Influence of boron on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-11.6Si-0.4Mg casting alloy modified with strontium

Abstract

The influence of the addition of Al-1B master alloy on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-11.6%Si-0.4%Mg alloy modified with 0.030%Sr has been investigated. The mechanical properties and fracture behaviour of the alloys as cast and after T6 heat treatment with three different melt treatments (no treatment; 0.030%Sr modifying treatment; and 0.030%Sr + 0.028%B combined melt treatment) were also compared. Al-1B master alloy has a strong action in refining the dendritic structure in near eutectic Al-Si casting alloys modified with Sr. The Sr+B combined melt treatment can improve considerably the mechanical properties of the alloys, both as cast and after T6 heat treatment. Fracture modes of the alloys with the Sr modifying treatment and the Sr+B combined melt treatment are typically ductile. However, fractographs indicate that the alloy with combined melt treatment suffered greater ductile deformation before fracture. The Sr+B combined melt treatment significantly improves the mechanical properties of near eutectic Al-Si casting alloys.     

Understanding Melt Flow Behavior for Al-Si Alloys Processed Through Vertical Centrifugal Casting

The objective of this article is to investigate the appearance, microstructure, and hardness of Al-Si alloys Al-12Si and Al-17Si in vertical centrifugal casting process. During rotation of the mold, molten metal flow affects the formation of uniform cylinder. In this study, flow of molten metal for Al-Si alloys at different rotational speeds is focused. It is found that for Al-17Si alloy a uniform cast tube is observed for 1000 rpm, whereas for Al-12Si it is at 1200 rpm; above and below these speeds, irregular cast tubes are formed. Finally, fine structured grain size with high hardness value is found in a uniform cast tube in comparison with others.     

Toughening effects of Mo and Nb addition on impact toughness and crack resistance of titanium alloys

Ti-6Al,Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb alloys were prepared to investigate the toughening effects of β sta-bilizers Mo and Nb on impact toughness and crack resistance of titanium alloys.Instrumented Charpy impact tests showed that the total impact absorbed energy of Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb (～64J) were two times higher than that ofTi-6Al (～30J),indicating the higher impact toughness of Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb alloys.Analysis of load-displacement curves revealed the similar crack initiation energy of Ti-6Al,Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb (15.4J,16.1J and 15.0J,respectively).However,the higher crack propagation energy of Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb (46.7J and 48.3J,respectively) were about three times higher than that of Ti-6Al (14.4J),indicating the stronger resistance to crack propagation in Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb.Post-mortem analysis of impact samples demonstrated that the increased dislocation density and deformation twinning were mainly responsible for the stronger resistance to crack propagation in Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb.Due to the invisibility of dislocation activation and deformation twinning during the Charpy impact process,a mathematical model has been proposed to evaluate the effects of Al,Mo and Nb elements on dislocation mobility based on the Yu Rui-huang electron theory.Addition of Mo and Nb elements significantly improved the dislocation mobility in Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb compared to that in Ti-6Al alloy.Therefore,more dislocations were activated in Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb which supplied the larger plastic deformation under impact loading.A dislocation-based model also has been proposed to interpret the nucleation and propagation of deformation twinning under the impact loading.Dislocation pileup at α/β interfaces provided potential sites for nucleation of deformation twinning in Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb.Furthermore,deformation twinning facilitated the dislocation motion in α grains with hard orientations.The increased dislocation mobility and deformation twinning were responsible for the stronger crack resistance as well as the higher impact toughness of Ti-6Al-2Mo and Ti-6Al-3Nb alloys.     

