Effect of Pr addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 magnesium alloy

To improve the strength, hardness and heat resistance of Mg-6Al-1Zn(AZ61) alloy, the effects of Pr addition on the as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 alloy were investigated at room and elevated temperatures by means of Brinell hardness measurement, optical microscope(OM), scanning electron microscope(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), X-ray diffractometer(XRD) and DNS100 electronic universal testing machine. The results show that the microstructures of Pr-containing AZ61 alloys were refined, with primary β-Mg17Al12 phase distributed homogeneously. When the addition of Pr is up to 1.2wt.%, the β phase becomes fi ner, and new needle-like or short-rod shaped Al11Pr3 phase and blocky AlPr phase appear. As a result, optimal tensile properties are obtained. However, greater than 1.2wt.% Pr addition leads to poorer mechanical properties due to the aggregation of the needle-like phase and large size of grains. The present research fi ndings provide a new way for strengthening of magnesium alloys at room and elevated temperatures, and a method of producing thermally-stable AZ61 magnesium alloy.     

Effect of SiC particle addition on microstructure of Mg2Si/Al composite

In the present study, by adding SiC particles into Al-Si-Mg melt, Mg2Si and SiC particles hybrid reinforced Al matrix composites were fabricated through the Mg2Si in situ synthesis in melt combined with the SiC ex situ stir casting. The as-cast microstructure containing primary Mg2Si and SiC particles that distribute homogenously in Al matrix was successfully achieved. The effects of SiC particle addition on the microstructure of Mg2Si/Al composites were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and XRD. The results show that, with increasing the fraction of the SiC particles from 5wt.% to 10wt.%, the morphologies of the primary Mg2Si particulates in the prepared samples remain polygonal, but the size of the primary phase decreases slightly. However, when the SiC particle addition reaches 15wt.%, the morphologies of the primary Mg2Si particulates change partially from polygonal to quadrangular with a decrease in size from 50 μm to 30 μm. The size of primary Al dendrites decreases with increasing fraction of the SiC particles from 0wt.% to 15wt.%. The morphology of the eutectic Mg2Si phase changes from a fi ber-form to a short fi ber-form and/or a dot-like shape with increasing fraction of the SiC particles. Furthermore, no signifi cant change in dendrite arm spacing(DAS) was observed in the presence of SiC particles.     

Effect of vacuum on solidification process and microstructure of LFC magnesium alloy

Lost foam casting （LFC） is regarded as a cost-effective, environment-friendly vital option to the conventional casting process for production of near-net shape castings with high quality. Effect of vacuum on the solidification process and microstructure of LFC magnesium alloy were explored. The results indicate that vacuum plays a very important role in the heat transfer during mould filling and solidification periods, it increases the cooling rate of the filling melt, but greatly decreases the cooling rate of the casting during solidification period, and the solidification time of the casting is greater than that without vacuum. The microstructure of LFC magnesium alloy is rather coarse. Compared with that without vacuum, the microstructure of the LFC magnesium alloy under vacuum is more refined and has less precipitated β-phase, which is formed at the grain boundry and around the Al-Mn compound particle.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn alloy with La and Sm addition

The effect of single addition of La or Sm on the microstructures and mechanical properties of an Al-Cu-Mn alloy were investigated by microstructure characterization and tensile test.The results show that addition of La or Sm into the Al-Cu-Mn alloy can remarkably increase the density of θ' phase and refine the microstructure,and thus,improves the mechanical properties at room temperature.La addition results in a more considerable increase in the density and refinement of θ' phase than Sm addition.La addition has a more significant contribution on the mechanical properties of the Al-Cu-Mn alloy than Sm addition.in addition,a new phase of Al6Cu6La is formed in the Al-Cu-Mn alloy with La addition.     

