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

在过去的100年里，铝工业开发了各种高度工程化的整体式板材合金，这些板材具有均匀的穿透厚度性能和均匀的织构和微观结构。在某些情况下，可以为特殊应用定制合金表面，例如通过阳极氧化或熔覆来防止腐蚀。传统的熔覆工艺包括将复合合金薄板焊接到核心合金薄板上，然后进行进一步的滚压处理。其结果是形成了一种有限完整性的机械结合，它通常具有包含以前的表面氧化物的波状界面。Novelis Inc.开发了一种名为Fusion的新覆层技术，该技术可以将不同的铝合金层同时浇注到一个轧制钢锭中。在Fusion中，堆芯与包层合金之间形成的界面是冶金的，即它是平坦的、完全连续的，没有气孔或外来氧化物相。要充分利用芯层和覆层组合的优点，需要了解为单块合金优化的轧制工艺如何改变这种复合材料类材料的织构和微观结构的演变(如果有的话)。与Novelis全球技术中心合作，皇后大学的研究人员将开发基于扫描电子显微镜的微织构和微聚焦X射线衍射技术，以有效量化汽车用Fusion合金的穿透厚度织构、微结构和残余应变发展。Fusion产品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Novelis Kingston工厂的产量。将开展的研究工作将使一个理科硕士的教学成为可能。候选人和两名理科学士。在变形纹理理论方面的工程候选人，以及对最先进的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.