Effect of cold work and addition of Sc on the age hardening for aluminium alloys 

Dr. Jianan Hu, Sente Software Ltd, UK

14:00-15:00,  July 18, 2023

Room 308, Xu Zuyao Building

Biography

Dr Jianan Hu is a Senior Materials Scientist in Sente Software Ltd in the UK. He obtained a DPhil degree in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford in 2015, followed by two years of postdoctoral research experience at Oxford before joining the company, during which he has accumulated extensive modelling experience on the materials mechanical behaviour at elevated temperatures. He is also a Chartered Scientist (CSci) and a professional member (MIMMM) of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3). His current work responsibility is the research and development of JMatPro, a software capable of calculating thermo-physics, thermodynamics and mechanical properties of metallic alloys. He has a strong track record of advanced materials microstructure and micromechanics modelling, with the main focus on the microstructure-property relationship. His achievement so far includes forming limit diagram, fracture toughness, creep rupture, aluminium alloys T8 treatment, age hardening of Sc-containing aluminium alloys, etc, which have now been implemented and commercialized in JMatPro and utilized by industries in alloy design and simulation.

Abstract

The strengthening of aluminium alloys can be achieved by the highly dispersed particles of metastable and/or stable phases that form during age hardening treatment. The mechanisms of precipitate strengthening can split into particle bypassing and shearing. The former occurs when particles are strong that dislocations can only bow and bypass them while the latter occurs when particles are weak that dislocations can cut through. Scandium (Sc) as an alloying element has been understood to improve the mechanical performance due to the formation of Al3Sc phase. In addition, the cold work prior to the artificial ageing, as exemplified by the T8 temper designation, has also been understood to be able to further enhance the strength by introducing additional dislocations, which subsequently influence the precipitation kinetics. This talk demonstrates our recent modelling development and the associated validation about the effect of cold work and Sc addition on the age hardening behaviour for aluminium alloys.