Homogeneous Strain Distribution Research Articles

Crystal plasticity modeling of prior austenite orientation effects on deformation behaviors of martensitic steels under different strain paths

The influence of prior austenite grain (PAG) orientation on the deformation behavior of a low-carbon martensitic steel is investigated using crystal plasticity (CP) modeling with hierarchical representative volume elements (RVEs). The Kurdjumov-Sachs (K-S) relationship is refined for accurate PAG reconstruction in martensitic steel. A robust calibration strategy for CP parameters based on nanoindentation tests is developed by integrating analytical calculations with inverse methods. Virtual polycrystalline aggregates are subsequently generated by manipulating initial PAG orientations. The simulations reveal that assigning cube texture to PAGs enhances strain hardening of martensite under plane strain tension. Moreover, the RVEs with brass and copper orientated PAGs exhibit similar deformation behavior, and a more homogeneous strain distribution is realized in the RVE with PAG cube orientation. The influence of PAG orientation on stress and strain fields is correlated with lattice rotation behavior during deformation. Notably, different strain paths elicit distinct lattice rotation trajectories, wherein uniaxial tension and plane strain tension favor grains reorientation toward hard γ-fiber, whilst equi-biaxial tension drives the crystal matrix to concentrate on 〈001〉 and 〈011〉 directions. These findings provide insights into the intricate relationship between microstructural orientation and deformation behavior in martensitic steels, which is crucial for performance optimization.

Effect of phase boundary on the critical resolved shear stress and dislocation behavior of dual-phase titanium alloy

Interphase boundary plays a dominant role in the mechanical properties of dual-phase titanium alloys, and therefore mechanistic understandings of the effect of phase boundary on the plasticity is significant to tailor the microstructure for desired performance. In this study, compression tests were conducted on the Ti-6Al-4V micro-pillars with a dual-phase lamellar structure and designated crystallographic orientation of pillars and the number of interphase boundaries in the pillars were achieved by elaborate processing, to reveal the interphase boundary and its quantity on the dislocation behavior and critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) of the alloy. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to characterize the dislocations and their interplay with interphase boundaries during compression. It is found that in the pillars oriented for prismatic 〈a3〉 slip, which represents the hard mode for dislocation transmission through the α/β phase boundary, the strain distribution in the pillars was significantly delocalized by introducing interphase boundaries. More dislocation slip bands are generated owing to the strengthening effect from the interphase boundaries during compression, which results in a more homogeneous strain distribution. Moreover, quantitative analyses of the contribution of interphase boundaries on the CRSS were performed, and the interphase strength for prismatic 〈a3〉 slip was experimentally determined to be ∼ 50 MPa. The effect of pillar size on the CRSS value was also assessed. Although the CRSS of the pillars increases when their size decreases, the size dependency becomes much less pronounced when more interphase boundaries are introduced into the pillars. The underlying mechanisms for these phenomena were discussed based on the experimental results and finite element modeling. These results provide some new insights into the plasticity and strengthening mechanism of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, which are also applicable to other dual-phase titanium alloys.

Stretch-forming characteristics of austenitic material stainless steel 304 at hot working temperatures

Abstract The need for sheet metal forming using highly resistant materials such as titanium alloys and stainless steel has increased recently. These materials possess elevated mean flow stress values, which make them difficult to draw at room temperature. To achieve a homogeneous distribution of strain in the stretched component, reduce the load required for plastic deformation, and greatly improve material formability, hot forming is helpful. The goal of the current study is to conduct stretch-forming experiments to investigate the forming characteristics of Austenitic material Stainless Steel (ASS) 304 at Hot working temperatures. Stretch forming experiments have been conducted on the Servo electrical sheet press test machine at 650 and 800°C. The formability has been estimated by constructing a Fracture forming diagram (FFLD), limiting the height of the dome (LDH) and the distribution of the strain of stretched cups. It has been discovered that the limit of forming bounds rises with the temperature reaching 800°C, while the DSA effect causes the necking region – the area between the safe and fracture limits ‒ to decrease with additional temperature rise from 800 to 900°C. Within the experimental limitations, it has been considered that the Hot forming of ASS 304 at 650°C gives the highest strain forming limits with a uniform strain distribution in the stretched cups. From the Formability limit diagram, dome height, and strain distribution, it can be observed that ASS 304 has good limiting strain up to 800°C with lower load application.

