No description available.

Magnesium sheet for automotive applications is very attractive due to its light weight. The poor formability of magnesium and its alloys at room temperature, however, has limited the applications of these alloys. For this reason, at present, magnesium must be formed at elevated temperatures. This study investigates the hot deformation and fracture characteristics of Mg-1wt% Zn alloys containing a range of Al and Mn levels. Hot-rolled specimens were tensile tested over a range of strain rates and temperatures. Strain rate versus flow stress diagrams plotted on log-log scales revealed a transition in deformation mechanisms as a change in slope (the 'stress exponent'). Specifically, non-uniform deformation (i.e. necking) is observed at high strain rates, while uniform deformation is observed at low rates. This transition is accompanied by a change in fracture mechanism from dimpled rupture at high strain rates to cavitation and cavity interlinkage at low strain rates. Specimens which had a stress exponent of ∼2 and which failed through uniform deformation showing interlinked cavities have been associated with the grain boundary sliding (GBS) deformation mechanism. Specimens which had a stress exponent of ~5 and which failed through necking showing a dimpled fracture surface have been associated with the dislocation creep deformation mechanism. Increasing aluminum appears to somewhat favour the GBS regime as indicated by a slightly decreasing stress exponent. Manganese also appears to favor the GBS regime, since the onset of cavitation appears at higher strain rates compared to alloys without Mn.

In the present study, dilute alloys in the Mg-rich corner of the Mg-Ce-In ternary system in the composition range 0 to 3% In and 0 to 1.5% Ce were synthesized. Cooling curve analysis was used to determine the liquidus points in order to construct the liquidus surface of the ternary phase diagram in the Mg corner. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to examine phases present at the compositions studied. A thermal arrest presumed to represent a eutectic transformation was discovered at 580°C. Two new intermetallic compounds, designated tau and theta, were found. Trace silicon present in the alloys was found to concentrate in one of the intermetallic compounds. / To further investigate these compounds, an induction furnace was used to synthesize alloys containing the concentrations of Ce and In seen in electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) examinations of these compounds. The alloys were examined using the cooling curve technique and XRD, and proved to contain the compounds already observed with some variation in dissolved indium content. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to confirm the liquidus and solidus values determined using cooling curve analysis. / A diffusion couple with terminal compositions of pure Ce and a Mg-In alloy was prepared in order to determine the equilibrium phases present in the system between these two compositions at 390°C. EPMA was used to identify the zones obtained, and confirmed the presence of several Mg-Ce compounds with 1 at% dissolved indium, as well as a ternary compound corresponding to the theta compound found in the dilute alloys. / Finally, literature values and experimental data were used to calculate a preliminary ternary phase diagram using FACTSage, in collaboration with the CTRC at Ecole Polytechnique, in order to affirm the validity of the experimentally determined values as well as to project the diagram beyond the studied composition range.

No description available.

Although Twin Roll Casting (TRC) process has been used for almost 60 years in the aluminum industry, TRC of magnesium is relatively new. In TRC, molten metal is fed onto water-cooled rolls, where it solidifies and is then rolled. Solidification of the molten metal starts at the point of first metal-roll contact and is completed before the kissing point (point of least roll separation) of the two rolls. The unique thermo-physical properties inherent to magnesium and its alloys, such as lower specific heat and latent heat of fusion and larger freezing ranges (in comparison with aluminum and steel) make it challenging for TRC of this alloy. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the process and the interaction between the casting conditions and strip final quality is imperative to guarantee high quality twin roll cast strip production. A powerful tool to achieve such knowledge is to develop a mathematical model of the process. In this thesis, a 2D mathematical model for TRC of AZ31 magnesium alloy has been developed and validated based on the TRC facility located at the Natural Resources Canada Government Materials Laboratory (CanmetMATERIALS) in Hamilton, ON, Canada. The validation was performed by comparing the predicted exit strip temperature and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) through the strip thickness with those measured and obtained by experiments. The model was developed in two stages, first a thermal-fluid model was developed followed by validation and then a thermal-fluid-stress model was developed. This is the first time a comprehensive thermal-fluid-stress model has been developed to simulate the TRC process for magnesium alloys. The work has led to new knowledge about the TRC process and its effects on magnesium strip quality including the following: 1) Using ALSIM and ANSYS® CFX® commercial packages a 2D mathematical model of thermal-fluid-stress behavior of the magnesium sheet during TRC was successfully developed and validated. 2) An average value of 11 kW/m2°C for the Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC) was found to best represent the heat transfer between the roll and the strip during TRC casting of AZ31 using the CanmetMATERIALS facility. 3) Modeling results showed that increasing casting speed, casting thicker strips and applying higher HTCs led to less uniform microstructure through thickness in terms of SDAS. 4) Simulations showed the importance of casting parameters such as casting speed and set-back distance on the thermal history and stress development in the sheet during TRC; higher casting speeds led to deeper sumps and higher exit temperatures as well as lower overall rolling loads and lower total strains experienced during TRC. 5) The effect of roll diameter on the thermal history and stress development in the strip was also studied and indicated how larger roll diameters increased the surface normal stress and rolling loads but had little effect on the mushy zone thickness. 6) The correlation between the mechanisms of center-line and inverse segregation formation and thermo-mechanical behavior of the strip was performed. The modeling results suggested that increasing the set-back distance decreases the risk of both defects. Moreover, increasing the roll diameter reduces the propensity to inverse segregation but has a minor effect for center-line segregation formation.

