PhD Studentship, Warwick Manufacturing Group |2021-2022 Scholarships Grants

Development of TiB₂ Reinforced Aluminium Alloys for Extrusion Processing
Professor Richard Dashwood

Aim
To optimise the processing of the existing A20x alloy for extrusion.Â To identify and evaluate an alternate commercial alloy composition which will be reinforced with TiB₂ to obtain product with required target application properties through extrusion processing. In both cases comparison against an un-reinforced variant will be conducted.

Plan
Task 1: Constant Strain Rate Compression Testing
Compression testing of A20x (along with an unreinforced variant) will be conducted over a range of temperatures and strain rates to evaluate its thermomechanical behaviour. Post testing heat treatment will be used to evaluate the relationship between processing, microstructure and properties. The effect of homogenisation treatment prior to hot working will also be assessed.

Task 2: Extrusion Simulation
Using the data gathered in task 1, finite element simulation of the extrusion process will be performed to identify the optimum processing conditions.

Task 3: Extrusion Processing
Using conditions identified in task 2 a targeted matrix of extrusion conditions will be used to produce simple and complex sections for further testing and microstructural characterisation.

Task 4: Heat Treatment Optimisation
Using the product from task 3 hardness testing will be used to ascertain the optimum solution treatment and artificial aging conditions.

Task 5:Â Mechanical Property and Microstructural Evaluation
Room temperature and elevated temperature static and dynamic properties will be evaluated for materials extruded in task 3 and heat-treated following the optimised process identified in Task 4. Grain size and texture measurement will be performed.