Effect of hydrogen content,melt cleanliness and solidification conditions on tensile properties of A356 alloy

Abstract

In this study, the influence of hydrogen content, melt cleanliness and solidification conditions on the porosity distribution and mechanical properties have been investigated in a laboratory scale step mould casting with an A356 alloy. Three hydrogen levels, namely 0·10, 0·20 and 0·40 mL/100 g, were reached by treatment of the melt by Ar degassing, Ar–10H₂ and Ar water vapour mixture respectively. The hydrogen content of the melt was continuously measured. For each hydrogen level, two castings were produced, namely with and without filter. Porosity was increased with increasing hydrogen content but there was no significant effect of filtration. Moreover, similar tensile properties were achieved with different hydrogen levels and different porosity levels.     

Effects of sonoprocessing on microstructure and mechanical properties of A390 aluminium alloy

Abstract

Ultrasound is defined in terms of human hearing and it is a sound having a frequency higher than that to which the human ear can respond. The attempts to use the ultrasound at casting process have been carried out and there are a lot of study results on grain refinement on microstructure of casting alloys. However, these studies almost have been focused on mould vibration at solidifying melts of solid and liquid coexistence temperature. In this study, high intensity ultrasound was injected in aluminium full melts, especially A390 alloy, to evaluate the effect of ultrasound on microstructure and mechanical properties of castings. The effect of ultrasonic injection on melts could be summarised as follows: reduction of mean size of primary silicon, variation of phase distribution, improvement of solute homogeneity and mechanical properties.     

Improving mechanical properties of 2219 aluminium alloy GTA welds by scandium addition

Abstract

The effect of scandium additions to 2219 aluminium alloy weld metal has been investigated. At low levels (0·16%) of scandium, in spite of grain refinement in the weld metal, improvement in the mechanical properties has been nominal. At higher levels of scandium (0·37%), a substantial improvement in the tensile properties has been obtained. Further improvement in mechanical properties has been achieved by adding small amounts of magnesium. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of fine precipitate particles in the scandium containing weld metals. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and SEM–EDX revealed extensive copper segregation to grain and subgrain boundaries. The presence of scandium reduces the severity of segregation by producing fine equiaxed grains in the weld metals and also by refining the grain substructure. The morphology and size of the high copper eutectic phase at grain boundaries and sub-boundaries have been found to be finer and well distributed in the case of scandium containing weld metals. EPMA linescans and quantitative analyses proved that the depletion of copper in the matrix is minimised as a result of the fine grained structure.     

Influence of compositional variations on microstructural evolution,mechanical properties and fluidity of secondary foundry alloy AlSi9Cu3

Abstract

The combined effect of the main alloying elements on the mechanical properties and fluidity of the secondary foundry alloy AlSi9Cu3 has been investigated. Systematic compositional variations within the alloy's tolerance limit illustrate the broad spectrum of attainable properties. The yield strength in the as cast condition can be adjusted from 100 to 200 MPa, while the elongation to fracture can be simultaneously varied between 0·35% and almost 4%. Additionally, variation in fluidity by more than 100% can be achieved. The microstructure–property relationship is interpreted in the light of thermodynamic calculations that reveal a significant mutual interaction of the alloying elements.     

Microstructural evolution of AS21X HPDC alloy during thermal treatment

Abstract

The microstructure of a High Pressure Die Cast Magnesium (HPDC) AS21X alloy was investigated after various heat treatments. The material, supplied in the as cast state, consisted of Mg-α grains separated by intermetallic particles such as Mg₁₇Al₁₂, Mg₂Si and Al–Mn. The alloy was subjected to solution treatment at 415° C for times ranging from 0.5 to 48 h and to aging to assess grain growth stability and precipitation hardening. Light microscopy showed that Mg-α grains increase slightly in size whereas intermetallic particles do not disappear but assume a more rounded shape. Static precipitation and/or dissolution were followed by electrical conductivity, hardness measurements and X-ray diffractometry. Tensile properties at room temperature were evaluated on both the as cast and solution treated samples. Density was used as an indicator of porosity to explain the scatter in elongation to fracture data. Study of the fracture surfaces revealed the morphology of porosity and the otherwise ductile fracture failure mechanism.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of horizontal continuous cast pipe of CuZn40Al1 alloy

