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A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 23655

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Prof. Dr. Alexander Vorozhtsov

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Laboratory of High Energetic and Special Materials, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
Interests: high-energy materials; high-strength light alloys; metal matrix nanocomposites
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Light alloys and metal composites with a matrix of aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and other metals, which are currently being developed, have enhanced mechanical and physical properties. The main studies in this field are focused on the introduction of small amounts of some fibers and micro- and nanoparticles (additionals), which can significantly improve the properties of the metal matrix. Basically, the increase in mechanical properties is achieved by Hall–Petch and Orowan strengthening. In addition to mechanical properties, such as strength, hardness can significantly improve functional properties, including electrical/thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, etc. However, there is a difficulty in the uniform distribution of fibers and particles in the metal matrix. Poor wettability and high values of the Van der Waals forces between nano- and microsized additionals due to their large specific surface area complicates their deagglomeration. To solve this problem, it is possible to use various approaches in the preparation of additionals, including the obtaining of master alloys and the use of original compositions for the in situ synthesis of hardeners in the metal matrix, as well as the treatment of melts with particles by external actions, including vibration, ultrasonic treatment, etc. This Special Issue covers all areas of obtaining and research of physical, mechanical, and functional properties of light alloys and metal composites, including those reinforced with particles and fibers. Articles describing other directions in the field of obtaining and research of light alloys are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Vorozhtsov
Guest Editor

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Keywords

light alloys
aluminum
magnesium
hardening
particles
fibers
external fields
structure
properties

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 155 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Light Metals and Their Composites

by Alexander Vorozhtsov

Metals 2022, 12(3), 407; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12030407 - 25 Feb 2022

Viewed by 1016

Abstract

It is known that metallurgy influences almost all sectors of industry, including energy, aeronautics, automotive, space, chemical, machinery, scientific equipment, construction, packaging, electrical, computing and health [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

Research

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13 pages, 4041 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Study of Influence of Aluminum Nitride Nanoparticles on the Structure, Phase Composition and Mechanical Properties of AZ91 Alloy

by Anton Khrustalyov, Ilya Zhukov, Pavel Nikitin, Vladislav Kolarik, Friedrich Klein, Anastasia Akhmadieva and Alexander Vorozhtsov

Metals 2022, 12(2), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12020277 - 2 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1943

Abstract

In this work, magnesium-based composites were obtained by shock-wave compaction of a powder mixture of Mg-5 wt.% AlN at a shock-wave pressure of 2 GPa. Their microstructure was investigated and the phase composition was determined, from which it follows that the nanoparticles retain their phase composition and are uniformly distributed in the magnesium matrix. The materials obtained by shock-wave compaction were used as master alloys for the production of magnesium alloys by die casting. The amount of aluminum nitride nanoparticles in the AZ91 magnesium alloy was 0.5 wt.%. Studies of the microstructure of the magnesium alloys showed a decrease in the average grain size of the magnesium matrix from 610 to 420 μm. Studies of mechanical properties have shown that the introduction of aluminum nitride nanoparticles increases the yield strength from 55 to 119 MPa, the tensile strength from 122 to 171 MPa and the plasticity from 4 to 6.5%, respectively. The effect of nanoparticles on the fracture behavior of the magnesium alloy under tension was determined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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14 pages, 4331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of the Effect of Diamond Nanoparticles on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of the Medical Mg–Ca–Zn Magnesium Alloy

by Anton P. Khrustalyov, Anastasia Akhmadieva, Alexander N. Monogenov, Ilya A. Zhukov, Ekaterina S. Marchenko and Alexander B. Vorozhtsov

Metals 2022, 12(2), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12020206 - 22 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2638

Abstract

The paper addresses the production and investigation of the Mg–Ca–Zn alloy dispersion-hardened by diamond nanoparticles. Structural studies have shown that diamond nanoparticles have a modifying effect and make it possible to reduce the average grain size of the magnesium alloy. Reduction of the grain size and introduction of particles into the magnesium matrix increased the yield strength, tensile strength, and ductility of the magnesium alloy as compared to the original alloy after vibration and ultrasonic treatment. The magnesium alloy containing diamond nanoparticles showed the most uniform fracture due to a more uniform deformation of the alloy with particles, which simultaneously increased its strength and ductility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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12 pages, 6191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regularities of Friction Stir Processing Hardening of Aluminum Alloy Products Made by Wire-Feed Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing

by Tatiana Kalashnikova, Andrey Chumaevskii, Kirill Kalashnikov, Evgeny Knyazhev, Denis Gurianov, Alexander Panfilov, Sergey Nikonov, Valery Rubtsov and Evgeny Kolubaev

Metals 2022, 12(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12020183 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1687

