Microstructure evolution during semi-solid powder rolling and post-treatment of 7050 aluminum alloy strips

Semi-solid powder rolling (SSPR) combines semi-solid rolling with powder rolling to prepare high-performance metallic strips. Semi-solid powders were prepared under an inert atmosphere and subsequently rolled by a powder rolling machine. Conductive cooling between the pre-heated rollers and semi-solid powders results in a rapid solidification effect that is able to process alloys with a broad freezing range. The liquid in the semi-solid powders plays an important role in the microstructure evolution, which can improve the strength of strips. The 7050 aluminum alloy strips were obtained and used to evaluate the processing parameters and strip qualities for strips up to 100 mm wide and 1.5–2 mm thick. The process of semi-solid powder rolling was described and microstructure evolution during rolling and post-treatment was analyzed. The combination mechanism of semi-solid powders during rolling was also discussed. The results show that the best liquid fraction to prepare a strip ranges from 45 to 65%. Flowing and filling of liquid (>10%), densification by rolling and recrystallization (<10%) are the three combination mechanisms of the semi-solid powders during rolling. In addition, semi-solid powder rolled strips can be processed subsequently by hot rolling with the improved micro-hardness and relative density.     

Isothermal coarsening of primary particles during rheocasting

The isothermal coarsening behavior of primary solid particles in A356 aluminum alloy semi-solid slurry produced by angular oscillation (AO) technique was investigated. The comparison between the calculation and experimental results shows good quantitative agreement with Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner theory. The results show that the variation in shape factor and solid fraction is not significant, the average particle size increases with increasing holding time at the expense of the particle density. Ostwald repining is most likely the predominant growth mechanism in the AO-treated semi-solid slurry during rheocasting. The differences of coarsening occurred in rheocasting and partial re-melting process were also discussed.     

Microstructural evolution of fine-grained ZA27 alloy during partial remelting

The microstructural evolution process of fined-grained ZA27 alloy during partial remelting has been investigated.The relationship between the as-cast and semi-solid microstructures has been discussed in particular.The results indicate that a semi-solid microstructure with small and spheroidal primary particles can be obtained when the Z.A27 alloy is partially remelted.The microstructural evolution can be divided into four stages,the initial coarsening of the dendrites due to coalescence of dendrite arms,structural separation resulted from the melting of residual interdendritic eutectic,spheroidization due to the partial melting of solid particles and final coarsening attributed to the coalescence and Ostwald ripening.An equiaxed dendrite in the as-cast microstructure may evolve into one spheroidal particle in the semi-solid microsturucture after being partially remelted.The more equiaxed the dendrites in an as-cast microstructure are,the more spheroidal the solid particles in the semi-solid microstructure will be.Finer primary particles could be obtained if the alloy with finer as-cast microstructure was partially remelted.However,due to the coalescence effect,their sizes cannot be reduced further if the refined as-cast microstructure reached a certain extent.     

Coarsening of grain-refined semi-solid Al–Ge32 alloy: X-ray microtomography and in situ radiography

The Lifshitz, Slyozov and Wagner theory (LSW) describes the coarsening of low volume fraction dispersed particles in a supersaturated solution as governed by a t^1/3 power law, while stating that ripening occurs in a self-similar manner. Only a few experiments have reported three-dimensional (3D) coarsening in binary semi-solid alloys, which differs from the LSW theory. We report here on in situ coarsening of Al–Ge32 (wt.%), which is used as a model system for a large variety of technical alloys. Numerical analysis of 2D and 3D images of the microstructure measured by X-ray radiography and microtomography reveals the evolution of the solid particles during annealing. Ripening of a grain-refined particle network is found to be quite well described by LSW theory, although somewhat smaller exponents (t^1/4–t^1/5) are found. Changes in coarsening behavior are observed in samples which are thinner than 0.5 mm, as well as in non-equiaxed alloy microstructures, characterized by anisotropic dendrites.     

