Processing and Properties of Recycled Aluminum Alloys

冶金行业正在发生重大转变，使用铝等轻质材料是运输设计考虑的首要问题，以提高燃油经济性。随着制造商争先恐后地适应更严格的排放标准，预测人士预计，未来十年铝汽车应用的需求将出现两位数的增长。与使用原铝生产的产品相比，在轻型汽车中使用再生铝产品可以节省95%的能源，因此从能源角度来看，使用再生铝产品具有巨大的激励作用。我的研究重点仍然是先进的轻质金属材料和制造之间的交集，以及如何既改善这些合金的可制造性，也改善制造对其最终机械性能的影响。在这一领域，一个几乎没有受到关注的关键领域是使用再生铝对铝合金可制造性和成形性的影响。这项研究的总体目标是科学地了解循环过程中可能积累的特定元素(铁、锰、铬和铜)水平的增加对AA6xxx铝产品加工过程中的组织演变及其最终性能的影响。目前，几乎没有关于回收相关的元素变化对变形铝合金的可制造性和最终合金性能的影响的信息。这项研究最终可以用来设计制造路线和产品，帮助减轻任何有害影响，并在使用再生铝时最大限度地发挥任何好处。回收铝与其原始母材不同，因为由于材料的加工和准备方式，在回收过程中不可避免地会积累某些元素。这些元素包括铁(Fe)、硅(Si)和锰(Mn)，它们通常存在于初级金属中，但也可以包括其他元素，如AA6xxx合金家族中几种商业合金中的合金元素之一铜(Cu)，以及也可能进入铝加工流程的钒(V)、锌(Zn)、镍(Ni)、铬(Cr)和铅(Pb)。铝的初始成分直接影响固溶体中的元素以及在铸造和进一步加工过程中在铝基中形成的颗粒。这项研究将为研究型学生提供一个独特而宝贵的机会，让他们发展材料制造和表征的技能，并了解回收在材料再利用中所起的作用。

The metallurgical industry is in the midst of a significant shift with the use of lightweight materials such as aluminum at the forefront of transportation design considerations to improve fuel economy. As manufacturers rush to adapt to stricter emissions standards, forecasters project double digit demand growth for aluminum automotive applications over the next decade. The use of recycled aluminum products in lightweight automotive vehicles results in energy savings of 95% compared to the use of products produced from primary aluminum and hence from an energy perspective there are huge incentives to using recycled aluminum products. The focus of my research continues to be the intersection between advanced lightweight metallic materials and manufacturing and ways to improve both manufacturability of these alloys but also the effect of manufacturing on their final mechanical properties. Within this realm, a key area that has received almost no attention is the impact of using recycled aluminum on the manufacturability and formability of aluminum alloys. The overall objective of this research is to develop scientific understanding of the impact of increased levels of specific elements (Fe, Mn, Cr and Cu), that can accumulate due to recycling, on the microstructure evolution during processing of AA6xxx aluminum products and their final properties. Currently almost no information exists on the role that element changes associated with recycling has on manufacturability and final alloy properties for wrought aluminum alloys. This research could ultimately be used to design manufacturing routes and products which help to mitigate any detrimental impacts as well as maximize any benefits when using recycled aluminum. Recycled aluminum is different from its primary parent sheet as there is an unavoidable accumulation of certain elements during recycling due to the manner in which the material is processed and prepared. These elements include iron (Fe), silicon (Si) and manganese (Mn) which are typically found in the primary metal, but can also include other elements such as copper (Cu) which is one of the alloying elements in several commercial alloys within the AA6xxx alloy family, as well as, vanadium (V), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) which may also enter into the aluminum processing stream. The starting composition of the aluminum directly affects the elements in solid solution as well as the particles that form in the aluminum matrix during casting and further processing. This research will provide a unique and valuable opportunity for research students to develop skills in materials manufacturing and characterization and understand the role that recycling can play in the reuse of materials.