Effect of Temperature on Grain Size in AA6063 Aluminum Alloy Subjected to Repetitive Corrugation and Straightening

doi:10.1007/s40195-018-0866-6

Abstract

Abstract:

The influence of processing temperature on grain size reduction in AA 6063 aluminum alloy subjected to repetitive corrugation and straightening (RCS) is investigated in this work. The aluminum alloy was processed by RCS at different temperatures (room temperature, 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C) till the maximum number of passes possible before failure and the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and hardness were measured. The grain size and their misorientation of grains of the processed samples were analyzed using the electron backscattered diffraction. The results indicated that the transformation of low-angle grain boundaries to high-angle grain boundaries and dislocation tangles were highly dependent on the strain imparted, which could be controlled by selecting the proper processing temperature. As a result, the mechanical properties are affected. In particular, the room temperature tensile strength and hardness values of the processed material decrease with increasing processing temperature.

Key words: Repetitive corrugation and straightening, Strain, Grain size reduction/refinement, EBSD, Strength, Hardness

N. Thangapandian, S. Balasivanandha Prabu , K. A. Padmanabhan. Effect of Temperature on Grain Size in AA6063 Aluminum Alloy Subjected to Repetitive Corrugation and Straightening[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2019, 32(7): 835-844.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 Schematic of a corrugation die, b straightening die

Fig. 2 Room temperature hardness for AA6063 alloy processed at RT and three elevated temperatures

Fig. 3 Stress-strain curves for alloy AA6063: a processed at RT, b processed at 100 °C, c processed at 200 °C, d processed at 300 °C

Fig. 4 Arrhenius plot to determine activation energy for rate controlling process

Fig. 5 a EBSD GB map, b grain size distribution, c misorientation angle map of AA6063 alloy

Fig. 6 EBSD images of AA6063 after a 4 passes at RT, b 6 passes at RT, c 8 passes at RT, d 4 passes at 100 °C, e 6 passes at 100 °C, f 8 passes at 100 °C, g 4 passes at 200 °C, h 6 passes at 200 °C, i 8 passes at 200 °C, j 4 passes at 300 °C, k 6 passes at 300 °C, l 8 passes at 300 °C

Fig. 7 Grain size distribution in AA6063 after a 4 passes at RT, b 6 passes at RT, c 8 passes at RT, d 4 passes at 100 °C, e 6 passes at 100 °C, f 8 passes at 100 °C, g 4 passes at 200 °C, h 6 passes at 200 °C, i 8 passes at 200 °C, j 4 passes at 300 °C, k 6 passes at 300 °C, l 8 passes at 300 °C

Fig. 8 Misorientation angle fraction in AA6063 after different treatments: a 4 passes at RT, b 6 passes at RT, c 8 passes at RT, d 4 passes at 100 °C, e 6 passes at 100 °C, f 8 passes at 100 °C, g 4 passes at 200 °C, h 6 passes at 200 °C, i 8 passes at 200 °C, j 4 passes at 300 °C, k 6 passes at 300 °C, l 8 passes at 300 °C

Fig. 9 Inverse pole figures of alloy after RCS at different temperatures: a 4 passes at RT, b 6 passes at RT, c 8 passes at RT, d 4 passes at 100 °C, e 6 passes at 100 °C, f 8 passes at 100 °C

Fig. 10 XRD patterns of alloy after RCS at different temperatures

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