Numerical simulation of friction extrusion: process characteristics and material deformation due to friction

This study employs a finite element thermo-mechanical model, using a Lagrangian incremental setting to investigate friction extrusion (FE) under varying process conditions. The incorporation of rotation in FE generates substantial frictional heat, leading to significantly reduced process forces in comparison to conventional extrusion (CE). The model reveals the interplay between temperature, strain, and strain rate across different microstructural zones of the resulting wire. Specifically, the sticking friction condition in FE enhances initial shear deformation, aligning with a homogeneous spatial strain distribution and predicting complete grain refinement in the extruded wire, as per Zener-Hollomon calculations. On the other hand, under the sliding friction condition in FE, the shear deformation is reduced which results in an inhomogeneous microstructure in the extruded wire. The analysis of material flow in the workpiece reveals distinct transitions from the base material to the thermo-mechanically affected zones. The simulated process force, thermal history, and microstructure during sliding friction conditions align well with the findings from performed friction extrusion experiments.

Evaluating High‐Pressure Torsion Scale‐Up

Increasing sample dimensions in high‐pressure torsion (HPT) processing affects load and torque requirements, deformation distribution, and heating. Finite‐element modeling (FEM) and experiments are used to investigate the effect of technical parameters on the scaling up of HPT. Simulations confirm that axial load and torque requirements are proportional to the square and the cube of the sample radius, respectively. The temperature rise also displays a pronounced dependency on the radius. Decreasing the diameter‐to‐thickness ratio can cause heterogeneity in strain distribution along the thickness direction at the edges of the sample. Such heterogeneity is governed by friction conditions between the material and the lateral wall of the anvil depression. Simulation of HPT processing of ring‐shaped samples shows that it is possible to reach more homogeneous distribution of strain and flow stress in the processed material. Experiments using magnesium confirm a tendency for strain localization in the early stage of HPT processing but increasing the number of turns increases the homogeneity of the material. The embodied energy in HPT processing is discussed.

Role of Cerium on the Intricacies of Deformed State and Softening Mechanisms of Low‐Carbon Steels

The present study investigates the softening kinetics of two cerium (Ce)‐modified steels after 60% cold rolling and annealing at 600 °C for 2–16 h. Cold rolling accumulates substantial strain in the ferritic matrix of low Ce (LCe) steel (0.03 wt% Ce) compared to high Ce (HCe) steel (0.6 wt% Ce). The acicular ferrite and Fe3C partition the imposed strain preferentially inside the ferrite matrix of LCe sample. Contrarily, a homogenous strain distribution in HCe sample is promoted by soft Ce2O3 particles embedded in ferrite. Both the steels achieve partial recovery and recrystallization even after 16 h of annealing. LCe steel experiences a softening fraction of ≈28 vol% after 16 h, inferior to HCe steel (≈34 vol%). During initial stage of annealing, nucleation of strain‐free grains are observed in LCe sample due to availability of grain and interphase boundaries. Subsequently, recrystallization kinetics get delayed because of the pinning effect exerted by fine CeO2 and Fe3C particles. In HCe samples, the early stage of ferrite nucleation is hindered by the segregation of Ce at grain boundaries. However, at a later stage, the recrystallization kinetics are accelerated owing to the ineffective pinning of dislocations and boundaries by coarse Ce2Fe17 and Ce2C3 particles.

