EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/L95779/01
Title: SUB-MICRON GRAINED ISOTROPIC AIRFRAME ALLOYS
Principal Investigator: Prangnell, Professor P
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Ministry of Defence (MOD) Westland
Department: Manchester Materials Science Centre
Organisation: UMIST
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 May 1998 Ends: 31 July 2001 Value (£): 193,758
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Previous work on simple experimental alloys has shown that a fully recrystallised grain structure with a grain size of ~ lum can be formed by hot rolling spray-formed A1-alloys. Spray-forming is used to achieve high densities of stable dispersoid phases preventing conventional discontinuous recrystallisation, which allows continuous recrystallisation to be induced, resulting in a stable ultra-fine grain structure. These materials have very beneficial properties with; weak textures, low anisotropy, and high strengths, and have attracted interest from the aerospace industry. The project is aimed at applying the preliminary results to commercial airframe alloys, AA5091 and AA7010, where the process will be optimised and their properties more rigorously analysed. In high solute aerospace alloys it is theoretically expected that grain size as fine as 0.5 um will be possible. Results suggest that the normally powder produced alloy AA5091 can be made more cheaply by spray-forming and continuous recrystallisation with a similar grain structure and properties. The effect of reducing the grain size in a high strength alloy to ~ lum will be investigated, using AA7010. It is anticipated that this will lead to improvements in the toughness for the equivalent strength. The application is strongly supported by Westland Helicopters and the DERA.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: