Microstructure and tensile properties of squeeze cast magnesium alloy AM50

High-pressure die cast magnesium alloy AM50 is currently used extensively in large and complex shaped thin-wall automotive components. For further expansion of the alloy usage in automobiles, novelmanufacturing processes need to be developed. In this study, squeeze casting of AM50 alloy with a relatively thick cross section was carried out using a hydraulic press with an applied pressure of 70 MPa. Microstructure and mechanical properties of the squeeze cast AM50 with a cross-section thickness of 10 mm were characterized in comparison with the die cast counterpart. The squeeze cast AM50 alloy exhibits virtually no porosity in the microstructure as evaluated by both optical microscopy and the density measurement technique. The results of tensile testing indicate the improved tensile properties, specifically ultimate tensile strength and elongation, for the squeeze cast samples over the conventional high-pressure die cast parts. The analysis of tensile behavior show that the strain-hardening rate during the plastic deformation of the squeeze cast specimens is constantly higher than that of the die cast specimens. The scanning electron microscopy fractography evidently reveals the ductile fracture features of the squeeze cast alloy AM50.     

Influence of Applied Pressure on Tensile Behaviour and Microstructure of Squeeze Cast Mg Alloy AM50 with Ca Addition

The development of alternative manufacturing processes is essential for the success in applying Ca-containing magnesium alloys for automotive applications due to their relatively poor die castability. Squeeze casting with its inherent advantages has been demonstrated capable of minimizing the formation of casting defects in Mg-Al-Ca alloys. In this study, the effect of applied pressures on tensile behavior and microstructure of squeeze cast Mg-5wt.%Al-1%wt.%Ca alloy (AMX501) was investigated with the applied pressure varying from 3 to 90 MPa. The results of tensile testing indicate that the tensile properties of AMX501 alloy including ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation (E _f) increase from 153.7, 80 MPa and 3.26% to 183.7, 90.5, and 5.42% with increasing applied pressure levels from 3 to 90 MPa, respectively. The analysis of true stress versus strain curves shows that an increase in applied pressure levels result in high straining hardening rates during the plastic deformation of the alloy. Microstructural analysis and density measurements indicate that, as the applied pressure increases, the porosity levels of the alloy decrease considerably, despite of almost no significant reduction in grain sizes of the squeeze cast alloys due to their high aspect ratio of cylindrical castings. Hence, the improvement in tensile properties should be primarily attributed to casting densification resulting from applied pressures. The scanning electron microscopy observation on fractured surfaces reveals that the fracture modes of the squeeze cast alloys transit to ductile from brittle with increasing applied pressures.     

Effects of solidification rate and Sb additions on microstructure and mechanical properties of as cast AM60 magnesium alloys

In this study, effects of solidification rate and 0·2, 0·5 and 1·0 wt-% Sb additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AM60 magnesium alloy were investigated. AM60 and AM60+xSb magnesium alloys were cast in a step-like mould with three different cooling rates. As cast microstructures of the different steps were examined with optical microscope, XRD, SEM and EDS. The results showed that grain structure became finer as the cooling rate increased which resulted in enhancement in the mechanical properties. Tensile and yield strengths reached the peak values as Sb content was 0·2% which yielded 30 and 28% higher strengths respectively as compared to the base AM60 alloy.     

Improvement of microstructure,mechanical properties,and corrosion resistance of WE43 alloy by squeeze casting

The WE43 magnesium alloy was prepared by squeeze casting, and the influence of squeeze casting parameters on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance was studied and compared with gravity casting. The gravity cast WE43 alloy shows uneven grain size distribution, and some grains even greater than 90 µm. While, the grain size of the squeeze cast WE43 alloy is mainly distributed in 20–50 µm. The Mg₁₂Nd₂Y phase morphology changes from large lamellar to strips after squeeze casting, whereas Mg₂₄Y₅ phase exhibits no obvious change. The yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation of the gravity cast WE43 alloy are 127 MPa, 157 MPa, and 6%, respectively, and 145 MPa, 193 MPa, and 9.1% for squeeze cast alloy. For the squeeze cast WE43 alloy, the average corrosion rate is 0.6056 mm·year⁻¹ according to immersion test results, and according to electrochemical measurements, the corrosion current density is 78.13 µA·cm⁻², which is better than that of the gravity cast WE43 alloy. Compared with gravity casting, the grains and second phase of the WE43 alloy by squeeze casting are refined, and the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance are improved. This may expand the applications of the WE43 alloy.

