TEM observatiion of a Cu-Mg age-hardenable alloy

The precipitation processes in Cu-Be, Cu-Co, Cu-Fe alloys have been thoroughly investigated; however, much less attention has been paid to studying the Cu-Mg system. In this work the decomposition of Cu-3.5 wt% Mg alloy during ageing was investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The microstructure of Cu-3.5 wt% Mg alloy aged at 340° C is characterized by the presence of fine dispersed coherent precipitates. On continued ageing the coherent precipitates disappear and a new transition phase with oblate octahedron morphology grows. At temperatures above 34O° C the equilibrium phase is formed by discontinuous precipitation. Ageing of Cu-3.5 wt% Mg alloy at temperatures above 450° C results in the formation of the equilibrium Cu₂Mg phase.     

Artificial ageing of Al-Si-Cu-Mg casting alloys

The T6 heat treatment is commonly used for gravity cast Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys. The influence of the alloying elements Cu and Mg and the artificial ageing temperature on the age hardening response were investigated. Artificial ageing was conducted at 170 °C and 210 °C for various times for three alloys, Al-7Si-0.3Mg, Al-8Si-3Cu and Al-8Si-3Cu-0.5Mg, cast with three different solidification rates (secondary dendrite arm spacing of about 10, 25 and 50 μm). The coarseness of the microstructure has a small influence on the yield strength, as long as the solution treatment is adjusted to obtain complete dissolution and homogenisation. The peak yield strength of the Al-Si-Mg alloy is not as sensitive to the ageing temperature as the Al-Si-Cu and Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys are. The ageing response of the Al-Si-Cu alloy is low and very slow. When 0.5 wt% Mg is added the ageing response increases drastically and a peak yield strength of 380 MPa is obtained after 20 h of ageing at 170 °C for the finest microstructure, but the elongation to fracture is decreased to 3%. The elongation to fracture decreases with ageing time in the underaged condition as the yield strength increases for all three alloys. A recovery in elongation to fracture of the Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy on overageing is obtained for the finest microstructure, while the elongation remains low for the coarser microstructures. The quality index, Q = YS + K?, can be used to compare the quality of different Al-Si-Mg alloys. This is not true for Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys, as K depends on the alloy composition. Overageing of the Al-Si-Mg alloy results in a decrease in quality compared to the underaged condition.     

Effects of alloying elements on mechanical and thermal characteristics of Al-6wt-%Si-0.4wt-%Mg–(Cu) foundry alloys

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of alloying elements on mechanical and thermal characteristic of Al-6wt-%Si-0.4wt-%Mg–(Cu) foundry alloys after heat treatment using a universal testing machine and a laser flash apparatus. Solid solution treatment of samples was carried out at 535°C for 6?h before quenching samples in warm water. Artificial ageing treatment was conducted at various temperatures ranging from 180 to 220°C for 5?h. When Cu was added to increase the mechanical strength of Al-6wt-%Si-0.4wt-%Mg alloy, its thermal conductivity decreased. After adding 0.1wt-%Ti to an Al-6 wt-%Si-0.4wt-%Mg-0.9wt-%Cu alloy, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was improved 18?MPa compared to that of Ti-free alloy at ageing temperature of 180°C. The addition of Ti facilitated the formation of θ′-Al₂Cu and Q′-phase, which resulted in increased UTS at room temperature. In the case of Cu-free Al-6wt-%Si-0.4wt-%Mg alloy, adding Ti to the alloy did not affect the UTS.     

Repetition bend properties of Cu-Cr and Cu-Cr-Sn alloys

Repetition numbers of bending of Cu-0.81 wt% Cr, Cu-0.81 wt% Cr-0.14 wt% Sn and Cu-0.26 wt% Cr-0.10 wt% Sn alloys were investigated. After solution treatment, the first two types of copper alloys have a primary chromium phase; this is not so in the last alloy. The primary chromium phase does not influence the repetition numbers of bending of cold-rolled specimens; the repetition numbers of bending of specimens aged at 723 K for 1.8 × 10³ sec after cold rolling are higher than those of cold-rolled specimens. The cause of this is considered to be a recovery of work-hardening during ageing.     

