CONSORTIUM

• EADS Deutschland GmbH, Corporate Research Centre, EADS Deutschland GmbH - Germany
• University of Technology of Troyes - France
• Ufa State Aviation Technical University - Russia
• Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering - Russia
• Ulyanovsk State University - Russia

SUMMARY

The consortium will develop bulk ultra-fine-grained (UFG) and nano-structured aluminium alloys with extraordinary mechanical properties (low temperature and high strain rate super-plasticity, high strength and fatigue resistance at room and cryogenic temperatures) highly desirable for advanced aerospace applications. To achieve this objective, a new technical approach for fabrication of UFG and nano-structured aluminium alloys will be developed.

As a result of the Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) processing the following enhancement in advanced mechanical properties of aluminum sheets will be achieved: - Anisotropy in mechanical properties of sheets of the 1424 and 1421 aluminium alloys will be avoided due to uniformity of the UFG structure and the use of rolling at super-plastic regimes. - Ultimate tensile strength and fatigue limit of the UFG sheets of the 1421 and 1424 alloys will be increased by 20-30 % at room temperature and by 50-70 % at cryogenic temperatures compared to the corresponding characteristics of coarse-grained counterparts after traditional thermal treatment. - The enhanced super-plasticity in the UFG sheets of the 1421 and 1424 alloys will be demonstrated with elongation to failure > 1000 % at low temperature 300-350°C and high strain rates of 10-2 – 10-1 s-1, which can be used in effective super-plastic forming or bonding in order to fabricate complex-shaped parts.

Five research teams (three from NIS and two from the INTAS states of the European Union) are selected to provide the knowledge and expertise needed to successfully realize the research program. The project gives the partners the opportunity to combine their complementary skills in the investigation of a novel and challenging scientific problem, namely extraordinary mechanical properties of aluminium sheets processed by severe plastic deformation using low temperature and high strain rate super-plasticity. New technical approach and the fundamental knowledge on the structure and enhanced mechanical properties of UFG and nano-structured aluminium alloys that will be gained in the research project will provide a necessary and sufficient framework for development of high technologies in aerospace industry.