     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Al-0.3Mn-xY alloys prepared by casting and hot rolling

Mg-6Al-0.3Mn-xY(x=0,0.3,0.6 and 0.9,mass fraction,%) magnesium alloys were prepared by casting and hot rolling process.The influence of yttrium on microstructure and tensile mechanical properties of the AM60 magnesium alloy was investigated.The results reveal that with increasing the yttrium content,Al2Y precipitates form and the grain size is reduced.The ultimate strength,yield strength and elongation at room temperature are 192 MPa,62 MPa and 12.6%,respectively,for the as-cast Mg-6Al-0.3Mn-0.9Y alloy.All ...     

Mechanical properties and microstructures of AlSi7 alloy cast in sand and in polystyrene-containing sand moulds

Experimental work has been undertaken to study the effects of polystyrene pattern material on the mechanical properties and microstructures of cast aluminium alloys. This paper reports results obtained using Al—Si 7% (LM25) alloy. Rectangular tensile test-pieces of various thickness were cast at different pouring temperatures into standard resin-bonded sand moulds. The experiments were then repeated with polystyrene patterns placed into the sand mould cavities. A direct comparison of the effects of polystyrene pattern material on the properties of the cast test-pieces with those obtained under identical conditions by a standard sand casting method has thus been obtained. Ultimate tensile strength, elongation, Vickers hardness, porosity volume, and dendrite arm spacing (DAS) values relating to both methods were evaluated for a range of casting section thickness (4–16 mm) and pouring temperature (690–780 °C). The microstructural differences observed between the test pieces obtained, with and without polystyrene patterns, were verified by the changes in the solidification cooling curves recorded simultaneously for both methods.

The results obtained show that an expanded polystyrene pattern contained within a sand mould, under the experimental conditions used, does not have an adverse effect on the as-cast mechanical properties of LM25 alloy. On the contrary, the presence of polystyrene in the sand moulds resulted in higher rather than lower tensile properties. These findings have been supported by microstructural observations which reveal finer microstructures and lower volumes of porosity in the test pieces produced with the use of polystyrene, rather than in the absence of it. These observations are further supported by the evidence obtained from the cooling curves which reveal that the presence of polystyrene in the sand mould results in a faster casting cooling rate compared with that when no polystyrene is present.     

流变挤压铸造制备LPSO结构增强Mg-Zn-Y-Zr合金及其组织性能

采用流变挤压铸造工艺制备了含有LPSO结构的Mg99.9-3xZnxY2xZr0.1(x=0.5、1、2,摩尔分数,%)合金,研究了合金的微观组织特征及力学性能。结果表明,流变挤压铸造能有效细化合金的微观组织。合金的基体组织由尺寸较大的α1-Mg和尺寸较小的α2-Mg晶粒组成,LPSO结构呈细小的网状结构均匀地分布在晶界处,LPSO结构的含量越低,其细化效果越明显。随着挤压压力增大,合金中LPSO结构的厚度越来越小,当压力达到100MPa后,厚度变化趋缓。与常规重力铸造相比,流变挤压铸造能有效提高合金的力学性能,特别是伸长率。在400MPa下的流变挤压铸造Mg96.9Zn1Y2Zr0.1合金的抗拉强度和伸长率较重力铸造下分别提高了19%和170%。     

Grain size refinement through gas bubble stirring in AC4CH cast aluminium alloy

A comparison has been made of the mechanical properties of gravity and squeeze cast aluminium alloys that have been grain refined using gas bubbling and those that have not. To find the optimum gas bubbling conditions, the alloy melt temperature, the gas flow rate and the gas bubbling times were varied over wide ranges. The microstructure of the gas bubbled gravity and squeeze cast materials is fine, equiaxed and non-dendritic with an average primary α size of 52 μm and 163 μm respectively. However, gas bubbling has no effect on the morphology of the eutectic Si. There seems to be no noticeable difference between the measured mechanical properties of the gravity and squeeze cast materials with or without the gas bubbling. The lack of improvement in the mechanical properties of the gravity cast alloy is due to casting defects and porosity, which offset the effects of the grain refinement. The crystal separation and showering mechanisms are operative for the formation of equiaxed grains.     

真空压铸工艺参数对AM50镁合金力学性能的影响规律

采用阶梯试验模具及AM50合金,进行了系统的真空压铸试验,实测了不同厚度的阶梯试样在不同工艺条件下的密度及力学性能,研究了高真空压铸工艺参数对AM50镁合金力学性能的影响规律.结果表明,随着型腔真空压力的降低,铸件密度、抗拉强度和伸长率均随之提高;铸造压力对力学性能的影响在真空压铸和常规压铸中遵循基本相同的规律,即增大铸造压力可以使铸件的致密程度、抗拉强度、屈服强度和伸长率得到提高;随着高速速度的增大,薄壁铸件的抗拉强度、屈服强度和伸长率均表现出明显的增加,这一点与常规压铸的规律相反.结合高真空和高速工艺,可以使薄壁铸件的抗拉强度和伸长率得到较为明显的提升.     

