Investigation of microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of 2A10 aluminum alloy during ultrasonic vibration plastic forming

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted plastic forming technology is promising since it can reduce the forming force and improve the quality of surface. However, the microstructure and deformation uniformity in the whole sample were rarely taken into account. In this paper, 2A10 Al alloy, which is commonly used in aviation rivets, is selected as the research object for ultrasonic assisted compression test. The test results show that ultrasonic vibration can significantly reduce the flow stress during Al deformation and increase the material hardness. Ultrasonic vibration provides energy for dislocation movement, which makes easier the dislocation to overcome an obstacle. In addition, it also refine the grain, increases the deformation degree of the small deformation region, and reduces the difference of deformation degree between different areas, resulting in improved deformation homogeneity.