Thermomechanical processing and microstructure analysis of high temperature aerospace alloys

Aluminium and magnesium alloys are popular choice materials for introducing high strength to weight ratios in applications such as automobiles. However, in most industrial hot working operations the deforming material experiences a large range of varying deformation conditions. One such variation is the strain path which the material experiences which can vary significantly in both space and time. Therefore, knowledge of such effects on flow behaviour and microstructure evolution is important for developing accurate models of the industrial process. This project intends to investigate this by using a state of the art strain path test machine which has seamless control on strain path at strain rates close to those experienced by the material in the industrial process. The test material can be decided at the start of the project but it must be deformed at hot working temperatures. Data such as flow stress, recrystallised grain size and crystallographic texture will then be used to quantify the effects of a non-linear strain path history.