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The work presented in this master thesis deal with the issue of quenching, investigation regarding different cooling rates and its effect on the material properties of aluminum alloy in the 6xxx series used for crash purposes in cars, such as crash boxes, beams and other crash relevant parts. Precipitation of Mg2Si due to different cooling rates affects the material properties such as crash performance, thus the aluminum alloy used is sensitive to different cooling rates. In order to perform tests with different cooling rates a cooling rig was constructed. In order to evaluate the different cooling rates both mechanical testing such as tensile test and 3-point bending test and compression test were performed. Also analyses with scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were performed to estimate grain boundary decoration of Mg2Si due to the different cooling rates. Furthermore LOM analyses were performed to evaluate if the experimental setup had any effect on material properties such as grain size. The constructed cooling rig produced different cooling rates with reliable repeatability as intended. Cooling rates between 130 ̊C/s and 20 ̊C/s were accomplished. Mg2Si occurred in all investigated test samples with various amounts. Higher cooling rates decreases the precipitation of Mg2Si to the grain boundaries, higher cooling rates also increased the bending angle achieved from the 3-point bending test. Furthermore, extensive solution heat treatment at elevated temperatures leads to grain growth.

L’influence des renforts nanoparticules de TiB2 (6 wt.%) sur la précipitation interfaciale de la phase (Zn1.5Cu0.5)Mg, la résistance à la traction et la fissuration sous chargement de fatigue (fatigue crack growth-FCG) des composites à matrice de Al-Zn-Mg-Cu ont été étudiées. Des échantillons de composites ont été obtenus par réaction in-situ pendant le moulage suivi d’un FSP (friction stir processing) et une extrusion à chaud. Seuls les échantillons moulés et extrudés ont été utilisés pour étude de FCG à cause de la limitation de la taille après FSP. Des observations au microscope électronique à balayage (SEM), avec la diffraction des électrons rétrodiffusés (SEM/EBSD) et au microscope électronique en transmission à haute résolution (HRSTEM) ont été réalisées pour caractériser la microstructure.Des échantillons présentent une structure des grains équi-axiaux et des nanoparticules de TiB2 sont distribuées de façon homogène dans la matrice. En état de solution solide, l’interface TiB2/Al est de nature semi-cohérente et très propre. En état de vieillissementou ou sur vieillissement, la précipitation interfacaile hétérogène de la phase (Zn1.5Cu0.5)Mg a été observée. La cinétique de la précipitation interfaciale a été discutée. Les interfaces entre Al/(Zn1.5Cu0.5)Mg/TiB2 sont quasi cohérentes et l’interface TiB2/Al a été renforcée grâce à la réduction de l’énergie de l’interface. Ce mécanisme de précipitation interfaciale peut expliquer l’effet de renforcement de l’interface contribuant simultanement l’augmentation de la résistance et de l’élongation des échatillons de composite.La majorité de nanoparticules TiB2 tentent de s’agglomérer le long des joints de grains dans des échantillons sans FSP. La vitesse de croissance de fissure a été augmentée à l’intérieur des grains avec un facteur d’intensité (ΔK) intermédiaire ou important à cause de l’affinement de grains. Cependant, la vitesse de croissance de fissure a été diminuée aux joints de grains avec (ΔK) faible ou intermédiaire à cause de la présence des clusters de TiB2 tandis que cette vitesse augmente avec (ΔK) important à cause de la coalescence des micropores. / The influences of TiB2 reinforcement nanoparticles (6 wt.%) on the interfacial precipitation of (Zn1.5Cu0.5)Mg phase, the associated tensile and fatigue crack growth (FCG) properties of the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu matrix composites have been studied. The composite samples were produced by in-situ reaction during casting followed by friction stir processing (FSP) and hot extrusion, while only casted and extruded samples were used for evaluating FCG due to size limit of the nugget zone after FSP. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM) were employed for the microstructure characterization.The as-processed composite samples contain the fine equiaxed-grain structure, where TiB2 nanoparticles are homogenously distributed. At solid-solution state, the TiB2/Al interfaces are featured by the clean and semi-coherent nature. At the peak-aged and overaged states, the interface precipitate determined as (Zn1.5Cu0.5)Mg phase was formed, and the underlying heterogeneous interfacial precipitation kinetics was discussed. The Al/(Zn1.5Cu0.5)Mg/TiB2 multi-interfaces were revealed to be almost coherent, and the TiB2/Al interfaces were thus strengthened due to the greatly reduced coherency strains. This mechanism was proposed as precipitation assisted interface strengthening, which has contributed to the simultaneously enhanced tensile strength and uniform elongation of the as-processed composite.The majority of TiB2 nanoparticles tend to aggregate along grain boundaries (GBs) in the composite samples without FSP. The FCG rate is increased inside grains at intermediate and high stress intensity factor (ΔK) ranges due to the refined grain size. However, the FCG rate at the GBs is decreased at the low and intermediate ΔK ranges by fatigue crack deflection and trapping due to the presence of TiB2 clusters, while it increases at the high ΔK range due to microvoid coalescence.

