Comparative study of superelastic Ti–Zr–Nb and commercial VT6 alloy billets by QForm simulation

A comparative simulation of hot radial shear rolling (RSR) of billets made of a superelastic Ti–Zr–Nb and a commercial VT6 alloy was performed using the QForm finite element modeling program. Rolling in 48 modes with a variable feed angle and elongation ratio at 4 levels and initial rolling temperature at 3 levels was investigated for each alloy. The Ti–Zr–Nb alloy rheology during hot deformation was determined experimentally by hot upset forging and imported into the QForm program. The presence of maxima on the flow curves at the initial stage of deformation, which are absent in the VT6 alloy, is revealed. Simulation results are presented in the form of fields of the stiffness coefficient, strain rate intensity, cumulative strain degree in the maximum reduction section depending on the rolling mode. General regularities of the Ti–Zr–Nb and VT6 behavior in RSR are similar. The gradient of the fields studied decreases, and the roll pressure and torque increase with an increase in the feed angle and elongation ratio. The initial rolling temperature does not significantly affect the deformation pattern, but it significantly affects the roll pressure and torque. At the same time, the experimental alloy demonstrated the greater tendency to localize deforming forces in the near-contact zone and to increase the gradient of stress-strain state parameters over the billet section. The study of the tightening shape and depth of rolled billet ends showed that the Ti–Zr–Nb alloy has a 3.5–9.6 % greater tightening depth. It is shown that experimental alloy rolling requires 1.6–2.4 times higher roll pressure and torque as compared to the commercial alloy.

Generation of a Fine Grain Layer in the Vicinity of Frictional Interfaces in Direct Extrusion of AZ31 Alloy

The present paper deals with the generation of hard layers in the vicinity of frictional interfaces in metal forming processes. The primary objective of the paper is to introduce a general approach to relate the strain rate intensity factor and parameters that characterize the microstructure and thickness of such layers. This approach is used in conjunction with axisymmetric direct extrusion of an AZ31 alloy. The thickness of the hard layer is determined experimentally. Also determined is the distribution of average grain size and hardness near the friction surface. The strain rate intensity factor is found using an available semi-analytical solution.

Effect of Plastic Anisotropy on the Strain Rate Intensity Factor: A Simple Analytic Solution

Solutions for many rigid/plastic models are singular in the vicinity of maximum friction surfaces. In particular, the magnitude of the equivalent strain rate near such surfaces is controlled by the strain rate intensity factor. This factor is the coefficient of the leading singular term is a series expansion of the equivalent strain rate in the vicinity of maximum friction surfaces. Since the equivalent strain rate has a great effect of material properties, it is of important to reveal the dependence of the strain rate intensity factor on parameters characterizing material models. In the present paper, quite a general model of anisotropic plasticity under plane strain conditions is adopted. Then, using an analytic solution for instantaneous compression of a layer of plastic material between two parallel plates the effect of the shape of the yield locus on the asymptotic behavior of the equivalent strain rate in the vicinity of the friction surface is demonstrated.