Studies of a thermomechanically treated Al-Zn-Mg alloy

The influence of subgrain structure on the precipitation process in an Al-4.2 wt% Zn-1.6 wt% Mg alloy was studied and correlated with its mechanical properties for ageing temperatures of 110, 142 and 165° C.     

Microstructure studies in Al-6% Si-1.9% Cu-x% Mg alloys

The nature of precipitates formed in the aged Al-6% Si-1.9%Cu-x%Mg alloys (where x varies from 0.2 to 1.13) was investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Vickers hardness and grain size were measured. Results showed peak hardness around 4 and 10 h ageing time for 0.54% Mg and 1.13% Mg alloy, respectively. Hardness was found to increase with increasing magnesium content except for the 1.13% Mg alloy aged for 10 h. Q-phase particles have been observed and these are most probably responsible for the variation of hardness.     

Processing of Fe-Al-C-Ce alloys through air induction melting with flux cover (AIMFC) and electroslag remelting (ESR)

The effect of process parameters on recovery of reactive element, cerium, during air induction melting with flux cover (AIMFC) and electroslag remelting (ESR) of Fe-10.5 wt% Al-0.8 wt% C-(0.1 and 0.3) wt% Ce alloys and also the effect of melting techniques on hot workability, structure and tensile properties (at room temperature and at 873 K) of Fe-10.5 wt% Al-0.8 wt% C-0.3 wt% Ce alloy have been investigated. Good recovery of cerium was obtained by AIMFC. While conventional fluxes were found to be unsatisfactory, modified flux containing CeO₂ gave better recovery of cerium during ESR. The best recovery of cerium was achieved by using calcium as a deoxident during ESR. The combination of AIMFC and ESR yields a sound ingot of Fe-Al-C-Ce quaternary alloys free from gas and shrinkage porosity with very low oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur contents. Processing of AIMFC ingots through ESR has resulted in improved hot-workability. The ESR processed and hot-rolled alloy exhibited superior tensile elongation as compared to hot-rolled AIMFC alloy. This may be attributed to the comparatively sound, homogeneous and clean ingot, with a refined microstructure and fine uniform distribution of precipitates observed in hot-rolled ESR ingots.     

Effect of Mg and Sr-modification on the mechanical properties of 319-type aluminum cast alloys subjected to artificial aging

Aluminum-based 319-type cast alloys are commonly used in the automotive industry to manufacture cylinder heads and engine blocks. These applications require good mechanical properties and in order to achieve them through precipitation hardening, artificial aging treatments are applied to the products. The standard artificial aging treatment for alloy 319, as defined by the T6 heat treatment temper, consists in solution heat-treating the product for 8 h at 495 °C, water quenching at 60 °C, and then artificially aging at 155 °C for 2–5 h.

The present paper reports on aging heat treatments that were performed on four Al–Si–Cu–Mg 319-type alloys: 319 base alloy, Sr-modified 319 alloy, 319 alloy containing 0.4 wt% Mg, and the Sr-modified 319 + 0.4 wt% Mg alloy. This investigation was carried out in order to examine the effect of Sr-modification and additions of Mg on the microhardness, tensile strength and impact properties of 319-type alloys over a range of aging temperatures and times (150–240 °C, for periods of 2–8 h).

The results show that the best combination of properties is found in the Sr-modified alloy containing 0.4 wt% Mg (i.e. alloy 319 + Mg + Sr). Also, the optimum artificial aging temperature changes when Mg is present in the alloy.     

