Effects of cooling rate on solution heat treatment of as-cast A356 alloy

The effect of cooling rate of the solidification process on the following solution heat treatment of A356 alloy was investigated,where the cooling rates of 96 K/s and 3 K/s were obtained by the step-like metal mold.Then the eutectic silicon morphology evolution and tensile properties of the alloy samples were observed and analyzed after solution heat treatment at 540 °C for different time.The results show that the high cooling rate of the solidification process can not only reduce the solid solution heat treatment time to rapidly modify the eutectic silicon morphology,but also improve the alloy tensile properties.Specially,it is found that the disintegration,the spheroidization and coarsening of eutectic silicon of A356 alloy are completed during solution heat treatment through two stages,i.e.,at first,the disintegration and spheroidization of the eutectic silicon mainly takes place,then the eutectic silicon will coarsen.

Effect of individual and combined additions of Al-5Ti-B,Mn and Sn on sliding wear behavior of A356 alloy

The effect of grain refiner, Mn and Sn additions on the sliding wear behavior of A356 aluminum alloys was investigated. The microstructure and worn surfaces of the studied alloys were characterized by optical microscopy（OM）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. The experimental results indicate that the alloy refined by Al-5Ti-B alloy exhibits equiaxed α（Al） dendrites and performs better wear resistance compared with the alloy without the grain refiner. Moreover, the addition of Mn can change the β-Al5 Fe Si phase to α-Al（Mn,Fe）Si phase and reduce the possibility of crack formation, thus improving the wear resistance. Sn added to A356 aluminum alloy forms Mg2 Sn precipitates after heat treatment. Therefore, the unrealizable precipitation hardening Mg2 Si phase and the softening β-Sn phase can reduce the hardness of the alloy, and finally reduce the wear resistance.

Preparation of semisolid A356 alloy slurry with larger capacity cast by serpentine channel

The integral microstructure of semisolid A356 alloy slurry with larger capacity cast by serpentine channel was studied and the influence of cooling ability of serpentine channel on the microstructure was investigated. The results indicate that ideal slurry with larger capacity can be prepared through serpentine channel with good cooling ability. When the serpentine channel was continuously cooled, both the longitudinal and the radial microstructure of the slurry was composed of granular primary phase and the integral microstructure uniformity of the slurry was good. However, uncooled serpentine channel can only produce larger slurry with fine grains in positions adjacent to its centre and with a large number of dendrites in positions close to its edge, thus, the radial microstructure of larger slurry is nonuniform. The pouring temperature is set up to 680 °C and the solid shell inside the channel can be avoided at this pouring temperature.

EFFECT OF GRAIN REFINING ON PRIMARYαPHASE IN SEMI-SOLID A356 ALLOY PREPARED BY LOW SUPERHEAT POURING AND SLIGHT ELECTROMAGNETIC STIRRING

The semi-solid slurry of A356 alloy, which is grain-refined by Al-Ti-B master alloy, is prepared by low superheat pouring and slight electromagnetic stirring. The effects of grain refining on the morphology and the grain size of the primary α phase in the slurry manufactured are researched. The results indicate that the slurry with particle-like and rosette-like primary α phases can be prepared by low superheat pouring and slight electromagnetic stirring from liquid A356 alloy grain-refined, in which the pouring temperature can be suitably raised. Compared with the A356 samples without grain refining, the grain size and particle morphology of primary α phase as well as the distribution of the grain with particle-like or rosette-like along radial in the ingot in A356 are markedly improved by grain refining.

New technique for preparing A356 alloy semisolid slurry and its rheo-diecast microstructure and properties

A new technique for preparing semisolid slurry,namely,distributary-confluence runner(DCR),was combined with die-casting(DC)to conduct rheological die-casting(R-DC)of A356 alloy.The mechanism of DCR for semisolid slurry preparation was determined via numerical simulations and experiments.The microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 alloys prepared via DC and R-DC were studied.High-quality slurry containing numerous primary α-Al(α1-Al)with an average size of 49μm and a shape factor of 0.81 could be prepared via DCR.Simulation results indicated that the unique flow state and physical field changes during slurry preparation were conducive to accelerating the uniformity of melt temperature and composition fields,nucleation exfoliation,and spherical growth.Compared with the alloy prepared via DC,the tensile strength,yield strength,and elongation of A356 alloy prepared via R-DC increased by 19%,15%,and 107%,respectively.

Effect of Mg and semi solid processing on microstructure and impression creep properties of A356 alloy

The effects of Mg and semi solid processing on the creep properties ofA356 A1 alloy were investigated. The results show that the dislocation climb controlled creep is the dominant creep mechanism and it is not affected by the semi solid processing and further addition of Mg. Mg improves the alloy creep properties probably by forming large Chinese script Mg2Si compounds at the interdendritic regions. The semi solid processed specimens exhibit better creep properties in comparison with the as cast ones. It is attributed to the reduction in the stacking fault energy resulting from the significant dissolution of Mg in the a（A1） phase.

