Effect of Various Forms of Aluminum 6082 on the Mechanical Properties, Microstructure and Surface Modification of the Profile after Extrusion Process.

This article presents a method of reusing aluminum scrap from alloy 6082 using the hot extrusion process. Aluminum chips from milling and turning processes, having different sizes and morphologies, were cold pressed into briquettes prior to hot pressing at 400 °C at a ram speed of 2 mm/s. The study of mechanical properties combined with observations of the microstructures, as well as tests of density, hardness and electrical conductivity were carried out. On the basis of the results, the possibility of using the plastic consolidation method and obtaining materials with similar to a solid ingot mechanical properties, density and electrical conductivity was proven. The possibility of modifying the surface of consolidated aluminum scrap was tested in processes examples: polishing, anodizing and coloring. For this purpose, a number of analyses and tests were carried out: comparison of colors on color histograms, roughness determination, SEM and chemical composition analysis. It has been proven there are differences in the surface treatment of the solid material and that of scrap consolidation, and as such, these differences may significantly affect the final quality.

The Pressure Compaction of Zr-Nb Powder Mixtures and Selected Properties of Sintered and KOBO-Extruded Zr-xNb Materials.

Materials were obtained from commercial zirconium powders. 1 mass%, 2.5 mass% and 16 mass% of niobium powders were used as the reinforcing phase. The SPS method and the extrusion method classified as the SPD method were used. Relative density materials of up to 98% were obtained. The microstructure of the sintered Zr-xNb materials differs from that of the extruded materials. Due to the flammability of zirconium powders, no mechanical alloying was used; only mixing of zirconium and niobium powders in water and isopropyl alcohol. Niobium was grouped in clusters with an average niobium particle size of about 10 µm up to 20 µm. According to the Zr-Nb phase equilibrium system, the stable phase at RT was the hexagonal α-phase. The tests were carried out for materials without the additional annealing process. The effect of niobium as a ß-Zr phase stabilizer is confirmed by XRD. Materials differed in their phase composition, and for both methods the ß-Zr phase was present in obtained materials. A very favorable effect of niobium on the increase in corrosion resistance was observed, compared to the material obtained from the powder without the addition of niobium.

The Extrusion and SPS of Zirconium-Copper Powders and Studies of Selected Mechanical Properties.

Zr-2.5Cu and Zr-10Cu powder mixtures were consolidated in the extrusion process and using the spark plasma sintering technique. In these studies, material tests were carried out in the fields of phase composition, microstructure, hardness and tensile strength for Zr-Cu materials at room temperature (RT) and 400 °C. Fractography analysis of materials at room temperature and 400 °C was carried out. The research took into account the anisotropy of the materials obtained in the extrusion process. For the nonequilibrium SPS process, ZrCu2 and Cu10Zr7 intermetallic compounds formed in the material at sintering temperature. Extruded materials were composed mainly of α-Zr and ZrCu2. The presence of intermetallic compounds affected the reduction in the strength properties of the tested materials. The highest strength value of 205 MPa was obtained for the extruded Zr-2.5Cu, for which the samples were cut in the direction of extrusion. For materials with 10 wt.% copper, more participation of the intermetallic phase was formed, which lowered the mechanical properties of the obtained materials. In addition to brittle intermetallic phases, the materials were characterized by residual porosity, which also reduced the strength properties.

Analysis of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AlSi11 after Chip Recycling, Co-Extrusion, and Arc Welding.

Recycling of raw materials and is crucial for the production of new products for the global economy. The aim here is, on the one hand, to reduce energy consumption, and, on the other hand, to obtain materials with similar functional properties. The study undertook research on the possibility of processing AlSi11 aluminum chips by compaction and co-extruding to obtain a product in the form of a flat bar with mechanical properties not lower than those of the cast materials. The performed tests and the developed technique allowed to obtain flat bars with more favorable mechanical properties (Yield Strength YS ≥ 155 MPa; Ultimate Tensile Strength UTS ≥ 212 MPa) than the castings (YS ≥ 70 MPa ≥ 150 MPa). The weldability evaluation tests revealed that the material is susceptible to porosity. The presence of pores, which reduces the cross-section (up to 60%), reduces the tensile strength (up to 20 MPa). The typical joint structure and plasticity is obtained, which indicate the possibility of tensile strength improvement.

Zirconium Phase Transformation under Static High Pressure and ω-Zr Phase Stability at High Temperatures.

High-purity Zr has been observed to undergo a phase transformation from the α-phase to the hexagonal ω-phase under high pressure generated either statically or by shock loading. The transition pressure from α-Zr to ω-Zr at 300 K is 2.10 GPa. The main aim of this research was to determine the conditions of α-Zr in ω-Zr transformation and the state of stresses after the high-pressure pressing and sintering of zirconium powders. Commercially acquired zirconium powders of 99.9% and 98.8% purity were used in this study. Qualitative and quantitative phase analysis of the materials was carried out using X-ray diffraction. The materials were statically pressed and sintered using a Bridgman-type toroidal apparatus at under 4.0 and 7.8 GPa. After pressing, the transformation proceeded for the zirconium powder containing 98.8% purity (with hydrides admixture) but did not occur for the high-purity zirconium powders with 99.9% purity. The zirconium powders were sintered using the HPHT (High Pressure-High Temperature) method at temperatures of 1273 K and 1473 K. The transformation proceeded for both powders. The highest contribution of the ω-Zr phase was obtained in the zirconium (98.8% purity with the hydrides contents) sintered for 1 min at a temperature of 1473 K and a pressure of 7.8. The ω-phase content was 87 wt.%. The stress measurement was performed for the pressed and sintered materials using the sin2ψ X-ray diffraction method. The higher sintering temperature resulted in a decrease of the residual stresses in the ω-Zr phase for the sintered zirconium. The higher levels of stress limited the transformation of the α-Zr phase into the ω-Zr phase. Investigated materials characterized by higher compressive macrostresses were also typical of the greater stability of the ω-Zr phase at high temperatures.