Although Twin Roll Casting (TRC) process has been used for almost 60 years in the aluminum industry, TRC of magnesium is relatively new. In TRC, molten metal is fed onto water-cooled rolls, where it solidifies and is then rolled. Solidification of the molten metal starts at the point of first metal-roll contact and is completed before the kissing point (point of least roll separation) of the two rolls. The unique thermo-physical properties inherent to magnesium and its alloys, such as lower specific heat and latent heat of fusion and larger freezing ranges (in comparison with aluminum and steel) make it challenging for TRC of this alloy. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the process and the interaction between the casting conditions and strip final quality is imperative to guarantee high quality twin roll cast strip production. A powerful tool to achieve such knowledge is to develop a mathematical model of the process. In this thesis, a 2D mathematical model for TRC of AZ31 magnesium alloy has been developed and validated based on the TRC facility located at the Natural Resources Canada Government Materials Laboratory (CanmetMATERIALS) in Hamilton, ON, Canada. The validation was performed by comparing the predicted exit strip temperature and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) through the strip thickness with those measured and obtained by experiments. The model was developed in two stages, first a thermal-fluid model was developed followed by validation and then a thermal-fluid-stress model was developed. This is the first time a comprehensive thermal-fluid-stress model has been developed to simulate the TRC process for magnesium alloys. The work has led to new knowledge about the TRC process and its effects on magnesium strip quality including the following: 1) Using ALSIM and ANSYS® CFX® commercial packages a 2D mathematical model of thermal-fluid-stress behavior of the magnesium sheet during TRC was successfully developed and validated. 2) An average value of 11 kW/m2°C for the Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC) was found to best represent the heat transfer between the roll and the strip during TRC casting of AZ31 using the CanmetMATERIALS facility. 3) Modeling results showed that increasing casting speed, casting thicker strips and applying higher HTCs led to less uniform microstructure through thickness in terms of SDAS. 4) Simulations showed the importance of casting parameters such as casting speed and set-back distance on the thermal history and stress development in the sheet during TRC; higher casting speeds led to deeper sumps and higher exit temperatures as well as lower overall rolling loads and lower total strains experienced during TRC. 5) The effect of roll diameter on the thermal history and stress development in the strip was also studied and indicated how larger roll diameters increased the surface normal stress and rolling loads but had little effect on the mushy zone thickness. 6) The correlation between the mechanisms of center-line and inverse segregation formation and thermo-mechanical behavior of the strip was performed. The modeling results suggested that increasing the set-back distance decreases the risk of both defects. Moreover, increasing the roll diameter reduces the propensity to inverse segregation but has a minor effect for center-line segregation formation.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 128-142) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 165-177.

Thesis (PhD) - Swinburne University of Technology, Industrial Research Institute Swinburne - 2007. / [A thesis submitted] for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Industrial Research Institute, Swinburne University of Technology - 2007. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-167).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Constitutive modeling of slip, twinning, and untwinning in AZ31B magnesium. Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-152).