A356 Aluminum Research Articles

A comprehensive study of A357 alloy printability via laser metal deposition

Laser metal deposition (LMD) is one of the most important techniques in additive manufacturing (AM) thanks to the high flexibility of the process, which makes the production of free-form shapes possible. However, working with some materials presents some challenges. This is the case with aluminum alloys due to their reflectivity and their very high thermal conductivity. On the other hand, aluminum and its alloys are quite important in several industrial fields, including aerospace, among others, due to their mechanical properties with low density. In this work, LMD is applied on an A357 aluminum alloy. The techniques are investigated moving from a single-track approach up to multi-pass and multi-layer strategies. Densities, microstructures and mechanical performance are investigated as a function of process parameters. Porosities are reduced, resulting in overall densities of over 97% and microhardness values are in the range of 80–100 HV. Differences in mechanical performance are analysed considering different building directions, showing a dependency on loading direction and the distance from the substrate. Tensile tests reveal a promising performance for further investigation with the LMD technique. The obtained evidence is interesting for future trends where large and light components are required while maintaining the mechanical performance of traditional manufacturing methods. Moreover, a comprehensive study is done for the first time on A357 alloy that is deeply used in the aerospace and automotive fields. The investigation and definition of the best process parameters open the possibility of exploiting LMD technology in the production of wide components or for adding features to already existing components overcoming some limits of other AM technologies.

Investigation of easy separation of A1050 aluminum / SS400 steel joints using foaming by applying a foaming agent to the joining interface

Investigation of easy separation of A1050 aluminum / SS400 steel joints using foaming by applying a foaming agent to the joining interface

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of 2A12 aluminum alloys by high frequency impacting and rooling

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of 2A12 aluminum alloys by high frequency impacting and rooling

The Effect of Process Parameters on the Properties and Microstructure of A380 Aluminum Alloy Casting with Different Wall Thicknesses

In the present work, the effects of different die-casting process parameters on the mechanical properties and microstructure of A380 aluminum alloy casting with different wall thicknesses during the solidification process have been experimentally investigated. The experimental results show that both boost pressure and injection speed have a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the casting. As the injection speed increases, the changes in mechanical properties are more significant in the thin-walled area, while increasing the boosting pressure has a greater effect on the mechanical properties of the thick-walled area. In addition, the evolution of microstructure composition, including the α-Al phase, eutectic Si phase and Al-Si-Fe-Mn phase, has been analyzed and compared by energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the α-Al phase in the thin-walled area is significantly refined with the increase of injection speed. Meanwhile, with the increase of boost pressure, the α-Al phase in the thick-walled area gradually becomes finer, and the distribution of the eutectic Si phase and the Al-Si-Fe-Mn phase in the alloy becomes more uniform. Thus, the injection speed and boost pressure have an important impact on the overall forming quality of the casting.

Prediction of Recrystallization Structure of 2A12 Aluminum Alloy Pipe Extrusion Process Based on BP Neural Network

2A12 aluminum alloy is a high-strength aerospace alloy. During its extrusion process, the extrusion process parameters have a great impact on the microstructure evolution of the extruded products. There are three extrusion process parameters controlled in the actual project, which are the initial temperature of billet, the initial temperature of die and the extrusion speed. Combined with a back propagation (BP) neural network and finite element method (FEM) simulation, based on the constitutive equation and recrystallization evolution process of 2A12 aluminum alloy, this paper establishes a prediction model for the grain size of extruded pipe by these three extrusion process parameters. This paper used a 35MN extruding machine for a production verification of 2A12 pipe. The results show that the predicted grain size is 3% smaller than the actual size.