Microstructural effects on the ambient temperature indentation creep behavior of metastable β Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr alloy

Ti-5553 alloy is considered as a potential candidate for heavy structural components such as landing gears in aerospace industries, that operate particularly at room temperature. For achieving the targeted performance, microstructural modification and corresponding improvement in mechanical properties, particularly room temperature creep behavior of Ti-5553 alloy is of significant concern. In this regard, an optimized thermomechanical processing (TMP) schedule is employed to tailor the microstructure of as-cast Ti-5553 alloy. Typical bimodal microstructure containing both α and β phases is noted to evolve upon TMPing, as compared to its as-cast counterpart, having sole β phase. The size and volume fraction of αp are noted to be 0.85 ± 0.39 µm and 11.7 ± 0.5%, respectively. Such pronounced variation in the microstructural features is expected to alter the localized mechanical properties significantly. To assess that, room temperature small-scale creep behavior of as-cast and TMPed Ti-5553 alloys is investigated using nanoindentation technique. The effect of maximum load on different creep parameters are analyzed and correlated with the corresponding microstructures. It is noted that at any particular applied load level, creep deformation of TMPed Ti-5553 alloy is ∼ 20–64% lower than that for the as-cast one. This is reflected in significant reduction in the minimum creep strain rate from 10−4 s−1 for as-cast to 10−5 s−1 for TMPed Ti-5553 alloy. Dislocation creep mechanism is found to be active for both the alloys since creep exponent for both the as-cast and TMPed Ti-5553 alloys exceed the value of 2. Discontinuous semi-circular micro-shear bands are noted to form around the indents for the as-cast Ti5553 alloy. The kernel average misorientation map for this alloy reveals a lower degree of misorientation and a more homogeneous distribution of plastic strain. In contrary, the TMPed Ti-5553 alloy exhibits higher misorientation around the indent impression, thereby indicating towards the restriction of dislocation movement against α/β laths and hence positively influencing the creep behavior. Overall, the study highlights the important role of TMP in enhancing the creep resistance of Ti-5553 alloy for industrial applications.

Constrained Constant Radius Pressing (CCRP) process to improve mechanical properties and microstructural homogeneity of pure copper sheet

Constrained groove pressing (CGP) is a well-known severe plastic deformation (SPD) process used to improve the mechanical properties of metallic sheets by forming the ultrafine grain (UFG) structure. The conventional CGP process employs 45° grooved dies to impart good amount of plastic strain on the specimen without altering the specimen's initial dimensions. The literature indicates that conventional CGP-processed sheets have inherent strain inhomogeneity. In the present investigation, an effort was made to minimize the inherent strain inhomogeneity by modifying conventional CGP dies into symmetric constrained constant radius pressing (CCRP) dies. Three distinct CCRP dies with varying radius of curvature and die parameters were designed to attain the optimal combination of mechanical properties. It was found that metal sheets processed by new modified dies (CCRP) exhibit improved ductility and significantly enhanced toughness, in contrast to the sheets processed by conventional CGP dies. The improvement in mechanical properties could be attributed primarily to homogeneous grain refinement. In addition, the finite element analysis (FEA) was used to simulate the influence of different die designs on the strain distribution across the sheet, and it showed that lower die angle of CCRP lead to more homogeneous distribution of strain across the arc of the CCRP die.

Dynamic tensile deformation behavior of AISI 316L stainless steel fabricated by laser-beam directed energy deposition

The dynamic deformation behavior of metallic materials is the key to crash-safe design in many applications, e.g., in the automotive sector. However, in the field of additive manufacturing, dynamic deformation properties have only been scarcely studied. Based on the intrinsic interrelationships of process parameters, post-process heat treatments and the resulting microstructure, the present study seeks to provide a holistic overview of the dynamic tensile deformation properties of AISI 316L stainless steel, fabricated by laser-beam directed energy deposition. Utilizing in situ digital image correlation, the local deformation behavior at varying strain rates from 100 s−1 to 1000 s−1 was unveiled. In combination with pre- and post-mortem microstructure analysis using electron backscatter diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy, the microstructural effects on the active deformation mechanisms were studied. The results show that twinning contributes to the overall deformation in the heat-treated condition owing to the weaker crystallographic texture. On the contrary, twinning is less prominent in the non-heat-treated condition due to its pronounced <001> texture. As a result of the differences in terms of active deformation mechanisms, superior fracture elongations are observed in heat-treated condition, which are rationalized by delayed necking due to a more homogeneous strain distribution along the gauge section. Independently from the sample condition, fractography analysis revealed a ductile mode of failure being characterized by equiaxed dimples on the fracture surfaces. Consequently, it can be concluded that AISI 316L stainless steel is excellently suited for dynamic tensile loading, although heat-treatment-depended differences have to be taken into account.

Anisotropic effect of pre-strain on hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility in a stable austenitic stainless steel

Different pre-strain of uniaxial tensile deformation or cold rolling were applied to 0.02C–18Cr–11Ni-0.15 N austenitic stainless steel to investigate the effect of pre-strain stress modes on hydrogen embrittlement (HE). The susceptibility to HE was negligibly affected by tensile pre-strain, but it increased with the degree of pre-strain by cold rolling. This resulted from differences in strain distribution, twinning behavior, and changes in H diffusivity arising from the two deformation methods. Homogeneous strain distribution was observed after uniaxial tensile deformation, whereas the deformation was locally concentrated after cold rolling. This led to localized H adsorption to assist crack propagation. While twinning was the main deformation mechanism in the present steel, only the twins formed during cold rolling were vulnerable to stress localization owing to their crystallographic orientation. These twins acted as initiation sites for H-induced cracking and degraded the HE resistance. Finally, H diffusion was less active in tensile-strained samples, and high HE resistance was effectively maintained despite the increase of strength by pre-straining as a consequence.

Cogging process design of M50 bearing steel for billet quality

This study proposes a method to determine cogging process parameters aiming at homogeneous effective strain distribution and grain size uniformity and refinement during the manufacturing M50-bearing steel billets. The design parameters were selected as feed, number of rotation, depth schedule, and forging ratio. The Billet Quality Index (BQI) is introduced to comprehensively evaluate the effective strain distribution and grain size number (ASTM E112) of the final billet and used as the objective function for the process design. The results of effective strain distribution and grain size number are obtained through finite element simulation, and these values are used to investigate the BQI of the final billet. For the finite element analysis to calculate the temperature field and grain size, the heat transfer coefficients determined by reverse engineering and the grain growth model coefficients were used compared with the experimental measurements. The Taguchi method investigates the influence of parameters on BQI, excluding the forging ratio. Optimal process parameters, including forging ratio, are determined using a Deep Neural Network (DNN) regression model, targeting BQI minimization. The BQI prediction accuracy of the DNN regression model is 98.83%, emphasizing the effectiveness of DNN despite the limited dataset size. The optimized cogging process reduces the total process time by 2.394 h and improves the BQI by 6.91% compared to the minimum BQI in the dataset. The optimized cogging process promotes homogeneous effective strain distribution, grain refinement, and uniformity, enhancing billet manufacturing efficiency.

Establishing Equal-Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) for sheet metals by using backpressure: manufacturing of high-strength aluminum AA5083 sheets

Severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes offer the possibility of improving the mechanical properties of metallic materials by grain refinement. However, this great potential has so far mostly been applied on a laboratory scale or on small series. Equal-Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) also enables to integrate the advantages in industrial processes with large output—so far, mainly for bars or thick plates. In this paper, we investigate the ECAP process for sheet metal. Preliminary investigations have shown that cracks form on the surface when aluminum AA5083 sheets are processed. To solve this problem, we determined the Johnson–Cook fracture criterion for the material and modeled the process numerically. The simulation was carried out with the superposition of a backpressure and subsequently implemented and validated experimentally. The semi-finished sheet metal products from the ECAP investigation were then mechanically characterized with microhardness measurements and tensile tests. In addition, the microstructure was investigated with Electron Back Scatter Diffraction (EBSD). Even comparatively small amounts of backpressure (10 MPa) already result in a significant suppression of the crack formation in the numerical and experimental investigations. The microhardness measurements indicate a more homogeneous strain distribution for a sufficient level of applied backpressure which enables the processing of crack-free sheets in multiple ECAP passes. As with ECAP of bulk materials, tensile tests on the processed sheets show a reduced elongation to failure (− 73%) but a significantly increased yield strength (+ 157%) compared to the initial condition of the material. Distinct substructures are found in the EBSD measurements and explain this behavior. The findings provide the basis for using ECAP on an application-oriented scale and demonstrate an advanced manufacturing method for the production of high-strength aluminum sheets.

A comprehensive study on size-effect, plastic anisotropy and microformability of aluminum with varied alloy chemistry, crystallographic texture, and microstructure

Fabrication of microparts with large aspect-ratio and complex shapes remains a huge challenge for industries and microforming is a potential solution to manufacture such microparts. However, similarity in specimen-deformation and microstructural length scales during microforming results in size effect, leading to unpredictable plastic behavior and increased process scatter. One approach to counter size effect is by engineering suitable microstructure in the material. In the present work, three grades of Al (AA1070, AA5083, AA2014) with unique alloy chemistry and microstructural profile are processed by cryorolling (CR) to 95% thickness reduction. By imparting controlled postprocess annealing on the CR materials, three distinctive microstructures – (i) ultrafine grained (UFG) with average grain size around 1 μm, (ii) fine grained (FG) with average grain size near to 5 μm, and (iii) coarse grained (CG) with approximate average grain size of 20 μm are engineered. The influence of alloy chemistry, grain boundary engineering and crystallographic texture on microformability are studied. For pure Al (AA1070), the UFG and FG microstructures show superior microformability than the CG counterparts. The equiaxed UFG grains present in these microstructures mitigate the size effect abnormalities by increasing the number of grains in the deformation volume and uniformly distributing the complex microforming strain via grain boundary mediated plasticity. Their corresponding texture containing strong Copper mixed with scattered Cube elements promotes in-plane strain condition and high resistance to localized thinning. Also, the material shows near-zero planar anisotropy that leads to a homogenous in-plane strain distribution. Unlike pure Al, the UFG and FG Al alloys suffer from increased strain localization due to presence of solute clouds and nanoprecipitates. They influence strain-aging (Portevin–Le Chatelier effect), strain gradient hardening phenomenon, and shear propensity during failure of the Al alloys. A composite texture consisting of a combination of Brass, Dillamore, S, and β-fiber elements in the Al alloys is found to be detrimental to their microformability. The Dillamore texture is contributed by formation of adiabatic shear bands during deformation of Al alloys.

Novel Class of Additive Manufactured NiTi-Based Hierarchically Graded Chiral Structure with Low-force Compressive Actuation for Elastocaloric Heat Pumps

Elastocaloric refrigeration is the most promising green solid-state refrigeration technology to replace conventional vapor compression refrigeration. The development direction of the elastocaloric component that acts as a key part of the elastocaloric refrigeration system contains a large elastocaloric effect, low stress hysteresis, high heat exchange performance, and small driving loads. The first two indices can be realized by material modification; however, the last two are more dependent on a novel porous structure design. However, the conventional porous structure is confronted with some critical challenges, including inhomogeneous stress, a significant hysteresis area, and deformation instability under the alternating cyclic loading. In this study, a NiTi-based elastocaloric structure model with chirality feature and gradient design as innovative elements was presented, bio-inspired by the structure of the plant tendrils. A quantitative optimization for the NiTi-based elastocaloric structure was performed using the finite element analysis (FEA) method. Strain and martensite volume fraction (MVF) fields during the loading and unloading processes were predicted and evaluated. The simulated results indicated that increasing the thickness gradient g1 of the strip or decreasing the diameter gradient g2 of the structure was beneficial to achieving more homogeneous strain and martensite distribution, simultaneously with higher energy storage efficiency and specific surface area. In addition, these NiTi-based chiral structures with different structural parameters were fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). At the optimized structure parameters of g1 = 2 and g2 = 1.11, the LPBF-fabricated NiTi-based chiral structure could achieve an adiabatic temperature change ΔTad of 2.3 K, driving force of as low as 149.11 N, and |ΔTad/F| of as high as 15.42 K/kN at a recoverable compressive strain of 10%.

