Exploring a hybrid manufacturing process to develop high performance age hardenable ultrafine grained AA6063/SiC nano-composite sheets

Abstract

In the present work, a novel hybrid manufacturing process is established to develop high performance AA6063/SiC nano-composite sheets. The novel hybrid manufacturing process consists of cryorolling (CR) followed by warm rolling (WR). The resultant effect of the hybrid processing route on the mechanical properties, strain hardening ability, microstructural evolution and age hardening response was studied in detail. The outcomes of the hybrid processing route showed a significant enhancement in strength of CR + WR nano-composites. The improvement in strength of CR + WR is due to the combined effect of increased dislocation density, dynamic recovery, grain refinement, and aging treatment. Imparting of optimum age hardening (A) treatment (150 °C for 4 h) to CR + WR nano-composite resulted in significant enhancement of strength-ductility combination which is found to be highest among the published literature on AA6XXX/SiC composites. The mechanical properties of peak aged CR + WR composites are also found to be higher than that of CR (90% cryorolled +Peak aged)) nano composite. The scientific knowhow and governing mechanisms were established to understand the potential of hybrid manufacturing process on significant enhancement of mechanical properties and age hardening response on AA6063/SiC nano-composites.