Feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy

The feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy was studied. The effects of plunger speed, gate thickness, and solid fraction of the slurry on the defects were determined. The defects investigated are gas and shrinkage porosity. In the experiments, semi-solid slurry was prepared by the gas-induced semi-solid (GISS) technique. Then, the slurry was transferred to the shot sleeve and injected into the die. The die and shot sleeve temperatures were kept at 180 °C and 250 °C, respectively. The results show that the samples produced by the GISS die casting give little porosity, no blister and uniform microstructure. From all the results, it can be concluded that the GISS process is feasible to apply in the ADC12 aluminum die casting process. In addition, the GISS process can give improved properties such as decreased porosity and increased microstructure uniformity.     

Taper barrel rheomoulding process for semi-solid slurry preparation and microstructure evolution of A356 aluminum alloy

The self-developed taper barrel rheomoulding (TBR) machine for light alloy semi-solid slurry preparation was introduced. The semi-solid slurry was obtained from the intense shearing turbulence of the alloy melt in the cause of solidification, which was further caused by the relative rotation of the internal and external taper barrel whose surface contained wale and groove. The heat transmission model of TBR process, the flow rules and the shearing model of the alloy melt were deduced. Taking A365 as experimental material, the microstructure evolution rules under different slurry preparation processes were analyzed. The results show that decreasing the pouring temperature of A365 alloy melt properly or increasing the shearing rate helps to obtain ideal semi-solid microstructure with the primary particle size of about 70 μm and the shape factor of above 0.8.     

Effects of processing parameters on microstructure of semi-solid magnesium alloy

In this paper, the effects of pouring temperature of magnesium melt, preheating temperature of the barrel of the screw mixer, and shear rate on the solidified microstructures of semi-solid slurry were investigated by a mechanical stirring semi-solid process. The appropriate processing parameters of slurry preparation were obtained, and the mold filling ability of semi-solid slurry for thin-walled casting was examined. Results indicate that the solid volume fraction of non-dendritic microstructure increases with a decrease in pouring temperature of magnesium melt and the barrel preheating temperature of the screw mixer. Also the grain size of primary α-phase is reduced. Furthermore, the solid volume fraction of semi-solid nondendritic structure decreases with an increase of shear rate. The fine and round granular microstructure with 30～50 μm in size of semi-solid AZ91D magnesium alloy was presented. Finally, a 1.0 mm thin-walled casting with a clear contour and good soundness was successfully made by semi-solid rheo-diecasting.     

Development of aluminum rheo-extrusion process using semi-solid slurry at low solid fraction

An aluminum extrusion process is mainly used to fabricate long tubes, beams and rods for various applications. However, this process has a high production cost due to the need for investment of high-pressure machinery. The objective of this work is to develop a new semi-solid extrusion process using semi-solid slurry at low solid fractions. A laboratory extrusion system was used to fabricate aluminum rods with the diameter of 12 mm. The semi-solid metal process used in this study was the gas induced semi-solid (GISS) technique. To study the feasibility of the GISS extrusion process, the effects of extrusion parameters such as plunger speed and solid fraction on the extrudability, microstructure, and mechanical properties of extruded samples were investigated. The results show that the plunger speed and solid fraction of the semi-solid metal need to be carefully controlled to produce complete extruded parts.     

Research progress on microstructure evolution of semi-solid aluminum alloys in ultrasonic field and their rheocasting

The effects of ultrasonic vibration（UV）treatment on microstructure of semi-solid aluminum alloys and the application of UV in rheocasting process are reviewed.Good semi-solid slurry can be produced by high-intensity UV process for aluminum alloys.The microstructures of Al-Si,Al-Mg and Al-Cu alloys produced by rheocasting assisted with UV are compact and with fine grains.The mechanical properties of the UV treated alloys are increased by about 20%-30%.Grain refinement of the alloys is generally considered because of cavitation and acoustic streaming caused by UV.Apart from these mechanisms,a hypothesis of the fuse of dendrite root caused by capillary infiltration in the ultrasonic field,as well as a mechanism of crystallites falling off from the mould-wall and crystal multiplication by mechanical vibration effect in indirect ultrasonic vibration are proposed to explain the microstructure evolution of the alloys.     

