Optimization of the manufacturing sequence in Al-Li alloy systems used in the aerospace industry

加拿大2006年铝转化技术路线图显示，为了使铝保持其作为运输行业等所有行业首选材料的战略地位，必须在开发高强度、高硬度铝合金和开发成本更低的铝转化工艺方面取得重大进展。对于航空航天工业来说，这一声明至关重要，因为铝面临着来自碳基复合材料的竞争。美国铝业是航空航天铝合金牌号的主要制造商，它致力于迎接这一挑战，最近开发了第三代铝锂合金。然而，合金发展的最新水平要求优化加工条件，而对于这些新合金来说，这远远不能实现。本研究计划研究挤压、搅拌摩擦焊和自由成形三种制造工艺，并研究改善2099和2199两种铝锂合金性能的工艺参数。在该合金用于飞机部件之前，美国铝业认为这三种工艺的技术诀窍是至关重要的。这个项目是由来自麦吉尔大学和拉瓦尔大学的研究人员共同努力的，这两个大学是帝王和美国铝业的两个机构成员。

The Canadian Road Map on Transformation Technology of Aluminum 2006 revealed that in order for aluminum to maintain its strategic position as a material of choice in all industries like the transportation industry, significant progress must be made in the development of high-strength, high-stiffness aluminium alloys and the development of cheaper processes for the transformation of Al. For the aerospace industry, this statement is critical since Al is facing competition from carbon-based composites. Alcoa, which is the major manufacturer of aerospace Al alloy grades, is well engaged in taking up this challenge and has recently developed a third generation of Al-Li alloys. However, the state of the art in alloy development requires optimization of the processing conditions, which is far from being achieved for these new alloys. This research proposal is to study three manufacturing processes: extrusion, friction-stir welding and freeforming, as well as studying processing variables for property improvement of two Al-Li alloys, namely 2099 and 2199. The know-how for these three processes was identified by Alcoa as critical prior to the alloy's utilization in aircraft components. This project is a joint effort by researchers from McGill and Laval University, two of the institutional members of REGAL and Alcoa.