Structural Characteristics of Rapidly Quenched Al-Si Alloys

The structure of rapldly quenched Al-Si alloys (1 and 4 wt-%Si) was systematically studied by optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM ) as welI as X-ray djffractjon (XRD). ExperimentaIresults show that rapid solidification refines the grain size. extends the solid solubility of Si in Al and Introduces a high density ot defects which exist in the forms of vacancies, dislocations and dislocation loops. etc.. The decomposition process of the alloys was fol lowed by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and the activation energy for precipitation of Si was obtained through Kissinger analysis. The precipitation behaviour of Supersaturated Si in both samples was further examined by TEM. It was found that Si mainly precipitated inside the grains in Al-1 wt-%Si alloy. while in Al-4 wt-%Si alloy. nearly all the Si precipitates distributed along the grain boundaries. This may be due to the structure difference between the alloys in as-quenched state     

超声场中Al-1%Si合金水平连铸实验研究

研究了功率超声对水平连铸Al-1%(质量分数)Si合金凝固过程、合金组织和力学性能的影响,详细探讨了超声空化细化合金组织的机理.结果表明,在合金的凝固过程中施加功率超声可以提高形核率,使合金组织细化,从而提高其力学性能,并且随超声波功率的增加,铸坯的平均晶粒直径减小.     

Microstructure evolution and interface structure of Al-40 wt% Si composites produced by high-energy ball milling

High silicon content Al-Si composites with a composition of Al-40 wt% Si were fabricated via a highenergy ball milling method. The microstructure evolution of Al-40 wt% Si milled powders and sintered composites has been thoroughly studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energydispersive spectrometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The mechanism of ball milling Al-40 wt% Si powders has been disclosed in detail: fracture mechanism dominating in the early stages, followed by the agglomeration mechanism, finally reaching the balance between the fragments and the agglomerates. It has been found that the average particle sizes of mixed Al-Si powders can be refined to the nanoscale, and the crystallite sizes of Al and Si have been reduced to 10nm and 62nm upon milling for 2h–50h, respectively. The finally formed Al-Si interfaces after ball milling for 50h are wellcohesive. A dense and homogenous Al-40 wt% Si composite have been achieved by solid-state sintering at550?C. The results thus provide an effective support for producing bulk nanostructured Al-Si composites.     

化学细化半固态Al-Si合金表观黏度及组织分析

为研究化学晶粒细化法对半固态Al-Si合金流变行为的影响,分别添加了Al-5Ti-B、K2TiF6、K2TiF6 石墨以及K2TiF6 Ti细化剂,在合金固化过程中利用Couette同轴圆筒式黏度计测量其表观黏度的变化,并观测不同固相分数试样微观组织.研究表明,化学晶粒细化法大大减小了半固态Al-Si合金的表观黏度,Al-5Ti-B细化效果好于K2TiF6,石墨或Ti和K2TiF6的组合较单一的K2TiF6效果显著.     

Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Isothermally-forgedTi-47Al-2Nb-1Cr-1V and Ti-47Al-2V-1Cr Alloys

Microstructures and room-temperature tensile properties of isothermally-forged γ-base (γ + α2)alloys in Ti-Al-Nb-Cr-V system with different heat treatments were investigated. The results show that the microstructures of Ti-47Al-2Nb-1Cr-1V and Ti-47Al-2V-1Cr (at. pct) alloys are mainly determined by heat treating temperature in the (cr + 7) tWo-phase field, and the joint additions of Nb, Cr and V in the Ti-47Al alloy afFect Ta significantIy. The microstructure of Ti-47Al alloy with additions of Nb, Cr and V (1~2 at. pct) can be dupIex or nearly-lamellar by a suitable heat treatment after isothermal forging at 1000℃ for over 50% plastic strains.Therefore its tensile properties can be improved at room temperature.     