Effect of process variables on grain growth in simulating solidification microstructure of Ti-45%Al alloy ingot by stochastic model

A comprehensive stochastic model for simulating microstructure formation of Ti-45% Al（mole fraction） alloy ingot during solidification process was developed, based on a finite differential method（FDM） for macroscopic heat flow calculation and a cellular automaton（CA） technique for microscopic modeling of nucleation and growth. The formation of a shrinkage cavity at the top of ingot was taken into account. The effects of process variables such as pouring temperature and mold-preheated temperature on the microstructure formation were investigated. The calculated results indicate that the columnar zone is expanded with increasing pouring temperature in the nonlinear way and the volume fraction of equiaxed zone only slightly varies with the mold-preheated temperature.     

Effect of electric pulse treatment on solidification structure of an Al-15%Si alloy

1 IntroductionThe study of electric field (EF) modifying themetal microstructure has made some progress sinceAsoka applied electric current when a Pb-Sn alloysolidified [1-8]. Based on the different applying du-rations of EF to melt, there are two kinds o…     

Efects of diferent casting mould cooling rates on microstructure and properties of sand-cast Al-7.5Si-4Cu alloy简

In this work, AI-7.5Si-4Cu alloy melt modified by AI-10Sr, RE and AI-5-13-B master alloys was poured into multi-step moulds made from three moulding sands, including quartz, alumina and chromite, to investigate comparatively the effects of different cooling rates of the casting mould on the alloy＇s microstructures and mechanical properties. The results show that with an increase in wall thickness, the cooling rate decreases, the dendrite arm spacing （DAS） increases significantly and the mechanical properties decrease steadily. The elongation is more sensitive to the cooling rate than the tensile strength. No obvious trend of the effect of wall thickness on hardness of the alloy was found. When the cooling rate is at its greatest, the microstructures and mechanical properties are the best when using chromite sand. The improvement of the properties is mainly attributed to the decrease of the DAS, the grain refinement and the metamorphic effect. Each of the three has a strong impact on the microstructures. Furthermore, a series of fitting models was established based on the data of the DAS to predict the mechanical properties of the multivariate sand-cast AI-7.5Si-4Cu alloy,     

Effect of Fe addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-25V-15Cr-2Al-0.2C alloy

1　INTRODUCTIONTitaniumalloyshavebeenextensivelyappliedtoaerospaceindustriesduetotheirexcellentspecificstrength ,goodcorrosionresistanceandmechanicalproperties .However ,conventionaltitaniumalloysarehighlyreactiveandcanundergosustainedcombustionunderconditionsencounteredingasturbineenginescompressors.Intheearly 1990s ,Pratt&Whit ney[13] intheUSAdevelopedanew βtitaniumalloywithgoodburnresistance ,designatedAlloyC (Ti 35V 15Cr) .Theproductioncostofthisalloyisveryhighbecauseofalargeamou…     

Effect of yttrium on microstructure and mold filling capacity of a near-α high temperature titanium alloy

The addition of rare earth yttrium(Y) can improve the performances of high temperature titanium alloys,such as the tensile ductility,thermal stability and creep property,etc.However,few studies on the effect of Y on the castability of titanium alloys have been carried out,which is significant to fabrication of thin-walled complex titanium castings by investment casting.In this study,the microstructure and mold filling capacity of a Ti-1100 alloy with different Y additions(0,0.1wt.%,0.3wt.%,0.5wt.% and 1.0wt.%) were investigated systematically through investment casting experiments,and the casting experiments were carried out in a centrifugal titanium casting machine.The microstructures of the alloy were observed via the optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The mold filling capacity was tested by using of a grid pattern and was evaluated by the number of segments completely filled by the cast alloy.The results indicate that the grain size is decreased and the mold filling capacity is improved significantly with increasing the addition of Y from 0 to 1.0wt.%.The average primary grain size of Ti-1100 alloy is reduced from 250 μm to 50 μm and the mold filling capacity is increased from 61.5% to 100%.Considering the potential harmful effect on tensile properties of titanium alloys due to high concentrations of Y,it is suggested that Y addition should be about 0.3wt.%.     

