Aluminum Alloy Wire Research Articles

Investigation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 5356 aluminum alloy wire in continuous casting direct rolling process

Investigation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 5356 aluminum alloy wire in continuous casting direct rolling process

Unveiling the mechanical and microstructural properties of SiC reinforced aluminum wires recycled from scraps by friction stir extrusion

Friction Stir Extrusion (FSE) has been proven as an effective solid-state process to directly recycle metal chips into high-quality wires/rods/tubes. However, the demand for Al-based composite wires with enhanced properties is substantial, and achieving a uniform distribution of the strengthening phase within the composite wire by establishing a robust metal/ceramic interface remains a significant challenge. In this study, AA6082 Aluminum alloy wires reinforced with 12.5 vol% SiC particles, exhibiting homogeneous particle distribution and superior mechanical properties, were successfully produced through the FSE technique. The investigation focused on examining the influence of processing parameters and the addition of SiC reinforcement on the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of the extruded wires. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), together with microhardness, bending, and tensile tests, were used to comprehensively analyze the resulting properties. The findings demonstrate a substantial enhancement in the wires' mechanical properties due to the SiC particles. Both tool rotation and tool force were varied during the experimental campaign. Notably, the reduction in porosity and grain refinement resulted in a 12.78 % increase in tensile strength and an 18.6 % improvement in microhardness compared to Al 6082 alloy extruded wires. Grain orientation analysis revealed a fully recrystallized microstructure with a weak texture. Furthermore, the study evaluated power consumption and surface roughness while assessing the feasibility of deposition, thereby highlighting the potential application of this technique in advanced additive manufacturing processes.

SAL5087 bright welding wire two acid polishing process and its effect on surface roughness

Abstract In order to obtain bright aluminum alloy wires and eliminate the environmental and human hazards of traditional chemical polishing, the H3PO4-H2SO4 system chemical polishing process was developed for SAL5087, and the surface roughness was measured by laser confocal microscopy and the surface morphology was observed by sweeping electron microscopy as the evaluation index of the polishing quality. The process optimization was carried out by orthogonal experiments and the role of each component was analyzed. The experiments showed that phosphoric acid dominates the polishing process, which can effectively enhance the polishing effect under the synergistic effect with various additives. The surface roughness of the polished wire was reduced to 0.257 μm in the optimum process, and the surface was free of defects such as burrs and scratches.

Investigation on in-situ tensile behaviors of 6061 aluminum alloy fabricated by wire additive friction stir deposition

Rod based additive friction stir deposition (R-AFSD) offers unique advantages for the integrated manufacturing of aluminum alloy near-net-shape large parts. However, the deposition process often faces issues like thick ends of raw material rods and difficulties in continuous feeding. In this study, wire based additive friction stir deposition (W-AFSD) was used for the solid state deposition of 3 mm diameter 6061 aluminum alloy wire. The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the deposit along the build direction were systematically characterized, clarifying the recrystallization mechanism and isotropy of the mechanical properties. In-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) were used to study the deformation behavior of the deposit during in situ tensile testing, revealing a cooperative deformation mechanism involving grain rotation and intragranular slip. Results show that during in-situ tensile testing, the average rotation angle of five selected grains is 6.90°. Additionally, deposits with numerous grain boundaries due to recrystallization can hinder dislocation movement and pin the slip system within the grains during tensile testing. Due to the synergy of these mechanisms, the yield strengths of the longitudinal and transverse samples of the deposit are 183 MPa and 190 MPa, respectively, much higher than previously reported values. This article introduces a new solid state additive manufacturing method, offering new insights for efficient, high-strength continuous additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys and their deformation mechanisms.

Investigation on the microstructure, mechanical properties and chlorine resistance of fine aluminum alloy wires

Wire bonding is a fundamental and mature technology in semiconductor packaging process, primarily using materials such as gold, silver, aluminum, and copper for the wires. To address application limitations of aluminum wires, such as low electromigration resistance and limited ductility, techniques including to enhance alloying (with Zn and Si), heat treatment, and surface treatment are employed to enhance the performance of aluminum alloy wires and broaden their application value. This study selects Al-3Zn-0.3Si (AZS303) and Al-7Zn-0.3Si (AZS703), with AZS303 undergoing gold plating to produce AC-AZS303 wires. Various high-temperature heat treatments are applied, verifying that under 400 °C conditions, the AZS series aluminum alloy wires exhibit grain growth and form single-crystal equiaxed grain structures, resulting in stable mechanical properties and excellent electrical performance. Additionally, the AC-AZS303 wires optimize resistance values through gold layer diffusion induced by the electrothermal effect.Chlorine experiments indicates that the gold plating on AC-AZS303 can't enhance the aluminum wire's resistance to chlorine corrosion. However, the alloying effect of zine and silicon elements imparts excellent chlorine corrosion resistance to the Al-Zn-Si wires. This study of bonding properties examines the bond strength and observes the bonded area of Al-Zn-Si wires after bonding. It is noted that the H400-AZS303 wire exhibits the best bond strength and bonding area, demonstrating good bonding with the substrate.