Structure and mechanical properties of age-hardened directionally solidified AlSiCu alloys

The structure of directionally solidified Al-Si hypoeutectic alloys are generally composed of Al-matrix and Si-reinforcing phase. The growth direction of the both phases was near 200. The strength properties of an Al-Si alloy with additions of 2 wt.% and 4 wt.% copper have been investigated. These alloys were solution treated, quenched in water and aged at 200°C. Large Al₂Cu precipitates present in D.S. samples dissolved partly, and after ageing, they precipitated as the Θ′ platelets, significantly increasing the mechanical properties of the alloys. Hardness, strength and elongation were measured in the course of ageing. The structure was investigated by means of: XSAS, X-ray phase analysis, lattice parameter measurements and scanning microscopy.     

Preceramic polymer derived cellular ceramics

Ceramic foams were prepared by a self-blowing process of a poly(silsesquioxane) melt at 270 °C. The cell size, the interconnectivity density and the shape of the foam cells were adjusted by a thermal pre-curing procedure of the polymer at 200 °C. Inorganic fillers were used to modify processing behaviour and properties of the pyrolysed ceramic foam. After pyrolysis in inert atmosphere at 1200 °C ceramic composite foams with a total porosity up to 87% were obtained. The open cell ceramic foams had a mean cell diameter of 1.2 mm and a mean strut thickness of 0.2 mm. Interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) were fabricated by infiltrating the open cellular ceramic preform with Mg alloy melt at 680 °C and a pressure of 86 MPa. The mechanical properties were found to depend on the reactions between the metal and the ceramic forming MgO, Mg₂Si and Al₁₂Mg₁₇ as the major reaction products. The IPCs showed a significantly higher creep resistance at 135 °C, compression strength and elastic modulus compared to the unreinforced magnesium alloys.     

Pre-ageing of AlSiCuMg alloys in relation to structure and mechanical properties

The effect of magnesium addition to the AlSi9Cu3.5 alloy on the hardening and precipitates morphology during ageing at RT, 160°C or two stage ageing (TSA) was studied using TEM and XSAS methods. It was found that only alloys with Mg addition harden during RT ageing and they also attain the highest hardness maximum at 160°C or during TSA. Two types of precipitates (starting from 0.4 and 1.2 nm) were identified during ageing at RT using XSAS method. They cause streaks in the electron diffraction patterns. In alloys aged at 160°C with Mg addition the S′ phase was identified using lattice imaging technique in addition to the θ′ plates formed during ageing of the ternary AlSiCu alloy.     

Ageing Effect on Hardness and Microstructureof Al-Zn-Mg Alloys

1. IntroductionALZn-Mg alloys are among the strongest of theage hardenable Al base alloysll'2]. These alloys havewide applications in aerospace and transport industries because of good mechanical properties especiallyexcellent strength to weight ratio which results ingreater fuel saving. Mechanical properties are affectedby various phases caused by heat treatment. Amountof solute (Zn+Mg) content and Zn/Mg ratio play animportant role in the precipitation of differeds phases,i.e., G.P. zones…     

Mg对原位自生TiB2/Al-4.5Cu复合材料微观组织及力学性能的影响

采用Al-K₂TiF₆-KBF₄混合盐原位自生反应法,制备了不同Mg质量分数的3wt% TiB₂/Al-4.5Cu复合材料。采用SEM、TEM、HM硬度测试和室温拉伸等方法研究了Mg含量和多级热处理对3wt% TiB₂/Al-4.5Cu复合材料微观组织和力学性能的影响。微观组织观察发现:Mg质量分数为3wt%时,经过多级热处理后,TiB₂颗粒的团聚现象明显改善,反应生成的TiB₂颗粒平均尺寸约为130 nm,基体内伴随有大量弥散分布的纳米级颗粒,且α-Al的晶粒尺寸也明显减小。力学测试结果表明:多级热处理后,3wt% TiB₂/Al-4.5Cu复合材料的硬度和抗拉强度随Mg含量的增加而提高,但过量的Mg (≥4wt%)会造成TiB₂颗粒细化效果下降。分析表明:Mg的加入能够降低TiB₂/α-Al界面能,减少脆性相Al₃Ti、Al₂B的生成,并通过反应生成的MgAl₂O₄使界面结构变成TiB₂/MgAl₂O₄/α-Al,从而有效抑制了TiB₂的团聚,改善了TiB₂颗粒与Al液界面的润湿性,提高了形核率,进一步细化了α-Al晶粒尺寸。      