Microstructure characteristics and tensile property of ultrasonic treated-thixocast A356 alloy

Billets of A356 aluminum alloy were treated using ultrasonic vibrations during solidification.The billets were reheated to the semisolid state at different routes to optimize the procedure.Billets were,then,thixocast using a die casting machine.The results showed that the ultrasonic-treated billets exhibited finely distributed α（Al） globules after reheating and thixocasting.The thixocast ultrasonic-treated billets showed higher ultimate tensile strength and elongation compared with the untreated billets.Moreover,the thixocast parts showed a tendency to ductile fracture under tension when made from ultrasonic-treated billets,while those made of untreated billets showed brittle fracture with obvious straight facets.These results revealed the feasibility and competence of ultrasonic melt treatment as a potential route for preparing billets for thixocasting.

A new fast heat treatment process for cast A356 alloy motorcycle wheel hubs

The normal T6 heat treatment process for cast A356 alloy generally requires about 15 h. This longperiod procedure increases greatly the manufacturing cost and decreases the productivity in practical production. In this study, a new short-time heat treatment process with only 30 min solution time at 540℃ was developed for the production of motorcycle wheel hubs in order to reduce heat treatment time. Comparisons on microstructure evaluation and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and ductility, were made between this new fast process and the conventional T6 heat treatment. The results revealed that this new heat treatment process enabled the spheroidization of the eutectic silicon thoroughly, while minimizing the growth of eutectic silicon. The A356 alloy after this new short-time heat treatment shows nearly equal mechanical properties compared with the same alloy heat treated in a normal T6 heat treatment. This investigation makes it possible to significantly improve the efficiency of heat treatment on A356 alloy and, at the same time, improve the mechanical properties of the alloy.

Research on fractal characteristics of primary phase morphology in semi-solid A356 alloy

Semi-solid slurry of A356 alloy was prepared by low superheat pouring and slightly electromagnetic stirring, and the fractal characteristics of morphology in semi-solid primary phase was researched. The fractal dimensions of primary phase morphology in the semi-solid A356 alloy were calculated by the program written to calculate the fractal dimensions of box-counting in the image of solid phase morphology in semi-solid metal slurry. The results indicated that the morphology of primary phase in semi-solid A356 prepared by low superheat pouring and slightly electromagnetic stirring is characterized by fractal dimension, and the primary phase morphology obtained by the different processing parameters has different fractal dimensions. The morphology of primary phase at the different position of ingot has different fractal dimensions, which reflected the effect of solidified conditions at different positions in the same ingot on the morphology of semi-solid primary phase. Solidification of semi-solid alloy is a course of change in fractal dimension.

Semi-solid A356 alloy slurry for rheocasting prepared by a new process

To obtain the semi-solid slurry with uniform and fine structure morphology that satisfies the requirement of rheocasting process, a new process for preparing semi-solid AI alloy slurry was developed, in which local chilling was combined with low superheat pouring and slight electromagnetic stirring （LSPSEMS）. The morphology and the size of primary a-AI in the A356 alloy slurry prepared with the new process, i.e., LSPSEMS with local chilling, were investigated using MIAPS image analyzing software, and the grain refinement mechanism was discussed. The results indicate that the semi-solid primary phase consists of particle-like or globular-like a-AI, and the morphology and grain size of primary a-AI in the slurry can be markedly improved by the new process. The fine primary a-AI distributes uniformly in the slurry, which satisfies the requirement of rheocasting. Compared with the alloy prepared by LSPSEMS, the average equal-area-circle grain diameter of primary a-AI in semi-solid A356 alloy ingot prepared by the new process is decreased from 85.6μm to 68.8 μm at the central area, 112.6 μm to 77.6 μm at the transition area and is 84.7 μm in the edge area, respectively. The corresponding shape factor of primary a-AI is increased from 0.78 to 0.83, 0.54 to 0.77 and 0.28 to 0.59, respectively. In addition, the pouring temperature could be suitably raised from 620-630℃ of the traditional process to 650℃ using this technique, which is convenient for practical operation. The mechanism of grain refinement, in the new process, is that the local chilling quickens up the temperature decrease in the center of the melt. The nuclei could not grow up in a short time so the finer grains are formed in the melt.

