Plastometric Simulation of the Hot Rolling Process of Al/B4C Powder Composite

Abstract

The actual problem of nuclear machine building is mastering the manufacture of Al/B4C powder composite cladded with layers of aluminum alloy in a rigid technological casing by a high-production method of rolling. Simulation tests of cylindrical samples were carried out using a uniaxial compression method on a cam plastometer with an evaluation of the influence of the strain on the density of the Al/B4C powder compact with the aim of optimizing the rolling technology. The strain rate and strain correspond to the ones for the rolling process, and the compression process of samples was divided into three stages. The temperature of deformation and strain of the powder compound of aluminum and dispersed particles of boron carbide Al/B4C were varied according to the experiment plan. The final density of the powder compound after each compression stage was accepted as an experimental variable as well as its cutting ability according to which the manufacturability of the obtained composite was evaluated. According to the simulation experiment results, the conditions of hot compaction of the Al/B4C powder composite were evaluated and recommendations for temperature–deformation regimes were formulated.