固溶体Mg-5Al-xGd合金的制备及其压缩性能EI北大核心

利用Gd(0.00%,0.25%,0.50%,0.75%,1.00%,质量分数,下同)元素和凝固压力(3 GPa)调控Mg-5Al合金凝固组织结构,对合金样品进行压缩测试,并研究组织结构与室温压缩性能相关性。结果表明:常压石墨型铸造下,仅Mg-5Al-0.75Gd合金获得了晶界无共晶相生成、粒状Al2Gd相弥散分布在基体上、晶粒平均尺寸约为85μm的固溶体组织,其抗压强度和最大压缩应变分别为379 MPa和33.46%,高于存在晶间第二相的合金。3 GPa高压下,Gd含量≤0.25%合金的凝固组织为单一固溶体,Gd含量≥0.50%合金的晶界(枝晶间)有共晶Al_(2)Gd相生成。固溶体Mg-5Al-0.25Gd合金的平均晶粒尺寸是74μm,抗压强度是402 MPa,最大压缩应变是33.61%。Mg-5Al-0.75Gd合金的平均晶粒尺寸是38μm,抗压强度和最大压缩应变分别是341 MPa和25.12%,其性能低于Mg-5Al-0.25Gd合金。可见,晶间Al,Gd元素的存在形式是影响铸造Mg-Al合金力学性能的重要因素。     

Positron lifetime studies and coincidence Doppler broadening spectroscopy of Al–6Mg–<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis>Sc (<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis> = 0 to 0.6 wt.%) alloy

Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), comprising of both positron lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening measurements, has been employed for studying the phase decomposition behaviour of scandium doped Al–6Mg alloys. Micro structural and age hardening studies have also been conducted to substantiate the explanation of the results of PAS. Samples with scandium concentration ranging from 0 to 0.6 wt.% have been studied. The measured positron lifetimes of undoped alloy reveal that GP zones are absent in the as-prepared Al–6Mg alloy. The observed positron lifetimes and the results of coincidence Doppler broadening measurements largely stem from the entrap of positrons at the interface between aluminium rich primary dendrites and the magnesium enriched interdendritic eutectic mixture of Mg₅Al₈ (β) and the primary solid solution of aluminium (α). The study also provides evidence of the formation of scandium vacancy complexes in Al–6Mg alloys doped with scandium upto a concentration of 0.2 wt.%. However such complex formation ceases to continue beyond 0.2 wt.% Sc; instead, the formation of fine coherent precipitates of Al₃Sc is recorded in the as prepared alloy containing 0.6 wt.% scandium. The positron annihilation studies coupled with CDBS have also corroborated with the fact that the fine coherent precipitates of Al₃Sc are formed upon annealing the Al–6Mg alloys doped with scandium of concentration 0.2 wt.% and above. Transmission electron microscopic studies have provided good evidence of precipitate formation in annealed Al–6Mg–Sc alloys. Elevated temperature annealing leads to dissociation of the scandium-vacancy complexes, thereby leading to the enhancement of the mobility of magnesium atoms. This has facilitated fresh nucleation and growth of Mg₅Al₈ precipitates in the above alloys at 673 K.     