Influence of Deformation Temperature On Flow Stress and Dislocation Structure of 2A12 Aluminum Alloy Under Quasi-Static and Dynamic Compression

Influence of Deformation Temperature On Flow Stress and Dislocation Structure of 2A12 Aluminum Alloy Under Quasi-Static and Dynamic Compression

Process parameters for friction stir welding on A319 aluminium alloy using hybrid technique for order of preference by similarity to an ideal solution and grey relational analysis multi-criteria decision-making method

The major goal of this study is to look into friction stir welding process parameter optimization with the combined decision model, the tensile strength of the best parameter combinations is higher. The recommended hybrid strategy for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (technique for order of preference by similarity to an ideal solution) and grey relational analysis method are used to discover the optimum process parameters. It is also suitable for welding aluminium alloy A319 is Tool rotational speed (r/min), Feed for welding (mm/min), and diameter of tool pin (mm) are all considered while using the friction stir welding process. This operation is primarily implemented through various experiments using Taguchi L9 orthogonal arrays. To this problem, the (technique for order of preference by similarity to an ideal solution) and (grey relational analysis) models are used. Hence, this technique has demonstrated the technology used to identify multi-criteria decision-making in friction stir welding and process parameter optimization for the best results.

Replication casting and additive manufacturing for fabrication of cellular aluminum with periodic topology: optimization by CFD simulation

In this work, processes such as additive digital manufacturing (ADM) and precision casting are presented as alternative methods to manufacture aluminum foams with ordered open-pore morphology. Digital modeling of cellular structures with defined regular patterns was manufactured with ABS and wax and then melted in aluminum A356 alloy by a replication casting process. To guarantee the complete filling of the mold, a simulation by the Flow-3D program was made. This computational tool allowed to determine the temperature values of both melting and the mold temperature. The simulations revealed potential defects in the metal foams to be obtained, which were evidenced by the cast pieces processed after as a validation test. The results show that the casting process carried out supported by a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation allows understanding the effects of the simulated parameter process, optimizing the parameters involved in the infiltration process, and establishing the conditions for obtaining a sound piece of open-cell aluminum foam with truncated octahedron pores shape. The established manufacturing process conditions can be used to produce lattice structures with multifunctional uses such as impact and blast-proof devices, vibration attenuators, or where enhancement of heat transfer could be needed.

Effect of Anodic Oxidation on Tribological Behavior of 2017A Alloy

Anodic oxidation is used to improve the wear resistance and surface properties of aluminum alloys. In this study, the effect of two different anodic oxidation (hard anodizing and phosphoric coating) on the wear properties of 2017A aluminum alloy used as a model aircraft engine piston was investigated. In order to determine the effect of anodic oxidation, microhardness, friction coefficient, wear resistance, vibration, and worn surface images of the samples were evaluated. It was concluded that anodic oxidation significantly improved the hardness, friction coefficient, and wear resistance of the samples.

The Effect of SiC Nanoparticles’ content on Mechanical Properties and Wear Behavior of A380 Aluminum Alloy Nanocomposite Produced by Powder Metallurgy Method

The Effect of SiC Nanoparticles’ content on Mechanical Properties and Wear Behavior of A380 Aluminum Alloy Nanocomposite Produced by Powder Metallurgy Method

Pitting corrosion of 2A12 aluminum alloy long-scale specimen in simulated seawater splash zone, dynamic waterline zone and full immersion zone

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to construct a device that simulated the seawater splash zone, dynamic waterline zone (splash zone) and full immersion zone. Localized corrosion of 2A12 aluminum alloy long-scale specimen was studied.Design/methodology/approachCorrosion morphologies before and after the corrosion product removal were used to identify corrosion intensity at full seawater immersion zone, dynamic waterline zone (splash zone) and atmospheric zone. The average depth and diameter of corrosion pits in the three zones were evaluated by three-dimensional optical microscopy. The impact of wetting time of the atmospheric zone on the localized corrosion was investigated.FindingsCorrosion pits were observed on the surface on day 4 for the wetted atmospheric zone (Case 1), and on the surface on day 8 for the alternant wet/dry atmospheric zone (Case 2). The corrosion product layer on the surface for Case 1 was partially broken down while the layer on the surface for Case 2 was intact. Average pitting depth and pitting diameters for Case 1 were more serious than that for Case 2.Originality/valueThe above findings revealed that the humidity of the atmospheric zone had great impact on the localized corrosion of aluminum alloy at the seawater splash zone.

Multi-physics coupling simulation investigation of semi-solid A380 aluminum alloy during intermediate frequency electromagnetic stirring process

Multi-physics coupling simulation investigation of semi-solid A380 aluminum alloy during intermediate frequency electromagnetic stirring process

<i>In Situ</i> Quantitative Measurement of Stress Distribution in Tensile Specimen Using a Detachable Mechanoluminescence Film

Mechanoluminescence (ML) materials, e.g., SrAl2O4:Eu2+, emit visible light when mechanical stress is applied. It was reported that the intensity of the light is in proportion to the applied von Mises stress. Therefore, acting von Mises stress can be measured from the intensity using a calibration curve. To make the ML measurements easier and more flexible, a detachable ML film has been newly developed. One surface of the base sheet was coated with detachable adhesive, while the other was coated with ∼5 µm thick ML layer. Two ML films were taken from one ML sheet so that the two pieces have identical ML properties. One piece was pasted on an A6061 aluminum alloy test piece (JIS13B, t = 1.0 mm) to obtain a calibration curve by the tensile test. The other piece was pasted on another A6061 test piece with a circular opening at the center to reveal the nonuniform stress distribution. The von Miese stress converted from the ML intensity showed a good agreement with the prediction by finite element analysis (FEA). It is concluded that the detachable ML film is sufficiently accurate and practical means to measure stress distribution in the target material.

Planetary laser welding system induced equiaxed and refined grains in 2A12 aluminum alloy weldments

In this paper, a novel welding technology realized by planetary system laser was proposed. The crystal orientation and growth features in the fusion zones were studied and compared to the result of single laser welding. The single laser welding produced conventional columnar and equiaxed growth of α-Al dendrites in the fusion zone. These two regions both possessed newly nucleated tiny grains and overgrown huge grains. The planetary system laser welding enhanced the free nucleation procedure and promoted the columnar to equiaxed transformation. Compared to a single laser, the average grain misorientation was increased while the aspect ratio and grain size were decreased. Also, the entire orientation distribution exhibited a considerably dispersed fashion. In summary, the planetary system laser welding presented stirring force and disordered heat diffusion during solidification process. The former directly broke up the protuberant tips of trunks and multiplied the number of existing dendrites. The latter reduced the high throughput heat diffusion and produced a relatively low-temperature gradient, thus elevating the supercooling and radial overgrowth of dendrites.

Research on wrinkling in rubber forming of the convex flange with 2A12 aluminum alloy sheet

Research on wrinkling in rubber forming of the convex flange with 2A12 aluminum alloy sheet

Investigation of microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear behavior of A380 aluminum nanocomposite reinforced with SiC nanoparticles produced by powder metallurgy

In this study, the effect of adding SiC nanoparticles and heat treatment on the mechanical properties and wear behavior of A380 aluminum alloy was investigated. Al A380 aluminum powder and SiC nanoparticles with values (0, 0.5, 1, and 2% wt%) were milled in a planetary ball mill with balls of different diameters (4–10 mm) in an argon atmosphere for 10 hours. After the milling process, a hot press (510°C) was used to produce the samples. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear behavior of the samples were examined using an optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM), micro Vickers hardness test, and pin-on-disk test, respectively. To investigate the effect of heat treatment, the samples were placed in a furnace at 530°C for 3 hours, then the sample was quenched with boiling water, then placed in a furnace at 175°C for 16 hours, and then by micro Vickers hardness device, the hardness of the samples were measured. The best hardness of the samples was related to aluminum alloy with 0.5 wt% of SiC nanoparticles. Also, after heat treatment, the hardness of the samples increased significantly. Al A380 2wt% SiC nanocomposite sample represents the greatest wear properties when compared with the other experiment samples.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Creep and mechanical properties of aluminium A356 composites reinforced with coated and un-coated MWCNTs fabricated using the stir casting method

