Advanced Engineering Materials has published publication “Development of Al-Mg-Sc Thin Foils for Fiber-Reinforced Metal Laminates” on SMW’s latest AeroFML achievements
The present work is dedicated to a new generation of fiber-reinforced metal laminates, already used in aeronautical applications (e.g. upper fuselage skin). The goal is to perform a comprehensive study of an Al-Mg-Sc alloy, which can be a potential candidate to substitute a conventional Al-Cu based alloy in production of thin metal layers. For this purpose a special alloy was designed based on 1570C (Al-5.5Mg-0.23Sc-0.34Mn-0.07Zr-0.03Ti), whereas content of Mg was reduced and a different Rare Earths Element was used. At the next step, a rolling technology for production of thin metal layers with a maximal thickness 0.5 mm was developed. The produced material was then characterized by using the metallography and the SEM / EDX technique for analysis of precipitation phases. In order to eliminate the rolling defects (waviness of thin foils), samples were subjected to hot stretching and hot pressing. Additionally, numerical simulations of asymmetric hot rolling by using Finite Element Method (FEM) were performed in order to get a better insight into the formation of foil waviness.
The final mechanical properties of produced Al-Mg-Sc foils with a thickness of 0.5 mm achieved 377 MPa and 419 MPa for yield and ultimate strength, respectively, with elongation at break about 11 %. In addition estimated average corrosion rate of the Al-Mg-Sc sheet material with a thickness of 2.7 mm is about 0.006 mm/year, while the rate for fatigue crack growth was found lower than for a conventional AA2024-T3 sheet material.