Abstract

Homogeneity in the metallurgical characteristics and mechanical properties of horizontal continuous cast products is vital for industrial application. In the present work, the microstructure and mechanical properties of a horizontal continuous cast two phase brass pipe have been studied. Tensile behaviour, impact strength and hardness variations were studied and the phase composition, porosity and nature of precipitates examined. Distinct differences in properties were observed between the upper and lower parts of the pipe, which are explained in terms of the morphology and size of the α phase in the microstructure.     

Effects of TiC additions on as cast and heat treated microstructures and mechanical properties of ZA84 magnesium alloy

Abstract

The effects of TiC additions on the as cast and heat treated microstructures and mechanical properties of ZA84 Mg alloy are investigated. The results indicate that, after adding 0·5 wt-%TiC to ZA84 alloy, the as cast microstructure of the alloy is refined. At the same time, the distribution of second phases in the alloy becomes relatively uniform and the quasi-continuous networked second phases in the alloy become discontinuous. As a result, the as cast tensile properties of the alloy are improved. In addition, after solutionisation at 345°C, parts of the Mg₃₂(Al,Zn)₄₉ phases in the ZA84 alloy without TiC modification still exhibit quasi-continuous distribution. The Mg₃₂(Al,Zn)₄₉ phases in the ZA84 alloy treated with 0·5 wt-%TiC change to disconnected particles with an angular morphology and gradually spheroidise. Under the optimum heat treated conditions, the ZA84 alloy treated with 0·5 wt-%TiC exhibits higher heat treated tensile properties than the ZA84 alloy without TiC modification.     

Enhancing corrosion resistance of Mg alloy AZ31B in NaCl solution using alumina reinforcement at nanolength scale

Abstract

The effect of nanosized alumina reinforcements on the corrosion behaviour of Mg alloy AZ31B has been studied by polarisation and electrochemical impedance measurements. The corrosion resistance of the composite was superior to that of the monolithic alloy. This has been explained by considering the beneficial effect of alumina reinforcement in reducing the volume fraction of the beta phase in the microstructure.     

The influence of internal chills on the structure and properties of aluminium alloy castings

Many of the drawbacks associated with the production of conventionally cast ingots and castings, such as the presence of pipes, centre-line segregation and columnar grains, can be attributed to the manner and extent of cooling inside the mould cavity and the problems of heat transfer from the centre to the outside of the casting. These result in lowering of the average mechanical properties and the yield of the casting. In the past, the use of external chills to reduce the above defects has had limited effects. This is because the influence of external chills becomes marginal beyond a certain distance. One of the potential methods of overcoming such problems is to employ heat sinks in the form of internal chills. Despite reported work by Russian and Japanese investigators on the use of internal chills, in the form of powder or strip, in iron and steel castings, no detailed information on the use of such chills in aluminium or other non-ferrous alloys is available in the literature.

This paper presents details and findings of an investigation carried out with Al-4.5% Cu (LM11) alloy using chills of cylindrical form of the same composition. The influence of such internal chills, placed centrally and non-centrally was assessed in terms of changes in solidification time, temperature gradient, percentage melting, microstructure, density, and the ultimate tensile strength of the castings.

The investigation has shown that solidification time decreases linearly with the percentage volume of the chills. Progressive structural refinement, corresponding to this reduction in solidification time, has also been observed. Distribution of the chills is seen to play an important role. One centrally-placed chill is essential in the refinement of the structure of the central region of an ingot, as well as to reduce the size of the central open pipe. The use of microchills in the form of turnings and powder has also been found to refine the structure considerably. The density and ultimate tensile strength of castings has been found to increase up to the optimum volume of chill, i.e. 2.5% at 75–115 K and 0.63% at 35 K superheat, and then decrease.     