Effect of Y addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–Zn–Mn alloy

The effects of Y on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Zn–1Mn alloy were investigated. The results show that the addition of Y has significant effect on the phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg–6Zn–1Mn alloy. Varied phases compositions, including Mg₇Zn₃, I-phase (Mg₃YZn₆), W-phase (Mg₃Y₂Zn₃) and X-phase (Mg₁₂YZn), are obtained by adjusting the Zn to Y mass ratio. Mn element exists as the fine Mn particles, which are well distributed in the alloy. Thermal analysis and microstructure observation reveal that the phase stability follows the trend of X>W>I>Mg₇Zn₃. In addition, Y can improve the mechanical properties of Mg–Zn–Mn alloy significantly, and the alloy with Y content of 6.09% has the best mechanical properties. The high strength is mainly due to the strengthening by the grain size refinement, dispersion strengthening by fine Mn particles, and introduction of the Mg–Zn–Y ternary phases.     

Effect of neutron irradiation and postradiation annealing on the microstructure and properties of an Al–Mg–Si alloy

The effect of long-term neutron irradiation and postradiation thermal-induced aging on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an aluminum-based reactor Al–Mg–Si alloy grade SAV-1 has been studied. The material under study is the shell of an automatic fine-control rod used to control the reactivity of the core of a VVR-K research reactor. Successive 1-h annealings of specimens of the SAV-1 alloy irradiated to doses of 0.001 and 5 dpa in the temperature range of 100–550°C have been carried out. The evolution of the fine structure of the material and changes in its mechanical characteristics have been studied. The phenomenon of the acceleration of the aging of the SAV-1 alloy under the effect of a high neutron fluence at an irradiation temperature of 80°C has been observed, which involves the formation of numerous lineage (stitch) Guinier–Preston zones in the alloy. It has been shown that the strength characteristics of the SAV-1 alloy depend significantly on the degree of its radiation- and thermal-induced aging.     

Effect of Si addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–Al–N coating

Ti–Al–N coatings are widely used to prevent the untimely consumption of cutting tools exposed to wear. Increasing requirements on high speed and dry cutting application open up new demands on the quality of wear-protective quaternary or multinary Ti–Al–N based coating materials. Here, we investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–Al–N and Ti–Al–Si–N coatings deposited on cemented carbide by cathodic arc evaporation. The formation of nanocomposite nc-TiAlN/a-Si₃N₄ structure by incorporation of Si into Ti–Al–N coating causes a significant increase on hardness from ∼ 35.7 GPa of Ti–Al–N to ∼ 42.4 GPa of Ti–Al–Si–N. Both coatings behave age-hardening during thermal annealing, however Ti–Al–Si–N coating reveal better thermal stability. Therefore, the improved cutting performance of Ti–Al–Si–N coated inserts is obtained compared to Ti–Al–N coated inserts.     

Effect of alumina short fiber and air-cooling processing on solidification microstructure and tensile properties of Al2O3/Al-15Si composites

The effect of microstructure variation by addition of alumina short fiber and optimization of tensile properties by air-cooling processing in Al2O3/Al-15Si composites were studied.The results show that in Al-015Si alloy matrix composites with 14% and 30%(volume fraction)fiber,the primary silicon is hardly refined,but the eutectic silicon is effectively refined and granulated.Granulation of some eutectic silicon mainly happens in fiber segregation areas.Refining and granulation of the eutectic silicon are related to the physical constraint arising from the fiber,After the 30%Al2O3/Al-15Si composite was remelted and air-cooled,the number of the eutectic silicon on the surface of the fiber increases,which results in the improvement of fiber/matrix interface and tensile properties for the as-cast composite,Air-cooling processing may be reliable for the optmization of the microstructure and properties of fiber reinforced hypereutectic Al-15Si alloy composites.     