锶及固溶处理对AM50镁合金组织和高温力学性能的影响

研究了添加不同含量的锶(Sr)及固溶处理(T4)对AM50镁合金显微组织和高温(150℃)拉伸性能的影响。结果表明:当Sr加入量为0.7wt%和1.4wt%时,AM50合金中形成了层片状的Al4Sr新相,而Mg17Al12相被抑制形成,固溶处理使Al4Sr相由层片状转变为颗粒状。当Sr加入量为2.8wt%和3.5wt%时,AM50合金中形成了骨骼状的Sr5Al9新相,固溶处理使热稳定性较高的Sr5Al9相由骨骼状向层片状和颗粒状转变。加入Sr能细化晶粒并显著提高合金在150℃下的拉伸性能,固溶处理明显提高了AM50-2.8Sr和AM50-3.5Sr合金高温下的抗拉强度,但对AM50-0.7Sr和AM50-1.4Sr合金高温拉伸性能影响较小。     

混合稀土和挤压铸造对ZL305合金组织和性能的影响

采用挤压铸造和重力铸造制备出不同混合稀土含量的ZL305合金,研究了混合稀土含量和挤压铸造对合金微观组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明,在重力铸造下,添加混合稀土对合金晶粒细化效果明显,当添加0.1%的混合稀土时,ZL305合金的综合力学性能达到最佳,抗拉强度增加到227.88MPa,伸长率为6.47%。相比重力铸造,挤压铸造成形的合金组织明显细化,并且合金铸态的抗拉强度和伸长率都明显提高。添加0.2%的混合稀土时,合金的抗拉强度和伸长率最佳,分别为302.35MPa和7.23%。经430℃×10h固溶处理后挤压铸造合金的性能显著提高。     

Effect of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> particles on the microstructure and sliding wear of 7075 Al alloy manufactured by squeeze casting method

Aluminum (Al) alloy 7075 reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles was prepared using the stir casting method. The microstructure of the cast composites showed some degree of porosity and sites of Al₂O₃ particle clustering, especially at high-volume fractions of Al₂O₃ particles. Different squeeze pressures (25 and 50 MPa) were applied to the cast composite during solidification to reduce porosity and particle clusters. Microstructure examinations of the squeeze cast composites showed remarkable grain refining compared with that of the matrix alloy. As the volume fraction of particles and applied squeeze pressure increased, the hardness linearly increased. This increase was related to the modified structure and the decrease in the porosity. The effect of particle volume fraction and squeeze pressure on the dry-sliding wear of the composites was studied. Experiments were performed at 10, 30, and 50 N with a sliding speed of 1 m/s using a pin-on-ring apparatus. Increasing the particle volume fraction and squeeze pressure improved the wear resistance of the composite compared with that of the monolithic alloy, because the Al₂O₃ particles acted as load-bearing constituents. Also, these results can be attributed to the fact that the application of squeeze pressure during solidification led to a reduction in the porosity, and an increase in the solidification rate, leading to a finer structure. Moreover, the application of squeeze pressure improved the interface strength between the matrix and Al₂O₃ particles by elimination of the porosity at the interface, thereby providing better mechanical locking.     

纳米SiC颗粒增强AM60镁合金组织性能的研究

通过对纳米SiC颗粒的预处理,使用搅熔复合铸造工艺,制备了纳米SiC颗粒增强AM60铸造镁合金材料.研究了纳米SiC颗粒对镁合金的显微组织、力学性能和硬度等的影响.结果表明,在镁合金中添加纳米SiC颗粒能够细化其组织,提高材料的综合力学性能.当纳米SiC颗粒加入量(体积分数)为1.0%时,纳米颗粒增强AM60镁合金的抗拉强度、伸长率和硬度(HB)分别达到240 MPa、16.0%和53.9,较相同工艺下未加纳米颗粒的AM60分别提高了12.1%、40.3%和11.6%.同时对纳米SiC颗粒对镁合金的强化机理进行了探讨.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg–RE–TM Cast Alloys Containing Long Period Stacking Ordered Phases: A Review