Influence of oxides on porosity formation in Sr-treated Al-Si casting alloys

The strength and quality of an Al-Si alloy casting are determined by its microstructure and the amount of porosity present in the casting. Modification is one of the processes used to improve the microstructural quality, where the addition of a modifying agent alters the shape of the eutectic Si from an acicular to a fibrous form that is extremely beneficial to the mechanical properties. Among various modifiers, strontium has been used extensively, as it is easier to handle and more resistant to fading. However, its addition is also associated with porosity formation in these alloys. The porosity formed in Sr-modified castings has been variously related to an increase in the hydrogen level of the melt, feedability problems in the mushy zone during solidification, and changes in the mode of eutectic nucleation—from near the -Al dendrites in the Sr-free alloy, to within the eutectic liquid itself in the Sr-containing alloy. The present study was carried out to determine the influence of oxides on the porosity characteristics observed in Al-Si alloys containing strontium. A series of experimental and industrial alloys viz., Al-7%Si, Al-12%Si, 319 and 356 were selected, to cover a variety of alloy freezing ranges. The techniques of thermal analysis, optical microscopy, and SEM/EDX and EPMA analyses were employed to obtain the results presented here. It is seen how the presence of oxides (Sr and Al) is responsible for the porosity formation observed in Al-Si alloys, and that the difference in porosity characteristics with the addition of Sr depends on the amount of Sr oxides present in the solidified structure. The presence of aluminum oxide films leads to the formation of large pores that are often linked together. Both aluminum and strontium oxides are favorable sites for the nucleation of other microconstituents.     

Nucleation and growth of Fe-rich phases in Al-5Ti-1B modified Al-Fe alloys investigated using synchrotron X-ray imaging and electron microscopy

Plate-like Fe-rich intermetallic phases directly influence the mechanical properties of recycled Al alloys;thus,many attempts have been made to modify the morphology of these phases.Through synchrotron X-ray imaging and electron microscopy,the underlying nucleation and growth mechanisms of Fe-rich phases during the solidification of Al-5Ti-1B-modified Al-2Fe alloys were revealed in this study.The results showed that the Al-5Ti-1 B grain refiner as well as the applied pressure both resulted in reduction of the size and number of primary Al3Fe phases and promoted the formation of eutectic Al6Fe phases.The tomography results demonstrated that Al-5Ti-1B changed the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of primary Fe-rich phases from rod-like to branched plate-like,while a reduction in their thickness and size was also observed.This was attributed to the fact that Ti-containing solutes in the melts inhibit the diffusion of Fe atoms and the Al3Fe twins produce re-entrant corner on the twin boundaries along the growth direction.Moreover,the TiB2 provides possible nucleation sites for Al6Fe phases.The nucleation mechanism of Fe-rich phases is discussed in terms of experimental observations and crystallography calculations.The decrease in the lattice mismatch between TiB2 and Al6Fe phases was suggested,which promoted the transformation of Al3Fe to Al6Fe phases.     

Effect of grain refinement on the microstructure and tensile properties of thin 319 Al castings

The structural examinations and tensile properties of thin-section Al castings (319 Al alloy) have been investigated by applying a pattern with different cross sections (2–12 mm). Al–5Ti–1B and Al–5Zr grain refiners were added to the molten Al alloy to produce different levels of Ti (0.01%, 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.15%) and Zr (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4% and 0.5%) in the castings. From macrostructural studies, it was found that Al–5Zr is less effective in grain refining of 319 alloy in comparison with Al–5Ti–1B master alloy. The optimum levels of grain refiners were selected for determination of tensile properties. T6 heat treatment was applied for selected specimens before tensile testing. Further structural results also showed that thinner sections are less affected by grain refiners. This observation was found to be in a good agreement with tensile test results, where tensile properties of the base and grain refined alloys did not show considerable differences in thinner sections (<6 mm).     

铝合金熔体氧化制备Al2O3 / SiC/ Ni/ Al-Si多相模糊界面陶瓷基复合材料

针对Al₂O₃ / Al 复合材料中金属相Al 对其高温性能的不利影响, 本试验在高温下将铝合金熔体氧化渗透到注浆成型的SiC/ Ni 多孔预制体中, 制备了Al₂O₃ / SiC/ Ni/ Al-Si 多相陶瓷基复合材料。借助光学显微镜、电子显微镜(SEM) 、X 射线衍射仪(XRD) 、波谱仪( EDS) 等手段分析了预制体和复合材料的相组成、微观结构及界面特征。结果表明, 复合材料的主晶相为Al₂O₃ 与SiC , 相间存在Al (Si) 复合氧化物、NiAl₂O₄ 及Ni 与Al-Si 合金相, 各相界面处成分呈连续过渡变化趋势, 构筑了具有模糊界面特征的多相复合材料。      