Evolution of microstructure in semi-solid slurries of rheocast aluminum alloy

Semi-solid metal processing is being developed in die casting applications to give several cost benefits. To efficiently apply this emerging technology, it is important to understand the evolution of microstructure in semi-solid slurries for the control of the rheological behavior in semi-solid state. An experimental apparatus was developed which can capture the grain structure at different times at early stages to understand how the semi-solid structure evolves. In this technique, semi-solid slurry was produced by injecting fine gas bubbles into the melt through a graphite diffuser during solidification. Then, a copper quenching mold was used to draw some semi-solid slurry into a thin channel. The semi-solid slurry was then rapidly frozen in the channel giving the microstructure of the slurry at the desired time. Samples of semi-solid 356 aluminum alloy were taken at different gas injection times of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 35, 40, and 45 s. Analysis of the microstructure suggests that the fragmentation by remelting mechanism should be responsible for the formation of globular structure in this rheocasting process.     

In situ and real-time 3-D microtomography investigation of dendritic solidification in an Al–10 wt.% Cu alloy

The microstructural evolution of an Al–10 wt.% Cu alloy was investigated during solidification at constant cooling rate by in situ synchrotron X-ray microtomography with a resolution of 2.8 μm. Solidification of this alloy leads to a coarse dendritic microstructure which was fully characterized in terms of variation with temperature of the solid fraction, the specific surface area of the solid–liquid interface and the local curvatures of the solid phase. By analysing the evolution with solid fraction of individual dendrites, at least two coarsening mechanisms were clearly identified in addition to solidification growth. The first mechanism involves remelting of small secondary dendrite arms to the benefit of bigger adjacent arms. The second is the coalescence of adjacent secondary arms, with progressive filling of the inter-arm spacing and coalescence at the tips. Although this mechanism preferentially occurs at high solid fractions, these results show that the evolution of the dendritic microstructure during solidification is complex and involves the occurrence of various mechanisms operating concurrently. In situ X-ray tomography thus allows revisiting the various models which have been proposed to account for dendrite coarsening during solidification.     

In situ investigation by X-ray tomography of the overall and local microstructural changes occurring during partial remelting of an Al–15.8 wt.% Cu alloy

The paper is concerned with the study of the microstructural changes occurring during holding of an Al–15.8 wt.% Cu alloy in the semi-solid state. These changes are investigated in 3D by in situ X-ray tomography carried out at the temperature of the treatment. The studies are classified in two categories: overall changes by measuring average values of characteristic parameters, and local changes by considering the evolution of individual necks between particles. It is shown in particular that the size of the solid particles or the surface area of the solid–liquid interfaces do not follow the classical power laws but rather evolve in a slower manner. Local observations confirm that these results are due to the competition of two coarsening mechanisms of the solid particles that occur simultaneously: dissolution of a small particle to the benefit of one or several bigger ones by an Ostwald-type mechanism and the growth of necks between solid particles due to their coalescence. Complex variations of neck size result from these mechanisms which can be explained only by considering the neighbourhood of the particles under investigation. These observations confirm that in situ X-ray tomography is a very powerful tool to provide data that are representative of the semi-solid state and to observe in real time the mechanisms that act on the microstructure.     

Effects of isothermal process parameters on the microstructure of semisolid AZ91D alloy produced by SIMA

The effects of isothermal process parameters on the microstructure evolution of semisolid AZ91D alloy produced by strain-induced melt activation (SIMA) were investigated using the self-programmed analysis software based on quantitative metallography. The results showed that long isothermal time could make the semisolid particles more globular, but the size of the particles would grow larger; high semisolid isothermal temperature would reduce the solid volume fraction and accelerate the spherical evolution of the solid particles. It was found that the optimal process parameters should be 570 °C and 10–20 min of isothermal temperature and time respectively based on the conditions of this paper. The mechanism of the particles’ formation was also discussed during the isothermal treatment.     

The effect of rare earth elements on the kinetics of the isothermal coarsening of the globular solid phase in semisolid AZ91 alloy produced via SIMA process

In the present study, the effects of rare earth (RE) elements on the microstructure and coarsening kinetics of the solid globular particle in the semisolid slurry of AZ91 magnesium alloy have been studied at 570 °C and 580 °C. The results showed that the coarsening kinetics of the solid globular particles in semisolid slurry of AZ91 alloy satisfies the Ostwald ripening theory. It was shown that the coarsening rate of the solid particles decreases by adding RE elements into AZ91 alloy, specially at 580 °C, which results in the smaller particles size. It was attributed to the solid–liquid interfacial energy reduction due to the addition of RE elements.     