加热工艺对半固态AlSi7Mg合金的重熔组织的影响

研究了半固态AlSi7Mg合金在不同加热温度制度，不同保温温度，不同保温时间下的显微组织。经电磁搅拌的AlSi7Mg合金在固相线－液相线温度区间保温加热时，共晶相首先熔化，团块状α相逐渐演变成球状。随着保温温度的提高，晶粒形状更圆滑，随保温时间增加，晶粒形状也更圆骨，保温温度太高或保温时间太长时，试样表面有液相析出，靠近表面部位产生大量孔洞，试样在自重作用下变形，随炉加热方式所获得的固相颗粒尺寸比热炉加热方式所获得的固相颗粒尺寸大。     

摆动振荡对A356铝合金半固态组织的影响

提出一种制备半固态浆料的新方法-摆动振荡法.采用该方法制备了A356铝合金的浆料.结果表明:摆动振荡可有效地防止稳定凝固壳的形成,可制备出组织优良的半固态浆料,其初生α(Al)的等效直径在60 μm以下,形状因子可达0.8以上,特别地,可以大幅度提高浇注温度.     

半固态A356合金微观组织特征对充型能力的影响

采用电磁搅拌法制备了具有不同微观组织特征的半固态A356合金浆料,用图像分析软件对浇注前浆料金相试样的初生相微观组织特征进行了测定,利用间接挤压铸造方法铸造阿基米德螺旋线试样,以挤压成形后的螺旋线试样长度衡量充型能力,通过多元回归,建立了半固态A356合金初生相微观组织特征与充型长度之间的数学表达式。结果表明:半固态浆料充型能力不仅与初生相微观组织特征参数有关,微观组织特征参数的交互作用对充型能力的影响也较大。利用该表达式可以对半固态浆料充型能力进行预测,进而指导半固态浆料制备参数设计、间接挤压铸造工艺设计和缺陷预测。     

Effects of temperature and time on three-dimensional microstructural evolution of semi-solid 2A14 aluminum alloy during short process preparation of semi-solid billets

To shorten the preparation process of semi-solid billets, semi-solid billets of 2A14 aluminum alloy were prepared by wrought aluminum directly semi-solid isothermal treatment (WADSSIT) process. Three-dimension (3D) combined microstructure evolution, namely transverse direction (TD) surface, rolling direction (RD) surface, and normal direction (ND) surface, was studied. Effects of temperature and holding time on average grain size and average shape factor were investigated. The results showed that the optimum conditions for preparation of 2A14 semi-solid billets by this process were 615 °C and 20 min (average grain size of 124 μm and shape factor of 0.81). Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) observations indicated that the microstructure was completely recrystallized when it was heated to 600 °C. Grain size was increased with the increase of temperature and grew up slowly with the holding time prolonging. Roundness was increased with increase of holding time but was not sensitive to temperature.     

等温温度对轧制SIMA法制备7075合金半固态显微组织的影响

分别采用以同步轧制和异步轧制为预变形方式的应变熔化激活法(SIMA)制备7075铝合金半固态坯料,研究了辊径比和等温保温温度对预变形板材热处理过程中组织演变的影响。结果表明:随等温温度的升高,初生固相晶粒内生成大量液相,固相晶间冷却后出现大量共晶相。在相同的热处理条件下,异步轧制预变形工艺能够比同步轧制预变形工艺获得更多液相,且半固态进程更迅速;获得半固态坯料的优化工艺条件为异步轧制作预变形、等温温度选择610 ℃。     

等温热处理对Mg-Gd-Zn-Zr合金半固态组织的影响

选择稍高于共晶反应温度作为等温热处理温度,对铸态Mg-15Gd-2Zn-0.6Zr合金进行等温热处理,获得了半固态球化组织。研究了热处理温度和保温时间对半固态组织的影响,探讨了半固态组织演变机制及适用于低温等温热处理的半固态Mg-Gd-Zn-Zr合金成分设计。结果表明,液相组织具有低的温度敏感性,其组织演变主要机制为α-Mg表面熔化和α-Mg动态再析出,而固相颗粒球化机制为:α-Mg树枝晶→枝晶臂粗化→枝晶臂合并、不规则多边形化→球化。     

汽车用铝合金半固态零件触变压铸工艺研究

针对半固态触变压铸工艺特点,对国产J1128卧式冷室普通液态压铸机的压射系统和模具系统进行了结构改进,对压铸工艺参数进行了优化选择,并采用半固态专用铝合金AlSi6Mg2和商用铝合金A357开展了大量半固态触变压铸试验研究.结果显示:半固态触变压铸工艺与普通液态压铸有很大的不同,在压射室和模具预热温度分别为100℃和250℃,低压压力为4.0MPa,射料二速工作压力为12MPa,增压压力为20MPa,快压射速度为1.4m/s条件下可获得冲型完好的汽车用铝合金半固态零件.     

采用蛇形通道浇注法制备半固态6061铝合金浆料

采用蛇形通道浇注工艺制备半固态6061铝合金浆料.研究浇注温度、弯道数量和弯道内径对显微组织的影响,并分析半固态浆料在浇注过程中的显微组织演变机理.结果表明:控制浇注温度在液相线附近可以细化晶粒、提高晶粒圆整度,并且增加弯道数量和降低弯道内径可以有效增加初生α(Al)晶粒的形核率.初生晶粒不仅由合金熔体受激冷形核和异质...     

