The role of interface region on texture development in clad aluminum sheet products

在过去的100年中，铝工业已经开发出各种高度工程化的整体板材合金，其具有与均匀的纹理和微观结构相关的均匀的厚度特性。 在某些情况下，合金表面可以根据特殊应用进行定制，例如通过阳极氧化或包覆进行腐蚀保护。 包覆工艺传统上包括将包覆合金板焊接到芯合金板上，然后进行进一步的辊轧处理。 结果是机械结合的完整性有限，其通常具有含有前表面氧化物的波状界面。 Novelis公司公司开发了一种名为Fusion的新包覆技术，该技术可将不同的铝合金层同时浇铸到一个轧制铸锭中。 Fusion中芯和包层合金之间形成的界面是冶金学的，即它是平坦的、完全连续的，没有孔隙或外来氧化物相。 为了充分利用芯和包层组合两者的益处，需要理解针对整体合金优化的辊加工如何改变这种复合材料中的织构和微观结构的演变（如果有的话）。 皇后大学的研究人员将与Novelis全球技术中心合作，开发基于扫描电子显微镜的显微织构和微聚焦X射线衍射技术，以有效地量化针对汽车应用的Fusion合金的全厚度织构、微观结构和残余应变发展。 Fusion产品有可能为汽车行业的结构铝合金创造一个新的市场，并提高安大略省金斯顿Novelis工厂的产量。 将要开展的研究工作将使一名硕士候选人和两名B.Sc.工程候选人能够教授变形纹理理论和最先进设备和技术的实践经验，这可能会对科学文献做出新的贡献。

Over the last 100 years the aluminum industry has developed a variety of highly engineered monolithic sheet alloys with uniform through-thickness properties associated with a uniform texture and microstructure. In some cases the alloy surfaces can be tailored for special applications such as corrosion protection by anodizing, or cladding. The cladding process has traditionally consisted of welding a clad alloy sheet onto a core alloy sheet, followed by further roll processing. The result is a mechanical bond of limited integrity which often has a wavy interface containing former surface oxides. Novelis Inc. has developed a new cladding technology called Fusion, which simultaneously casts different aluminum alloy layers into a single rolling ingot. The interface formed between the core and cladding alloy in Fusion is metallurgical, that is it is flat, fully continuous, with no porosity or extraneous oxide phases. To fully exploit the benefits of both the core and clad combinations requires an understanding of how the roll processing optimized for the monolithic alloys alters the evolution of the texture and microstructure in this composite-like material, if at all. Working with Novelis Global Technology Centre, Queen's University researchers will develop complimentary scanning electron microscopy-based micro-texture and micro-focused x-ray diffraction techniques to efficiently quantify the through-thickness texture, microstructure and residual strain development in Fusion alloys targeted for automotive applications. The Fusion product can potentially create a new market for structural aluminum alloys in the automotive sector, and enhance production in the Novelis Kingston, Ontario plant. The research work to be carried out will enable teaching of one M.Sc. candidate and two B.Sc. engineering candidates on deformation texture theory and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, which will likely result in new contributions to the scientific literature.