Casting magnesium alloys hold the greatest share of magnesium application products due to their short processing period, low cost and near net shape forming. Compared with conventional commercial magnesium alloys or other Mg–RE-based alloys, the novel Mg–RE–TM cast alloys with long period stacking ordered(LPSO) phases usually possess a higher strength and are promising candidates for aluminum alloy applications. Up to now, two ways: alloying design and casting process control(including subsequent heat treatments), have been predominantly employed to further improve the mechanical properties of these alloys. Alloying with other elements or ceramic particles could alter the solidifi cation pattern of alloys, change the morphology of LPSO phases and refi ne the microstructures. Diff erent casting techniques(conventional casting, rapidly solidifi cation, directional solidifi cation, etc.) introduce various microstructure characteristics, such as dendritic structure, nanocrystalline, metastable phase, anisotropy. Further heat treatments could activate the transformation of various LPSO structures and precipitation of diverse precipitates. All these evolutions exert great impacts on the mechanical properties of the LPSO-containing alloys. However, the underlying mechanisms still remain a subject of debate. Therefore, this review mainly provides the state of the art of the casting magnesium alloys research and the accompanying challenges and summarizes some topics that merit future investigation for developing high-performance Mg–RE–TM cast alloys.     

电磁连铸对AZ31镁合金组织及力学性能的影响

通过电磁连铸和普通连铸方法对AZ31镁合金进行连铸实验,对比分析有、无电磁场作用下的铸坯凝固宏观、微观组织和力学性能,并利用扫描电镜分析镁合金的断裂机理。结果表明:当表观直流电流为40~50 A时获得最佳磁场分布,此时电磁连铸的镁合金组织细小、均匀,树枝晶呈破碎状,其力学性能尤其是塑性变形能力显著提高,常温抗拉强度、屈服强度和伸长率较普通连铸分别提高17%,50%和81%,断口形貌显示其断裂具有韧性断裂的特性。     

Influence of impurities on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZK60 magnesium alloy

The influence of impurity content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ZK60 magnesium alloys was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and tensile test. ZK60 alloys were prepared by changing holding time of alloy melt during semi-continuous casting in order to control the content of impurity elements. The alloy with lower purity content is found to have less second precipitates and larger grain size in the as-cast state. However, in the as-extruded state, reducing impurities brings about a decrease in grain size and an increase in yield strength from 244 MPa to 268 MPa, while the elongations in the as-extruded alloys with different contents of impurities are almost the same. After T5 treatment, impurity content is found to have more obvious effect on the yield strength of ZK60 alloy. The yield strength of ZK60-45 alloys with low impurity content is increased up to 295 MPa after T5 treatment.     

Cast structure and property variability in gamma titanium aluminides

Aspects of cast structure that influence mechanical property variability, and in particular tensile ductility, have been studied in a Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb titanium aluminide alloy. Macrostructure, porosity, microstructure and tensile properties have been characterized over a range of casting processing conditions. Local solidification times and subsequent solid-state cooling rates during casting have been characterized via local thermal measurements in combination with solidification modeling. Large variations in cooling rate during casting dramatically influence the initial cast structure as well as the distribution of defects such as porosity. Variations in as-cast structure persist through subsequent thermal and hot isostatic pressing cycles and contribute to the variability of tensile ductility. The current understanding of the relationship of tensile ductility to processing-induced changes in structure will be briefly discussed.     

半固态工艺制备纳米SiC颗粒增强AM60镁合金的研究

使用半固态复合工艺,制备了纳米SiC颗粒增强AM60镁合金材料。利用光学显微镜、布氏硬度计和MTS材料试验机等设备研究了纳米SiC颗粒对镁合金的显微组织、力学性能和硬度的影响。结果表明,在镁合金中添加纳米SiC颗粒能够细化其组织,提高材料的综合力学性能。当纳米颗粒加入量(体积分数)为0.1%时,镁合金的综合性能达到最好,屈服强度、抗拉强度和伸长率分别较未添加纳米颗粒的镁合金提高了56.9%、19.2%和69.3%,其硬度和冲击功也分别提高了16.4%和18.8%。同时,探讨了纳米SiC颗粒对镁合金的强韧化机理。     

温度梯度和冷却速率对ZL205A合金凝固组织及性能的影响

由于在不同温度梯度下ZL205A合金冷却速率对凝固组织的影响不同,采用不同壁厚的阶梯状结构的合金,在不同凝固条件下制备厚度不同的合金试样,探究了冷却速率及温度梯度对合金凝固组织及T5处理后合金抗拉伸强度及延伸率的影响,同时探索了合金的相变规律与组织和性能的关联效应。实验结果表明：由壁厚差引起的温度梯度对合金的微观组织及形貌会产生一定的影响,降低温度梯度的合金力学性能显著提升,T5处理后合金的抗拉伸强度达到506 MPa。     

Effects of silicocalcium on microstructure and properties of Mg-6Al-0.5Mn alloy

1 Introduction Magnesium alloys are attractive for applications in the automobile, aerospace and electronic industries due to their light mass, high stiffness, high specific strength, good dimensional stability and damping capacity. It is the lightest sp…