Abstract

Friction stir processing of additive workpieces in the sample growth direction (the vertical direction) and the layer deposition direction (the horizontal one) was carried out. The hardening regularities of aluminum-silicon alloy A04130 and aluminum-magnesium alloy AA5056 manufactured by electron beam additive technology were studied. For each material, 1 to 4 subsequent tool passes were performed in both cases. It was found that the formation of the stir zone macro-structure does not significantly change with the processing direction relative to the layer deposition direction in additive manufacturing. The average grain size in the stir zone after the fourth pass for AA5056 alloy in the horizontal direction was 2.5 ± 0.8 μm, for the vertical one, 1.6 ± 0.5 μm. While for the alloy A04130, the grain size was 2.6 ± 1.0 μm and 1.8 ± 0.7 for the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. The fine-grained metal of the stir zone for each alloy in different directions had higher microhardness values than the base metal. The tensile strength of the processed metal was significantly higher than that of the additively manufactured material of the corresponding alloy. The number of tool passes along the processing line is different for the two selected alloys. The second, third and fourth passes have the most significant effect on the mechanical properties of the aluminum-magnesium alloy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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21 pages, 20066 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructural Evolution of AA5154 Layers Intermixed with Mo Powder during Electron Beam Wire-Feed Additive Manufacturing (EBAM)

by Anna Zykova, Andrey Chumaevskii, Andrey Vorontsov, Nickolay Shamarin, Aleksandr Panfilov, Evgeny Knyazhev, Evgeny Moskvichev, Denis Gurianov, Nickolai Savchenko, Evgeny Kolubaev and Sergei Tarasov

Metals 2022, 12(1), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12010109 - 6 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1728

Abstract

AA5154 aluminum alloy wall was built using EBAM where the wall’s top layers were alloyed by depositing and then remelting a Mo powder-bed with simultaneous transfer of aluminum alloy from the AA5154 wire. The powder-beds with different concentrations of Mo such as 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 g/layer were used to obtain composite AA5154/Mo samples. All samples were characterized by inhomogeneous structures composed of as-deposited AA5154 matrix with coarse unreacted Mo articles and intermetallic compounds (IMC) such as Al₁₂Mo, Al₅Mo, Al₈Mo₃, Al₁₈Mg₃Mo₂ which formed in the vicinity of these Mo particles. The IMC content increased with the Mo powder-bed concentrations. The AA5154 matrix grains away from the Mo particles contained Al-Fe grain boundary precipitates. Mo-rich regions in the 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 g/layer Mo samples had maximum microhardness at the level of 2300, 2600, 11,500 and 9000 GPa, respectively. Sliding pin-on-steel disk test showed that wear of A5154/Mo composite reduced as compared to that of as-deposited AA5154 due to composite structure, higher microhardness as a well as tribooxidation of Al/Mo IMCs and generation of mechanically mixed layers containing low shear strength Mo₈O₂₃ and Al₂(MoO₄)₃ oxides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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13 pages, 9480 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Friction Stir Processing of Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Alloy: Structure Modification and Mechanical Properties

by Kirill Kalashnikov, Andrey Chumaevskii, Tatiana Kalashnikova, Andrey Cheremnov, Evgeny Moskvichev, Alihan Amirov, Vladimir Krasnoveikin and Evgeny Kolubaev

Metals 2022, 12(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12010055 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2639

Abstract

This work explores the possibility of using friction stir processing to harden the Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy material produced by wire-feed electron beam additive manufacturing. For this purpose, thin-walled workpieces of titanium alloy with a height of 30 cm were printed and, after preparation, processed with an FSW-tool made of heat-resistant nickel-based superalloy ZhS6U according to four modes. Studies have shown that the material structure and properties are sensitive to changes in the tool loading force. In contrast, the additive material’s processing direction, relative to the columnar grain growth direction, has no effect. It is shown that increasing the axial load leads to forming a 𝛽-transformed structure and deteriorates the material strength. At the same time, compared to the additive material, the ultimate tensile strength increase during friction stir processing can achieve 34–69%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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17 pages, 10637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Production of Ti–1.5Al–1Mn Titanium Alloy Butt Joints by Friction Stir Welding

by Alexander Eliseev, Alihan Amirov, Tatyana Kalashnikova, Andrey Vorontsov and Evgeny Kolubaev

Metals 2021, 11(10), 1566; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11101566 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1816

Abstract

A focus towards industrial energy efficiency explains the current interest in light and high-strength materials and welding and processing technologies. Among the latest popular materials are titanium alloys, which are difficult to process and weld. The problem of joining can be solved by friction stir welding. In the present paper, the mechanical properties and structure of a friction stir welded Ti–1.5Al–1Mn titanium alloy were studied. Alloy behavior in friction stir welding is poorly known; therefore, special attention was paid to the welding process—process modes, torque, and axial force. For the first time, Ti–1.5Al–1Mn joints with 92% of their base metal strength were produced by friction stir welding. Additionally, the important role of the axial load in welding was demonstrated. Axial load increases adhesion and mass transfer. A tool made of ZhS32 nickel heat-resistant superalloy received low wear after 1.5 m of welding. A layer with coarse grains was first found in the subsurface of the stir zone—this layer results from repeated recrystallization behind the tool due to the thermal effect of the shoulders and the low thermal conductivity of the material. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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12 pages, 2846 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Evaluation of the Possibility of Obtaining Welded Joints of Plates from Al-Mg-Mn Aluminum Alloys, Strengthened by the Introduction of TiB₂ Particles

by Ilya Zhukov, Alexander Kozulin, Anton Khrustalyov, Dmitrii Tkachev, Vladimir Platov, Pavel Nikitin and Alexander Vorozhtsov