Strengthening technology and mechanism for semi-solid die casting of aluminum alloy

Combined with theoretical evaluation,an optimized strengthening process for the semi-solid die castings of A356 aluminum alloy was obtained by studying the mechanical properties of castings solution treated and aged under different conditions in detail,then,the semi-solid die castings and liquid die castings were heat treated with the optimized process.The results show that the mechanical properties of semi-solid die castings of aluminum alloy are superior to those of the liquid die castings,especially the strengthening degree of heat treated semi-solid die castingsis much greater than that of liquid die castings with the tensile strength more than 330 MPa and the elongation more than 10％,and this is mainly contributed to the non-dendritic and more compact microstructure of semi-solid die castings.The strengthening mechanism of heat treatment for the semi-solid die castings of A356 aluminum alloy is due to the dispersive precipitation of the second phase(Mg2 Si) and formation of GP Zone.     

等温热处理工艺对AZ91D镁合金半固态组织演变和成形性的影响

研究了等温热处理温度和保温时间等工艺参数对AZ91D镁合金半固态组织演变和成形性的影响。结果表明 ,半固态等温热处理可以将普通金属型铸造的AZ91D镁合金锭中的枝晶组织转变为球形晶粒组织 ,其演变过程为 :在升温过程中晶界处部分γ相先发生溶解 ,随着温度的升高 ,剩余的γ相开始熔化 ,继而δ相也发生熔化 ,并在等温处理中逐渐演变为球状 ;保温温度越高 ,半固态重熔和δ相演变过程越快 ,保温温度过高或保温时间过长 ,试样易发生变形 ,同时 ,球状晶粒也容易趋于长大。AZ91D镁合金半固态成形所需的最佳工艺条件为加热温度 5 70℃左右 ,保温时间 2 5～ 35min ;或加热温度 5 80℃左右 ,保温时间 15～ 2 0min。     

ZL201铝合金半固态流变压铸组织与性能

研究了ZL201铝合金半固态流变压铸组织与性能,包括半固态浆料的制备、压铸成形和固溶、时效处理。结果表明:在ZL201铝合金液相线温度附近施加交变电磁场,能够获得均匀、细小、近球形非枝晶组织的半固态浆料;半固态浆料经压铸成形后,零件具有等轴或蔷薇状晶粒组织;经T5热处理后,ZL201铝合金的抗拉强度为253N/mm2,伸长率为7%。流变压铸件的组织和性能优于半固态触变压铸件的。     

Effect of original microstructures on microstructural evolution of A2017 semi-solid alloy billets during reheating

The microstructural evolution of the A2017 semi-solid alloy billets provided with rheocasting and extruding/extending forming by shearing-cooling-rolling(SCR) technology during reheating in semi-solid state was investigated. The microstructural differences and their generation causes for both billets were also analyzed. The results show that during reheating, the grains of rheocasting billets grow up and spheroidize gradually with the prolongation of isothermal holding time, the eutectic liquid phase at low melting point forms mainly among the grains. However, the grains of the extruding/extending forming billets grow up abnormally through grain coalescence in the initial stage of the reheating, the entrapment of large amount of liquid within grains occurs, and the grain sizes in the reheating billets are coarse and inhomogeneous. Compared with extruding/extending forming billets, rheocasting billets have smaller and uniform grains in reheating microstructure and can rapidly form liquid phase among grains. Therefore, rheocasting billets are more suitable for the semi-solid forming than the extruding/extending forming billets.     

Fabrication and microstructure evolution of semi-solid LY11 alloy by SIMA

For semi-solid metal forming, it is essential to fabricate the semi-solid materials with spheroidal microstructure. Among several fabrication techniques of the semi-solid materials, (strain-induced melt activation (SIMA) is an ideal candidate with the advantages of simplicity and low equipment costs. In this paper, the microstructure evolution of LY11 alloy (approximately corresponding to ASTM 2017) was investigated in the SIMA process, which had two essential stages: deformation and isothermal heat treatment. The deformation stage was conducted using a CSS-1100C material testing machine and the isothermal heat treatment stage was performed in a resistance furnace. Different levels of deformation temperatures, ram velocities, isothermal temperatures, and holding times were used in this investigation. The microstructure of LY11 alloy was observed by a NEOPHOT-1 optical microscope. The results indicated that the processing parameters must be selected properly to obtain the fine, uniform and spheroidal microstructure by SIMA. The deformation-recrystallization mechanism for microstructure evolution in SIMA process was supported by experimental evidence.