Periodic Reporting for period 4 - ALUFIX (Friction stir processing based local damage mitigation and healing in aluminium alloys)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-07-01 al 2022-12-31
In WP2, FSP can also be used to produce a material with local residual stress by inserting NiTi particles inside an aluminum matrix and trigger shape memory effect (Figure 3 and 4). In the first two years of the project a proof-of-concept material (with Al1050 as matrix material) has been manufactured showing local residual stresses around NiTi particles (Figure 5). Now work is under way to extend the concept to high strength (7xxx series) aluminum alloys (WP4).
In WP3, FSP and additive manufacturing were also used to manufacture healable aluminum alloys. Healing was achieved in Mg supersaturated Al alloy. The healing mechanism was evaluated using in-situ heating in high resolution (35 nm) synchrotron nanoholotomography (Figure 6, performed at ESRF Grenoble) and in transmission electron microscopy (collaboration with University of Antwerp). As the process requires 16 passes of FSP, additive manufacturing is now envisioned as a new manufacturing route for these new composites.