In situ thermomechanical processing to avoid grain boundary precipitation and strength-ductility loss of age hardening alloys

Precipitation Hardening of Metal Alloys

Precipitation hardening, or age hardening, provides one of the most widely used mechanisms for the strengthening of metal alloys. The fundamental understanding and basis for this technique was established in early work at the U. S. Bureau of Standards on an alloy known as Duralumin [1,2]. Duralumin is an aluminum alloy containing copper and magnesium with small amounts of iron and silicon. In a...

Precipitation hardening in dilute Al–Zr alloys

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of solute content (hipoperitectic Al–0.22 wt.%Zr and hiperperitectic Al–0.32 wt.%Zr) on the precipitation hardening and microstructural evolution of dilute Al–Zr alloys isothermally aged. The materials were conventionally cast in a muffle furnace, solidified in a water-cooled Cu mold and subsequently heat-treated at the temperature of 650 K (3...

High-strength age hardening copper–titanium alloys: redivivus

In this review the decomposition of supersaturated Cu–Ti solid solutions and subsequent microstructural evolution are discussed in terms of modern views of precipitation from solid solution. This update is motivated by an anticipated emergence of these alloys as technologically significant high-strength, high-conductivity, precipitation hardened alloys over the next decade replacing conventiona...

Precipitation Hardening of Al–Si–Mg Alloys

Influence of thermomechanical processing on the grain size, texture and mechanical properties of Mg-Al alloys

The work carried out by the authors over the last decade on the processing, microstructural characterization and the mechanical behaviour of Mg alloys is reviewed. In particular, the potential for grain refinement and for the development of specific textures of large strain hot rolling (LSHR), equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and accumulative roll bonding (ARB) is discussed. The recrystall...