PFI-TT: Enabling Affordable Titanium Foil and Sheet by Machining-Based Deformation Processing

这一创新技术转化伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种高效的制造工艺，用于生产薄规格的轻质钛合金。传统的多阶段扁平和套装轧制钛工艺虽然成熟且规模较大，但能耗高、排放量大、基础设施昂贵。该项目将一步生产板材、箔材和线材，具有目前板材轧制工艺无法实现的更高强度和成形性的新型机械性能组合。这些性能组合预计将改善航空航天、汽车和能源部门的结构性能和轻质材料。以机械加工为基础的加工将为钛、铝和镁等一系列商业轻质合金的薄板、箔和线材提供可持续的制造系统。重要的是，与目前的轧制设施相比，新工艺需要更低的能耗(减少50%)和紧凑的基础设施。该伙伴关系还将有助于扩大代表不足的群体对创新的参与，并对工程教育产生积极影响。拟议的项目将提供一种新的节能工艺，以取代目前多阶段轧制工艺的特点，这些工艺的特点是能耗和排放量大，成本高。为了实现这一目标，该项目将解决三个目标。首先，通过系统研究变形塑性条件对板材组织和性能的影响，优化复合加工工艺参数。其次，工艺属性将根据产品质量(表面光洁度、性能)、工艺能量、生产率和成本进行表征。最后，通过整合结果，将在钛和钛合金箔/板材的预商业化生产过程中定义一个系统框架。制造效益将从工艺节能、材料性能改进、生产成本和对不同材料系统的适用性等方面进行量化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to develop a highly-efficient manufacturing process for production of lightweight titanium alloy in thin gauge formats. Conventional multistage flat and pack rolling processes for titanium, although mature and large-scale, are highly energy-intensive, with large emissions, and costly infrastructure. This project will produce sheet, foil and wire formats in a single step, with novel mechanical property combinations of higher strength and formability not achievable by current sheet rolling processes. The property combinations are expected to enable improved structural performance and lightweight materials for the aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors. The machining-based processing will provide a sustainable manufacturing system for sheet, foil and wire from a range of commercial lightweight alloys such as titanium, aluminum and magnesium. Importantly, the new process requires lower energy ( 50% reduction) and compact infrastructure compared to current rolling facilities. The Partnership will also contribute to broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in innovation, and positively impact engineering education.The proposed project will provide a new energy-efficient process alternative to current multistage rolling processes characterized by large energy usage and emissions, and high cost. To realize this goal, the project will address three objectives. First, hybrid-machining process parameters will be optimized by systematic study of how deformation plasticity conditions influence sheet-metal structure and properties. Second, process attributes will be characterized in terms of product quality (surface finish, properties), process energy, and production rate and cost. Last, by integrating the results, a systems framework will be defined in a pre-commercial production process for titanium and titanium alloy foil/sheet formats. The manufacturing benefits will be quantified in terms of process energy savings, material property enhancements, production cost, and applicability to varied material systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.