An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes

Solid-state recycling of machining chip wastes via hot extrusion has nowadays been seen important to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse effect, perceived more important than the recycling by remelting. Characteristics of machining chips that are micro in size and large area-to-volume ratio in...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Shamsudin, Shazarel
Other Authors: Zhong Zhaowei
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87457
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46734
_version_ 1811696127941017600
author Shamsudin, Shazarel
author2 Zhong Zhaowei
author_facet Zhong Zhaowei
Shamsudin, Shazarel
author_sort Shamsudin, Shazarel
collection NTU
description Solid-state recycling of machining chip wastes via hot extrusion has nowadays been seen important to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse effect, perceived more important than the recycling by remelting. Characteristics of machining chips that are micro in size and large area-to-volume ratio in nature, melting can cause a massive molten metal vaporization leading to huge material losses. The hot extrusion process has long been recognised as the most outstanding direct recycling method which can result in much better material recovery. However, the high quality weld bonds among chips must be well developed during the process to ensure the mechanical performance of the recycled product is comparable to as-cast material. The optimum weld bond quality often relies on the selection of accurate process parameters to be combined with the appropriate die design. Nevertheless, the use of conventional approach of trial and error to complete the process parameter selection offers an unrealistic implementation, time consuming, and a costly process cycle. This conventional method was identified as the key shortcoming of the current solid-state recycling process. This research provides an investigation into the optimum homogenisation condition for chip-based billet, a mathematical model development which allows the prediction of weld strength recycled materials and a proposed heat treatment for performance improvement. For homogenisation aspect, a series of hot extrusion experiments were performed at different settings of temperature (400 °C - 550 °C) and preheating time (1 - 6 hours). Each extrudate profile was then tested for its tensile strength performance. To further investigate the effect of temperature in homogenisation via damage evolution within the extrudate structure, a numerical simulation using a finite element method was implemented. The normalized Cockcroft and Latham (C & L) fracture criterion was applied. Besides, a mathematical model for tensile bond strength prediction was developed using both theories of thin film bonding and diffusion. All related deformation variables for model calculation were numerically obtained via the finite element simulations, undertaken by the DEFORM 3D software. The model’s validation was done by a series of tensile tests on gear and rectangular profiles, where the predicted strengths were compared with the strengths obtained experimentally. Finally, the heat treatment process was carried out at T6 condition for all samples. For chip-based billet homogenisation, both experimental and numerical findings showed that the billet temperature must be kept higher than 400°C while for preheating time, minimum two hours was required to obtain a satisfactory tensile strength under the extrusion ratio of 11.22 or lower. The derived weld strength model was fairly accurate in predicting the tensile bond strength of extrudate. The average error resulting from the gear profile was 12 % while 23 % was calculated for the rectangular profile, both compared between the predicted and experimental results. The sources of error in the analysis were mainly contributed by the extreme state of strain-rate and deviations in the shear area estimation. The research shows that a great amount of heat or induced normal stress or shear stress was demanded to reduce the threshold strain of weld creation, thus promoting a sound weld bond. The greater magnitude of the normal stress (perpendicular to the extrudate surface) than the yield strength of material increases the real contact area of chips to result in a better cohesion and a delay in the contact time between die and billet enhances diffusion. Finally, the heat treated AA6061-T4 aluminium chips at T6 condition resulted in 105.66 HV, inferior just by ≈ 5 % hardness of as-received AA6061-T6, indicates that the mechanical properties of the direct recycled material can be successfully enhanced for practical applications.