Optimizing strength and electrical conductivity of 6201 aluminum alloy wire through rotary swaging and aging processes

Age-hardened 6201 aluminum alloy wires utilized in high-voltage transmission lines need to have high strength, high conductivity and high ductility. However, simultaneously obtaining high values for the above three parameters remains a challenge, as there are trade-off relationships between strength and ductility, strength and conductivity. In this article, we employed solid solution, under-aging and peak-aging treated 6201 aluminum alloys as initial samples, then performed rotary swaging (RS) on them equally and subsequent aging at different temperatures. Performance testing found that RS plus aging improved the strength and conductivity of all three samples. The best combinations of electrical conductivity and ultimate tensile strength are 50.6 %IACS and 363 MPa, 51.7 %IACS and 352 MPa, which were obtained through under-aged (550 ℃/3 h + 175 ℃/2 h) + RS + re-aging (160 ℃/4 h) and peak-aged (550 ℃/3 h + 175 ℃/8 h) + RS + re-aging (160 ℃/4 h). Quantitative analysis show that precipitation strengthening is the main strengthening mechanism, contributing about 50 % of the yield strength. Grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening contribute comparable amounts of 25 % and 20 %, respectively. The theoretical model can well predict the yield strength of RSed Al alloys based on the microstructure. The conductivity increase was caused mainly by the precipitation of solid solutions and fiber grain boundaries. In addition, RS reduced the tensile ductility to 6–10 % and subsequent aging regain it up to 10–13 % due to decrease of dislocation density and precipitation hardening. Our results indicate that high strength, high conductivity and high ductility of aging-hardened alloys can be achieved through optimizing deformation and aging processes.

Experimental and theoretical research on the temperature evolution law of overcurrent fault wires

AbstractTo investigate the problems of overload and excessive thermal insulation associated with building electrical fires caused by wires, a theoretical model of wire heat transfer is established, and the pyrolysis and combustion phenomena of the insulation layer are analyzed. The results showed that the temperature evolution of the wire underwent three stages: constant temperature, insulation heating, and high‐temperature pyrolysis. The insulation layer experiences bulging, exhausting, carbonization, dripping, and burning in sequence, and insulation layer dripping requires at least 160 A of current. As the current increases, the temperature increase rate of the wire increases gradually, and the fusing time of the wire gradually decreases. Under the same current, 160°C is the turning point at which the temperature increases. The temperature increase rate of the copper wire is greater than that of the aluminum alloy wire, and the temperature increase rate of the bare wire is greater than that of the insulated wire. The fusing time of an aluminum alloy wire is less than that of a copper wire, and the fusing time of a bare wire is less than that of an insulated wire. The research results provide theoretical guidance for the prevention and investigation of building electrical fires.

Superior strength and electrical conductivity synergy of cold‐drawn Al‐Mg‐Si‐Ce‐Cu wires produced by continuous casting and rolling

Al‐Mg‐Si aluminum wires for overhead power transmission have extensive applications in industry and daily life. In this study, superior strength and electrical conductivity combination in the aged cold‐drawn Al‐Mg‐Si‐Ce‐Cu wires fabricated by continuous casting and rolling are achieved. The cold‐drawn wires exhibit high strength and electrical conductivity combinations of 383±2 MPa, 51.16±0.23% IACS; 373±3 MPa, 51.98±0.25% and 357±3 MPa, 53.16±0.11% IACS, respectively, when aged at 160 °C, 170 °C or 180 °C for 24 h. Subgrain boundaries are introduced into alloys by continuous casting and rolling and cold drawing, causing significant lattice distortion within the grains and providing sites for the nucleation of precipitates. Moreover, HADDF‐STEM (high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy) and DFT (density functional theory) results show that Ce atoms could enter the lattice of β” and replace the Si3 sites, which is energetically preferred. The underlying mechanisms for achieving superior strength‐electrical conductivity combination are to introduce subgrain boundaries via continuous casting and rolling and cold drawing for promoting the transformation of solid solution atoms to finely dispersed precipitates, which significantly reduces the scattering of electrons and hence improves the electrical conductivity. This work provides a new strategy for designing high‐strength and high‐conductivity aluminum alloy wire conductors.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Microstructure, mechanical properties and corrrosion behavior of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu wire under different annealing conditions

Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aluminum alloy wires were annealed at 404 °C and then cooled at 10–100 °C/h. On the basis of the cooling speed of 10 °C/h, a second stage of 232 °C annealing was added and held for 4–8 h. The differences in grain organization, grain boundary precipitation phase, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and intergranular corrosion properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aluminum alloy wires with different annealing processes were comparatively investigated by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique, transmission electron microscope (TEM), electronic tensile tester, conductivity meter. It is found that the grain size of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu wire after different annealing processes has not grown significantly, and the grain orientation has not changed obviously. As the cooling speed decreased from 100 °C/h to 10 °C/h, the precipitated η phase continued to merge and grow, from chain distribution to independent distribution, and the Cu element in η phase increase. The Cu content of η phase increases to 14.7 wt% by adding a second annealing stage. The conductivity of the alloy increases to 48.6 %IACS and the tensile strength is reduced to 168 MPa. In addition, the maximum corrosion depth of the alloy is reduced to 16 μm. It shows good mechanical properties and excellent corrosion resistance.

Enhancing the Tribological Performance of Additively Manufactured Aluminium Alloy ER 5356 via the Cold Deformation Process

Typically, in handling worn parts, to avoid extra expenditure, car manufacturers will send them to the scrap yard. Reconstruction of the worn area via additive manufacturing is now an option. Unfortunately, heat will reduce the deposited material’s properties, like wear resistance. In this study, the effect of a cold deformation via cold forging on the tribological performance of aluminium alloy wire ER 5356 fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) will be investigated. The cold forging process was conducted at room temperature on an open die transverse to the direction of the deposited weld. Comparisons were made between unforged and forged specimens at dry and wet sliding conditions at varied speeds and loads applied. Based on the results, it was observed that forged specimens exhibit a lower specific wear rate than unforged specimens for both conditions. The coefficient of friction (COF) in dry sliding decreases as the specific wear rate increases. However, comparatively, COF at wet sliding is lower for both unforged and forged samples. As a conclusion, the cold forging enhances the tribological performance by lowering the specific wear rate and COF.

A functionally graded material from stainless steel 304 to Fe–40Al fabricated by dual wire arc additive manufacturing

In this study, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) based dual wire additive manufacturing (D-WAAM) is adopted to fabricate the functionally graded material (FGM) from stainless steel (SS) 304 to Fe–40Al, using SS 304 and aluminum alloy (AA) 1070 wires. The Al/Fe atomic ratio varies from 0 to 40 % by varying the ratio of the wire feed speeds of the SS and AA wires. The chemical composition, phases, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the FGM are investigated. The results showed that with the increase of Al content, microstructures evolve as follows: γ-Fe → γ-Fe + α-Fe → α-Fe → Fe3Al → FeAl. Cracks occur in FeAl region, caused by the high stress and the low plasticity. Dislocation walls prevent the large grains from slipping, leading to the loss of plasticity. The microhardness of SS 304 to Fe–40Al FGM ranges from 188HV0.5 to 558HV0.5. As Al content increases, the ultimate compressive strength decreases from 1820 MPa to 1061 MPa. The results on microstructure and mechanical properties provide guidance for the preparation of steel - aluminum alloy FGMs.

Dependence of microstructure evolution of novel CoreFlow™ aluminium alloy wire on wire diameter

The wire diameter Dr is one of the key parameters used to tailor the microstructure of alloy wires prepared using a novel room-temperature (RT), one-step CoreFlow™ process. However, the microstructural evolution of CoreFlowed wires at varying Dr remains unclear. The dependence of microstructure characteristics on the Dr should be considered in the future design of CoreFlowed wires. In this study, the microstructure evolution of CoreFlowed 6082 aluminium (Al) wires with four diameters (Dr = 1, 2, 3, and 4 mm) was systematically investigated. After the CoreFlow™, the average grain sizes of all CoreFlowed wires were less than 12 μm compared with the original Al sheet with a coarse grain of 2000 μm. As the Dr increases, the refinement degree of the grain decreases. Particularly, a gradient structure, characterised by grain size increasing from the edge to its centre along the radial diameter, is introduced into CoreFlowed wires. The difference in interaction between strain and heat during CoreFlow™ is responsible for the gradient in grain size. As the Dr increases, the grain size at the edge and its centre increases simultaneously, but the difference in average grain size between them decreases, which is related to the nonlinear change of heat and strain with the Dr. Moreover, the gradient distribution of grain size causes the gradient distribution of specific micro-texture components. The texture components in CoreFlowed wires show a great change with Dr, but their variations show a trend from recrystallization texture to deformation texture with an increase in Dr.

