Specific Erosion Resistance Behaviour of Cold Forged and Angular Extruded Aluminium

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Tribology

Background:

• Aluminum's desirable properties like low density and corrosion resistance make it vital in mechanical engineering.
• Metal forming processes aim to enhance material properties for specific applications.
• Understanding wear behavior is crucial for predicting component lifespan and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of cold forging and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) on aluminum's microstructure and mechanical properties.
• To evaluate the erosion wear resistance of aluminum treated by forging and ECAP under different impingement angles and time intervals.
• To statistically analyze the differences in wear behavior between the two forming methods.

Main Methods:

• Aluminum samples were processed using cold forging (upsetting) and equal channel angular pressing (ECAP).
• Microstructural analysis was performed using optical microscopy.
• Erosion wear tests were conducted at various time intervals and impingement angles (abrasive and impact wear).
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine erosion mechanisms.
• Statistical analysis, including t-tests, was applied to validate differences in wear loss.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in erosion wear was observed between different states at the same impingement angle.
• A noticeable difference in erosion wear was found when comparing different wear angles.
• ECAPed samples exhibited a statistically significant difference in mass loss due to varying erosion angles over 30, 45, and 60 minutes.
• A substantial difference in mass change was also observed for the forged state after 60 minutes of wear.

Conclusions:

• Both cold forging and ECAP alter aluminum's microstructure and mechanical properties.
• Erosion wear is significantly influenced by the impingement angle, with different behaviors observed for forged and ECAPed samples.
• ECAP processing leads to more pronounced variations in erosion wear resistance depending on the wear conditions, particularly over extended periods.