Metals 2021, 11(10), 1564; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11101564 - 30 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1487

Abstract

In the work, the possibility of obtaining strong welded joints of aluminum alloys modified with particles is demonstrated. For research, strengthened aluminum alloys of the Al-Mg-Mn system with the introduction of TiB₂ particles were obtained. TiB₂ particles in specially prepared Al-TiB master alloys obtained by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis were introduced ex situ into the melt according to an original technique using ultrasonic treatment. Plates from the studied cast alloys were butt-welded by one-sided welded joints of various depths. To obtain welded joints, the method of electron beam welding was used. Mechanical properties of the studied alloys and their welded joints under tension were studied. It was shown that the introduction of particles resulted in a change in the internal structure of the alloys, characterized by the formation of compact dendritic structures and a decrease in the average grain size from 155 to 95 µm. The change in the internal structure due to the introduction of particles led to an increase in the tensile strength of the obtained alloys from 163 to 204 MPa. It was found that the obtained joints have sufficient relative strength values. Relative strength values reach 0.9 of the nominal strength of materials already at the ratio of the welded joint depth to the thickness of the welded plates, equal to 0.6 for the initial alloy and in the range of 0.67–0.8 for strengthened alloys. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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10 pages, 1996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Mn Content on the Reaction between Fe-xMn (x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 Mass pct) Steel and CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-MgO Slag

by Huixiang Yu, Muming Li, Jiaming Zhang and Dexin Yang

Metals 2021, 11(8), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11081200 - 28 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1780

Abstract

Medium- and high-Mn steels have excellent properties but are very difficult to be commercially produced because of the high content of some alloy elements. To enhance the understanding of the reaction between medium/high-Mn steel and refining slag which is significantly different from the conventional steels, steel and slag composition and the inclusions were investigated by equilibrium reaction between Fe-xMn (x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 mass pct) and CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-MgO top slag at 1873 K in the laboratory. Furthermore, the effect of Mn content on inclusion transformation and steel cleanliness was also explored. After slag–steel reaction, both contents of MnO in slag and Si in steel increased. Most MnO inclusions in master steel transformed to MnO-SiO₂ and MnO-Al₂O₃-MgO. With the increase in Mn content, the amount share of MnO type inclusions decreased and that of MnO-Al₂O₃-MgO type increased. In addition, both the number density of observed inclusions and the calculated oxygen content in inclusions increased. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that the composition change of steel and slag and the transformation of inclusions are mainly the consequence of the reaction between Mn in molten steel and SiO₂ and MgO in top slag. The dissolved Mn in medium/high-Mn steel presents a strong reactivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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13 pages, 4469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Studying the Thermally Activated Processes Operating during Deformation of hcp and bcc Mg–Li Metal-Matrix Composites

by Zuzanka Trojanová, Zdeněk Drozd, Pavel Lukáč and Ján Džugan

Metals 2021, 11(3), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11030473 - 13 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1772

Abstract

Stress-relaxation tests were performed during plastic deformation at room temperature of three magnesium Mg–Li alloys reinforced with 10 vol% of short Saffil fibers. For comparison, the composite with the Mg matrix was studied. The time dependencies of the stress decrease were analyzed with the aim to determine the activation volume and the main types of thermally activated processes occurring during plastic flow. The Mg4Li matrix alloy exhibited the hcp structure, while the composite with the Mg12Li matrix alloy had the bcc structure. The third alloy, Mg8Li, combined both phases, hcp and bcc. The stress acting in the matrix was divided into two components: the internal stress and the effective stress. Activation volume and stress-sensitivity parameters were determined as a function of effective stress and strain. While the values of the activation volume depending on the effective stress lay on one “master” curve, the strain dependence was different for all materials. The main thermally activated process in the hcp structure was the dislocation motion in the noncompact planes, while in the bcc structure, massive recovery processes connected with an increase in dislocations were identified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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Review

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30 pages, 1368 KiB

Open AccessReview

Manufacturing Methodology on Casting-Based Aluminium Matrix Composites: Systematic Review

by José Grilo, Vítor Hugo Carneiro, José Carlos Teixeira and Hélder Puga

Metals 2021, 11(3), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/met11030436 - 6 Mar 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3371

Abstract

Ongoing industrial demand for lightweight materials has spiked the research interest in aluminium-based metal matrix composites for its specific properties. The amount of scientific publication available on the matter has led to the vast production of knowledge, which highlights the need for a systematic assessment if further progress is expected. In this paper, a systematic review of the published literature is conducted, according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, on the Scopus and Web of Science databases were used in the literature search, which was completed on the 29 August 2020. The data of the research work is structured in the particle pre-processing stage and the melt processing stage. The present review clarifies the combined pair-wise effect of particles and the melt treatment performed on their wettability or dispersive or de-agglomerative capability, which allows to achieve their final mechanical properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Metals and Their Composites)

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