Influences of complex modification of P and RE on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy

P and RE complex modification of hypereutectic A1-Si alloys was conducted. The influences of P, RE content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of alloys were investigated. The complex modifications of P and RE make the coarse block primary silicon obviously refined and the large needle eutectic silicon modified to the fine fibrous or lamella ones. P mainly refines the primary silicon, but excess P is unfavorable to the refinement of primary silicon. RE can well refine the primary and eutectic silicon, but its modification effect on the eutectic silicon is more obvious. P can repress the modification of RE on the eutectic silicon The alloys with the additions of 0.08% P and 0.60% RE have the optimal microstructure and the highest mechanical properties. Compared with the unmodified alloy, the primary silicon of alloys can be refined from 66.4 μm to 23.3μm and the eutectic silicon can be refined from 8.3 μm to 5.2μm. The tensile strength is improved from 256 MPa to 306 MPa and the elongation is improved from 0.35% to 0.48%.     

Effect of Y2O3 on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-20%Si alloy

The effect of Y203 on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the hypereutectic Al-20%Si（mass fraction） alloy was investigated. The results show that, with the addition of Y203 into the Al-P-Ti-TiC modifier, the average size of primary silicon in the Al-20%Si alloy modified by Al-P-Ti-TiC-Y203 modifier （approximately 15μm or less） is significantly reduced, and the morphology of eutectic silicon changes from coarse acicular and plate like to refined fibrous. The Brinell hardness （HB189） and tensile strength （301 MPa） of Al-20%Si alloy modified by the Al-P-Ti-TiC-Y2O3 increase by 11.6% and 10.7%, respectively, for the alloys aider heat treatment.     

Effect of spray forming on evolution of microstructure and mechanical behavior of Mg-9Al-1Zn alloy

The cylindrical billet of Mg-9Al-1Zn alloy was produced by spray forming and hot extruded at 698-723 K with an extrusion ratio of 22：1, The microstructural evolution was investigated systematically. The mechanisms of grain refinement, solubility extension of Al and Zn elements in Mg matrix, and the precipitation of the second phase β-Mg17Al12 as well as their effect on the mechanical properties of the Mg-9Al-1Zn alloy were analyzed and discussed. The results show that the spray formed Mg-9Al-1Zn alloy has homogeneous equiaxed fine grains with the average grain size of 17 μm, of which the average grain size is refined further to 5 μm due to dynamic recrystallization during hot extrusion process. The evolution of size, proportion and distribution offl-Mg17Al12 phase was also observed and analyzed. The mechanical properties for the extruded rods are improved remarkably at ambient temperature.     

Effect of Mg addition on the creep and yield behavior of an Al–Sc alloy

The relationships between microstructure and strength were studied at room temperature and 300 °C in an Al–2 wt% Mg–0.2 wt% Sc alloy, containing Mg in solid-solution and Al₃Sc (L1₂ structure) as nanosize precipitates. At room temperature, the yield strength is controlled by the superposition of solid-solution and precipitation strengthening. At 300 °C and at large applied stresses, the creep strength, which is characterized by a stress exponent of ~5, is significantly improved compared to binary Al–Sc alloys, and is independent of the size of the Al₃Sc precipitates. At small applied stress, a threshold stress exists, increasing from 9% to 70% of the Orowan stress with increasing Al₃Sc precipitate radius from 2 to 25 nm. An existing model based on a climb-controlled bypass mechanism is in semi-quantitative agreement with the precipitate radius dependence of the threshold stress. The model is, however, only valid for coherent precipitates, and the Al₃Sc precipitates lose coherency for radii larger than 11 nm. For semi-coherent precipitates with radii greater than 15 nm, the threshold stress remains high, most likely because of the presence of interfacial misfit dislocations.     