Study on the effect of Ar–He shielding gas on the weld formation, microstructure and mechanical properties of 5083 aluminum alloy weld

In this paper, the ER5356 aluminum alloy wire was used for cold metal transfer (CMT) welding of the 5083-H111 base metal with 20 mm thickness. The effects of four shielding gases, which were 100%Ar, 75%Ar+25%He, 50%Ar+50%He and 100%He on the weld formation, microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and mechanical testing. The results showed that with the increase of He in the shielding gas, the weld penetration and width increased, and the porosity in the weld zone decreased significantly; the microstructure changed from coarse dendrites to fine equiaxed crystals, and the microstructure was gradually refined; the tensile strength of deposited metal increased from 220 MPa to 270 MPa, with an increase of 22.7%, the tensile fracture was quintessential ductile fracture, and the hardness increased from 64.2 HV to 68.4 HV. The addition of He in the shielding gas can effectively inhibit the generation of pores and promote the β-Al3Mg2 phase in the weld microstructure, thus improving the mechanical properties of the deposited metal.

Evaluation of strength and electrical conductivity of copper clad-AA6063 bimetallic composite wire after annealing treatment

This study investigates the manufacturing of copper-AA6063 aluminum alloy composite wire and the effect of microstructural changes and metal-metal interface after annealing at 300 °C at different times on the strength and electrical conductivity. For fabrication of the composite wire, first AA6063 aluminum alloy wire was inserted inside an OFHC copper tube with a diameter of 6 mm. Afterward, a composite wire was produced using a cold drawing process in thirteen steps to a diameter of 1.5 mm. The tensile and microhardness tests used for evaluation of the composite wire's mechanical properties. Also, the light and scanning electron microscopes (SEM) used for microstructural characterization. The results showed that forming a region with a strain gradient at interface has a determinative effect on the strength and ductility of composite wire. The composite wire without annealing showed the highest strength, 278 ± 7 MPa. The annealing treatment result in strength reduction and negligible change in the electrical conductivity. The composite wire after annealing treatment for 30 and 60 min showed the highest electrical conductivity, 83 ± 1%IACS, and the highest elongation, 45 ± 4%, respectively.

Mechanism of columnar to equiaxed to lamellar grain transition during wire-laser directed energy deposition 205 C aluminum alloy utilizing a coaxial head: Numerical simulation and experiment

The microstructure under various conditions shows noticeable differences in the wire-laser directed energy deposition (DED) method using a coaxial head due to the intrinsic properties of aluminum alloy wire materials and the intricate heating process involved. The impacts of varied heat inputs and substrate preheating temperatures on solidification and microstructure evolution were explored in this study. A coupled model, including macroscopic finite element and microscopic cellular automata with interpolation, was employed to investigate the temperature field, thermal cycles, solidification parameters, and microstructure evolution under varied process parameters. This study revealed the transformation of four grain forms in the deposition layer, namely, lamellar grain, equiaxed grain, equiaxed fine grain, and columnar grain, through a comprehensive dynamic simulation of the microstructure. Quantitative research was conducted to determine the solidification region of equiaxed grains and the average length of columnar grain amid solidification under varied crystallization parameters. The findings demonstrated that under a lower heat input and preheating temperature, equiaxed fine grains are generated at the lower region of the deposition layer, while lamellar grains are formed above the equiaxed grains at the upper region of the deposition layer, which is similar to the morphology of a cast microstructure. The typical primary dendritic distance of columnar grain diminishes with the enlargement of the cooling rate and temperature gradient. The findings of this study offer a theoretical framework for regulating the microstructure of aluminum alloy deposition layers manufactured via wire-laser DED technology using a coaxial head.

