Zhi-min Yin

Effect of trace rare earth element Er on Al-Zn-Mg alloy

Al-6Zn-2Mg and Al-6Zn-2Mg-0.4Er alloys were prepared by cast metallurgy. The effects of trace Er on the mechanical properties, recrystallization behavior and age-hardening characteristic of Al-Zn-Mg alloy were studied. The effect of Er on microstructures was also studied by OM, XRD, SEM, EDS and TEM. The results show that the addition of Er on Al-6Zn-2Mg alloy is capable of refining grains obviously. The addition of Er can improve the strength considerably by strengthening mechanisms of precipitation and grain refinement. With the addition of Er into Al-6Zn-2Mg alloy, the aging process is quickened and the age-hardening effect is heightened. Er additive can retard the recrystallizing behavior of Al-6Zn-2Mg alloy and cause the increase of recrystallization temperature due to the pinning effect of fine dispersed Al3Er precipitates on dislocations and subgrain boundaries.

Comparison of FSW and TIG welded joints in Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy plates

Abstract In order to study the welding process, microstructure and properties of Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, comparative methods of friction stir welding (FSW) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) were applied to the two conditions of this alloy, namely hot rolled plate and cold rolled-annealed plate. The relationships between microstructures and properties of the welded joints were investigated by means of optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Compared with the base metal, the strength of FSW and TIG welded joints decreased, and the FSW welding coefficients were higher than the TIG welding coefficients. The loss of substructure strengthening and a very little loss of precipitation strengthening of Al3(Sc, Zr) cause the decreased strength of FSW welded joint. But for the TIG welded joint, the disappearance of both the strain hardening and most precipitation strengthening effect of Al3(Sc, Zr) particles contributed to its softening. At the same time, the grains in weld nugget zone of FSW welded joints were finer than those in the molten zone of TIG welded joints.

Effect of Homogenization Treatment on Microstructure and Hot Workability of High Strength 7B04 Aluminium Alloy

The effects of homogenization treatment on microstructure, overburnt temperature and hot rolling plasticity of high strength 7B04 aluminium alloy were investigated. Under the condition of homogenization at 470℃, the starting melting temperature of the primary eutectics in ingot of non-equilibium solidified 7B04 alloy is 478℃. Using two-step homogenization processing at ultra-high temperature which comprises heating the ingots to 470℃ at 10℃/h and holding for 64h, and then heating to 500℃ at 1℃/h and holding for 10h, the ingots of 7B04 aluminium alloy could safely pass the sensitive overburnt zone between 480℃ and 495℃, and the ordinary burnt phenomena of the ingots between 480℃ and 495℃ does not occur because the excess low-melting point eutectic phases in the as-cast alloy dissolve into the matrix during the two-step homogenization processing. Consequently, the hot rolling plasticity of ingot of 7B04 aluminium alloy is greatly improved.

Effect of minor Sc and Zr on superplasticity of Al-Mg-Mn alloys

Abstract The effect of Sc and Zr on the superplastic properties of Al-Mg-Mn alloy sheets was investigated by control experiment. The superplastic properties and the mechanism of superplastic deformation of the two alloys were studied by means of optical microscope, scanning electronic microscope and transmission electron microscope. The elongation to failure of Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy is larger than that of Al-Mg-Mn alloy at the same temperature and initial strain rate. The variation of strain rate sensitivity index is similar to that of elongation to failure. In addition, Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy exhibits higher strain rate superplastic property. The activation energies of the two alloys that are calculated by constitutive equation and linear regression method approach the energy of grain boundary diffusion. The addition of Sc and Zr decreases activation energy and improves the superplastic property of Al-Mg-Mn alloy. The addition of Sc and Zr refines the grain structure greatly. The main mechanism of superplastic deformation of the two alloys is grain boundary sliding accommodated by grain boundary diffusion. The fine grain structure and high density of grain boundary, benefit grain boundary sliding, and dynamic recrystallization brings new fine grain and high angle grain boundary which benefit grain boundary sliding too. Grain boundary diffusion, dislocation motion and dynamic recrystallization harmonize the grain boundary sliding during deformation.

Constitutive relationship for high temperature deformation of Al-3Cu-0.5Sc alloy

Abstract The high temperature compressive deformation behavior of Al-3Cu-0.5Sc alloy was investigated at temperatures from 350 to 500 °C, and strain rates from 0.01 to 10 s−1 with the Gleeble-1500 thermo-mechanical simulator machine. The flow curves after corrections of the friction and temperature compensations were employed to develop constitutive equations. The effects of temperature and strain rate on deformation behaviors were represented by Zener-Hollomon parameter in an exponent type equation. The influence of true strain was incorporated in the constitutive equation by considering the effect of true strain on material constants. A four-order polynomial is found to be suitable to represent the influence of strain on the constitute equations.

