This study involved a complete evaluation of the thixoformability of AA7004 and AA7075 alloys, from their microstructural characterization to their viscous behavior. The alloys were subjected to globularization heat treatments for 0, 30, 90 and 210 seconds in two conditions of solid fractions, 45 and 60%, and to viscosity assays under the same conditions. Heat treatments promote the globularization of primary phase particles; hence, the best viscosity results were achieved for alloys with low solid fractions heat-treated for 210 seconds. Alloys AA7004 and AA7075 showed an apparent viscosity of 10 4 to 10 5 (Pa.s). The behavior of materials in this range is similar to that of molten glass and they show high formability. However, the AA7075 alloy showed a better performance than the AA7004 due to the smaller size of its primary particles and original grains, their lower growth during reheating, and depending on the condition, their viscosity of 10 4 Pa.s, which is extremely low for thixoforming standards.
RESUMO Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o processo de tixoforjamento em prensa excêntrica das ligas aeronáuticas AA7004 e AA7075 e compreender o comportamento do material semissólido durante o preenchimento da matriz através de análises microestruturais. As ligas foram submetidas a tratamentos térmicos de globularização pelo tempo de 210 s e fração líquida de 55% e na sequência tixoforjadas. As temperaturas de trabalho foram determinadas via ensaios de DSC (differential scanning calorimetry). O tratamento térmico de globularização tem como objetivo efetuar a globularização parcial ou total das ligas, permitindo analisar a evolução microestrutural. A força máxima aplicada no ensaio de tixoforjamento foi de aproximadamente 500 kg, sendo que a capacidade da prensa excêntrica segundo seu fabricante é de 25 toneladas, demonstrando que a carga utilizada para a realização dos ensaios foi irrisória em comparação com a capacidade do equipamento. O produto final apresentou total preenchimento da matriz e qualidade dimensional. A região localizada no centro da peça, onde ocorreu a maior deformação apresentou grãos deformados e menores em relação às outras regiões, a saber, a liga AA7004 apresentou tamanho de grãos de 142 µm e a liga AA7075 apresentou tamanho de grãos de 105 µm.
This work evaluates the morphological evolution at the semisolid state of the Al-2wt%Si-2.5wt%Cu alloy produced by direct chill casting under electromagnetic stirring (EMS) and this same raw material enhanced by one equal channel angular pressing pass (ECAP), specially designed to produce raw material for thixoforming processes. The traditional EMS production method is compared to ECAP in order to determine if a second procedure is necessary for this particular alloy. The ECAP process emerged as a promising technique capable of imposing severe homogeneous deformation in metals, which could improve thixoforming processes. The ECAP deformation occurs in a matrix that contains two channels of the same cross-sectional area and form an angle of Φ = 90° and Φ = 120°, the process can be repeated many times allowing to control the microstructure and properties of the materials. Both raw materials, EMS and EMS + ECAP were submitted to re-heating treatment in two conditions of solid fractions, 45% and 60% at soaking times of 0s, 30s and 90s. With this procedure primary particle sizes of about 60 μm were obtained, which exhibit favourable characteristics for the thixoforming process.
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