The roll bonding of an experimental Al-2%Cu-2%Mn alloy with technically pure 1050A aluminum at true deformations of 0.26, 0.33 and 0.40 has been simulated using the QForm 10.3.0 FEM software. The flow stress of the Al-2%Cu-2%Mn alloy has been measured in temperature and strain rate ranges of 350–450 °C and 0.1–20 s⁻¹, respectively. The simulation results suggest that the equivalent strain in the cladding layer is more intense than that in the base layer, reaching 1.0, 1.4 and 2.0 at strains of 0.26, 0.33 and 0.40, respectively. The latter fact favors a decrease in the difference between the flow stresses of the rolled sheet layer contact surfaces by an average of 25% at the highest strain. The experimental roll bonding has achieved good layer adhesion for all the test samples. The average peeling strength of the samples produced at strains of 0.26 and 0.33 proves to be 12.6 and 18.4 N/mm, respectively, and at a strain of 0.40, it has exceeded the flow stress of the 1050A alloy cladding layer. The change in the rolling force for different rolling routes has demonstrated the best fit with the experimental data.

The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of flat-rolled experimental Al-Cu-Mn system alloy with Si and Zr additions have been studied. The experimental results have been compared with data for the AA2219 commercial alloy pertaining to the same alloying system. Hot deformation of an experimental alloy causes the precipitation of ~100 nm sized dispersoids and refinement of the eutectic phase particles. The yield strength and relative elongation of the hot-deformed experimental alloy are 255 MPa and 8.6%, respectively. Subsequent cold deformation reduces the relative elongation by 3.5% and increases the yield strength by 50 MPa, while the ultimate tensile strength does not change. After long-term 350 °C exposure, the mechanical properties of the experimental alloy remain the same as those of the as-deformed one, whereas the yield strength of the 2219 alloy decreases by 2 times and the ultimate tensile strength by 1.4 times. Comparison of these experimental results with data for the 2219 alloy and other Al-Cu-Mn system alloys cited in this work and reported elsewhere suggests that a good thermal stability of Al-2Cu-2Mn-0.4Si-0.2Zr alloy rolled stock can be achieved through treatment using the regimes designed herein.

An analysis was performed on the temperature, rate and force parameters of the hot cladding process for the experimental Al–2%Cu–2%Mn alloy with technically pure aluminum grade 1050A, as well as on the stress-strain state of the metal in the deformation zone at reductions of 30, 40, and 50 %. Plastometric tests were conducted within the temperature range of 350–450 °C, strain rates of 0.1–20 s^–1, and true strain of 0.1–0.9, and coefficients for calculating the flow stress of the experimental alloy were determined. The thermal conductivity of the Al–2%Cu–2%Mn alloy under hot deformation conditions at temperatures of 350, 400, and 450 °C was theoretically calculated to be 161, 159, and 151 W/(m·K), respectively. The study of the cladding process on a two-high rolling mill was carried out using the QForm finite element simulation software. It was found that when the metal of the cladding layer comes into contact with the roll, its temperature decreases by approximately 100 °C, with the temperature across the height of the composite equalizing within 20–30 ms after exiting the deformation zone. The rolling force is evenly distributed between the two rolls in all cases considered, while the rolling torque on the roll on the cladding layer side is half that on the roll contacting the base layer, which is characteristic of asymmetric rolling. Points characterized by optimal bonding conditions of the rolled layers were identified, located at 10 % and 70 % of the deformation zone length along the rolling axis, where normal stresses significantly prevail over shear stresses. It was determined that the formation of these areas is due to the nature of plastic flow, including the presence of a non-deforming hard layer and a sticking zone.

In this study, prospects of designing new Al–Ca–Cu–Mn (Zr) alloys for additive manufacturing (AM) were evaluated for the example of laser remelting of thin-sheet rolled products. The new as-cast alloys have a hypereutectic structure containing Al₂₇Ca₃Cu₇ primary crystals and ultrafine eutectic particles of (Al,Cu)₄Ca and Al₂₇Ca₃Cu₇ phases in equilibrium with the aluminum solid solution. The solid solutions are additionally strengthened by alloying with Mn and micro additions of Zr, which contribute to the formation of coarsening-resistant phases without compromising the manufacturability of the alloys. Laser remelting, which simulates AM-typical solidification conditions, promotes the formation of a pseudoeutectic cellular structure without the occurrence of undesirable primary Al₂₇Ca₃Cu₇. The size of the dendritic cells and eutectic particles is 10 times smaller (for solidification rates of ~200 K/s) than that of the as-cast state. This structure provides for a higher hardness of the laser-remelted alloy (96 HV) as compared to the as-cast alloy (85 HV). Data for the alloy after 350–400 °C long-term annealing for up to 100 h show that the hardness of the Al–Ca–Cu–Mn–Zr alloys declines relatively slowly by ~7.5% as compared to the Zr-free alloy, whose hardness decreases by ~22%. Thus, one can consider these alloys as a promising candidate for AM processes that require high thermal stability.

The limited thermal stability of conventional aluminium alloys at elevated temperatures restricts their application in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). In this study, a novel Al₆Ca₃Cu_1.8Mn_0.4Zr (wt.%) alloy was developed for improved thermal stability via stable intermetallic phases. LPBF processing of gas-atomised powder identified a reference processing window at 350 W and a hatch distance of 0.08 mm (~97–122 J·mm⁻³), enabling fabrication of crack-free samples with relative densities above 99.0%. The as-built microstructure consists of a highly refined cellular structure with a quasi-continuous network of intermetallic phases and nanoscale dispersoids within the α-Al matrix, resulting in a yield strength of 206 ± 15 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 312 ± 2 MPa and an elongation of 2.7 ± 0.2%. Annealing (350 °C/3 h) leads to partial fragmentation and spheroidization of intermetallic phases, accompanied by a slight decrease in strength (UTS = 277 ± 10 MPa) and elongation (2.4 ± 0.3%), while fracture remains predominantly ductile. The alloy shows softening resistance: room-temperature hardness remains close to the as-built value after annealing at 250–300 °C, whereas more pronounced softening is observed after annealing at 350–400 °C, with subsequent stabilization during prolonged holding.