Structure and Properties of Aluminium Alloys 2023

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Structural Integrity of Metals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2024) | Viewed by 15131

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: aluminium; quasicrystal; solidification; heat treatment; heat resistance; metallography; continuous casting; indentation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The annual world production of aluminium and aluminium alloys has been increasing over recent decades. The aluminium primary aluminium even increased in 2021, known as the corona year. This industry's future perspective is bright, as the applications of Al and its alloys have enormously diversified in automotive, aerospace, building, and other industries. The central aluminium property is its low density and very high specific properties compared to other metallic and non-metallic materials. The application of aluminium alloys can further contribute to a significant decrease in energy consumption and CO2 emissions, especially in transportation.

The main prerequisite for the future success of aluminium and its alloys is improving existing aluminium alloys and developing new ones. In addition to conventional fabrication methods (casting, forming, powder metallurgy), additive manufacturing technologies enable additional tailoring of the microstructure of alloys and designing a new combination of properties. The properties of aluminium alloys are based on their structure; from the atomic scale to the macrostructure seen by a naked eye. It is also of great importance to predict macroproperties from nano- and microproperties.

This Special Issue of Metals focuses on relationships between the structure and properties of aluminium alloys. The papers presented in this Special Issue give an account of the scientific and technological state of the art of aluminium alloy in 2023(see the Keywords/Topics below). Your contribution to this 2023 account will be valuable and appreciated. We invite you to contribute research work studying the effect of manufacturing on the structure of aluminium alloys, which relates the structure with different properties.

