Processing and mechanical properties of magnesium-lithium composites containing steel fibers

Deformation-processed metal-metal composites (DMMC) of Mg-Li alloys containing steel reinforcing fibers were prepared by infiltrating a preform of steel wool with the molten matrix. The Li content was varied to control the crystal structure of the matrix; Mg-4 wt pct Li is hexagonal close packed (hcp), while Mg-12 wt pct Li is body-centered cubic (bcc). The low carbon steel used as the reinforcing fiber is essentially bcc. The hcp/bcc and bcc/bcc composites were subsequently deformed by rolling and by extrusion/swaging and mechanically tested to relate the tensile strength of the composites to true deformation strain. The hcp/bcc composites had limited formability at temperatures up to 400 °C, while the bcc/bcc composites had excellent formability during sheet rolling at room temperature but limited formability during swaging at room temperature. The tensile strengths of the hcp/bcc composite rod and the bcc/bcc composite sheet and rod increased moderately with deformation, though less than predicted from rule-of-mixtures (ROM) calculations. This article presents the experimental data for these DMMC materials and comments on the possible effect of texture development in the matrix and fiber phases on the deformation characteristics of the composite material

Study of grain boundary segregation using the Auger electron emission technique. Annual Technical Progress Report January 1, 1979-December 31, 1979

The influence of grain boundary chemical composition on hydrogen embrittlement was investigated. Auger electron spectroscopy was employed to determine the grain boundary compositions of nickel-copper alloys containing various concentrations of phosphorus and subjected to various thermal treatments. Phosphorus segregates to grain boundaries during slow cooling, accompanied by reduced concentrations of grain boundary copper. Tensile tests were conducted in air and following cathodic charging with hydrogen. All samples tested in air exhibited a completely ductile fracture; ductility was insensitive to grain boundary composition. Fractures of hydrogen-charged samples were brittle and intergranular; elongation to fracture increased significantly with increasing concentration of grain boundary phosphorus. The influence of phosphorus segregation on embrittlement by hydrogen or by mercury (reported previously) is analyzed in terms of additive and interactive mechanisms. A mechanism based on reduced embrittler concentration at the site of bond rupture due to improved atomic packing is proposed and found to be consistent with the experimental results of this and other investigations

A mathematical model for internal oxidation

A mathematical model for internal oxidation kinetics was developed using numerical methods (finite difference) and computer techniques. The flexibility of the model permitted analysis of semi-infinite and finite situations with planar, cylindrical, and spherical geometries for systems with various amounts of local solute enrichment. Graphical results are presented for subscale thickness as a function of time and local enrichment as a function of position in the subscale. The model is also applied to internal oxidation with a discontinuous change in surface oxygen concentration; a graphical solution encompassing a wide range of possible experimental conditions is presented. The use of the model in analyzing nonisothermal internal oxidation problems is demonstrated

Effect of material and process variability on the formability of aluminium alloys

Automotive parts are increasingly being manufactured to be lighter and stronger to minimise the environmental impact and to improve the crash performance of automobiles. The materials that are being used to achieve these aims tend to have lower formabilities compared to the traditionally used mild steel. This is particularly true for cold forming operations. As a consequence of the smaller forming window that is available, there is a greater need to understand the safety margins that are applied when manufacturing parts made from these materials. These safety margins are determined by estimations of the impact of material and process variabilities on formability as well as the attitude that is adopted towards risk. This study looked at the impact of material and process variabilities on the cold formability of two aluminium grades: AA6111-T4 and AA5754-O. The forming factors studied included changes to overall material properties, tool surface roughness, quantity of lubricant, tooling temperature and gauge. Because of the complexity of the forming process, the problem was reduced to a study of formability under plane strain stretch conditions. Particular emphasis was placed in quantifying the temperature of tooling during cold forming and understanding its effect on formability. It was found that the safety factor applied to AA5754-O can be lower than that used for AA6111-T4