This research was aimed to reveal atomic diffusion across the bonding interface through the extrusion-welding experiments of dissimilar materials, namely pure magnesium and Mg–Al–Zn–RE alloy. A special tooling setup used to simulate weld seam formation during extrusion through a porthole die was designed for this model study. To deform the metal streams symmetrically and create a sound weld seam, the extrusion-welding experiments from sandwich-structured billets were carried out. Chemical analysis of diffused atoms in the welding region was performed by electron probe micro-analysis. The results confirmed that atomic diffusion indeed occurred across the interface during extrusion. The gradients in element concentration, local stresses, and hydrostatic pressure were considered to be the necessary conditions for extensive atomic diffusion to occur. Atomic diffusion was significantly enhanced by raising extrusion temperature. The analysis of the stress and hydrostatic pressure distributions in the welding region provided new insights into the mechanisms of weld seam formation during the extrusion of light metals.

Conventional extrusion limit diagram (ELD) involves only two extrusion process variables and as such it does not account for the combined effects of multiple process parameters on the extrusion process with respect to pressure requirement and extrudate temperature. Attempts were made in the present research to construct three-dimensional (3D) ELD for a magnesium alloy in the space of initial billet temperature, extrusion ratio and extrusion speed. A method to build 3D ELD by integrating finite element (FE) simulations, extrusion experiments and artificial neural networks (ANN) was developed. In addition to initial billet temperature, extrusion ratio and extrusion speed, the temperature difference between the extrusion tooling and billet, the size of the billet and the shape complexity of the extrudate were taken as the additional process variables and integrated into the equivalent initial billet temperature, extrusion ratio and extrusion speed. The FE simulations, verified by performing extrusion experiments to produce magnesium alloy rods, were used to generate datasets for training the ANN. The ANN then predicted the peak values of extrusion pressure and extrudate temperature over a wider range of extrusion conditions, based on which a 3D ELD for the magnesium alloy was constructed. The 3D ELD was finally validated by performing extrusion experiments to produce magnesium alloy tubes. The results demonstrated that the constructed 3D ELD was reliable and able to provide guidelines for the selection of appropriate extrusion conditions.

The present study was aimed at determining the extrudability of a newly developed Mg-Al-Zn-RE magnesium alloy with large amounts of alloying elements. The experimental and numerical investigation clearly showed that the extrudate temperature was a crucial factor in deciding if a critical temperature between 754 K and 768 K (481 °C and 495 °C) was reached during extrusion, above which hot shortness occurred. Under the extrusion conditions applied, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) occurred, leading to grain refinement from a mean grain size of 165 μm in the as-solid-solution-treated billet to 8.0 to 10.9 μm in the extruded rods. Second-phase particles, such as Mg₁₇Al₁₂ and Al₁₁La₃, were found to distribute on grain boundaries and aid in grain refinement. The mechanical properties of the extrudate were greatly influenced by the as-extruded microstructure and extrusion condition. As the initial billet temperature decreased, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation of the alloy increased, while yield strength (YS) remained almost unchanged. At an initial billet temperature of 523 K (250 °C), a stem speed of 3.93 mm/s, and a reduction ratio of 29.8, the extruded magnesium alloy had a mean grain size of 8 μm. Its YS, UTS, and elongation reached 217 ± 3 MPa, 397 ± 7 MPa, and 20 ± 1.3 pct, respectively.

Recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) have enabled the fabrication of functionally graded porous biomaterials (FGPBs) for application as orthopedic implants and bone substitutes. Here, we present a step-wise topological design of FGPB based on diamond unit cells to mimic the structure of the femoral diaphysis. The FGPB was manufactured from Ti-6Al-4V powder using the selective laser melting (SLM) technique. The morphological parameters, permeability and mechanical properties of FGPB samples were measured and compared with those of the biomaterials with uniform porous structures based on the same type of the unit cell. The FGPB exhibited a low density (1.9 g/cm³), a moderate Young's modulus (10.44 GPa), a high yield stress (170.6 MPa), a high maximum stress (201 MPa) and favorable ductility, being superior to the biomaterials with uniform porous structures in comprehensive mechanical properties. In addition, digital image correlation (DIC) and finite element (FE) simulation were used to unravel the mechanisms governing the deformation and yielding behavior of these biomaterials particularly at the strut junctions. Both DIC and FE simulations confirmed that the deformation and yielding of the FGPB occurred largely in the load-bearing layers but not at the interfaces between layers. Defect-coupled FE models based on solid elements provided further insights into the mechanical responses of the FGPB to compressive loads at both macro- and micro-scales. With the defect-coupled representative volume element model for the FGPB, the Young's modulus and yield stress of the FGPBs were predicted with less than 2% deviations from the experimental data. The study clearly demonstrated the capabilities of combined experimental and computational methods to resolve the uncertainties of the mechanical behavior of FGPBs, which would open up the possibilities of applying various porosity variation strategies for the design of biomimetic AM porous biomaterials. Statement of Significance: Functionally graded bone scaffolds significantly promote the recovery of segmental bone defect. In the present study, we present a step-wise topological design of functionally graded porous biomaterial (FGPB) to mimic the structure of the femoral diaphysis. The Ti-6Al-4V FGPB exhibited a superior combination of low density, moderate Young's modulus, high yield stress and maximum stress as well as favorable ductility. The biomechanical performance of FGPB was studied in both macro and micro perspectives. The defect-coupled model revealed the significant yielding in the load-bearing parts and the Young's modulus and yield stress of the FGPBs were predicted with less than 2% deviations from the experimental data. The superiority of combined experimental and computational methods has been confirmed.

