This study focuses on numerical prediction and experimental investigation of deformation behaviour of a tungsten heavy alloy prepared via powder metallurgy and subsequent cold (20 °C) and warm (900 °C) rotary swaging. Special emphasis was placed on the prediction of the effects of the applied induction heating. As shown by the results, the predicted material behaviour was in good correlation with the real experiment. The differences in the plastic flow during cold and warm swaging imparted differences in structural development and the occurrence of residual stress. Both the swaged pieces exhibited the presence of residual stress in the peripheries of W agglomerates. However, the NiCO matrix of the warm-swaged piece also exhibited the presence of residual stress, and it also featured regions with increased W content. Testing of mechanical properties revealed the ultimate tensile strength of the swaged pieces to be approximately twice as high as of the sintered piece (860 MPa compared to 1650 MPa and 1828 MPa after warm and cold swaging, respectively).

Due to their superb mechanical properties and high specific mass, tungsten heavy alloys are used in demanding applications, such as kinetic penetrators, gyroscope rotors, or radiation shielding. However, their structure, consisting of hard tungsten particles embedded in a soft matrix, makes the deformation processing a challenging task. This study focused on the characterization of deformation behavior during thermomechanical processing of a WNiCo tungsten heavy alloy (THA) via the method of rotary swaging at various temperatures. Emphasis is given to microstrain development and determination of the activated slip systems and dislocation density via neutron diffraction. The analyses showed that the grains of the NiCo2W matrix refined significantly after the deformation treatments. The microstrain was higher in the cold swaged sample (44.2 × 10⁻⁴). Both the samples swaged at 20 °C and 900 °C exhibited the activation of edge dislocations with {110} or {111} slip systems, and/or screw dislocations with slip system in the NiCo2W matrix. Dislocation densities were determined and the results were correlated with the final mechanical properties of the swaged bars.

This is a report on the structure phases and precipitates in a newly developed Mg–10Dy–3Al–1Zn–0.2Zr alloy. Specimens from the cast alloy were heat treated at temperatures of 480 °C, 520 °C and 560 °C, all for 8 and 16 h, and subsequently quenched. The structures were then analysed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, while the mechanical properties were investigated using microhardness measurements. The results showed the different temperatures, as well as times, influence both the chemical composition and morphology of the precipitated phases. The occurrence of the β-phase changed with increasing temperature and time from grain boundary segregations through fine elongated particles to coarse plate-like precipitates. Polygon-shaped Dy-rich precipitates were observed in all the samples; however, their size decreased and their distribution homogenised with increasing annealing temperature and time. The samples annealed at 520 °C and 560 °C exhibited the presence of lamellar 18R-type long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases. Microhardness measurements were in accordance with results of the microscopic analyses; although the values varied between 60 and 65 HV for all the material states, the most uniform distribution was observed for the 560 °C/8-h sample, which featured the finest precipitates and LPSO phases.

The aim of this work was to monitor the mechanical behavior of 316L stainless steel produced by 3D printing in the vertical direction. The material was tested in the “as printed” state. Digital Image Correlation measurements were used for 4 types of notched specimens. The behavior of these specimens under monotonic loading was investigated in two loading paths: tension and torsion. Based on the experimental data, two yield criteria were used in the finite element analyses. Von Mises criterion and Hill criterion were applied, together with the nonlinear isotropic hardening rule of Voce. Subsequently, the load-deformation responses of simulations and experiments were compared. Results of the Hill criterion show better correlation with experimental data. The numerical study shows that taking into account the difference in yield stress in the horizontal direction of printing plays a crucial role for modeling of notched geometries loaded in the vertical direction of printing. Ductility of 3D printed specimens in the “as printed” state is also compared with 3D printed machined specimens and specimens produced by conventional methods. “As printed” specimens have 2/3 lower ductility than specimens produced by a conventional production method. Machining of “as printed” specimens does not affect the yield stress, but a significant reduction of ductility was observed due to microcracks arising from the pores as a microscopic surface study showed.