Russian researchers have developed aluminum alloys based on the original technology and found they have the effect of superplasticity — a little heat the material could stretch to 1000%. Article about the discovery published in the Journal of Alloys and Compounds.
Today, experts use low-alloyed aluminum alloys in electrical and mechanical engineering. However, requirements are often very high and in some cases, mutually exclusive. For example, it is required that conductor aluminum alloy had a high electrical conductivity and strength, and have thermal stability over long periods of time. Usually this is achieved by complex alloying, which leads to a sharp decrease of electrical conductivity.
The researchers of the Scientific-research physico-technical Institute of Nizhny Novgorod state University. N. And. Lobachevsky in the new work used to obtain your new low-alloy aluminum alloys technology induction casting vacuum.
To do this, the researchers first examined the influence of modes of casting for uniformity of structure and properties of aluminium alloys that contain microdamage of magnesium and scandium. For controlling the structure of aluminium alloys, the authors used the technology of intensive plastic deformation — equal channel angular pressing and rotary forging.
With this the researchers were able to form in the resulting alloys are homogeneous, highly plastic structure, which could pomosty annealing to allocate nanoparticles, which increases the strength and the thermal stability of the final product — a thin wire. In addition, it was found that the alloys possess a number of unique characteristics. For example, they are characterized by superplasticity effect — when tested in tension at 500 °C and high strain rates, the samples were elongated by more than 1000%, and after cooling, again became very strong and electrically conductive.
“Our technology will allow manufacturers to create wire in the superplasticity, when included specific mechanisms of deformation and the metal begins to flow like liquid glass” — says one of the authors, head of the laboratory of materials research physico-technical Institute of the University Lobachevsky Aleksei Nohrin.
