Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE™) of AZ91E Flake: A Study of Tooling Features and Processing Effects

• DOI: 10.1007/s11665-018-3509-1
• Publication Date: 2018-07-10T12:59:51Z
• Authors: Jens T. Darsell; Nicole R. Overman; Vineet V. Joshi; Scott A. Whalen; Suveen N. Mathaudhu
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Charges of melt-spun AZ91E flake were indirectly extruded into tubes using Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE™). The effect of instrument parameters and tool features on densification and microstructural evolution was studied. At a constant extrusion ratio, the tool rotational velocity varied from 75 to 300 rpm and was demonstrated to reduce the forge force by a factor of four. Modification of the extrusion die face with successively more aggressive scrolled features was found to enhance material flow into the extrusion orifice which led to a 30% reduction in spindle torque. Microstructure, texture and hardness are reported for the range of rpm and scroll geometries investigated. It was observed that the ShAPE™ process is able to retain the average grain size of the as-spun flake (2.5-4 μm) while simultaneously imparting strong textural alignment in the resultant tube.