This thesis looks for the causes of cracks in bicycle rims in the most stressed areas (in places holes for wires). For this reason, in this work is the stress and strain analysis of a simple model of the rim to the working load is given and further the complete production process of the rim is described. As an experimental material were used rims from different producers of aluminum alloy EN AW 6061 and EN AW 6082 T6 temper, in which a crack started to spread. For assessment of rims materials the methods of optical spectroscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Vickers hardness test were used and for finding another crack penetration test was performed. Based on the performed experiments bad design solution of rivets was found in the rim 1. Broken rivets initiated fatigue cracks. Material of rim 1 was alright. The other two rims were deficiencies in materials. For the rim 2 was a problem with coarse-grained recrystallized structure. The insufficiently rapid cooling for the rim 3 caused exclusion hardening phase (particularly copper phase) at grain boundaries. Moreover, the rim 3 is not cured to the required parameters. Aluminium alloys are an ideal material for bicycle rims. However, they require reliable design solutions and meeting the physical metallurgy, which lies in the knowledge and use of influences of chemical composition, forming and heat treatment on mechanical, chemical, physical and technological properties.

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Mechanical properties of structural materials are highly correlated to their microstructure. The relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties can be established experimentally. The growing need for structural materials in industry promotes the study of microstructural evolution of materials by design using computational approaches. This thesis presents the microstructural evolution of two different structural materials. The first uses a genetic algorithm approach to study the microstructural evolution of a high-temperature nickel-based oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) alloy. The chosen Ni-20Cr ODS system has nano Y2O3 particles for dispersion strengthening and submicron Al2O3 for composite strengthening. Synergistic effects through the interaction of small dispersoids and large reinforcements improved high-temperature strength. Optimization considered different weight factors on low temperature strength, ductility, and high temperature strength. Simulation revealed optimal size and volume fraction of dispersoids and reinforced particles. Ni-20Cr-based alloys were developed via mechanical alloying for computational optimization and validation. The Ni-20Cr-1.2Y2O3-5Al2O3 alloy exhibited significant reduction in the minimum creep rate (on the order of 10-9 s-1) at 800oC and 100 MPa. The second considers the microstructural evolution of AA 7050 alloy during friction stir welding (FSW). Modeling the FSW process includes thermal, material flow, microstructural and strength modeling. Three-dimensional material flow and heat transfer model was developed for friction stir welding process of AA 7050 alloy to predict thermal histories and extent of deformation. Peak temperature decreases with the decrease in traverse speed at constant advance per revolution, while the increase in tool rotation rate enhances peak temperature. Shear strain is higher than the longitudinal and transverse strain for lower traverse speed and tool rotation rate; whereas for higher traverse speed and tool rotation rate, shear and normal strain acquire similar values. Precipitation distribution simulation using TC-PRISMA predicts the presence of η' and η in the as-received AA 7050-T7451 alloy and mostly η in the friction stir welded AA7050 alloy, which results in the lower predicted strength of friction stir welded alloy. Further, development of modeling assists in process optimization and innovation, and enhances the progression rate. Accelerating the development process requires coupling experimental methods with predictive modeling. The overall purpose of this work was to develop an integrated computational model with predictive capabilities. In the present work, an application tool to predict thermal histories during FSW of AA7050 was developed using COMSOL software.

