Influence of Hot Band Annealing on Cold-Rolled Microstructure and Recrystallization in AA 6016

The influence of an intermediate heat treatment at the end of hot rolling and before cold rolling on Cube texture formation during the final solution annealing of AA 6016 is investigated. Three hot bands with different initial grain sizes and textures are considered: the first one without annealing before cold rolling, while the other two hot bands are heat treated at 540 °C for 1 hour in air before being cold rolled. One of the heat-treated hot bands was left to cool down in air and the other inside the furnace. Electron-backscatter diffraction (EBSD) maps of the cold-rolled specimens and crystal plasticity simulations show no difference in the amount of Cube remaining in the microstructure at the end of cold rolling for all three specimens. The initial grain size of the hot band has no influence on the Cube texture fraction left in the microstructure at the end of cold rolling for thickness reductions higher than 65 pct. Nevertheless, the grain size of the hot band affects the shape and distribution of the Cube grains left in the microstructure and the kernel average misorientation in the cold-rolled specimens. Moreover, the heat treatment decreases the intensity of the beta fiber components (Brass, Copper, and S) in the hot band and promotes the formation of a cold-rolled microstructure with a low kernel average misorientation. Both these factors lower the probability of preferential Cube nucleation during solution annealing and keep the Cube volume fraction after recrystallization below 10 pct, while it reaches 25 pct without intermediate annealing

A contamination-free electron-transparent metallic sample preparation method for MEMS experiments with in situ S/TEM

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are currently supporting ground-breaking basic research in materials science and metallurgy as they allow in situ experiments on materials at the nanoscale within electron-microscopes in a wide variety of different conditions such as extreme materials dynamics under ultrafast heating and quenching rates as well as in complex electro-chemical environments. Electron-transparent sample preparation for MEMS e-chips remains a challenge for this technology as the existing methodologies can introduce contaminants, thus disrupting the experiments and the analysis of results. Herein we introduce a methodology for simple and fast electron-transparent sample preparation for MEMS e-chips without significant contamination. The quality of the samples as well as their performance during a MEMS e-chip experiment in situ within an electron-microscope are evaluated during a heat treatment of a crossover AlMgZn(Cu) alloy.Comment: Preprint submitted to Microscopy and Microanalysi

Design strategy for controlled natural aging in Al-Mg-Si alloys

This study presents a design strategy for Al-Mg-Si alloys to control natural aging. Recently, trace addition of Sn was shown to suppress natural aging for up to two weeks, which was explained by the strong trapping of vacancies to Sn atoms. Here we explore the effect of solution treatment temperature, the combination of trace elements such as Sn and In, and the composition of main hardening elements Mg, Si and Cu on natural aging. The results are discussed based on the dissolvable amount of trace elements and their effect on diffusion retardation, and solute clustering mechanisms in Al-Mg-Si alloys. Thermodynamic calculations using the CALPHAD approach show that maximum retardation of natural aging is achievable at the highest trace element solubility, which exists at significantly different solution treatment temperatures for Sn or In. The effects of Mg, Si and Cu content on natural aging kinetics are interpreted via their influence on the Sn solubility and clustering mechanisms. It is proposed that Sn additions reduce the concentration of excess vacancies, which is most important for early Si clustering, and that the effect of Cu is comparable to the effect of Sn, but less pronounced. Based on the investigated parameter space, a design concept is proposed and an Al-Mg-Si alloy showing suppression of natural aging for >6 months and significant artificial aging potential is demonstrated. (C) 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

High-Strength Low-Alloy (HSLA) Mg-Zn-Ca Alloys with Excellent Biodegradation Performance

This article deals with the development of fine-grained high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) magnesium alloys intended for use as biodegradable implant material. The alloys contain solely low amounts of Zn and Ca as alloying elements. We illustrate the development path starting from the high-Zn-containing ZX50 (MgZn5Ca0.25) alloy with conventional purity, to an ultrahigh-purity ZX50 modification, and further to the ultrahigh-purity Zn-lean alloy ZX10 (MgZn1Ca0.3). It is shown that alloys with high Zn-content are prone to biocorrosion in various environments, most probably because of the presence of the intermetallic phase Mg6Zn3Ca2. A reduction of the Zn content results in (Mg,Zn)2Ca phase formation. This phase is less noble than the Mg-matrix and therefore, in contrast to Mg6Zn3Ca2, does not act as cathodic site. A fine-grained microstructure is achieved by the controlled formation of fine and homogeneously distributed (Mg,Zn)2Ca precipitates, which influence dynamic recrystallization and grain growth during hot forming. Such design scheme is comparable to that of HSLA steels, where low amounts of alloying elements are intended to produce a very fine dispersion of particles to increase the material's strength by refining the grain size. Consequently our new, ultrapure ZX10 alloy exhibits high strength (yield strength R p=240MPa, ultimate tensile strength R m=255MPa) and simultaneously high ductility (elongation to fracture A=27%), as well as low mechanical anisotropy. Because of the anodic nature of the (Mg,Zn)2Ca particles used in the HSLA concept, the in vivo degradation in a rat femur implantation study is very slow and homogeneous without clinically observable hydrogen evolution, making the ZX10 alloy a promising material for biodegradable implants

Galvanic coupling effects on the corrosion behavior of the 6061 aluminum alloy used in research nuclear reactors

The 6061 alloy is used in different thermomechanical conditions in research nuclear reactors. Nuclear fuel plates are manufactured by the picture frame technique (PFT) and the 6061 alloy is used as cladding for the nuclear fuel “sandwiches”. After the process, these nuclear plates are placed in a case composed of 6061-T6 alloy. In this work, the galvanic effects of coupling the 6061 alloy in the T6 and PFT conditions on the corrosion behavior was investigated in solutions of different chloride contents. The results showed that galvanic corrosion was favored due to the different microstructural features related to these two thermomechanical conditions of the 6061 alloy. The 6061 alloy in the PFT condition was cathodic to the alloy in the T6 condition. Local electrochemical techniques were useful in characterizing the electrochemical behavior of the coupled alloys