Quasi-superplasticity of a banded-grained Al-Mg-Y alloy processed by continuous casting-extrusion

Abstract

The continuous casting-extrusion (CTE) process is a short-route technology for fabricating aluminum and aluminum alloy wires. A novel Al-1.44Mg-1.09Y alloy was prepared by CTE, and its mechanical properties and microstructure evolution were investigated at elevated temperatures to explore the hot tensile ductility of aluminum alloy wire. A true strain to failure of 1.159 was obtained at 773K and 1.67×10−2s−1, and the present alloy exhibits high strain rate quasi-superplasticity. Microstructure observations reveal that it is difficult to realize the equiaxedness of elongated or textured grains through hot tensile deformation. A new deformation mechanism map (DMM) was constructed which predicts that dislocation climb at high stress dominates the high-temperature deformation process. This theoretical prediction using the DMM is in good agreement with experimental transmission-electron-microscopy results and with the estimated true stress exponent of 5 and the activation energy for deformation in the range 127.378―141.536kJmol−1. A new three-dimensional histogram containing a dynamic recovery (DRV) or dynamic recrystallization factor was constructed to demonstrate that the DRV mechanism dominates the deformation. Most experimental results are consistent with prediction using this histogram.