On Improvement in Mechanical Properties by Aging Heat Treatment of Deformed Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti Component Fabricated through SPIF Process
摘要
In this study, the feasibility of fabrication of a laboratory-scale conical frustum, with a part depth of 44 mm and a wall angle of 58°, was first analyzed by FE simulation of single-point incremental forming (SPIF) of Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti sheet. The conical frustum was subsequently manufactured without any defects by incrementally deforming the sheet through a computer numerical control (CNC)-based SPIF test setup. The aforementioned component was designed to simulate the divergent part of the thrust chamber inner liner employed in cryogenic engines. The effective plastic strain in the component was 0.98 with a strain ratio of 0.09 at the wall top region. Afterward, the frustum wall was subjected to aging at 500 °C for 2 h, as this alloy was exposed to elevated temperatures during operational conditions. The improvement in mechanical properties at the aged condition was analyzed through microstructural evolution to comprehend the underlying mechanisms. Aging increased yield strength (YS) in the conical frustum wall due to precipitation strengthening of bcc nano-sized Cr-rich precipitates, whereas the improvement in ductility was attributed to recrystallization and grain growth. Additionally, the deformation behavior and aging response of the SPIF component were compared with redrawn cup, which fabricated through conventional deep drawing process, and it was found that the conical frustum exhibited ~ 17% increase in YS and ~ 31% decrease in ductility, due to improved plastic strain and ultra-fine grain formation. Upon aging, the frustum exhibited merely ~ 15% increase in YS due to the dominance of precipitation, whereas similar ductility in both specimens was ascribed to comparable recrystallization. The precipitation strengthening was estimated to be ~ 61% in the conical frustum, whereas ~ 52% in the redrawn cup specimen following aging treatment.