A continuous drive for lighter and better performing materials in the aerospace industry has led to progressive work regarding aluminum alloys.
Testing of the durability of the material through fatigue testing is absolutely essential to ensure the application of the material is suitable before moving through the expensive design process and further into product realization.
Monthly Archives: January 2014
The Water-Atomizing Process: Part One
Water atomizing of metals is now a commercially important methodology to achieve fine particle distribution for a range of materials.
The general process is effective by impinging a falling stream of molten metal with jets of water which immediately solidify the metal into granules (>1mm) or powder (<1mm). Compared to less modern techniques like crushing and grinding water atomization presents a cost effective and efficient approach to producing metallic powders.
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Semi-Solid Thixoforming: Part One
Thixotropy is characterized by a solid-like behavior at rest and a liquid-like flow when submitted to shear and advantage can be taken of this phenomena through two semi-solid processing routes; thixo-forming and rheo-casting.
The main advantages of thixo-forming are that it negates the need for handling liquid metal and the process can then by highly automated.
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