Browsing by Subject "Aluminum alloys"

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The effect of microstructure on cavitation during hot deformation in fine-grained AA5083 aluminum alloy sheet material
(2008-12) Chang, Jung-Kuei, 1975-; Taleff, Eric M.
Aluminum alloys are of great interest to the automobile industry for vehicle mass reduction, which improves vehicle performance and reduces emissions. Hot forming processes, such as superplastic forming (SPF) and quick-plastic forming (QPF) have been developed to take advantage of the improved formability of certain aluminum materials at elevated temperature. Commercial fine-grained aluminum alloy AA5083 sheet is the most commonly used material in the SPF and QPF forming processes. Hot formability of AA5083 is often limited by material cavitation during forming, which makes understanding and controlling cavitation an issue of primary importance for improving hot sheet forming processes. The thermomechanical processing history of AA5083 can strongly affect superplastic performance, causing variations in formability between material lots. These variations are closely related to microstructure, and intermetallic particles are prime suspects for controlling cavitation behavior. However, there has been little more than anecdotal evidence available that these particles nucleate or influence cavitation. Interactions between intermetallic particles and cavities were, thus, analyzed using both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) microstructure characterization techniques. Analysis of 3-D microstructures from AA5083 specimens deformed under conditions similar to the SPF and QPF processes provide conclusive proof that cavities form at specific types of intermetallic particles. Differences in cavitation between materials deformed under the SPF and QPF processes result from differences in deformation mechanisms. These differences are illustrated by the formation of filaments on fracture surfaces of superplastically deformed AA5083 specimens, which have been characterized.
Fluorescent coatings for corrosion detection in steel and aluminum alloys
(2010-05) Liu, Guangjuan; Wheat, Harovel Grays; Goodenough, John B.; Kovar, Desiderio; Taleff, Eric M.; Juenger, Maria
Coatings are often used as a means of protecting aluminum alloy and steel structures in industry. The assessment of corrosion under these coatings can be challenging. Corrosion sensing coatings can exhibit properties that allow undercoating corrosion to be identified before it can be seen with the naked eye. This would be very advantageous and could potentially result in tremendous savings in time and money when structures undergo routine maintenance. Our work involved the study of corrosion sensing coatings with incorporated fluorescent indicators that can be used to sense the undercoating corrosion on metal substrates. The fluorescent indicator in the coated-aluminum system was a negative indicator, i.e. the indicator in the coating was initially fluorescent and subsequently non-fluorescent due to the reduced pH at the anodic sites of corrosion. The fluorescent indicator in coated-steel system was positive, in the sense that the coating changed from non-fluorescent to fluorescent over the cathodic areas due to increased pH. The corrosion sensing coating was composed of commercial epoxy-polyamide and the indicator: 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (7-AMC) for the coated-aluminum alloy system and 7-diethylamino-4-methylcoumarin (7-DMC) for the coated-steel system. The feasibility of using 7-AMC for sensing early undercoating corrosion was demonstrated by using fluorescent observations, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) tests. EIS results estimated that with continuous immersion the undercoating corrosion occurred within 24 hours after immersion in the salt solution. When corrosion occurred, the corrosion was invisible under natural light. However, small spots appeared in the fluorescent image, changing from initially fluorescent to non-fluorescent where the anodic sites were identified by SEM and EDS. In other words, the fluorescent indicator could sense the early undercoating corrosion, although blistering can be a competing mechanism associated with corrosion under some conditions. The sensitivity of the 7-AMC corrosion detection system was tested by applying anodic current to the metal and measuring the charge at which fluorescence quenching was detected. The critical charge for a detectable pit under the coating was approximately 2x10⁻⁵ C, which implied a critical radius of a single corrosion spot or set of spots of approximately 10 [mu]m. The fluorescent properties of 7-AMC, its effect on the protectiveness, its sensitivity to pH and its concentration in the coating are explored as well. Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to characterize the structure of the coating with and without 7-AMC. The results suggested that there is no structure change occurring after adding 7-AMC into the coating. Fluorescence behavior, electrochemical behavior, microscopic evidence, and visual observations of coated steel specimens with 7-DMC are compared based on exposure to saltwater conditions. Some of the challenges associated with the use of these types of coatings will be presented. This includes the interference from the increased production of ferrous and ferric ions. All of this information is aimed at the development of corrosion sensing coatings that can reveal undercoating corrosion before it is visible to the naked eye.
Mechanical and microstructural characterization of commercial AA5083 aluminum alloys
(2004) Kulas, Mary-Anne; Taleff, Eric M.
The superplastic forming (SPF) process has been of interest to automotive manufacturers for several years because of two imperative goals. The first one is the simplification of the manufacturing process for sheet-body panels and the second reason is to follow government regulations to reduce vehicle mass, by using aluminum. However, the high cost associated with superplastic materials and slow production cycle times have limited the use of SPF to niche automobile manufacturing operations. To overcome these limits, research on SPF has been directed to forming at lower temperatures, at faster strain rates and with lower cost materials. AA5083 superplastic materials hold great promise for high-volume SPF production. However, several technical issues related to the material are still not well understood. The present investigation characterizes the mechanical and microstructural behavior of eight commercial 5083 materials. Conclusive evidence on the deformation mechanisms active in the range of conditions typical for SPF operations, low rates and high temperatures, but also at high-rate and low-temperature conditions, are presented. Predictive equations, useful to establish a predictive basis for SPF forming, are constructed. The issue of cavitation in superplastic materials, leading to poor post-formed properties of the material and ductility variations, is treated. A relation between cavitation, ductility and microstructural features is presented. These results should be quite useful in the development of improved commercial superplastic 5083 materials and for enhancing the capabilities of the SPF process.