We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Materials Science and Technology have retracted the following article: Qiaoyu Pan, Xinping Yu & Fujin Yu (2023) Creep and mechanical properties of aluminium A356 composites reinforced with coated and un-coated MWCNTs fabricated using the stir casting method, Materials Science and Technology, 39:9, 1100–1112, DOI: 10.1080/02670836.2022.2160532 Following publication, concerns were raised by a third party about the integrity of the data in this article. The journal and the publisher investigated and found substantial concerns with the following: The source of the data Similarities with an unpublished article from a separate, third-party institute The authorship of this article When approached for an explanation, the authors confirmed there was a potential overlap with another unpublished work at their institution, which used the same material and tensile test. The authors were unable to adequately address our concerns. Furthermore, upon review, the authors have uncovered substantial errors in their data which would invalidate the findings and conclusions of their paper. As a result of these data errors, the authors have requested retraction. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, the Editors and Publisher are therefore retracting the article. Whilst the authors requested retraction on the basis of errors in the data, they do not agree with the additional grounds for retraction. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and the COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.

Differential flow velocities control method for push-bending of the thin-walled tube with a 0.9D bending radius by differential lubrication

The smaller the relative bending radius of the bent tube, the more difficult the tube blank is to be bent. In this paper, the push-bending process for the aluminum tube with a relative bending radius of 0.9D was analyzed through simulation. There was tangential tensile stress concentration occurring at the front endpoint of tube intrados, which increased the risk of cracking. That is because the bending tube’s extrados moves less angular distance than its intrados by the uniform lubrication method, causing excessive deformation of the cross-section. Therefore, a differential lubrication method using the lubricant with a larger friction coefficient at intrados and the lubricant with a smaller friction coefficient at extrados was proposed to increase the angular velocity of the tube’s extrados. It was found that the differential lubrication method helped avoid excessive thinning at the front endpoint of tube intrados through simulations. Furthermore, push-bending experiments of 5A02 aluminum alloy with a relative bending radius of 0.9D were carried out to investigate this effect. The experimental results showed that the differential lubrication method effectively avoided cracking, which agreed with the simulation results.

Effect of the Addition of Steel Fibers on the Bonding Interface and Tensile Properties of Explosion-Welded 2A12 Aluminum Alloy and SS-304 Steel

First of all, the explosion-welding method was adopted to prepare steel fiber-reinforced steel-aluminum composite plates. Secondly, the smooth particle hydrodynamic (SPH) method was used to investigate the effect of introducing steel fibers to a vortex region created at the bonding interface of the steel-aluminum composite plate. Thirdly, the following conclusions were drawn through an analysis of the vortex region with the assistance of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A brittle intermetallic compound FeAl was produced in the vortex region in an environment characterized by high temperature, high pressure, and high strain rate, resulting in cracks, holes and pores. In addition, the hardness of the vortex area was less than the estimated value, which is mainly because the main element in the vortex area was 2A12 aluminum with low hardness, and there were cracks, holes, pores and other defects that caused hardness reduction. Although the addition of steel fibers caused defects at the bond interface, the addition of steel fibers was effective in improving the tensile resistance performance of steel-aluminum composite panels to a certain extent. In addition, the larger the fiber diameter, the more significant the increase in tensile resistance.

The Effect of Interrupted Homogenization on β-Al5FeSi → α-Alx (Fe and Mn) Si Transformation in the A6063 Aluminum Alloy

The aluminum alloys corresponding to the 6000 series are mainly manufactured by mechanical forming processes. Their properties are enhanced by the homogeneous distribution of intermetallic phases such as β-Al5FeSi or α-Alx (Fe, Mn) Si. By thermal homogenization treatment, the intermetallic compound β-Al5FeSi changes its morphology from a needle type with a monoclinic structure to an acicular form known as α-Al12(Fe, Mn)3Si with an fcc structure. In the present study, samples of the 6063 alloy were subjected to different temperatures of homogenization (798, 823, and 848 K) and treatment times from 0 to 660 min (in intervals of 30 min) to evaluate their effects on the microstructures and morphologies of the intermetallic phases. For the kinetic study, the microstructures of the β and α intermetallic phases were quantified using the Image-Pro software. The results indicate that as the temperature and homogenization time increase, the percentage of phase α also increments. The results of the kinetic analysis revealed that the β → α transformation is controlled by two stages; the first corresponds to the diffusion of Mn atoms from the matrix to the interface of reaction for the formation of the intermetallic phases, while the second corresponds to the nucleation and growth of the iron- and manganese-rich intermetallic phases.