Engineered 3D Microstructures for Automotive Aluminum Extrusions

在这项提案中，我们将解决设计先进汽车铝合金微观结构以提高汽车能效的需求(例如，增加电动汽车续航里程和降低燃料消耗)。这将通过来自不列颠哥伦比亚大学和力拓铝业的一个成熟的研究团队之间的合作来实现。特别是，我们将发展对能量吸收应用中控制断裂的潜在物理机制的理解，例如在碰撞情况下。我们将用一种实验方法系统地探索晶粒度/形状、晶体织构和第二相粒子对断裂性能的方向依赖性的影响，使用具有已知加工历史的合金的仔细实验矩阵。该提案将利用UBC目前正在获得和开发的最先进的表征技术。这将允许：(1)前所未有的微观结构的3D表征(使用新的Xe聚焦离子束/电子显微镜)(2)高分辨率数字图像相关的局部应变测量以及(2)在显微镜中测试样品以直接观察断裂事件的顺序。我们的成果将通过以下途径为模拟提供信息并指导合金设计：(1)关于控制先进铝挤压合金断裂和塑性的基本机制的新知识，这些知识将发表在科学文献上；(2)在对加拿大至关重要的领域对3名博士生、2名硕士、3名博士后研究员和1名研究工程师进行培训和教育；以及(3)向我们的行业合作伙伴力拓铝业转让知识，力拓铝业将为加拿大和全球市场将成果商业化。

In this proposal, we will address the need to engineer the microstructure of advanced automotive aluminium alloys to improve the energy efficiency of vehicles (e.g. increasing electric vehicle range and decreasing fuel consumption). This will be accomplished through a partnership between an established team of researchers from The University of British Columbia and Rio Tinto Aluminium. In particular, we will develop understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms that control fracture in energy absorption applications, e.g. in crash situations. We will use an experimental approach to systematically explore the effects of grain size/shape, crystallographic texture and second phase particles on the directional dependence of fracture properties using a careful experimental matrix of alloys with known processing histories. The proposal will take advantage of state-of-the-art characterization techniques currently being acquired and developed at UBC. These will allow: (1) unprecedented 3D characterization of microstructure (with the new Xe focused ion beam/electron microscope) (2) local strain measurements with high resolution digital image correlation and (2) testing of samples in the microscope for direct observation on the sequence of fracture events. Our results will inform simulations and guide alloy design via (1) new knowledge on the fundamental mechanisms which control fracture and ductility of advanced aluminum extrusion alloys which will be published in the scientific literature, (2) the training and education of 3 PhD students, 2 Masters students, 3 postdoctoral fellows and 1 research engineer in a field of critical importance to Canada and iii) the transfer of knowledge to our industry partner, Rio Tinto Aluminium who will commercialize results for the Canadian and global market.