Project Fact Sheet 
THERMOMECHANICAL PROCESSING OF ALUMINUM 



 

 
ALLOYS 

	
	

	 





	 

		



		
 
	
	
		

	
 
	




			 


 
 	


 
  




 
!" 


 
 #
	
	
$%&


 
	
 


'

	 
		
		
	 
	


	
	 


	
		
	


 


		


	 
	
		(
 


	
				
	 
		
		
 


 
DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED METHODOLOGY FOR THERMOMECHANICAL 
PROCESSING OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS 
Current processes for heat treatment and rolling of aluminum alloys require 
substantial energy and material cost. A better understanding of the physics of 
deformation and structure development will result in the opportunity to reduce 
alloy content, minimize processing steps, and improve performance of existing 
products. The fundamental understanding and resulting technology improvements 
will lead to significant energy savings. To achieve the energy savings, project 
partners will develop an integrated methodology for modeling local structural 
evolution during thermomechanical processing of rolled aluminum sheet for alloy 
design and manufacturing. 
This research will involve developing a finite element-based integrated mechanical 
and microstructural model for process understanding and design sensitivity 
analyses. Validation of the integrated model predictions will be performed through 
bench-scale experimental measurements. The goal is to produce models that will 
allow simultaneous process modeling and alloy development. The integrated 
model will enable researchers to simultaneously address material dynamics and 
mechanical behavior for alloy design and for thermomechanical process 
optimization. The process optimization that results from this research will provide 
potentially significant energy savings as well as a faster/cooler approach to metal 
production and the potential to eliminate some heat treatment steps. 



 
Finite element-based model for thermomechanical deformation and microstructure 
formation. 
MODEL 
OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES 
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

	

 
Goals: The goal of this research is to develop an integrated finite element model 
that is capable of predicting mechanical deformation and microstructure evolution 
in polycrystalline aluminum alloys undergoing large strain plastic deformation. 
The model will be verified through experimental measurements taken in channel 
die and uniaxial compression tests and will be deemed successful when the 
model predicts the observed microstructural development. The model will be the 
cornerstone upon which process optimization and alloy development for industrial 
manufacturing can be developed. 







 
Year One 
• Build crystal plasticity capability into the Finite Element Modeling code 
• Develop first-order constitutive behavior and dislocation structure evolution 
models 
• Select recrystallization and precipitate coarsening models 
• Test the deformation part of the model against experiments on well-defined 
structures 
Year Two 
• Complete iterations on the deformation models 
• Validate recrystallization and coarsening models by experimental observation 
• Outline and implement the parallel computational framework involved in the 
integrated model 
Year Three 
• Apply the integrated model to simulate aluminum alloy behavior during 
deformation and annealing 
• Refine the structure evolution models 
• Optimize the parallel computations 
• Validate models with additional experiments 



 
Commercial adoption of the fundamental knowledge gained from this program will 
take place through the active participation of the industrial partners. In addition, 
the commercialization path is to transfer fundamental knowledge gained to a wide 
cross-section of the thermomechanical industry through public papers and 
presentations. 


	

 
.	
,	+

 
*
	.2 
2	

	! 
2	!*2 
*	

33	
	4		 
 
	.2 



 



	
	 

	


 
-54
 
.	
,	+

 
*60&78990:%91 
#	;60&78990:</ 

=

 



 
 	
!>	
 
)
	

*	
 
*6/&/801:/91 
#	;6/&/801:01 
	
'	
= 
*		

 
?

 

	
= 
@


		 

A	


 
)
	

*	
 


 
	 	 
+,-	
 
.	
-!/&010 
2
/&&/