Weld porosity in fibre laser weld of thixomolded heat resistant Mg alloys

Abstract

Porosity in fibre laser welds of two thixomolded heat resistant magnesium alloys AE42 and AS41 was investigated in detail, and porosity formation mechanism was discussed in terms of gas compositions in porosity. It is found that the area percentage of porosity in welds decreases with increasing welding speed, and can be correlated to width of weld metal. Microstructure observation and gas composition analysis in porosity show that the porosity in welds is mainly attributed to the micropores pre-existing in base metals during melting of AE42 and AS41 alloys by fibre laser welding, which are formed due to air entrapment during thixomolding process. Hydrogen rejection and Ar shielding gas entrapment are also the possible reasons for the porosity formation; however, their contribution is much smaller than that of pores in base metals. Furthermore, the addition of rare earth element may probably decrease porosity amount in the thixomolded Mg alloys and their welds.     

Effects of surface conditions on resistance spot welding of Mg alloy AZ31

Abstract

In this work, resistance spot welding of Mg alloy AZ31 sheets was investigated in as received and acid cleaned surface conditions. As received sheets had higher contact resistance which required lower current thresholds for weld initiation and for four root t nugget size (where t is sheet thickness). However, it also led to both serious expulsion and internal defects. The fracture mode of welds in as received sheets was interfacial failure while that of the acid cleaned specimens shifted from interfacial to nugget pullout and exhibited better strength. The acid cleaned sheets also produced less damage on electrode tip faces.     

Study on ac-PMIG welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy

Abstract

Welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy is carried out using alternating current pulsed metal inert gas (ac-PMIG) welding with 1·6 mm diameter of filler wire. Typical current waveform is used to make sure arc given an accurate energy input into filler wire. The arc characteristics, metal transfer forms, microstructure and mechanical property of ac-PMIG welding of AZ31B magnesium are investigated. The results show that a stable welding procedure and continuous joints can be obtained easily under a wide range of welding parameters. The most important factors for ac-PMIG welding are negative electrode (EN) ratio and pulse rework current, which give an accurate energy input into filler wire. The grain in fusion zone is much finer and more uniform, and grain size does not grow significantly in the heat affected zone compared with base metal. The average ultimate tensile strength of weld beads is 97·2% of base metal.     

Effect of grain refinement and dissolved hydrogen on the fluidity of A356 alloy

Abstract

The influence of grain refinement and dissolved hydrogen on the fluidity of A356 alloy has been investigated. A spiral casting test method, recently developed, has been used to measure fluidity in a reproducible way. The grain refinement reduces the grain size of the spirals, particularly at the tip, but no significant influence on the fluidity has been revealed. The hydrogen additions in the melt have not affected the fluidity but have, of course, significantly increased the porosity.     

'Quench sensitivity' of 7075 aluminium alloy plates

Abstract

7075 aluminium alloy is widely used especially in those applications for which high mechanical performances are required. In the technical literature it is well known that the corrosion resistance and the mechanical properties of this material strongly depend on the cooling rate during quenching. This phenomenon is known as 'quench sensitivity'. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of the cooling rate during quenching of samples taken from plates by varying the parameters of the heat treatment and the rolling direction (L, LT and ST). All the samples were heat treated in laboratory equipment to reach T6, T76 and T73 tempers. The samples were prisms (13 × 13 × 100 mm) and were quenched in water; the cooling rate was imposed by changing the water temperature or changing the polymer amount in a water agitated bath at 20°C. In each of the experimented condition, the cooling rate was measured by a thermocouple placed in the sample. Moreover, a finite element method (FEM) simulation was carried out in order to estimate the heat transfer coefficient during the cooling in all the experimented conditions. Tensile and intergranular corrosion tests were performed to point out the influence of the investigated cooling rates.     

