Superplastic forging

A recent successful application of carbon/carbon composites is the tool for superplastic forging of titanium illustrated by Figure 6 tubes up to 1.5 m in length can be forged at temperatures up to 1000°C, thus offering a rapid alternative fabrication technique to present production methods, e.g., riveted tubes (15). Contact brushes for electrical commutators, made with carbon fibers and carbon/carbon composites (16), are opening another new field of application. Furthermore, pistons in diesel engines have been proposed to be made from carbon/carbon composites (17). 

Figure 6. Above a tool for the superplastic forging of titanium, made entirely from carbon/carbon composites (15) Below aircraft exhaust manifold formed from titanium by superplastic forging with the carbon/carbon tool.

Dutta, A., Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS)-cum-superplastic forging of FesAl-Nb alloy. Int. J. SHS, 4,309 (1995). 

Figure 8.11 Schematic illustration of superplastic forging and superplastic sinter-forging techniques for fabricating fibrous-grain-aligned silicon nitrides.

Gatorizing. A superplastic forging technique used to attach ceramic blades to a metal turbine disc. 

Kondo, N., Suzuki, Y., and Ohji, T., Superplastic sinter-forging of silicon nitride with anisotropic microstructure formation , J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 1999, 82, 1067-9. 

Figure 8.13 Original formed silicon nitride body and superplastically sinter-forged body. Reprinted with permission from Ref [36] 1999, Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

The above data, on the strength of superplastic materials, indicate that the plastic deformation of 3Y-TZP by the application of compressive stress (e.g., by forging) may be accomplished without too much difficulty and without... 

Blow moulding Superplastic forming Forging Rolling 4 Extrusion Drawing... 

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