Solid-state bonding takes place during the extrusion process to produce a hollow metal profile through a porthole die, known as extrusion welding. Defective weld seams degrade extruded products in mechanical properties. The present research was aimed to determine the effect of extrusion condition on the longitudinal weld seam quality of a magnesium alloy, Mg-8Al-0.5Zn-0.5RE, using an integrated physical and numerical simulation method. A special die set-up for physical simulation was designed, through which two magnesium alloy rods were welded in the solid-state under high hydrostatic pressure. Extrusion welding experiments under different conditions were performed. It was demonstrated that, with this die set-up, the formation of weld seams during extrusion to produce hollow profiles could be physically simulated. The extrusion welding experiments were then numerically simulated to reveal strains, stresses and hydrostatic pressures that could not be experimentally measured. Finally, the tensile strength and elongation of the extrusion-welded magnesium alloy were determined and its microstructure was examined. The results showed that the bonding strength increased with decreasing extrusion speed and rising extrusion temperature. For well-bonded rods, weld seam was invisible under optical microscope. Attributed to high temperature and large equivalent strain, complete dynamic recrystallization occurred across the interface, leading to a reduced average grain size and disappearance of weld seam. By applying the integrated physical and numerical simulation method, extrusion process parameters for a particular magnesium alloy can be optimized to ensure weld seam quality of extruded hollow profiles.

As a powder-bed-based additive manufacturing technology, selective laser melting (SLM) offers high-level flexibility and enables efficient fabrication of complex parts. In connection with complex thermal events occurring during dynamic sequential layer-by-layer deposition, the as-built material is usually hierarchical at different length scales and possesses anisotropy at each level. As a result of a moderate heating temperature of the baseplate and high cooling rates involved in the process, the as-built Ti-6Al-4V alloy has an α′ martensite microstructure. Microstructure evolution occurring during post-SLM heat treatment is strongly affected by the stability of the initial acicular martensite. The present study was aimed at developing an optimum post-SLM heat treatment scheme at a temperature below the β transus temperature, based on the understanding of microstructure evolution occurring during subtransus treatment and the resultant mechanical properties of the alloy. It was observed that the growth of the α and β phases during the heat treatment was inhibited by the initial α′ phase. A higher heating temperature could effectively improve microstructure homogeneity on a micrometer-scale to some extent. Heating temperature affected the strength and fracture strain of the alloy far more than cooling rate. A post-SLM heat treatment at a temperature of 850 °C or higher could lead to an improvement of fracture strain to the level of the forged counterpart, accompanied by the losses in yield strength and ultimate compressive strength from the as-built values. Full annealing (i.e., subtransus treatment at a high temperature) was thus recommended to be an appropriate post-SLM heat treatment for Ti-6Al-4V.

Optimized stent pattern design can effectively enhance the mechanical performance of magnesium alloy stents by adjusting strain distribution and evolution during stent deformation, thereby overcoming the limitations imposed by the intrinsic mechanical properties of magnesium alloys. In the present study, a new stent design pattern for magnesium alloys was proposed and compared to two existing stent design patterns. Measures of the mechanical performance of these three stents, including crimping and expanding deformability, radial scaffolding capacity, radial recoil and bending flexibility, were determined. Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models were built to predict the mechanical performance of the stents with the three design patterns and to assist in understanding the experimental results. The results showed that, overall, the stent with the new design pattern was superior to the stents based on the existing designs, though the expanding capacity of the newly designed stent still needed to be improved.

Functionally graded scaffold (FGS) is designed to mimic the morphology, mechanical and biological properties of natural bone closely. Porosity variation strategy between different regions in FGS plays a crucial role in influencing its mechanical and biological performance. A combination of modeling tool and scripting language can effectively enhance the ability to optimize FGS design. This study was aimed at determining the effect of porosity variation strategy on the mechanical performance and permeability of the as-built and as-heat-treated FGSs. Ti-6Al-4V FGSs with sizes of 10 × 10 × 15 mm and diamond lattice structures were designed and fabricated by means of selective laser melting. A wide range of porosities in the FGSs (38–75%) were achieved by applying six different porosity variation strategies. The elastic modulus (3.7–5.7 GPa) and yield strength (27.1–84.7 MPa) of the as-built FGSs were found to vary between the corresponding mechanical properties of cancellous bone and cortical bone. Heat treatment reduced the strengths by 13–56%. Porosity variation strategy strongly affected the deformation behavior and failure mechanisms of the FGSs. The sigmoid function-controlled FGSs showed gradual failure behavior and sample Sigk0.5b8 showed superior overall performance. The results demonstrated that porosity variation strategy is a feasible means for tailor design of FGS.

The research was aimed to determine the effects of extrusion process condition on the weld seam quality of the aluminum alloy AA6082 by using a novel physical simulation method. A weld seam between two bars was formed under hydrostatic pressure in a specially designed die setup to simulate the longitudinal weld seam formation during extrusion through porthole die. With this die setup, extrusion process variables, i.e., temperature, extrusion speed and strain, could be varied so that their individual effects on weld seam quality could be discriminated. With the help of finite element (FE) simulation, the distributions of strains, strain rates and hydrostatic pressures inside the welding chamber were quantified. Tension tests were performed to evaluate the bonding strengths of solid-state welded samples. It was found that the amount of deformation imposed inside the welding chamber had a dominant effect on the bonding strength. A high deformation temperature and a high extrusion speed enhanced the bonding strength. The microstructures across the weld zone were examined by using a polarized light microscope and electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). The microstructure evolutions inside and around the welding zone were found to be influenced by the deformation condition. High temperature, high extrusion speed and large deformation promoted the occurrence of local dynamic recrystallization, leading to reduced mean grain sizes inside the welding zone, corresponding to an enhanced strength at the weld seam.