A novel thermomechanical processing was developed for producing fine grained Al-Mg-Li alloy sheets. The influences of static recrystallization annealing on the grain structure and superplastic behavior were investigated. The results show that the refined microstructure has a variation in the distribution of grain size, shape and texture across the normal direction of the sheet. The surface layer (SL) has fine, nearly equiaxed grains with a rotated cUbeND {001 }(310) orientation, whereas the center layer (CL) has coarse, elongated grains with a portion of a fiber orientation. Increasing static recrystallized temperature results in grain growth in the full thickness, decreasing of grain aspect ratio in the center layer, texture sharpening in the surface layer, but weakening in the center layer as well as decreasing of superplastic elongation. Increasing the annealing temperature also produces an sharpening of the rotated cube {001}(310) component and a decreasing of the a fiber texture in the full thickness of the sheet. The formation mechanisms of recrystallization texture at various temperatures and layers were discussed.
The microstructural evolution of banded 5A90 A1-Li alloy during superplastic deformation at 475℃ with an initial strain rate of 8× 10^-4 S^-1 was studied using EBSD technique. The results showed that, before deformation, the grain shape appeared to be banded, the most grain boundaries belonged to low-angle boundaries, and the initial sheet had a dominate of { 110}(112) brass texture. During deformation, there were grain growth, grain shape change, misorientation increasing and textural weakening. The fraction of high-angle boundaries increased rapidly once the flow stress reached the peak value. Corresponding deformation mechanism for various stages of deformation was suggested. Dislocation activity was the dominant mechanism in the first stage, then dynamic recrystallization occurred, and grain rotation was expected as an accommodation for grain boundary sliding (GBS). At large strains, GBS was the main mechanism.
Intermetallic phase evolution of 5059 aluminum alloy during homogenization was investigated by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The results show that severe dendritic segregation exists in as-cast alloy. The dissolvable intermetallic phases in as-cast alloy consist of Zn-and Cu-rich non-equilibriumβ(Al3Mg2) phase, Fe-rich eutectic Al6Mn phase and equilibrium Mg2Si phase. During the homogenization, Zn- and Cu-rich non-equilibrium β (Al3Mg2) phase, Fe-rich eutectic Al6Mn phase and equilibrium Mg2Si gradually dissolve into matrix. Fine dispersed β(Al3Mg2) particles and rod-shaped Al6Mn particles form in the Al matrix after homogenization. The proper homogenization processing is at 450 °C for 24 h, which is consistent with the results of homogenizing kinetic analysis.
The effects of T916 thermo-mechanical process on microstructures, mechanical properties and ballistic resistance of 2519A aluminum alloy were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), tensile tests and ballistic resistance test. After T916 treatment, the yield strength, tensile strength and elongation rate of 2519A aluminum alloy reach 501 MPa, 540 MPa and 14%, respectively. And the ballistic limit velocity of 2519A-T916 alloy (30 mm in thickness) is 715 rn/s. The microstructure varies near the sidewalls of crater. The interrupted ageing contributes to these excellent properties of the alloy. During T916 process, the precipitation of Guinier Preston (GP) zone is finer and denser during the interrupted ageing, thus resulting in well precipitated strengthening phase.