Gradientes térmicos induzidos no interior de componentes sujeitos a variações de temperatura durante o período de funcionamento podem provocar a ocorrência de tensões e deformações internas. A repetição destes ciclos térmicos pode causar a nucleação e a propagação de trincas por um processo denominado fadiga termomecânica. Este trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre o comportamento da liga de alumínio A356-T6, processada nas condições fundida e tixoextrudada, sob fadiga isotérmica e termomecânica. Foram realizados ensaios de fadiga de baixo ciclo isotérmica para as temperaturas de 120 e 280°C, e ensaios de fadiga termomecânica em-fase e fora-de-fase para a faixa de temperatura de 120 a 280°C. O material tixoextrudado apresentou melhor desempenho em fadiga nas condições isotérmica e anisotérmica (termomecânica) devido a uma microestrutura globular com menor nível de porosidade. / Thermal gradients induced in components during service under temperature changes can cause internal stresses and strains. This cyclic thermal behavior can cause crack nucleation and propagation under a process denominated thermomechanical fatigue. Permanent mold casting and tixoextruded A356-T6 aluminum alloy behavior under isothermal and thermomechanical fatigue was study in this work. Isothermal low cycle fatigue tests were performed in temperatures of 120 and 280°C. In-phase and out-of-phase thermomechanical fatigue tests were carried out in temperature range from 120 to 280°C. The tixoextruded material presented better isothermal and thermomechanical fatigue performance due to a globular microstructure and lower porosity level.

Dans un contexte d’optimisation des lignes de production, la maîtrise de la qualité des pièces et des capacités machines est primordiale. Plusieurs études se sont intéressées à la formation des bavures en usinage mais les mécanismes sont encore peu connus, bien qu’un lien fort avec les efforts de coupe soit établi par divers auteurs. Ainsi, la maîtrise des efforts de coupe a un intérêt double : optimiser les lignes de production et servir de donnée d’entrée pour la prédiction de la taille des bavures. Cette étude propose donc de renforcer les connaissances concernant les mécanismes de formation des bavures générées par un outil en sortie matière, et de prédire les efforts de coupe en fraisage grande vitesse, dans l’alliage d’aluminium AlSi7Mg0,3+0,5Cu. Divers mécanismes de formation de bavures sont étudiés en coupe élémentaire. Une nouvelle méthode de mesure in situ permet d’identifier l’influence des conditions opératoires sur l’évolution statistique de critères géométriques caractérisant les bavures générées de façon hétérogène dans le cas de l’alliage étudié, dont le comportement est fortement dépendant de son état de contrainte local ainsi que de sa microstructure. Une analyse des champs de déplacement et déformation par corrélation d’images couplée ainsi qu’un modèle de simulation par éléments finis permettent d’identifier plus finement les mécanismes de formation des bavures. Le surfaçage est étudié pour modéliser les efforts de coupe puis comparer les efforts produits lors de la sortie des dents avec les caractéristiques des bavures obtenues. Enfin, une stratégie de minimisation de la hauteur des bavures en surfaçage à la fraise grande avance est étudiée. / In a context of production lines optimization, parts quality and machine capabilities control is essential. Several studies have been carried out on machining burr formation but the mechanisms are not fully understood, although a strong link between burrs formation and cutting forces is established by several authors. Hence, controlling the cutting forces has two advantages: optimize the production lines and be used as input data for a burr height model. This study proposes to consolidate the knowledge on burr formation mechanisms during the exit of a tooth, and to predict cutting forces during high speed milling of the AlSi7Mg0.7+0.5Cu alloy. Various burr formation mechanisms are studied in orthogonal cutting. A new in situ measurement method allows to identify the statistical influence of some operational conditions on the evolution of some newly introduced geometrical parameters defining the burrs heterogeneously formed in the case of the studied alloy, whose behavior strongly depends on its local stress state as well as its microstructure. A displacement and strain field analysis using Digital Image Correlation, as well as a finite element model provide a better understanding of the burr formation mechanisms. Face milling is studied to model cutting forces and compare the forces produced during the exit of a tooth to the obtained burr morphologies. Finally, a burr height reduction strategy is proposed using a high feed mill.