A Strategy for Modeling Microstructure in Macroscopic Simulations of Welded Material

With the increased precision in laser-welded structures, smaller and thinner parts can be joined. This magnifies the effect that microstructural changes due to the welding process have on the mechanical properties of the material. Although conventional welding processes are generally applied to work pieces of larger dimensions, the higher heat inputs and longer duration of the thermal cycle can have drastic effects on the microstructure. Multiscaled models can provide a method to achieve microscopic detail in a macroscopic simulation. The dual-mesh principle proposed here places microstructure domains at the nodes of a macroscopic finite-element (FE) calculation.Materials Science and EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin

Correlation between Electrical Resistivity, Particle Dissolution, Precipitation of Dispersoids, and Recrystallization Behavior of AA7020 Aluminum Alloy

This research concerns the effect of homogenization treatment on the electrical resistivity of AA7020 aluminum alloy variants with different Zr and Cr contents. Small changes in the Zr and Cr contents of the as-cast alloy increase the electrical resistivity significantly. After employing various homogenization treatments, the electrical resistivity decreases, which is due to the depletion of Zr, Cr, and Mn in the matrix, by forming small dispersoids. The optimum treatment proposed in order to obtain the smallest recrystallized grains is to hold the material at 550 °C for 24 hours, which results in the lowest electrical resistivity. The viability of the proposed treatment was tested through hot compression tests and static annealing. Indeed, the samples homogenized at 550 °C for 24 hours showed the smallest recrystallized grains compared to those homogenized at other temperatures.Materials Science and EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin