Effect of Tin on the Wear Properties of Spray Formed Al–17Si Alloy

In the present study, the effect of Sn on the dry sliding wear behavior of spray formed and hot pressed Al–17Si alloy as a function of applied load and sliding speed has been investigated and compared with that of as-cast alloy. The microstructure of spray formed Al–17Si alloy consists of fine and uniformly distributed Si particles and that of Al–17Si–10Sn alloy consists of fine and uniform dispersion of Si particles and ultra-fine Sn particles in α-Al matrix. Coarse and segregated microstructures were observed in as-cast alloys. The wear resistance of spray formed alloys is higher than that of as-cast alloys. The wear resistance of as-cast Al–17Si–10Sn alloy is higher than that of as-cast Al–17Si alloy. The high wear resistance of spray formed Al–17Si–10Sn alloy is discussed in the light of its microstructural features and the nature of worn-out surfaces.     

Effect of Aging Time on Mechanical Properties and Wear Characteristics of Near Eutectic Al–Si–Cu–Mg–Ni Piston Alloy

Al–12Si–3Cu–1 Mg–1.78Ni alloy is widely used for piston parts in automobile industry. The present paper investigates the effect of aging time for 1–16 h at 180 °C after solution treatment of the alloy at 500 °C for 5 h, on alloys prepared by gravity casting and squeeze casting. The wear rate of the alloy shows a minimum at an intermediate aging time. The hardness and ultimate tensile strength showed a peak at intermediate aging time. Mechanical properties and wear resistance are found to be better in squeeze cast alloy. The result are explained based on the microstructure developed during casting process and on heat treatment for various durations.     

Study on the Effects of Squeeze Pressure on Mechanical Properties and Wear Characteristics of Near Eutectic Al–Si–Cu–Mg–Ni Piston Alloy with Variable Mg Content

In the present work, the effects of pressure on the wear resistance characteristics, mechanical properties and the microstructures of Al–Si piston alloys that have variable Magnesium (Mg) content are studied. The paper begins with an explanation of the desirable properties of eutectic Al–Si alloys and why these chemical and mechanical properties are desirable in the fabrication of light weight machine components. The methods for further strengthening the alloys using alloying elements such as Ni, Cu and Mg, and applying heat treatment are also discussed. The paper also emphasises on the addition of Magnesium, and compares the traditional gravity die casting with a novel hybrid technology known as squeeze casting. In the results and discussion section, the microstructure properties of the Al–Si both as-cast and after heat treatment conditions are discussed. The mechanical and wear properties as well as the implications of pressure on the alloys are also discussed in details. SEM analyses of wear surface and fracture behavior on the as cast Al–Si alloys and after heat treatment, reveal that squeeze pressure increases fracture ductility as well as resistance to wear; more so upon heat treatment. It is also determined that the hardness and UTS values increases with increase in Magnesium content and reaches the maximum values when Mg content is at 1 % of the alloy’s composition.     

Review of Microstructure Evolution in Hypereutectic Al–Si Alloys and its Effect on Wear Properties

Al–Si alloys with silicon content more than 13 % are termed as hypereutectic alloys. In recent years, these alloys have drawn the attention of researchers due to their ability to replace cast iron parts in the transportation industry. The properties of the hypereutectic alloy are greatly dependent on the morphology, size and distribution of primary silicon crystals in the alloy. Mechanical properties of the hypereutectic Al–Si alloy can be improved by the simultaneous refinement and modification of the primary and eutectic silicon and by controlling the solidification parameters. In this paper, the effect of solidification rate and melt treatment on the evolution of microstructure in hypereutectic Al–Si alloys are reviewed. Different types of primary silicon morphology and the conditions for its nucleation and growth are explained. The paper discusses the effect of refinement/modification treatments on the microstructure and properties of the hypereutectic Al-Si alloy. The importance and effect of processing variables and phosphorus refinement on the silicon morphology and wear properties of the alloy is highlighted.     

Dry Sliding Wear Behavior of Cold Rolled Spray Cast Al–6Si Alloy

In the present investigation, dry sliding wear behavior of spray cast Al–6Si alloy in both as-sprayed and different cold rolled reductions have been studied as a function of applied load. The spray cast preform was cold rolled to increase its densification. The preform showed equiaxed grain morphology containing some irregular pores and these were almost eliminated by the cold rolling. The improved wear properties of cold rolled spray cast alloy are discussed on the basis of microstructural features at different rolling reductions and the nature of debris particles collected from wear test.     

