Effect of reduction rate on microstructure and properties of laminated steel/aluminium low density composites prepared by hot pressing

Abstract

ABSTRACT A multi-layer composite material consisting of 316 L steel and Al6061 aluminium was prepared via hot pressing. The mechanical properties of this heterogeneous layered composite material were studied under various reduction rates. The results revealed that the overall performance of the material initially improved and then declined as the reduction rates increased. Notably, at a hot pressing temperature of 400°C, the material exhibited optimal performance at a reduction rate of 32%. Furthermore, finite element simulations of the material processing process were performed using ABAQUS software, and the stress-strain state was analysed. The findings indicated that the overall performance of the material is influenced by both the presence of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the interface and the shear stress at the interface. In comparison to the aluminium layer, the performance of the steel layer undergoes more pronounced changes at the same reduction rate.