Investigation on Exfoliation Corrosion and Neutral Salt Spray Corrosion Resistanceof Al-6Mg Alloy with Addition of Scandium

Al-6Mg-Sc alloy was prepared by means of melting-casting. Corrosionresistance of Al-6Mg-Sc alloy was studied in exfoliation corrosion and Neutral Salt Spray Test. Microstructure of the Al-6Mg-Sc alloy was investigated by using optical microscope and transmission electron micrograph( TEM ). It was found that additionof scandium served as a potent grain refiner, resulting a homogeneous, dispersed distribution of β-phrase in microstructure of the alloys. The discontinuous precipitation of β-phrase in grain boundaries therefore highly improved corrosion resistance of the alloys.     

Microstructural evolution of silicon carbide/aluminum oxide composites processed by melt oxidation

The nucleation and growth mechanisms during high temperature oxidation of liquid Al-3 wt% Mg and Al-3 wt% Mg-7 wt% Si alloys were studied to provide a better understanding of the composite fabrication process, especially in the presence of SiC reinforcement. Al2O3-matrix composites with and without SiC particulates have been produced by directed oxidation of aluminum alloys. The microstructure consists of three interpenetrating phases: the SiC preform, a continuous -Al2MO3 matrix, and a network of unoxidized metal. The volume fraction of metal within the oxidation product decreases with increasing processing temperature. The preform does not show any evidence of degradation by the molten alloy, but the growth front tends to climb up the particles, increasing the oxidation area and therefore enhancing the rate of composite growth. The amount of porosity was found to increase with the Mg content in the alloy, from 2.0 vol% for 0.5 wt% Mg to 5.8 vol% for 3 wt% Mg. The role of magnesium and silicon in the growth process are discussed.     

The role of silicon in the formation of the (Al5Cu6Mg2) σ phase in Al-Cu-Mg alloys

The role of silicon in the precipitation of the phase (Al₅Cu₆Mg₂) has been investigated through comparative studies on Al-3.63Cu-1.67Mg (wt%) and Al-3.63Cu-1.67Mg-0.5Si alloys. Both alloys were extensively examined after solution treating at 525°C for 2.5 h followed by ageing at 265°C for times up to 650 h. Limited studies were also undertaken on both alloys after ageing at 200 and 305°C. Precipitation of was observed in Al-3.62%Cu-1.66%Mg-0.5%Si for all ageing conditions studied but was absent in Si-free Al-3.62%Cu-1.66%Mg. In addition, S and phases were observed in both alloys. The volume fraction of phase in the Si containing alloy was substantially reduced by a pre-age stretch followed by ageing for 24 h at 265°C with S being the dominant precipitate type. The volume fraction of phase in the Si containing alloy was lower after ageing 24 h at 200°C than after 24 h at 265 and 305°C. Peak hardness was higher for the Si free alloy on ageing at 200 and 265°C, but the Si free alloy softened more rapidly, reflecting the more rapid coarsening kinetics of S compared with .     

Influence of precipitation on serrated flow in Al-5Zn-1Mg alloy

Abstract

An Al-5Zn-1Mg alloy was aged at three different temperatures, 70 ° C, 150 ° C, and 200 ° C to obtain different states of precipitation. Serrated flow behaviour was studied with progressive aging at these three different aging temperatures. A comparison of serrated flow behaviour for the three different aging condition was made in the peak aged condition. Finally, serrated flow behaviour in Al-5Zn-1Mg alloy was compared with that in Al-Li alloys studied earlier. It is concluded that all the features of serrated flow can be explained only by considering the combined effect of solute - dislocation and precipitate - dislocation interaction.     

A STEM study of grain-boundary segregation in Al-6.5 wt% Mg alloy

A STEM-EDX analysis study of grain-boundary segregation in an AI-6.5 wt% Mg alloy is presented. STEM-EDX analysis using an electron probe size of nm is shown to provide statistically significant compositional data on grain-boundary segregation in Al-Mg alloys. Solute profiles taken normal to grain boundaries show both non-equilibrium segregation and precipitation phenomena in Al-6.5 wt% Mg alloys water-quenched from 350, 400 and 570° C.