Refining Effect of Boron on Hypoeutectic Al-Si Alloys

1. IlltroductionRefining treatmellt on hypoeutectic Al-St alloys isinevitably carried out because of the coarse dendriticgrain of a-Al. The grain refiner commonly used in theAl industry are nowadays usually master alloys of Tiplus B. It was Cibula in 194911], who clearly idelltiliedthe effectiveness of B in grain refining. The Chinesepublication first reported that Al-B master alloys isa powerful refiner better than Al-Ti or Al--Ti-B majster alloys[2]. Extensive theoretical and experime…     

Influence of silicon and magnesium on grain refinement in aluminium alloys

Abstract

Grain refinement in Al–Si alloys with silicon contents in the range of 0·2–30 wt-% has been studied in detail with conventional as well as higher level additions of a Al–5Ti–1B master alloy. A poisoning effect was observed with Al–Si alloys containing ≥7 wt-%Si and the extent of poisoning increased with an increase in the silicon content. Silicon improves the grain refining behaviour of aluminium when added in small quantities (0·2%). Magnesium can counteract the poisoning effect of silicon. The optimum level of magnesium required to overcome the poisoning effect depends on the silicon content of the alloy. Higher level additions of a grain refiner could overcome the poisoning effect of silicon and the level required to achieve good grain refinement is a function of the silicon and magnesium contents of the alloy. The present paper also reports the influence of degasser and melt temperature on the grain refining response of Al–Si alloys.     

添加Al-5Ti-B和Al-2Zr-Er对铸态铝锌镁合金力学性能的影响

铝锌镁合金以其优异的力学性能广泛应用于航空、航天、交通运输等工业领域,而铝合金的细化一直是铝加工行业的研究重点.为细化晶粒并提高其力学性能,本文将传统细化剂Al-Ti-B与RE复合添加到铝锌镁合金中,借助于XRD、光学显微镜、扫描电镜、拉伸实验等测试方法研究了不同细化剂对Al7Zn2.4Mg合金组织及其力学性能的影响.试验结果表明,合金中加入Al-5Ti-B和Al-Zr-Er后细化效果明显,单独添加Al-Ti-B的细化效果最好,但仍有少部分的晶粒保留的树枝晶形态.随着Al-Ti-B和Al-Zr-Er添加量的增多,合金的晶粒发生明显变化,塑性也随之增加,其中,添加0.4wt.%Al-5Ti-B细化剂对合金的塑性影响最大,而抗拉强度呈先增大后减小的趋势,复合添加0.2wt.%Al-2Zr-Er和0.2wt.%Al-5Ti-B细化剂的合金晶粒圆整且未出现树枝晶,晶界析出物最少平均抗拉强度最高.Al-Ti-B和Al-Zr-Er均可细化铸态铝锌镁合金的晶粒,同时添加两种细化剂更有利于提高合金的综合力学性能.     

The effect of hot-rolling on chill-cast Al,Al-2 wt % Ni and Al-4 wt % Ni alloys

The effect of hot-rolling on the mechanical properties and microstructure of directionallysolidified hypoeutectic Al-Al₃Ni alloys has been studied. Chill-cast hypoeutectic alloys were produced by casting into pre-heated mild-steel moulds placed on copper chills. The chill-cast Al-2 wt% Ni and Al-4 wt% Ni hypoeutectic alloys can be hot-rolled at 500 C to reductions of greater than 95%. Deformation is achieved by deforming the aluminium-rich dendrites in the rolling direction, followed by interpenetration of the Al₃Ni fibres into the dendrites resulting in a homogeneous microstructure. The variations of room-temperature tensile properties for the chill-cast hypoeutectic alloys were measured as a function of reduction of thickness during hot-rolling. The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength increase during rolling because of increasing Al₃Ni fibre alignment, homogeneous dispersion of the Al₃Ni fibres throughout the Al matrix, and work hardening in the Al matrix. The as-chill-cast alloys have strengths which agree with the composite law of mixtures for a combination of Al dendrites and Al-Al₃Ni eutectic. After hot-rolling, the alloy strengths can be predicted from discontinuous fibre reinforcement theory.     