Recrystallization of Al-5.8Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy

Abstract Al-5.8Mg-0.4Mn-0.25Sc-0.1Zr (mass fraction, %) alloys were prepared by water chilling copper mould ingot metallurgy processing which was protected by active flux. The recrystallization temperature and nucleation mechanism of the alloy were studied by means of hardness tests, observations of optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the anti-crystallization ability can be significantly improved by adding minor Sc and Zr into Al-Mg-Mn alloy. This can be proved by a much higher recrystalliztion temperature (450 °C) than Al-Mg-Mn alloy without Sc and Zr (150 °C). The main reason of the great increase of recrystallization temperature can be attributed to the strong pinning effect of highly disperseded Al3(Sc,Zr) particles on dislocations and sub-grain boundaries. The recrystallizing process reveals itself the nucleation mechanism of the alloy involving not only the sub-grain coalescence but also the sub-grain growth.

TEM study on microstructures and properties of 7050 aluminum alloy during thermal exposure

Abstract The microstructures of 7050 aluminum alloy under different thermal exposure conditions were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and tensile test. Guinier preston (GP) zone and η′ phase are the main precipitates in original 7050 alloy. The orientation relationship between η′ and matrix is and . When the alloy is exposed at different temperatures for 500 h, with the thermal exposure temperature increasing, it can be seen under TEM that the precipitates become larger and the width of precipitate free zones (PFZ) becomes larger. The higher temperature the alloy is exposed at, the more the strength is reduced. Both GP zones and η′ precipitates getting coarser and the PFZ getting wider should be responsible for the strength decline and elongation rise of 7050 alloy during thermal exposure.

Characterization of irregular seeds on gibbsites precipitated from caustic aluminate solutions

The irregular surface of seeds on which gibbsites are precipitated from caustic aluminate solutions, was investigated according to the fractal theory. Two kinds of fractal dimensions were used to characterize these irregularity. Box-dimension and spectral dimension are based on the SEM images of seeds and diffusive dynamic equation of the precipitation respectively. Both these two dimensions are affected by the reaction temperature, evolved with different reaction conditions and can reflect the influence of irregularity of seeds on the precipitation rate. Box dimension is fit for the characterization of the irregular morphology of seeds, while spectral dimension can explain the fractal dynamic behavior.

Microstructural evolution of Al−Zn−Mg−Zr alloy with trace amount of Sc during homogenization treatment

Abstract The microstructural evolution of Al–Zn–Mg–Zr alloy with trace amount of Sc during homogenization treatment was studied by means of metallographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that serious dendritic segregation exists in studied alloy ingot. There are many eutectic phases with low melting-point at grain boundary and the distribution of main elements along interdendritic region varies periodically. Elements Zn, Mg and Cu distribute unevenly from grain boundary to the inside of alloy. With increasing the homogenization temperature or prolonging the holding time, the residual phases are dissolved into matrix α (Al) gradually during homogenization treatment, all elements become more homogenized. The overburnt temperature of studied alloy is 476.7 °C. When homogenization temperature increases to 480 °C, some spherical phases and redissolved triangular constituents at grain boundaries can be easily observed. Combined with microstructural evolution and differential scanning calorimeter, the optimum homogenization parameter is at 470 °C for 24 h.

Plasma cladding of Stellite 6 powder on Ni76Cr19AlTi exhausting valve

Heavy duty engine valve head was prepared by Ni76Cr19AlTi alloy. It was coated by cobalt-base alloy on the surface to promote its wear-resistance. Hardness tester, metallograph, scanning microscopy, energy spectrum and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the mechanical properties, the microstructure of the welds and the coated layer of cobalt-base alloy. The results show that the grains are obviously coasened in the side of Ni76Cr19AlTi alloy in the welds and it contains a typical dentritic structure in the side cobalt-base alloy. It is found that micro-strain in weld is stronger than that in heat-effected-zone. Micro-strain in nickel-base alloy is stronger than that cobalt-base alloy. There are not obvious imperfects in the weld. Hardness in cobalt-base alloy is more than 390HV and the major carbides in cobalt-base alloy are Cr7C3 and W2C.