Browsing by Keyword "Aluminum alloys"
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Item Chromium-free conversion coatings based on inorganic salts(Zr/Ti/Mn/Mo) for aluminum alloys used in aircraft applications(2015-08-01) Santa Coloma, Patricia; Izagirre, Usoa; Belaustegui, Yolanda; Jorcin, J.B.; Cano, F.J.; Lapeña, N.; Belaustegi, Y.; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; INGENIERÍA DE SUPERFICIES; VALORIZACIÓN DE RESIDUOS; MATERIALES PARA CONDICIONES EXTREMAS; SGNovel chromium-free conversion coatings based on Zr/Ti/Mn/Mo compounds were developed at a pilot scale to improve the corrosion resistance of the AA2024-T3 and AA7075-T6 aluminum alloys for aircraft applications. The influence of the presence of Zr and Ti in the Zr/Ti/Mn/Mo conversion bath's formulation on the corrosion resistance of the coated alloys was investigated. The corrosion resistance provided by the conversion coatings was evaluated by salt spray exposure and potentiodynamic sweeps. Optical and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) operating in the Kelvin Probe mode (SKPFM) were used to provide microstructural information of the coated samples that achieved the best results in the corrosion tests. The salt spray test evidenced the higher corrosion resistance of the coated samples compared to the bare surfaces for both alloys. The potentiodynamic tests showed that the corrosion current density decreased for coated AA7075-T6 and AA2024-T3 alloys, which indicated an obvious improvement of the corrosion resistance with all the processes for both alloys. Although the corrosion resistance of the coated samples appeared to be higher for the alloy AA7075-T6 than for the alloy AA2024-T3, both alloys achieved the best corrosion protection with the coatings deposited from conversion bath formulations containing no titanium salts. The microscopy analysis on the coated AA7075-T6 samples revealed that a local deposition of Zr compounds and, possibly, an oxidation process occurred in the vicinity of the alloy's intermetallic particles. The amount of the Zr deposits at these locations increased with coating's formulations without Ti, which provided the best corrosion resistance. The Cr-free conversion coatings developed in this study for the AA7075-T6 and AA2024-T3 alloys do not meet yet the strict requirements of the aircraft industry. However, they significantly improved the corrosion performance with respect to the bare alloys and could be a good starting point for further studies and optimization.Item The Determination of Dendrite Coherency Point Characteristics Using Three New Methods for Aluminum Alloys(2018-07-26) Vicario, Iban; Viteri, Ester; Montero, Jessica; Djurdjevic, Mile; Huber, Gerhard; Gómez, Iban Vicario; PROMETALThe aim of this work is to give an overview of existing methods and to introduce three new methods for the determination of the Dendrite Coherency Point (DCP) for AlSi10Mg alloys, as well as to compare the acquired values of DCP based on a thermal analysis and on the analysis of cooling curves working with only one thermocouple. Additionally, the impact of alloying and contaminant elements on the DCP will be also studied. The first two proposed methods employ the higher order derivatives of the cooling curves. The DCP was determined as the crossing point of the second and third derivative curves plotted versus time (method 1) or that of the temperature (method 2) with the zero line just after the maximum liquidus temperature. The third proposed method is based on the determination of the crossing point of the third solid fraction derivative curve with the zero line, corresponding to a minimum of the second derivative. A Taguchi design for the experiments was developed to study the DCP values in the AlSi10Mg alloy. The DCP temperature values of the test alloys were compared with the DCP temperatures predicted by the previous methods and the influence of the major and minor alloying elements and contaminants over the DCP. The new processes obtained a correlation factor r2 from 0.954 and 0.979 and a standard deviation from 1.84 to 2.6 °C. The obtained correlation values are higher or similar than those obtained using previous methods with an easier way to define the DCP, allowing for a better automation of the accuracy of DCP determination. The use of derivative curves plotted versus temperature employed in the last two proposed methods, where the test samples did not have an influence over the registration curves, is proposed to have a better accuracy than those of the previously described methods.Item Microstructure and Phase Formation of Novel Al80Mg5Sn5Zn5X5 Light-Weight Complex Concentrated Aluminum Alloys(2021-12-01) Sanchez, Jon Mikel; Pascual, Alejandro; Vicario, Iban; Albizuri, Joseba; Guraya, Teresa; Galarraga, Haize; CIRMETAL; PROMETALIn this work, three novel complex concentrated aluminum alloys were developed. To investigate the unexplored region of the multicomponent phase diagrams, thermo-physical parameters and the CALPHAD method were used to understand the phase formation of the Al80Mg5Sn5Zn5Ni5 , Al80Mg5Sn5Zn5Mn5 , and Al80Mg5Sn5Zn5Ti5 alloys. The ingots of the alloys were manufactured by a gravity permanent mold casting process, avoiding the use of expensive, dangerous, or scarce alloying elements. The microstructural evolution as a function of the variable element (Ni, Mn, or Ti) was studied by means of different microstructural characterization techniques. The hardness and compressive strength of the as-cast alloys at room temperature were studied and correlated with the previously characterized microstructures. All the alloys showed multiphase microstructures with major α-Al dendritic matrix reinforced with secondary phases. In terms of mechanical properties, the developed alloys exhibited a high compression yield strength up to 420 MPa, high compression fracture strength up to 563 MPa, and elongation greater than 12%.Item Rare Earths and the Balance Problem: How to Deal with Changing Markets?: How to Deal with Changing Markets?(2018-03-01) Binnemans, Koen; Jones, Peter Tom; Müller, Torsten; Yurramendi, Lourdes; VALORIZACIÓN DE RESIDUOSThe balance between the market demand and the natural abundance of the rare-earth elements (REEs) in ores, often referred to as the Balance Problem (or the Balancing Problem), is a major issue for REE suppliers. The ideal situation is a perfect match between the market demand for and the production of REEs, so that there are no surpluses of any of the REEs. This means that the rare-earth industry must find new uses for REEs that are available in excess and search for substitutes for REEs that have either limited availability or are high in demand. We present an overview of the trends in the applications for the different REEs and show that the demand for REEs for use in magnets, catalysts, and alloys is still increasing, while the application of REEs in polishing agents, glass, and ceramics are stable. On the other hand, the use of REEs in nickel–metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries and lamp phosphors is decreasing. These changes in the REE market have an influence on the Balance Problem, because the REEs that can be recycled from fluorescent lamps, cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), and NiMH batteries have to be at least partly reused in other applications. Magnesium and aluminum alloys offer an opportunity to mitigate the Balance Problem caused by these changes in the REE market. This is illustrated for REEs that can be recycled from fluorescent-lamp phosphor waste, CRT phosphors, and NiMH batteries. At present, five REEs (Nd, Eu, Tb, Dy, and Y) are being considered as very critical by Europe, the United States, and Japan, but we forecast that in the medium term, only neodymium will remain a critical REE. This paper discusses the relationship between criticality and the Balance Problem and shows how this relationship influences the market for specific REEs.