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Title: Spray forming of superplastic aluminum sheet

Book ·
OSTI ID:186748
;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
  2. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Ingot metallurgy (I/M) processing methods for superplastic aluminum sheet require substantial hot, warm and final cold rolling reduction steps to produce the desired fine grain size and thermally-stable microstructure necessary for superplastic forming (SPF). The rapid solidification rates associated with spray forming offer the potential for economic processing of near net-thickness SPF sheet having alloy compositions that are not possible with conventional ingot metallurgy. To evaluate the application of spray forming for SPF aluminum sheet, a modified 5083 alloy was supplied to Idaho National Engineering Laboratory for processing using laboratory spray-forming equipment. Spray-formed sheet specimens were then supplied to the Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory for characterization and comparison with conventional I/M-based SPF sheet. Results show that the spray formed material, when processed using appropriate homogenization and cold reduction steps (3:1 total reduction), has an equiaxed grain size of 2--4 {micro}m near the deposition substrate. However, microstructural examination indicates that grain size increases as a function of the distance from the deposition substrate. Tensile tests were conducted at a temperature of 550 C and constant strain rates over a range of 5 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} to 5 {times} 10{sup {minus}3} s{sup {minus}1} to evaluate the superplastic behavior of the spray-formed samples. Results show that the spray-formed material having a 3:1 cold rolling reduction has superplastic elongation equivalent to I/M materials processed with a 60:1 reduction.

DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830; AC07-94ID13223
OSTI ID:
186748
Report Number(s):
CONF-950201-; ISBN 0-87339-316-3; TRN: IM9609%%20
Resource Relation:
Conference: Annual meeting and exhibition of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), Las Vegas, NV (United States), 12-16 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Synthesis/processing of lightweight metallic materials. Proceedings; Froes, F.H.; Suryanarayana, C. [eds.] [Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, ID (United States). Inst. for Materials and Advanced Processes]; Ward-Close, C.M. [ed.] [Defence Research Agency, Farnborough (United Kingdom)]; PB: 380 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English