Welding of AA6061-(Al2O3 )p composite: effect of weld process variables and post-welding heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties

Abstract

Metal–matrix composites reinforced with Al₂O₃ particles combine the properties of the matrix (ductility and toughness) with the ceramic properties of the reinforcements (high strength). However, their wide application as structural materials requires a proper development of their joint process. The present work describes the results obtained from microstructural (optical and scanning electron microscopy) and mechanical evaluation (hardness and tensile tests) of the welded aluminium–matrix composite (AA6061) reinforced with 10% and 20% volume fraction Al₂O₃ particles (W6A10 and W6A20, respectively) using the MIG (metal inert gas) welding process and ER5356 (AlMg5) as filler material. A characteristic of the welds carried out in composites is that the size of the melt pool is wider than in the unreinforced materials, for the same welding conditions. This is caused by the lower thermal conductivity of the composites. Furthermore, composites act as an insulator reducing the cooling rate of the bath. The thermal effect of welding on different types of joints results in a loss of the mechanical properties in the heat affected zones (HAZ). These properties can be recovered with post-welding heat treatment.     

The influence of copper on microstructure and mechanical properties of compacted graphite iron

Abstract

The influence of copper content (0·26 to 1·31 wt-%) on microstructure formation and mechanical properties of compacted graphite iron (CGI) has been evaluated through standard metallographic analysis, colour etching techniques and tensile testing of machined test bars. The properties investigated are yield strength, tensile strength and elongation. The castings were made in an industrial environment from a combination of CGI returns, pig iron, cast iron- and steel scrap. A total of four heats were cast in specially designed sampling cups (3 different cooling rates), chill wedges as well as tensile test bars machined from sand moulded cylinders (20, 45 and 85 mm in diameter). The results clearly illustrate the combined effect of copper and cooling rate on nodularity, chilling tendency as well as pearlite content. A discussion concerning the effect of graphite morphology on the ferrite growth is also included.     

Effect of tool rotation rate on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded copper

Abstract

Defect free copper welds were achieved by friction stir welding (FSW) carried out at a constant welding speed of 100 mm min^?1. The influence of tool rotation rate on microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture location was investigated. As the tool rotation rate increased, the grains of nugget zone grew significantly, the thermomechanically affected zone became indistinct and the grain size increased, but the effect of tool rotation rate on the grain size of heat affected zone was limited. Both ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation increased first and then decreased with increasing rotation rate and the UTS achieved a highest value of 282 MPa at the rotation rate of 400 rev min^?1 together with the welding speed of 100 mm min^?1, which was on the level of the base metal. The fracture occurred at the cavity defect on the advancing side of the joint when the FSW was performed at a low tool rotation rate, while it occurred on the retreating side when the tool rotation rate was relatively high.     

Ca对AZ81镁合金高温性能的影响

通过合金制备、微观分析和力学性能测试等方法研究了碱土元素Ca对AZ81镁合金微观组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明,加入适量碱土元素Ca后使AZ81镁合金的组织明显细化,β（Mg17Al12）相减少,并析出粒状的化合物Al4Ca。经固溶时效处理后,随着碱土元素含量增加。在室温、150℃和175℃三个温度下。合金的强度和延伸率基本上呈先升后降的趋势。当Ca含量为1％时,合金的室温强度和150℃强度同时达到最大值。分别为224．462MPa和183．542MPa。在各温度下对应的延伸率分别是9．2％和11．34％。     

Characterisation of mechanical properties of electrochemically deposited thin silver layers

Abstract

In the present work, mechanical properties of electrochemically deposited thin silver layers with known thickness over brass substrates were investigated. For determination of mechanical properties of the layers, a method was used which is novel compared to those traditionally used in practice (in which, for example, a tensile test is carried out on a deposit after removal of the deposited layer from the substrate). The method developed and reported here is a combination of microindentation experimentation and numerical simulations and gives the opportunity to obtain mechanical properties of thin layers without their removal from the substrate. Vickers' microindentation experiment of the silver layer was realized and as a result, led to experimental a load–displacement curve. After that the process of microindentation was modelled numerically by means of finite element method. The numerically obtained load–displacement curve was compared with the experimental one and the result shows good correlation between numerical and experimental curves. For some kinds of layers, which are difficult or impossible to strip away from the substrate, this method reported in this paper is the only one feasible.