Influence of Strontium Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of an Al–10Si–5Cu Alloy

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–10Si–5Cu cast alloys with micro-addition of alloying elements (V, Cr and Ni) were studied before and after strontium addition. Samples were examined using the X-Ray diffraction, the optical microscope, the scanning electron microscope and the energy dispersive spectrometer. The results indicated that the α-Al matrix, eutectic Si phase and Al₂Cu phase were the main constituent phases of Al–10Si–5Cu alloys before or after strontium addition. Strontium addition affected the refining of the α-Al grains and transforming the configuration of interdendritic phases. The un-modified alloy showed a brittle nature because of existing brittle and aggregated AlSiMnFe phases. Contributing to the alteration of microstructure in strontium modified alloy, the strength and elongation of the alloy were improved. In addition, the fracture mechanism and crack propagation process were investigated in both the alloys.     

Sintering Behaviour and Mechanical Properties of Al–Cu–Mg–Si–Sn Aluminum Alloy

The present study investigates the effect of compaction pressure and sintering temperature on densification response and mechanical properties of the Al–3.8Cu–1Mg–0.8Si–0.3Sn (2712) alloy. The compacts were pressed at 200 and 400 MPa and sintered at temperatures ranging from 570–630°C in vacuum (10^?6 Torr). The objective of the present work is to obtain an optimum sintering conditions for achieving higher sintered densities and mechanical properties. The effect of sintering temperature is evaluated by measuring the sintered density, densification parameter, microstructure, phase changes and mechanical properties. While a higher sintering temperature results in densification enhancement, it also leads to microstructural coarsening. Significant improvement in mechanical properties is obtained through age-hardening of sintered alloy under various ageing conditions (T4, T6 and T8).     

Effect of Impurities on the Phase Composition and Properties of a New Alloy of the Al–Y–Er–Zr–Sc System

Metallurgist - A comparative study is provided for the effect of Si and Fe impurities in relation to their concentration in the structure, phase composition, and mechanical properties of alloy...     

Effect of Hot Rolling on Grain Refining Performance of Al–5Ti–1B Master Alloy on Hot Tearing on Al–7Si–3Cu Alloy

It has been known experimentally that TiAl₃ acts as a powerful nucleant for the solidification of aluminum from the melt; however, a full microscopic understanding is still lacking. To improve microscopic understanding, hot rolling technique has been performed to the Al–5Ti–1B alloy and the effect of shape and size of the particles on grain refinement has been studied. The effect of hot rolling of Al–5Ti–1B master alloy on its grain refining performance and hot tearing have been studied by OM, XRD, and SEM. Hot rolling improves the grain refining performance of this master alloy, which is required to reduce hot tearing in Al–7Si–3Cu alloy. The improvement in grain refining performance of Al–5Ti–1B master alloy on rolling is due to the fracture of larger TiAl₃ particles into fine particles during rolling. The presented results illustrate that the morphology of TiAl₃ particles alter from the plate-like structure in the as-cast condition Al–5Ti–1B master alloy to the blocky type after rolling due to the fragmentation of plate-like structures. The grain refining response and effect on hot tearing of Al–7Si–3Cu alloy have been studied with as-cast and rolled Al–5Ti–1B master alloys. The results display hot-rolled master alloys revealing enhanced grain refining performance and minimizing hot tear tendency of the alloy at much lower addition level as compared to as-cast master alloys.     

Effect of Melting Process on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Fe–7 wt% Al Alloy

This article presents the effect of melting process on chemical composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe–7 wt% Al alloy. The alloy ingot was prepared by air induction melting (AIM), air induction melting with flux cover (AIMFC) and vacuum induction melting (VIM) and cast into 50 mm diameter split cast iron mould. These cast ingots were hot-forged and hot-rolled at 1,373 K to 2 mm thick sheet. Hot-rolled alloys were characterized with respect to chemical composition, microstructure and mechanical properties. Ingots produced by AIM, AIMFC and VIM were free from gas porosity, however AIM ingots exhibited higher concentration of hydrogen as compared to AIMFC and VIM. The recovery of aluminium as well as reduction of oxygen during AIM is very poor as compared to AIMFC and VIM. AIMFC ingots exhibit low level of sulphur as compared to AIM and VIM ingots. The alloys produced by AIMFC and VIM exhibited superior tensile ductility compared to the alloys produced by AIM. The tensile properties of alloys produced by AIMFC are comparable to the alloys produced by VIM.     

Experimental Investigation on Adhesive Wear Behavior of Al–Si6Cu/Ni Coated SiC Composite Under Unlubricated Condition

This paper studies the dry sliding wear behavior of Al–Si6Cu/Ni coated SiC metal matrix composite fabricated using stir casting technique. The SiC reinforcement particles coated with Ni by electroless coating were incorporated at 10-wt% into the metal matrix. The wear behavior was studied on unlubricated pin-on-disc tribometer based on design of experiments modelled using Response Surface Methodology for various sliding parameters such as applied load, sliding velocity and sliding distance. The minimum wear rate condition and optimum condition of the parameters were detected from the developed model. The analysis of variance showed the influence of each parameter on wear rate. The confirmation experiments were done to ensure the validity of the developed regression model. The worn-out surface morphologies of the metal composite were studied using scanning electron microscope analysis. From the experimental results it was found that the parameter which influenced the wear behavior was applied load followed by sliding velocity and distance. The confirmatory experiments confirmed the RSM’s design as precise statistical model in developing regression results with less error. The surface plot of wear characteristics showed that irrespective of the conditions of sliding velocity and distance the wear rate increased on increasing the load. The wear rate exhibited a non linear relationship with sliding velocity and distance. The scanning electron microscopy revealed that higher material deformation was observed at higher load resulting in severe wear of the composite material.     

