INFLUENCE OF HEAT TREATMENT AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION ON THE BENDABILITY AND TOUGHNESS OF 600 SERIES ALUMINIUM

This project aims to develop time-temperature transformation curves to determine the key factors influencing the bendability and toughness of structural 6000 series aluminum extrusion alloys including the role of Cu.

Develop time-temperature-transformation curves (TTT or C-curves) to determine factors influencing the strength and bendability of a 6xxx-series aluminium extrusion alloy with high and low levels of Cu.
Since bendability is a surrogate for toughness, additional testing may be employed to asses crack initiation and propagation behaviour respective of heat treatment history.

Lead Chief Investigator

PROF MARK EASTON

Other Chief Investigators & Partner Investigators

PROF MATTHEW BARNETT

DR MATTHIAS WEISS

MR RICHARD TAUBE

Project Team

ANDREAS KUPKE

DUYAO ZHANG

MICHAEL BENOIT

INDRAJEET KATTI

Project Partners

Technical Case

While the influence of heat treatment on the tensile, yield, and elongation (TYE) of aluminium extrusion alloys is well known, research is needed relating TTT to bendability. Bending can be more quench sensitive than TYE properties; hence, published TTT data does not fully support engineering automotive manufacturing systems and body structures.

This research is critical to delivering novel TTT data directly supporting Lead Partner Organisation's ability to specify future raw materials and develop more robust process control methods for Ford
Special Characteristic and Customer Agreement Forms (SCCAF).

Project Progress

95%

Other Themes

Design and Advanced Structures

Lightweight Materials

Integrated Multi-Material Structures