Toughening Ceramic-Based Composites by Homogenizing the Lattice Strain at Phase Boundaries.

Ceramic-based composites generally have low fracture toughness, and toughening these materials without sacrificing their hardness has been a big challenge. This study presents an approach for toughening ceramic-based composites by modulating the strain partition and stress distribution in phase-boundary regions. A new concept of homogenizing the lattice strain to achieve high fracture toughness in ceramic-based composites is proposed based on the collective lattice shear of martensitic phase transformation. The strategy was demonstrated by ZrO2-containing WC-Co ceramic-metal composites as a prototype. The crystal planes along the WC/ZrO2 martensitic transforming phase boundaries exhibited significantly larger and uniform lattice strains compared with conventional dislocation pile-up phase boundaries with highly localized lattice strains. The homogeneous strain and stress distributions across interfaces enabled the composite to have simultaneously high fracture toughness and hardness. The "homogenizing the lattice strain" strategy proposed in this work is applicable to a broad range of ceramic-based composites to achieve superior comprehensive mechanical properties.

Strain registration in the gradient zone by two types of fiber-optic sensors

Reliable measurement of strain in various sections of the monitored structure is an important problem for creating Structural Health Monitoring systems. Fiber-optic sensors have great potential to solve this problem. This paper presents the results of experiments on strain measurements in zones of homogeneous and gradient strain distribution using point fiber-optic sensors based on Bragg gratings and distributed fiber-optic sensors based on Rayleigh backscattering. Two types of fiber-optic sensors have demonstrated the ability to measure an inhomogeneous strain field and a satisfactory correspondence of the measurement results.

Advanced tensile testing as a new tool to quantify properties of food

Mechanical properties of food products are regularly analysed by tensile tests. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potential of using advanced tensile testing techniques to better understand the mechanical properties of anisotropic food products, such as meat analogues and certain dairy products. The effects of various tensile testing parameters, including tensile gauge length and deformation rate, on the interpretation of mechanical properties of meat analogues was studied. Additionally, digital image correlation, an image analysis technique, was used for true distance recording and analysis of fracturing behaviour of the products. An isotropic product was prepared from solely soy protein isolate, and an anisotropic product was prepared from soy protein isolate and pectin using the shear cell technology. The tensile properties of the products were studied with four different moulds with varying gauge lengths of 17.5, 15, 11.5, and 8.5 mm, and at three deformation rates of 46.2, 23.1, and 11.6 mm/min. A smaller gauge length and slower deformation rate improved visualization and interpretation of the multi-stage descending branch in force – distance curves of anisotropic products. Additionally, tensile parameters, specifically toughness, proved to be more accurate at small gauge length and slow deformation rate, because overestimation due to rapid crack propagation was prevented. True distance data obtained with digital image correlation further improved the interpretation of the fracturing behaviour of the products. Inhomogeneous strain distribution in anisotropic products was shown with digital image correlation, in contrast to the homogeneous strain distribution observed in isotropic products. Furthermore, the Poisson's ratio, obtained through digital image correlation, explained inherent differences in structure and plasticity between isotropic and anisotropic meat analogues. This study shows the importance of careful selection of testing parameters and techniques. Moreover, it advises the use of digital image correlation for better measurement of fracture mechanics and strain distribution.

