Application of microstructural engineering to the processing of lightweight materials

Abstract

In this environmentally conscious age, the use of lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloys and composites in the manufacture of automobiles, is on the increase. The challenge to materials' producers lies in engineering manufacturing processes to control the properties of these materials. This article examines the role of mathematical modeling in the prediction of microstructural changes induced during hot rolling of aluminum alloys, specifically AA5182 and AA5052. The importance of measurements to characterize boundary conditions for process models and the laboratory work to quantify fundamental metallurgical phenomena are described.