The ϵ → η → θ transition in 100Cr6 and its effect on mechanical properties

Low-temperature precipitation reactions in 100Cr6 are characterized using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, and modelled using thermokinetic methods. Martensitically transformed 100Cr6 is shown to display a complex microstructure composed of plate martensite, primary carbides, retained austenite and one or more of the ?-, η- and θ-phases. It is demonstrated that the maximum tensile strength (in excess of 2 GPa) and ductility is achieved by the θ-phase and the maximum yield strength is found during the α′ + η → α′ + θ transition. The interplay between the amount of carbon in solid solution, the martensite tetragonality and its morphology are related to the precipitate/matrix strain energy, the precipitate species present and their morphology. The progress in precipitate volume fraction, average radius, particle number and matrix composition can be quantitatively described by performing multicomponent precipitation kinetics calculations in paraequilibrium incorporating: (i) the effects of precipitate/matrix lattice misfit strain and particle aspect ratio, (ii) nucleation at plate boundaries and dislocations and (iii) an appropriate value for the precipitate/matrix interfacial energy, which is the only parameter fitted in the calculation.     

Effects of holding temperature and time on semi-solid isothermal heat-treated microstructure of ZA84 magnesium alloy

The feasibility of fabricating ZA84 magnesium alloy with non-dendritic microstructure by a semi-solid isothermal heat treatment process and the effects of holding temperature and time on the semi-solid isothermal heat-treated microstructure of the alloy were investigated. The results indicate that it is possible to produce ZA84 alloy with non-dendritic microstructure by suitable semi-solid isothermal heat treatment. After being treated at 560-575℃ for 120min, ZA84 magnesium alloy can obtain a non-dendritic microstructure with 14.2%-25.6% liquid fraction and an average size of 56-65μm of the unmelted primary solid particles. With the increasing holding time from 30 to 120min or holding temperature from 560 to 575℃, the average size of unmelted primary solid particles decreases and globular tendency becomes more obvious. Under the experimental condition, the microstructural evolution of ZA84 alloy during semi-solid isothermal treatment is mainly composed of three stages of initial coarsening. structulseparation and spheroidization. The subsequent coarsening of spheroidal grains is not observed.     

转动输送管制备半固态A380浆料研究

采用转动输送管流变制浆工艺生产A380,获得了符合金属半同态加工要求的细小、近球状的非枝晶组织.主要考查了不同的浇注温度和输送管转动速度对合金微观组织形成过程的影响.结果表明,采用转动输送管技术可以制备具有良好组织的A380合金半固态浆料,适量提高输送管转动速度或降低浇注温度,半固态组织的同相颗粒会变得细小、均匀和圆整.     

Liquid formation and microstructural evolution during re-heating and partial melting of an extruded A356 aluminium alloy

Thixoforming processes require feedstock having a non-dendritic, equiaxed microstructure, which in some cases can be obtained by a deformation–recrystallisation technique followed by partial melting. From the study of an extruded, re-heated and partially re-melted A356 alloy, a number of phenomena were observed and analysed: grain and particle growth, texture and low angle grain boundary formation, primary phase coarsening during isothermal holding in the semi-solid state and uneven distribution of Si particles and liquid phase. Both grain growth (solid state) and particle growth (semi-solid state) obey a R³ against time relationship. It was also found that microstructural coarsening follows an Ostwald ripening type of growth and that coalescence was also present, although exerting a minor role. Finally, phenomena such as the evolution with time of the proportion of low angle grain boundaries, and the relationship between recrystallisation, the onset of liquid formation and the coarse Si particle precipitation and dissolution are presented and discussed.     

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.     

Effect of pouring temperature on cooling slope casting of semi-solid Al-Si-Mg alloy

Present trend of semi-solid processing is directed towards rheocasting route which allows manufacturing of near-net-shape cast components directly from the prepared semi-solid slurry. Generation of globular equi-axed grains during solidification of rheocast components, compared to the columnar dendritic structure of conventional casting routes, facilitates the manufacturing of components with improved mechanical properties and structural integrity. In the present investigation, a cooling slope has been designed and indigenously fabricated to produce semi solid slurry of Al-Si-Mg (A356) alloy and successively cast in a metallic mould. The scope of the present work discusses about development of a numerical model to simulate the liquid metal flow through cooling slope using Eulerian two-phase flow approach and to investigate the effect of pouring temperature on cooling slope semi-solid slurry generation process. The two phases considered in the present model are liquid metal and air. Solid fraction evolution of the solidifying melt is tracked at different locations of the cooling slope, following Schiel s equation. The continuity equation, momentum equation and energy equation are solved considering thin wall boundary condition approach. During solidification of the liquid metal, a modified temperature recovery scheme has been employed taking care of the latent heat release and change of fraction of liquid. The results obtained from simulations are compared with experimental findings and good agreement has been found.     