Simulation of deformation behaviour of Aluminium 7075 during Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP)

This paper presents a finite element simulation of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) since it is one of the most common and successful severe plastic deformation techniques. This study reports the influence of the most significant factors influencing the ECAP technique. Through finite element simulation, the effect of the die geometry, workpiece geometry, and the pressing speed on the effective strain distributions, damage, and pressing loads, were investigated. The influence of the ECAP method on different material models is also presented. Additionally, the prospective expansion and future applications of ECAP are herein highlighted. From the results, the die geometry of a 90° channel imparts the highest strains during ECAP. Additionally, specimens of rectangular geometry are susceptible to cracking and damage as compared to circular samples. It was found that very high processing speeds (&gt;7mm/sec) are undesirable during ECAP since they cause very high internal stresses to the structure of the workpieces. Besides, processing at room temperature can achieve homogeneous strain distribution with minimum sample damage.

Ameliorating the edge cracking behavior of Mg-Mn-Al alloy sheets prepared by multi-pass online heating rolling

Low-cost Mg-1Mn-0.5Al (MA10) alloys with good comprehensive strength and ductility have been developed and have the potential to substitute commercial AZ31 alloys. Thus, the rollability in terms of the edge cracking behavior of MA10 alloy sheets was investigated by multi-pass online heating rolling at different temperatures. The microstructure evolution was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results reveal that edge cracking is significantly improved with increasing temperature due to the more uniform microstructure, higher degree of recrystallization, more homogeneous strain distribution, and more activation of non-basal slips at the edge. The maximum basal texture intensity at the edge of MA10 rolled sheets is obviously increased with increasing temperature, which can be attributed to the increased numbers of grains with basal orientation after multi-pass online heating rolling.

Electrically assisted manufacturing of microchannels with enhanced filling quality and microstructural performance for thermal management

The printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) with arrayed microchannel structures is ideal for the extreme thermal management of hypersonic flight vehicles. Electrically assisted manufacturing (EAM) has a remarkable predominance in fabricating microchannels on sheet metals. By conducting EA micro-embossing experiments at current densities of 20, 25, and 40 A/mm2, respectively, the filling behavior and microstructural evolution of SUS304 sheets under the influence of current were elucidated in this study. The results indicated that a higher current density shortens the initial extrusion stage's duration and facilitates the material flow transition to the filling stage. Moreover, the current can simultaneously enhance the filling height and profile quality by minimizing the stress and stress differential in the deformation region of the filling section. The results of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) demonstrated that recrystallization occurs due to the synergistic effect of deformation and current. The degree of recrystallization in different regions of the filling section has a huge discrepancy. The region beneath the tooth exhibits considerable recrystallization and contains abundant refined grains. At the current density of 20 A/mm2, a number of dislocations accumulated in the deformed grains, and the filling section mainly consisted of 〈1 1 1〉 fiber texture and 〈1 0 1〉 deformation texture. In the process of continual dynamic recovery and recrystallization, dislocation packing relives at the current density of 40 A/mm2, which is one reason for the increase in filling quality. The 〈1 1 1〉 texture and 〈1 0 1〉 deformation texture are weakened and rotate as the forming temperature rises. Additionally, the 〈1 0 1〉 texture transforms into a 〈0 0 1〉 recrystallized texture. The diminished 〈1 0 1〉 deformation texture, the rotated 〈1 1 1〉 texture, and the appearance of 〈0 0 1〉 recrystallized texture enhance the homogenous strain distribution of the filling section, which is an additional explanation for the improvement of filling quality at high-density current. Based on the above results, a high-performance PCHE prototype with a pressure bearing capacity of 23 MPa and a heat transfer coefficient of 22 kW/(m2·K) was manufactured by EAM, confirming that the EAM technique is capable of achieving high-quality and eco-friendly fabrication of the enhanced microchannels.