The Structure and Properties of Precipitation-Strengthened Composites Produced From a Cast Alloy in the Al–Si–Mg System

Powder Metallurgy and Metal Ceramics - The properties of precipitation-strengthened composites produced from an aluminum alloy were studied. The composites were prepared by powder and casting...     

Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on Wear and Corrosion Resistance of an Al–Zn–Mg–Cu Alloy

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - The 7075 aluminum alloy was subjected to deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) at –196°C with liquid nitrogen for different hours. The wear and corrosion...     

Effect of Cooling Rate on the Microstructure of Semi-Solid Al–25Si–2Fe Alloy During Electromagnetic Stirring

The effect of cooling rate on the microstructure of semi-solid Al–25Si–2Fe alloy was investigated during electromagnetic stirring. It was found that as the cooling rate was increased from 7 to 21 °C/min, the equivalent diameter of the primary Si particles decreased from 70 ± 5 to 25 ± 2 μm. The primary Si particles form a fine blocky structure when the cooling rate is 21 °C/min. When the cooling rate is increased to 30 and 33 °C/min, the primary Si particles coarsen and adopt plate or other irregular shapes. As the melt cools to 690 °C, Fe inter-metallic phases present different morphologies at different cooling rates during EMS. These phases in the Al–25Si–2Fe alloy are mainly in the form of δ-Al₄FeSi₂ at higher cooling rates.     

Effect of Melt Treatment with Water Vapor on Thermal Expansion of Alloy Al – 20–40% Si

Metallurgist - The effect of melt treatment with water vapor on the microstructure and linear thermal expansion coefficient (LTEC) of Al–(20–40)% Si alloys is studied. LTEC values are...     

Investigation of the Thermal and Electrical Properties of Al–1.9Mn–xFe Ternary Alloys

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - In this work, the thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, enthalpy of fusion, specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity of the...     

Theoretical Investigation on Deoxidation of Liquid Steel for Fe–Al–Si–O System

Deoxidation of liquid steel involves consumption of high energy materials like ferro alloys and generation of deoxidation products which could be entrapped into liquid steel as non-metallic inclusions. The present investigation is focused on deoxidation of liquid steel, considering mainly aluminium and silicon as deoxidizer. A simple and realistic mathematical model of deoxidation of liquid steel has been developed based on the thermodynamic principles and material balance approach for day to day industrial practice. One of the main aims of the theoretical study was to predict the amount of deoxidizers required for a given steel composition. A methodology has also been developed to predict the stability of different oxides expected to be present in liquid steel after deoxidation. Model predictions have been compared with the industrial data as well as results obtained from commercial thermodynamic software package FactSage 6.4, simulated under identical conditions. Model predictions are in reasonable agreement with the ferro alloy consumption in industrial steelmaking processes.     

Effect of Barothermal Treatment on the Structure and the Mechanical Properties of a High-Strength Eutectic Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Ni Aluminum Alloy

The effect of barothermal treatment by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) on the structure and the properties of castings of a promising high-strength cast aluminum alloy, namely, nikalin ATs6N4 based on the Al?Zn–Mg–Cu–Ni system, has been studied using two barothermal treatment regimes different in isothermal holding temperature. It is shown that the casting porosity substantially decreases after barothermal treatment; eutectic phase Al3Ni particles are additionally refined during exposure to the barothermal treatment temperature: the higher the HIP temperature, the more substantial the refinement. The improvement of the casting structure after HIP increases their mechanical properties. It is found, in particular, that the plasticity of the alloy in the state of the maximum hardening increases by a factor of more than 8 as compared to the initial state (from 0.82 to 6.9%).     

Influence of Inert Particle Additives on Properties of Nano-Microcrystalline Alloys on Based on Al–Fе–V–Si

Metallurgist - A new trend in production of aluminum alloys used in construction in the automotive and aerospace industries is manufacture of composite materials. The structure and connection...     

Effect of modification on the solidification of Al–Si aluminum alloys

The solidification of the AK12 alloy processed by a standard flux and a combined modifying flux, which significantly increases the mechanical properties of the alloy at a significant increase in the modifying effect time, is studied. The experimental results are simulated using the ProCAST software package.