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 of Al6061 composite with high SiC particle loading by semi-solid powder processing

Aluminum alloys reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) particles have been studied extensively for their favorable properties in structural and thermal applications. However, there has been only limited research into investigating the loading limit of a reinforcement phase of a metal matrix composite. In this paper, semi-solid powder processing (SPP), a fabrication method that exploits the unique behavior of a solid–liquid mixture, was used to synthesize SiC particle-reinforced Al6061. A high volume loading (>45 vol.%) of SiC in Al6061 matrix was investigated by varying the SiC loading volume fraction, forming pressure, SiC particle size and Al6061 particle size. The compaction and synthesis mechanism of the composite by SPP was discussed based on reinforcement phase compaction behavior and processing parameters. Microstructure, hardness, fracture surface and X-ray diffraction results were also analyzed. Results showed that SPP can achieve over 50 vol.% loading of SiC in Al6061 matrix with near theoretical density.     

Morphological evolution of semi-solid Mg2Si/AM60 magnesium matrix composite produced by ultrasonic vibration process

The application of ultrasonic vibration treatment (UVT) produced a nearly non-dendritic and refined semi-solid microstructure of Mg₂Si/AM60 composite. The effects of UVT temperature and time on microstructure of the semi-solid slurry were studied. A good semi-solid slurry with average grain size of 75 μm and shape coefficient of 0.53 could be obtained by applying UVT at 620 °C for 60 s, which were decreased by a factor of 17/20 and increased by a factor of 3 respectively as compared to the sample without treatment. The Mg₂Si and Mg₁₇Al₁₂ intermetallics are mainly located along the grain boundaries or dispersed uniformly in the metallic liquid matrix with network morphology. Mechanisms involved in the development of microstructure are discussed.     

Effect of sintering process on the microstructures and properties of in situ TiB2–TiC reinforced steel matrix composites produced by spark plasma sintering

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a new technique to rapidly produce metal matrix composites (MMCs), but there is little work on the production of TiB₂–TiC reinforced steel matrix composites by SPS. In this work, in situ TiB₂–TiC particulates reinforced steel matrix composites have been successfully produced using cheap ferrotitanium and boron carbide powders by SPS technique. The effect of sintering process on the densification, hardness and phase evolution of the composite is investigated. The results show that when the composite is sintered at 1050 °C for 5 min, the maximum densification and hardness are 99.2% and 83.8 HRA, respectively. The phase evolution of the composite during sintering indicates that the in situ TiB₂–TiC reinforcements are formed by a hybrid formation mechanism containing solid–solid diffusion reaction and solid–liquid solution-precipitation reaction. The microstructure investigation reveals that fine TiB₂–TiC particulates with a size of ～2 μm are homogeneously distributed in the steel matrix. The TiB₂–TiC/Fe composites possess excellent wear resistance under the condition of dry sliding with heavy loads.     

Enhanced wetting of dual-phase metallic solids by liquid metals: A new effect of interfacial reaction

The wetting of Cu–Fe two-phase composites by molten Sn is studied by the sessile drop technique under high vacuum at 400 °C. In this system Sn reacts with both solid components, forming intermetallic compounds. It is found that the curve of contact angle vs. the surface fraction of components passes through a minimum, behaviour that cannot be interpreted by existing models describing wetting of heterogeneous surfaces and/or reactive wetting. It is shown that the observed enhanced wetting can be explained by the dissolution contrast of Cu and Fe phases, leading to interfacial microroughness, thus providing an additional driving force for wetting. In order to take into account this new effect of interfacial reactions on wettability, an equation similar to Wenzel’s equation is established. It is shown that this equation can explain the change in wettability of composites when Sn is replaced by SnPb eutectic presenting a lower reactivity than pure Sn, as well as the effect on wettability observed when the scale of composite microstructure is changed with the surface fraction of components remaining constant.