Measurements and modelling of residual stresses during quenching of thick heat treatable aluminium components in relation to their precipitation state

In the fabrication of heat treatable aluminium parts, solutionising and quenching are key steps in order to obtain the required mechanical characteristics. Fast quenching is necessary to avoid coarse precipitation as this one reduces the mechanical properties after heat treatment. However fast quenching gives birth to high residual stresses, which cause unacceptable distortions during machining and can reduce service life drastically. For this reason, plates and forgings such as those considered in this thesis are subjected to a stress relieving operation, removing most of the residual stresses after quenching. For thick products, fast quenching throughout the thickness is no longer possible owing to the high but still limited thermal diffusivity of aluminium alloys, but residual stress occurrence remains problematic. The objective of this work is to develop a comprehensive model of quenching including precipitation effects for understanding the development of residual stresses in thick heat treatable aluminium components. Two industrial contexts are studied in this work: - the cold-water quenching of hot-rolled AA7040 and AA7449 thick plates for aerospace applications, - the boiling-water quenching of large AA2618 compressor wheel forgings used in turbochargers. Besides an accurate knowledge of the thermal field in the components during quenching, this work has involved an extensive thermo-mechanical characterisation of the three alloys in different precipitation states by interrupted quench-tests achieved in a Gleeble machine. Plastic strain recovery at high temperature is considered in a simple way in the description of the material behaviour and the Bauschinger effect is neglected as suggested by dedicated experiments. Three numerical models are developed to predict as-quenched residual stresses: - a thermo-mechanical model ignoring precipitation, - a physically-based thermo-metallurgical-mechanical model where a yield strength model is coupled with a precipitation model, - a thermo-mechanical model accounting for precipitation in a simple but realistic way. Instead of modelling precipitation that occurs during quenching, the model parameters are identified using a limited number of tensile tests achieved after representative interrupted cooling paths in a Gleeble machine. The results are compared to as-quenched residual stress measurements achieved by neutron diffraction and layer removal in thick AA7449 and AA7040 plates and in large AA2618 forgings. The thermo-mechanical model ignoring precipitation is found to be sufficient for relatively thin products. For thicker products, precipitation hardening by small precipitates is found to increase as-quenched residual stresses. Since the thermo-mechanical model ignoring precipitation underestimates these residual stresses, precipitation must thus be accounted for. The second model gives an excellent agreement between measurements and simulations provided that the precipitation model is well calibrated. This physically-based model is necessary for modelling complex parts with different thicknesses. Nevertheless, a lot of effort has to be dedicated to the characterisation and modelling of the precipitation of metastable non-stoichiometric phases and GP zones during quenching. This tedious work is not needed for the third model which requires only a few interrupted quench-tests while giving an excellent agreement between measurements and simulations for all the investigated components. In particular, it is verified that the two models taking into account precipitation give identical residual stress profiles in thick AA7449 plates.

Quench-Induced Stresses in AA2618 Forgings for Impellers: A Multiphysics and Multiscale Problem

Denis Carron, Nicolas Paul Henry Chobaut, Jean-Marie Drezet, Gilles Michel

In the fabrication of heat-treatable aluminum parts such as AA2618 compressor impellers for turbochargers, solutionizing and quenching are key steps to obtain the required mechanical characteristics. Fast quenching is necessary to avoid coarse precipitation as it reduces the mechanical properties obtained after heat treatment. However, fast quenching induces residual stresses that can cause unacceptable distortions during machining. Furthermore, the remaining residual stresses after final machining can lead to unfavorable stresses in service. Predicting and controlling internal stresses during the whole processing from heat treatment to final machining is therefore of particular interest to prevent negative impacts of residual stresses. This problem is multiphysics because processes such as heat transfer during quenching, precipitation phenomena, thermally induced deformations, and stress generation are interacting and need to be taken into account. The problem is also multiscale as precipitates of nanosize form during quenching at locations where the cooling rate is too low. This precipitation affects the local yield strength of the material and thus impacts the level of macroscale residual stresses. A thermomechanical model accounting for precipitation in a simple but realistic way is presented. Instead of modelling precipitation that occurs during quenching, the model parameters are identified using a limited number of tensile tests achieved after representative interrupted cooling paths in a Gleeble machine. The simulation results are compared with as-quenched residual stresses in a forging measured by neutron diffraction.

Springer2015

As-Cast Residual Stresses in an Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Billet: Neutron Diffraction Measurements and Finite Element Modeling

Jean-Marie Drezet, André Phillion

The presence of thermally induced residual stresses, created during the industrial direct chill (DC) casting process of aluminum alloys, can cause both significant safety concerns and the formation of defects during downstream processing. Although numerical models have been previously developed to compute these residual stresses, most of the computations have been validated only against measured surface distortions. Recently, the variation in residual elastic strains in the steady-state regime of casting has been measured as a function of radial position using neutron diffraction (ND) in an AA6063 grain-refined cylindrical billet. In the present study, these measurements are used to show that a well-designed thermomechanical finite element (FE) process model can reproduce relatively well the experimental results. A sensitivity analysis is then carried out to determine the relative effect of the various mechanical parameters when computing the as-cast residual stresses in a cylindrical billet. Two model parameters have been investigated: the temperature when the alloy starts to thermally contract and the plasticity behavior. It is shown that the mechanical properties at low temperatures have a much larger influence on the residual stresses than those at high temperatures.