Prof. Dr. Franc Zupanič
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aluminium
  • characterization
  • microstructure
  • strength
  • ductility
  • heat resistance
  • corrosion
  • wear
  • manufacturing
  • indentation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 8060 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Thermal Stability of Aluminum Alloy 7075-T651 Structural Parts after Rolling Correction
by Laixiao Lu, Meizhen Qin, Xiaodong Jia, Zhonglei Wang, Qingqiang Chen, Jie Sun and Shourong Jiao
Metals 2023, 13(2), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020213 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2338
Abstract
The rolling correction process can eliminate machining distortions of aluminum alloy 7075-T651 structural parts. The thermal stability of the corrected structural parts under the action of temperature loading, especially the macroscopic shape stability, is key to ensure the safe service of mechanical equipment. [...] Read more.
The rolling correction process can eliminate machining distortions of aluminum alloy 7075-T651 structural parts. The thermal stability of the corrected structural parts under the action of temperature loading, especially the macroscopic shape stability, is key to ensure the safe service of mechanical equipment. In this study, different thermal loads were used to postprocess aluminum alloy 7075-T651 structural parts after rolling correction. The thermal stability of the rolled samples was analyzed by characterizing the microstructure and physical and mechanical properties. The results show no obvious change compared to rolling in the distortion of the parts after temperature treatments at 120 °C, 160 °C, 230 °C and 300 °C; the distortion changes were only 10.48%, 2.74%, 8.13% and 8.70%, respectively. The residual stresses in the rolling areas of the samples decreased by 35.58%, 26.08%, 75.97% and 83.13%, respectively. The microhardness also showed a decreasing trend. There was no obvious change after treatment at 120 °C, but the hardness decreased by approximately 5%, 23% and 56%, respectively, after treatments at other temperatures. However, the rolling stress relaxed under thermal stress. The microstructure change analysis shows that the material microstructure is mainly dominated by static reversion at lower thermal loads. With increasing thermal load, the samples are mainly affected by the static recrystallization effect, the microstructure is gradually blurred, and the hardness decreases significantly. In conclusion, although the residual stresses introduced by rolling would occur in different degrees of stress relaxation under the thermal load, the microstructure changes caused by thermal load did not significantly affect the macroscopic distortion of the samples, and the macroscopic shape of the structural parts after rolling correction had good thermal stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure and Properties of Aluminium Alloys 2023)
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16 pages, 10927 KiB  
Article
Microstructure and Indentation Properties of Single-Roll and Twin-Roll Casting of a Quasicrystal-Forming Al-Mn-Cu-Be Alloy
by Franc Zupanič, Matjaž Macerl, Toshio Haga and Tonica Bončina
Metals 2022, 12(2), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12020187 - 20 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1720
Abstract
In this investigation, strips of an experimental Al-Mn-Cu-Be alloy were manufactured by high-speed single-roll and twin-roll casting to stimulate the formation of a quasicrystalline phase during solidification. The strips were characterised by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, microchemical analysis, and X-ray [...] Read more.
In this investigation, strips of an experimental Al-Mn-Cu-Be alloy were manufactured by high-speed single-roll and twin-roll casting to stimulate the formation of a quasicrystalline phase during solidification. The strips were characterised by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, microchemical analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Indentation testing was used to determine the mechanical responses of the strips in different areas. A smooth surface was achieved on both sides of the twin-roll-cast strip, while the free surface of the single-roll-cast strip was rough. The microstructures in both strips consisted of an Al-rich solid solution matrix embedding several intermetallic phases Θ-Al2Cu, Be4Al (Mn, Cu), Al15Mn3Be2 and icosahedral quasicrystalline phase (IQC). The microstructure of the single-roll-cast strip was more uniform than that of the twin-roll-cast strip. Coarse Al15Mn3Be2 particles appeared in both alloys, especially at the centre of the twin-roll strip. These coarse particles adversely affected the strength and ductility. Nevertheless, both casting methods provided high-cooling rates, enabling the formation of metastable phases, such as quasicrystals. However, improvements in alloy composition and casting procedure are required to obtain enhanced microstructures and properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure and Properties of Aluminium Alloys 2023)
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18 pages, 5090 KiB  
Article
Influence of Preheating Temperature on Changes in Properties in the HAZ during Multipass MIG Welding of Alloy AW 6061 and Possibilities of Their Restoration
by Iva Novakova, Jaromir Moravec, Jan Novak and Pavel Solfronk
Metals 2021, 11(12), 1902; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11121902 - 26 Nov 2021
Viewed by 2462
Abstract
Fusion welding of heat-treatable aluminum alloys is generally accompanied by a significant decrease in mechanical properties in the HAZ caused by the dissolution of the hardening phase. The intensity of this decrease in mechanical properties can be reduced by limiting the heat input [...] Read more.
Fusion welding of heat-treatable aluminum alloys is generally accompanied by a significant decrease in mechanical properties in the HAZ caused by the dissolution of the hardening phase. The intensity of this decrease in mechanical properties can be reduced by limiting the heat input value. However, this approach is in direct conflict with the principles for welding aluminum and its alloys. Due to the very high thermal conductivity of aluminum alloys, it is necessary to use preheating for thicknesses larger than 5 mm to eliminate non-penetration and cold joints. This paper aims to show the influence of multiple temperature cycles, performed at different preheating temperatures, on changes in the microstructure and mechanical properties. At the same time, the extent to which the original properties of the material can be restored by natural and artificial aging at 160, 175 and 190 °C is also investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure and Properties of Aluminium Alloys 2023)
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16 pages, 8816 KiB  
Article
Cryogenic Deformation Behavior and Microstructural Characteristics of 2195 Alloy
by Jin Zhang, Wenfu Tan, Cheng Wang, Chunnan Zhu and Youping Yi
Metals 2021, 11(9), 1406; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11091406 - 6 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3006
Abstract
Cryogenic deformation can improve the strength and plasticity of Al–Li alloy, although the underlying mechanism is still not yet well understood. The effects of cryogenic temperature on the tensile properties and microstructure of an Al–Cu–Li alloy were investigated by means of tensile property [...] Read more.
Cryogenic deformation can improve the strength and plasticity of Al–Li alloy, although the underlying mechanism is still not yet well understood. The effects of cryogenic temperature on the tensile properties and microstructure of an Al–Cu–Li alloy were investigated by means of tensile property test, roughness measurement, scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical microscope (OM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results indicated that the strength and elongation of the as-annealed (O-state) and solution-treated (W-state) alloys increased with the decrease in deformation temperature, where the increasing trend of elongation of the W-state alloy was more significant than that of the O-state alloy. In addition, a temperature range was observed at approximately 178 K that caused the strength of the W-state alloy to slightly decrease. The decrease in temperature inhibited the dynamic recovery of the Al–Cu–Li alloy, which increased the dislocation density and the degree of work hardening, thus improving the strength of the alloy. At cryogenic temperatures, the internal grain structure was more involved in the deformation and the overall deformation was more uniform, which caused the alloy to have higher plasticity. This study provides a theoretical basis for the cryogenic forming of Al–Li alloy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure and Properties of Aluminium Alloys 2023)
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14 pages, 8249 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Returnable Material on Internal Homogeneity of the High-Pressure Die-Cast AlSi9Cu3(Fe) Alloy
by Marek Matejka, Dana Bolibruchová and Radka Podprocká
Metals 2021, 11(7), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11071084 - 6 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2892
Abstract
Nowadays, high-pressure die-casting technology is an integral part of industrial production. High productivity, reduced machining requirements together with the low weight and advantageous properties of aluminium alloys form an ideal combination for the production of numerous components for various industries. The experimental part [...] Read more.
Nowadays, high-pressure die-casting technology is an integral part of industrial production. High productivity, reduced machining requirements together with the low weight and advantageous properties of aluminium alloys form an ideal combination for the production of numerous components for various industries. The experimental part of the presented article focuses on the analysis of the change in the ratio of returnable material and commercial-purity alloy in a batch depending on the internal homogeneity of castings (microstructure, porosity and microhardness) from AlSi9Cu3(Fe) alloy. The use of returnable material in the batch is a key factor in achieving the maximum use of aluminium melt, which increases the economic efficiency of production and, last but not least, has a more favorable impact on the environment. Structural analysis showed that the increase in returnable material in the batch was visibly manifested in a change in the morphology of the eutectic Si. A negative change in the morphology of the eutectic Si particles was observed after increasing the returnable material content in the batch to 75%. The evaluation of porosity at control cuts showed the influence of the increase of returnable material in the batch, where the worst results were achieved by the alloy with 90% but also the one with 55% returnable material content in the batch. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure and Properties of Aluminium Alloys 2023)
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