Effect of Al-5Ti-1B on the microstructure of near-eutectic Al-13.0%Si alloys modified with Sr

The addition of Sr in Al-Si alloys as a modifier causes a transition of the morphology of eutectic silicon from coarse plate-like or acicular to fine fibrous. However, it may also lead to the formation of long columnar dendritic -Al phase. Al-5Ti-1B master alloy is often used as a grain refiner to achieve the fine equaixed grains in aluminum and aluminum alloys. The aim of the present study is to highlight the effect of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy additions on the microstructure of near-eutectic Al-Si alloys modified with Sr. When the addition of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy was below 0.82 mass%, the dendritic -Al phase changed from long columnar to equiaxed, and there were no noticeable changes of the morphology and size of eutectic silicon, while the size of eutectic cells decreased slightly. However, when the addition was above 0.82 mass%, the deleterious influence of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy on the modification effect of Sr emerged and with further increases in addition level a fully unmodified microstructure was finally produced. The results indicate that the effective Sr in the melt decreases with increased addition of Al-5Ti-1B. The poisoning event of Al-5Ti-1B master alloy on the modification of Sr is supposed to be related with the interaction between Sr and Ti.     

Solidification and precipitation behaviour of Al-Si-Mg casting alloys

The effect of Mg content on the solidification and precipitation behaviour of both unmodified and Sr-modified Al-7Si-Mg casting alloys has been investigated at various solidification rates using cooling curve analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical and electron microscopy. The Mg concentrations covered the range from 0.3 wt% to 0.7 wt%. The results indicate that increasing Mg content or cooling rate lowers the liquidus and binary Al-Si eutectic transformation temperatures. The latent heat of fusion of these alloys is strongly dependent on the level of Si present, but there is no observed dependence on Mg content. The solidification reactions observed under DSC are identified and it is noticed that the ternary eutectic solidification reaction L Al + Si + Mg₂Si is only observed at Mg levels of 0.6% and higher. The minor phases formed on solidification are identified and their response to solution heat treatment is examined. Increasing Mg content usually enhances precipitate hardening. However when Mg levels are increased above 0.5wt%, no apparent increase of yield strength with Mg is observed. This is correlated with dissolved Mg levels and energy released during reprecipitation.     

High strength Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Ni–Si alloy with improved casting properties

Abstract

The casting properties of high strength Al-7Zn-7Mg-1Cu-3Ni-3Si(wt-%) alloy are described. Compared with common Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys, an improvement of casting properties has been achieved by adding elements (Ni, Mg, Si) that form eutectic phases, thus reducing the solidification interval of the alloy. A comparison of thermal cooling curves, castability and hot tearing tendency has been carried out for three alloys: Al-7Zn-2Mg-1Cu (structure consists mainly of solid solution), quasi-ternary eutectic alloy Al-7Zn-7Mg-1Cu-3Ni-3Si and the common casting alloy Al-10Si. In addition, the effect of melt protection against oxidation on castability has been evaluated. It is shown that the casting properties of the protected quasi-ternary eutectic alloy are significantly better than those of the common Al-7Zn-2Mg-1Cu alloy and that they achieve a level close to that of Al-10Si alloy.     

铸态Mg-4Al-4Si-0.75Sb合金的显微组织与力学性能

采用重力铸造法制备Mg-4Al-4Si-0.75Sb(AS44-0.75Sb)(质量分数/%,下同)镁合金,研究铸态合金的显微组织和室温力学性能。结果表明:铸态AS44-0.75Sb合金主要由α-Mg基体、β-Mg17Al12相、Mg2Si相和Mg3Sb2相组成;加入0.75Sb后形成高熔点的Mg3Sb2相,显著改善了Mg2Si相的形貌,使粗大的骨骼状Mg2Si转变为相对细小的汉字状Mg2Si。铸态合金的硬度HV为65.9,屈服强度为136.4MPa,抗拉强度为172.3MPa,伸长率为3.3%;拉伸断裂形式为准解理脆性断裂。