Effect of Al addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg−Zn−Sn−Mn alloy

The microstructure and properties of the as-cast, as-homogenized and as-extruded Mg−6Zn−4Sn−1Mn (ZTM641) alloy with various Al contents (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt.%) were investigated by OM, XRD, DSC, SEM, TEM and uniaxial tensile tests. The results show that when the Al content is not higher than 0.5%, the alloys are mainly composed of α-Mg, Mg₂Sn, Al₈Mn₅ and Mg₇Zn₃ phases_. When the Al content is higher than 0.5%, the alloys mainly consist of α-Mg, Mg₂Sn, MgZn, Mg₃₂(Al,Zn)₄₉, Al₂Mg₅Zn₂, Al₁₁Mn₄ and Al₈Mn₅ phases. A small amount of Al (≤1%) can increase the proportion of fine dynamic recrystallized (DRXed) grains during hot-extrusion process. The room- temperature tensile test results show that the ZTM641−1Al alloy has the best comprehensive mechanical properties, in which the ultimate tensile strength is 332 MPa, yield strength is 221 MPa and the elongation is 15%. Elevated- temperature tensile test results at 150 and 200 °C show that ZTM641−2Al alloy has the best comprehensive mechanical properties.     

Effect of cooling and aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of Sn－9Zn solder

The microstructure and tensile properties of Sn-9Zn solder under different cooling and aging condition were studied.During solidification, the distribution of Zn-rich phases and grain size in the microstructure of Sn-9Zn solder were decided by the cooling rate.The Zn-rich phase in Sn-9Zn solder under furnace cooling, air cooling and water cooling media was separately existed as coarsen dendritic and needle like shape, fine needle like shape and very fine rod-like shape, respectively.After aging, the coarsen dendritic was broken and the coarsen needle like Zn-rich phase was partly changed into fine distribution of Zn-rich phase for Sn-9Zn solder with furnace cooling, and the rod-like Zn phase in the Sn-9Zn solder under water cooling was changed to conglomerated Zn with needle shape.During tensile testing on Sn-9Zn solder, tensile strength and ductility reached the best with water cooling, but decreased with aging effect.Meanwhile, the ductility of solder with air cooling and the strength of solder with furnace cooling increased with aging.The fracture mode was ductile and was independent of cooling media and aging effect.The size and depth of dimples decreased from water, furnace to air cooling.After aging, number and size of dimples increased on the solder with furnace cooling and air cooling.The change on the size of dimples for the Sn-9Zn solder under different cooling condition and with aging effect was accordance to the tensile properties.     

Effects of direct ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and elongation of semi-solid Sn-62Bi alloy

A new direct ultrasonic treatment(DUT) setup with the ultrasonic horn placed in the horizontal direction was developed and used in the preparation of semi-solid Sn-62 Bi slurry. The influence of DUT temperature on microstructure and properties of Sn-62 Bi alloy were studied. The test results of XRD showed that the semi-solid Sn-62 Bi alloy obtained by the DUT process exhibits pronounced preferential orientation of Bi(2 0 2), Bi(-1 1 1), Bi(-2 0 1), Sn(1 1 0) and Sn(2 2 0) planes. Compared to the conventional liquid casting Sn-62 Bi alloy without DUT, it was discovered that the primary Bi blocks of semi-solid Sn-62 Bi alloy prepared with the DUT process distribute more homogeneously and are smaller. With the treatment by ultrasonic vibration in the semi-solid state for 120 s, the higher the primary Bi phase fraction in the slurry, the smaller the size of primary semi-solid Bi blocks formed after solidification. The average side length of the primary Bi blocks was from 30 μm to 80 μm. The elongation of Sn-62 Bi alloy treated by DUT for 120 s at 145 °C is 43.21%, reflecting a distinctly improvement by 129.10%, as compared to the conventional liquid casting Sn-62 Bi alloy without DUT. This indicates that DUT process could improve dramatically the ductility of Sn-62 Bi alloys content. The microstructure evolution mechanism of semi-solid Sn-62 Bi alloy slurry was also analyzed.