first_indexed 2024-10-01T07:34:26Z
format Thesis
id ntu-10356/87457
institution Nanyang Technological University
language English
last_indexed 2024-10-01T07:34:26Z
publishDate 2018
record_format dspace
spelling ntu-10356/874572023-03-11T17:37:57Z An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes Shamsudin, Shazarel Zhong Zhaowei School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering Solid-state recycling of machining chip wastes via hot extrusion has nowadays been seen important to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse effect, perceived more important than the recycling by remelting. Characteristics of machining chips that are micro in size and large area-to-volume ratio in nature, melting can cause a massive molten metal vaporization leading to huge material losses. The hot extrusion process has long been recognised as the most outstanding direct recycling method which can result in much better material recovery. However, the high quality weld bonds among chips must be well developed during the process to ensure the mechanical performance of the recycled product is comparable to as-cast material. The optimum weld bond quality often relies on the selection of accurate process parameters to be combined with the appropriate die design. Nevertheless, the use of conventional approach of trial and error to complete the process parameter selection offers an unrealistic implementation, time consuming, and a costly process cycle. This conventional method was identified as the key shortcoming of the current solid-state recycling process. This research provides an investigation into the optimum homogenisation condition for chip-based billet, a mathematical model development which allows the prediction of weld strength recycled materials and a proposed heat treatment for performance improvement. For homogenisation aspect, a series of hot extrusion experiments were performed at different settings of temperature (400 °C - 550 °C) and preheating time (1 - 6 hours). Each extrudate profile was then tested for its tensile strength performance. To further investigate the effect of temperature in homogenisation via damage evolution within the extrudate structure, a numerical simulation using a finite element method was implemented. The normalized Cockcroft and Latham (C & L) fracture criterion was applied. Besides, a mathematical model for tensile bond strength prediction was developed using both theories of thin film bonding and diffusion. All related deformation variables for model calculation were numerically obtained via the finite element simulations, undertaken by the DEFORM 3D software. The model’s validation was done by a series of tensile tests on gear and rectangular profiles, where the predicted strengths were compared with the strengths obtained experimentally. Finally, the heat treatment process was carried out at T6 condition for all samples. For chip-based billet homogenisation, both experimental and numerical findings showed that the billet temperature must be kept higher than 400°C while for preheating time, minimum two hours was required to obtain a satisfactory tensile strength under the extrusion ratio of 11.22 or lower. The derived weld strength model was fairly accurate in predicting the tensile bond strength of extrudate. The average error resulting from the gear profile was 12 % while 23 % was calculated for the rectangular profile, both compared between the predicted and experimental results. The sources of error in the analysis were mainly contributed by the extreme state of strain-rate and deviations in the shear area estimation. The research shows that a great amount of heat or induced normal stress or shear stress was demanded to reduce the threshold strain of weld creation, thus promoting a sound weld bond. The greater magnitude of the normal stress (perpendicular to the extrudate surface) than the yield strength of material increases the real contact area of chips to result in a better cohesion and a delay in the contact time between die and billet enhances diffusion. Finally, the heat treated AA6061-T4 aluminium chips at T6 condition resulted in 105.66 HV, inferior just by ≈ 5 % hardness of as-received AA6061-T6, indicates that the mechanical properties of the direct recycled material can be successfully enhanced for practical applications. Doctor of Philosophy 2018-11-29T06:15:04Z 2019-12-06T16:42:19Z 2018-11-29T06:15:04Z 2019-12-06T16:42:19Z 2018 Thesis Shamsudin, S. (2018). An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87457 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46734 10.32657/10220/46734 en 260 p. application/pdf
spellingShingle DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
Shamsudin, Shazarel
An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
title An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
title_full An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
title_fullStr An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
title_full_unstemmed An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
title_short An analysis of solid-state recycling of aluminium alloy AA6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
title_sort analysis of solid state recycling of aluminium alloy aa6061 from controllable hot extrusion processes
topic DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87457
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46734
work_keys_str_mv AT shamsudinshazarel ananalysisofsolidstaterecyclingofaluminiumalloyaa6061fromcontrollablehotextrusionprocesses
AT shamsudinshazarel analysisofsolidstaterecyclingofaluminiumalloyaa6061fromcontrollablehotextrusionprocesses