Wear Behaviour of Additive Manufactured Aluminium Alloy ER 5356

In the automotive industry, parts are mostly made from aluminium alloy due to its lightweight properties and high corrosion resistance. However, the drawback is that the aluminium alloy is easily worn due to wear and friction and will end up in the scrap yard. In order to salvage the aluminium component, the worn part can be repaired. Currently, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) offers flexible remanufacturing of the worn part. However, the wear behaviour of the additively manufactured part needs to be studied first to improve the wear performance of the material. In this study, the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) or MIG-based WAAM machine was utilised to produce a 3D profile from the available aluminium alloy wire grade ER 5356. The wear test was carried out in accordance with ASTM G-99, using a pin-on disc in both dry and wet sliding conditions. It was found that on dry sliding, the specific wear rates are decreasing from 5.3632 x 10-11 mm3/Nm to 4.3496 x 10-11 mm3/Nm and 4.1513 x 10-11 mm3/Nm as the speed increases from 200 to 400 RPM at the constant 20 N load. Meanwhile, for wet sliding, it has been observed that the specific wear rate increases as similar speed values are used in dry sliding conditions, which are 6.8122 x 10-12 mm3/Nm, 1.1931 x 10-11 mm3/Nm and 3.7561 x 10-11 mm3/Nm with a similar constant 20 N load. Next, the coefficient of friction for dry sliding shows that as the speed decreases. In contrast, for wet sliding, it is observed that the coefficient of friction increases.

Casting of Thin Aluminum Alloy Wire Using a Single Wheel Caster

Thin aluminum alloy (Al-4.7%Mg) wire was cast using a single-wheel caster. The target cross-sectional area of the thin wire was less than 20 mm2. Use of a copper wheel with a groove and a molten metal ejection nozzle was proposed to cast thin wire. The molten metal ejection nozzle was used to eject a small cross-sectional area of the melt into the narrow groove on the wheel. The relationship among wheel speed, nozzle size, melt ejection speed, stability of the melt on the wheel, and cross-sectional area of the wire was investigated. When the diameter of the nozzle hole was 1.5 or 2 mm, the target was attained. When the nozzle diameter was larger than 3 mm, the cross-sectional area was greater than 20 mm2. When the diameter of the nozzle hole was smaller than 1 mm, the melt flow was unstable. A round wire could be cast at wheel speeds ranging from 9 m/min to 14 m/min. The smallest wire cross-sectional area was 4.7 mm2.

Effect of pre-torsion on the strength and electrical conductivity of aluminum alloy wire

Abstract Aluminum alloy wires with higher strength and better electrical conductivity are demanded in electrical engineering. Pre-torsion was employed to process aluminum alloy wire for the improvement of its properties. Uniaxial tensile and electrical tests show that simultaneous improvements of strength and electrical conductivity were achieved in the pre-torsioned aluminum alloy wire at a maximum shear strain of 0.27. Microstructural observations reveal that pre-torsion induces the formation of nanoscale rod-shaped β′ particles and the sizes of nanoscale precipitates increase with the maximum shear strain of pre-torsion. Based on the experimental results, a theoretical model is proposed to reveal the underlying mechanisms. The small nanoscale precipitates can contribute to the improvement of strength and electrical conductivity. The large size of nanoscale precipitates leads to the low strength and poor electrical conductivity. This is attributed to the weak strengthening and strong electron scattering in large nanoscale precipitates.

Investigation of 7075 aluminum alloy TIG welding joint using 7075 aluminum alloy wire before and after heat treatment

7075 aluminum alloy butt welding was carried out by TIG welding with self-made 7075 wire. The effects of different currents on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint before and after heat treatment were studied. Before heat treatment, the strength and elongation of the joint are 274.84 MPa and 6.3%, which are determined by the presence of a large number of second phase precipitates with different shapes. After heat treatment, the tensile strength and elongation are increased to 511.75 MPa and 13.76%. Since most of the second phase has been dissolved, the grain size becomes the decisive factor. The fine grain size and more sufficient recrystallization degree make the mechanical properties of the low-current joint better.

Life prediction of 6201-T81 aluminum alloy wires under fretting fatigue and variable amplitude loading

Fretting fatigue tests under variable amplitude loading were performed on 6201-T81 aluminum alloy wires of an AAAC 900 MCM conductor. The loading program consisted of a three-block loading history, defined using vibration data of a transmission line located in the center-west region of Brazil. Two previously developed methodologies for life prediction of wires under fretting fatigue, based on the Theory of Critical Distances and on a master fatigue curve, were extended to variable amplitude loading conditions. The good agreement between measured and predicted lives indicated that both methodologies can be useful for fatigue analysis of wires of overhead conductors.