|
|
|
Book Review: Advances in the Metallurgy of Aluminum Alloys
12-13-02
Publisher: ASM International
A compilation of the papers presented at the James T. Staley Honorary Symposium on Aluminum Alloys in Nov. 2001, Advances in the Metallurgy of Aluminum Alloys presents a valuable snapshot of the progress being made in both traditional and non-traditional alloys and processes. The papers are primarily of a technical nature, ranging from presentation of testing results on new alloys to modeling of processes and properties to more exploratory alloy development ideas. The common theme is their emphasis on the process-microstructure-property continuum that is the hallmark of the work of Staley and that which he has stimulated.
Some brief background on the honoree of this symposium is in order to provide a context for the book. To paraphrase one of the overview articles, "over the past forty years, James T. Staley has made significant contributions to the design and development of aluminum alloys, especially those used in the aerospace industry…The concepts identified and discussed by Staley in his many archival publications are still being used to guide the evolutionary development of aluminum alloys." So, not only did Staley have a direct role in the development of most of the aluminum aerospace alloys in commercial use, but his approach to alloy and product development, rooted in the synergistic application of fundamental science and applied technology, has been a framework for the work of others.
The book comprises 54 papers in a range of categories mirroring Staley's areas of activity. It begins with a series of overview papers covering the broad topics of alloy and temper design, property prediction in aluminum alloys as a function of quenching conditions, and precipitation reactions from both the industrial and scientific viewpoints. These papers provide an excellent perspective of these areas.
The remainder (and majority) of the book consists of papers categorized under the technical topics of microstructure-property relationships, fatigue and fracture, quenching and quench factor analysis, precipitation strengthening, structure evolution, and alloy/temper development. Interestingly, many of the papers seem initially to be misplaced in terms of the category in which they are included. This reflects the fact that when the interrelationship of processing, microstructure, and properties is addressed, it is hard to put that paper in one simple category. It is in this area of breaking down complex alloys and processes to their elemental aspects that Staley is so adept, and hence it is appropriate that this is reflected in the conference proceedings as well.
The papers have a decidedly aerospace alloy bias but are not limited to this application area, as exhibited by papers on semi-solid cast alloys, auto body sheet, and strip cast materials. It is clear that even with the intensive efforts that have been made in the development and characterization of aluminum alloys, especially those for aerospace applications, over the years that there is still much being learned and to learn. In many cases the papers reflect the use of more sophisticated tools, both from an analytical as well as a modeling standpoint. In other cases, the papers reflect the education of a new generation of aluminum metallurgists as tried and true approaches are applied to new alloys or processes.
In summary, while the papers in this volume do not break much new ground, they do represent a milepost in the continuing journey of "enlightened empiricism" that typifies commercial aluminum alloy development. Many have traveled this road in the past and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future, until the time when computational modeling capability matures enough to handle these complex systems.
This publication is available from ASM International online at www.asminternational.org.
Article provided courtesy of The Aluminum Association - www.aluminum.org
|
|
|
