ENHANCED PERFORMANCE OF AUTOMOTIVE SHEET ALLOYS VIA CONTROL OF COMPOSITION, THERMAL PROCESSING AND NANOSTRUCTURE

该项目涉及利用现代设施对经过单一和多次时效处理的选定汽车薄板合金中原子尺度的合金元素簇的形式和特性进行表征，并对这种合金的变形机制和行为进行检查和建模。其目的是确定溶质原子团和空位在控制合金最终强度和变形行为的析出相形成中的精确作用，并通过控制合金成分和多次时效处理为进一步提高这些合金的强度提供有用的指导方针。

This project involves characterisation using modern facilities of the form and identity of atomic-scale clusters of alloying elements in selected automotive sheet alloys that have been subjected to single and multiple ageing treatments and examination and modelling of deformation mechanisms and behaviour in such alloys. The aim is to establish the precise role of clusters of solute atoms and vacancies in the formation of precipitate phases that control the final strength and deformation behaviour of the alloys, and to provide useful guidelines for further improvements in strength of these alloys via the control of alloy composition and of multiple ageing treatments.