increasing Si. For construction steels, fracture mechanics properties are sometimes believed to be related to the Charpy impact energy. This paper introduces an innovative practical and inexpensive data analysis, performed on the tensile test curve, which appears to be a potential estimator of fracture mechanical properties, at least for ADIs, where said properties could be correlated with the austenite stability.

Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of UFG Silver Subjected to Severe Plastic Deformation by ECAP

The present contribution is aimed at investigating the microstructure evolution of commercially pure silver under severe plastic deformation conditions. ECAP billets have been produced by using a die with channels intersecting at 90° and straining the samples at room temperature. The evolution of the microstructure as a function of imparted strain was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy as well as X-ray diffractometry. Furthermore, tensile properties were measured from ECAP billets in order to evaluate the strengthening and work hardening behaviour of silver as a function of structure evolution. Comparison in terms of grain structure and corresponding properties are also drawn by considering published data about Al-Mg-Si alloy samples ECAP-processed by identical routes and parameters.

Flow Curve Modelling of an Austenitic Stainless Steel at High Temperatures Starting from the One-Parameter Model of Strain Hardening

The flow curves of an austenitic stainless steel deformed at temperatures 700-1000°C with strain rates 10-5-10-2 s-1 were modelled with the Voce equation. The parameters needed to draw the Voce equation, are the saturation stress σV that defines the height of the flow curve, the critical strain εC that defines the velocity to achieve σV, and the stress σo, namely the back-extrapolated flow stress to zero strain. A modified strain hardening analysis based on the one-parameter model was used to analyze the strain hardening rate dσ/dε vs. the flow stress σ in order to obtain σV and εC. The modified approach was based on the assumption that the dislocation multiplication component of strain hardening was temperature and strain rate dependent through the thermal activation term s of flow stress. A parameter s’ proportional to s was obtained from the strain hardening analysis and a relationship between s’ and temperature and strain rate was found. Relationships between σV, σo, εC and s’ were finally established and at this stage the Voce equation could reproduce the experimental flow curves at any imposed deformation conditions of temperature and strain rate.

Assessment of the microstructure evolution of an austempered ductile iron during austempering process through strain hardening analysis

The aim of this investigation was to determine a procedure based on tensile testing to assess the critical range of austempering times for having the best ausferrite produced through austempering. The austempered ductile iron (ADI) 1050 was quenched at different times during austempering and the quenched samples were tested in tension. The dislocation-density-related constitutive equation proposed by Estrin for materials having high density of geometrical obstacles to dislocation motion, was used to model the flow curves of the tensile tested samples. On the basis of strain hardening theory, the equation parameters were related to the microstructure of the quenched samples and were used to assess the ADI microstructure evolution during austempering. The microstructure evolution was also analysed through conventional optical microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction technique and transmission electron microscopy. The microstructure observations resulted to be consistent with the assessment based on tensile testing, so the dislocation-density-related constitutive equation was found to be a powerful tool to characterise the evolution of the solid state transformations of austempering.

Mechanical Behaviour of Materials during Creep with Changing Loads

A component in service experiences stress conditions that change continuously with time. Since service conditions are usually difficult and expensive to reproduce in laboratory, the creep behaviour of alloys in service has to be extrapolated from a limited number of creep tests at constant loads and temperatures. Empirical rules have been proposed to forecast the effects of variable load and temperature both on the time to rupture, as the life fraction rule (LFR), and on the accumulation of creep strain with time, as the strain hardening rule (SHR). Two directionally solidified (DS) nickel based superalloys have been investigated with creep tests at constant and variable loads and constant temperature. Nickel based superalloys, for the typical stresses experienced in service, are often characterised by a small negligible primary, a minimum of strain rate with no secondary state, and a dominant accelerating creep caused by dislocation multiplication. The damage mechanisms causing the final rupture appear only in the very last percentage of life. In the present work, simulation results are reported to show that the physical-sounded model used to describe the accelerating creep due to dislocation multiplication can be employed to better predict the times to rupture and the creep curves of the two DS nickel based super-alloys with step-like variable stress than the empirical LF and SH rules.

Influence of Gamma Prime Evolution on the Creep Behaviour of SX Nickel Base Superalloys

The objective of this paper is to critically analyse the effect of the ’ morphology evolution on the creep strain rate behaviour in the temperature range 900 - 1100°C where rafts form in superalloys for single crystal turbine blade and vane applications. A close examination of the experimental results has shown different regimes of strain accumulation depending on the value of the applied stress and temperature. The experimental results have been rationalised in terms of the ’ shape evolution during creep.

Work Hardening and Tensile Behaviour of an Austenitic Stainless Steel at High Temperature

The work hardening and tensile behaviour of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel deformed at temperatures between 600 and 1000°C has been investigated. The alloy has been heat-treated according two different roots: the first solutioning treatment was imposed at 1100°C and the second was designed at 875°C to reduce the dynamic ageing that occurs at temperatures up to 650°C in AISI 316L. In the solutionised material the work hardening data presented two linear regions: at high stresses the linearity has been described as the conventional Stage III of work hardening, whilst at low stresses the linearity has not been rationalised in any conventional stage of work hardening. In the second heat treatment alloy the work hardening data showed a single linear region at high stresses, whilst no linear stage occurred at low stresses. Therefore, the work hardening and tensile behaviour of AISI 316L has resulted to be significantly affected by the two different heat treatments and dynamic aging has been proved to influence work hardening behaviour well beyond the range of temperatures in which serrated yielding occurs.