2010

Microstructure of single crystal Ni-based superalloys during blade manufacturing process and creep deformation

Stéphane Pierret

The aim of the thesis is to obtain more understanding about the influence of plastic deformation on the microstructural changes observed in single crystal (SX) Ni-based superalloys using diffraction techniques. This work was organised around two main problematics: (1) rafting in turbine blades after the manufacturing process and (2) rafting and mosaicity evolution in two SX alloys with different composition during creep deformation. SX Ni-based superalloys are first choice materials for turbine blade application in land-based gas turbines and aero-engines. Superior mechanical properties of these materials at high temperatures are achieved due to the optimisation of the alloying composition and the microstructure. SX Ni-based superalloy turbine blades solidify by dendritic solidification with dendrites aligned along the directions of lowest Young modulus (interdendritic spacing around 300μm). At the end of the manufacturing process, the microstructure consists of high volume fraction of cubic γ’ precipitates (around 500nm) coherently embedded in the γ matrix. However specific parts of engine-ready turbine blades exhibit directionally coarsened γ’ precipitates in a preferred direction (rafting) without the influence of an applied load. It is of prime importance to understand the origin of rafting prior to the introduction of the blades in the engine since rafting can alter the mechanical properties of the alloy. Chemical segregations and the introduction of plastic deformation prior to thermal treatments were identified as potential driving force for rafting during load-free high temperature annealing. Most of the SX Ni-based superalloys used in the current blade production in Alstom contain significant amount of refractory elements which are expensive and increase the density of the alloy. To answer the demand of cheaper and lighter components, Alstom launched a development program to design novel SX superalloys. One of these projects led to the production of a Re-free superalloy, so-called MD2. Extensive mechanical investigations on MD2 are on-going and compared to the behaviour of the MK4HC alloy (3wt% Re) currently used in turbine blade production. One of the major differences in terms of mechanical properties between Re-containing and Re-free SX alloys is the faster kinetics of coarsening and rafting during creep deformation at high temperature in the latter alloys. It prevented so far their application in the hottest areas in gas turbines. It is therefore of utmost importance to acquire more knowledge about the mechanisms associated with the microstructure evolution during creep of the new MD2 SX alloy in comparison with the MK4HC alloy. The evolution of the lattice parameter misfit in different directions with respect to the applied load during creep deformation was associated with the evolution of the microstructure from cubic to elongated γ’ precipitates It could be shown that rafting occurs after the cooling stage following the solution heat treatment (SHT) during the manufacturing of the blade with investigations of the microstructure. The influence of chemical segregations on rafting was excluded with the investigation of the blade alloy composition in different parts of the blade cooled from the SHT and diffraction measurements in stress-relieved combs prepared from the same blade. The formation of a rafted microstructure during the manufacturing process was associated with the formation of plastic strains during cooling after the SHT. This was confirmed after gathering results from investigations of the microstructure, simulation of the cooling stage and neutron diffraction measurements on the blade. The investigations of the microstructure performed on the engine-ready blade revealed an inversion of the γ’ raft orientation below (parallel to [001]) and above the platform of the blade (perpendicular to [001]). This was attributed to an inversion of the sign of residual strain between the previously mentioned positions as revealed by neutron diffraction measurements performed along the airfoil of the blade cooled after the SHT. Microscopy also showed that the rafted microstructure was more pronounced below the platform (long γ’ rafts) than above the platform (shorter γ’ rafts with retained cubic precipitates). The concept of the threshold plastic strain necessary to induce rafting during annealing subsequent to plastic deformation was used to describe the difference in rafted microstructure. It is suggested that plastic strains largely exceed the threshold below the platform leading to fully formed rafted microstructure. On the other side, plastic strains of the order to the threshold strain are suggested above the platform in order to explain the partially formed rafted microstructure Neutron diffraction measurements revealed that the lattice parameter misfit was larger in the MK4HC than in the MD2 alloy at 20°C in the unloaded state. The larger misfit in the MK4HC alloy was attributed to the larger concentration of elements dissolving in the γ phase and to the presence of Re. During creep deformation, coherency stresses are relieved at the γ/γ’ interface in the γ channels perpendicular to the applied load by dislocations. On the other hand, dislocations increase the internal stress at the γ/γ’ interface in the γ channels parallel to the applied load. This leads to the rafting of the γ’ precipitates perpendicular to the applied load. This was observed in the MK4HC. The absence of clear misfit evolution in the MD2 alloy was attributed to the anomalous microstructure at the beginning of the creep deformation. The mosaicity of the MK4HC and MD2 alloys revealed crystallographic misorientation between neighbouring dendrites up to 0.5°. The misorientation was associated with the presence of dislocations in the regions between the dendrites formed during the dendritic solidification of the alloys from existing work. It was shown that the composition of the SX alloys and short periods at high temperature in the unloaded state had only little influence on the misorientation between neighbouring dendrites. Upon creep loading to 180MPa, the mosaicity markedly changed in the two SX alloys independent of the creep temperature. In particular, the number of single misoriented domains measured by X-ray diffraction decreased. This was attributed to the fast propagation of the dislocations present in the interdendritic structure inducing a rotation of the individual dendrites. During creep deformation, the mosaicity increased as visible from the broadening of the maximum spread in misorientation. The formation of inhomogeneous plastic strain fields in the γ/γ’ microstructure is believed to create new mosaic blocks in the dendritic structure of the alloys leading to the observed broadening of the mosaicity. The influence of plastic deformation on the evolution of the mosaicity was demonstrated. The mosaicity significantly changed during creep of the MD2 at 1050°C/180MPa and 1000°C/180MPa whereas no significant evolution could be measured during creep at 950°C/180MPa. This was attributed to a temperature dependence of the yield strength of the MD2 alloy. It therefore induces difference in dislocation propagation at 950°C compared to 1050°C and 1000°C which retards the broadening of the mosaicity during creep at 950°C. Furthermore, the mosaicity formed during creep deformation was retained upon unloading and cooling of the SX samples to room temperature.

EPFL2012

Microstructure of single crystal Ni-based superalloys during blade manufacturing process and creep deformation

Stéphane Pierret

EPFL2012