Spatial interfacial heat transfer and surface characteristics during gravity casting of A356 alloy

As one of the key boundary conditions during casting solidification process, the interfacial heat transfer coefficient (IHTC) affects the temperature variation and distribution. Based on the improved nonlinear estimation method (NEM), thermal measurements near both bottom and lateral metal-mold interfaces throughout A356 gravity casting process were carried out and applied to solving the inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP). Finite element method (FEM) is employed for modeling transient thermal fields implementing a developed NEM interface program to quantify transient IHTCs. It is found that IHTCs at the lateral interface become stable after the volumetric shrinkage of casting while those of the bottom interface reach the steady period once a surface layer has solidified. The stable value of bottom IHTCs is 750 W/(m^2·℃), which is approximately 3 times that at the lateral interface. Further analysis of the interplay between spatial IHTCs and observed surface morphology reveals that spatial heat transfer across casting-mold interfaces is the direct result of different interface evolution during solidification process.

Effect of superheat and solidified layer on achieving good metallic bond between A390/A356 alloys fabricated by cast-decant-cast process

The cast-decant-cast is a new method for the preparation of the functionally graded components that has been developed in recent years. The functionally graded cylindrical shape component with a radial gradient, e.g. the first alloy （A390） with high wear resistance on the surface of the piece and toughness and the second alloy （A356） of low machining costs in the core of the piece can be produced via this melt process. The effect of the second alloy superheat at temperatures of 750, 820 and 860 ℃ as well as the effect of the first alloy solidified layer at 25, 35 and 45 s decanting time on achieving the perfect interface between the two alloys was investigated. The characterization of the interface was carded out by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and its width was measured by the microhardness test. The results showed that the best interface was obtained at 860 ℃ and 35 s decanting time with a width of 500 ~tm. Also, the wear resistance test was performed to measure and compare the surface wear resistance to the core.

Eutectic modification of A356 alloy with Li addition through DSC and Miedema model

Eutectic modification of A356 alloy with Li addition was investigated with scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. SEM micrograph results indicate that the transition of eutectic morphology, which is changed from flake-like to fibrous, is dramatically induced with the addition of 0.3% （mass fraction） Li. The larger microhardness corresponds to the modification morphology of the eutectic phase for A356 alloy with 0.3% Li addition. The modification effect is increased with increasing the cooling rate and degraded with prolonging the holding time of temperature. DSC results show that the eutectic solidification temperature of A356 alloy with Li addition is decreased and the eutectic temperature depression with 0.3% Li addition is decreased by 2.9 °C in cast-iron mold. The mixing enthalpies of Li with Si and Al in A356 alloy, which were calculated by the Miedema model, were used to study the mechanism of modification and ascertained its restricted growth theory.

Microstructure characterization and mechanical properties of gas tungsten arc welded cast A356 alloy

The microstructure and mechanical properties of the gas tungsten arc welded cast A356 alloy were investigated with fillers ER1100,ER4043,ER4047 and ER5356 under the pulse frequencies of 1,3 and 5 Hz.Results showed that the filler metal and pulse frequency affected the grain structure of fusion zone considerably.The highest fraction of eutectic（44%） was formed with filler ER4047.Tensile fracture of all specimens indicated that fracture did not occur in the fusion zone.The greatest impact toughness（about 4 J） was achieved for the welds with filler ER4047 while the largest hardness（HV 90） was obtained with filler ER5356.

Evaluation of pitting corrosion of thixoformed A356 alloy using a simulation model

Pitting behavior of thixoformed A356 alloy, with different reheating temperatures, was evaluated. Linear sweep voltammetric tests were used to study the pitting behavior of thixoformed, rheocast and gravity-cast A356 alloy in a 3.5% NaCl solution. A simulation method was also used in order to identify local galvanic corrosion current density between local galvanic couples. The results obtained show that the resistance to pitting corrosion of the thixoformed samples formed at 600 ℃ is higher than that of the samples formed at 610 ℃ as well as rheocast and gravity-cast samples. These results could be explained by morphological aspects of silicon phase as well as the area effect as related to galvanic corrosion between silicon particles and eutectic aluminum phase.

Impact of ultrasonic power on liquid fraction,microstructure and physical characteristics of A356 alloy molded through cooling slope

This study involves A356 alloy molded through ultrasonically vibrated cooling slope.The slope alongside ultrasonic power enables indispensable shear for engendering slurry from which the semisolid cast/heat treated billets got produced.An examination demonstrates ultrasonically vibrated cooling slope influencing the liquid fraction/microstructure/physical characteristics of stated billets.The investigation encompasses five diverse ultrasonic powers(0,75,150,200,250 W).The ultrasonic power of 150 W delivers finest/rounded microstructure with enhanced physical characteristics.Microstructural modifications reason physical transformations because of grain refinement and grain boundary/Hall-Petch strengthening.A smaller grain size reasons a higher strength/shape factor and an increased homogeneity reasons a higher ductility.Microstructural characteristics get improved by reheating.It is owing to coalescence throughout temperature homogenization.The physical characteristics is improved by reheating because of a reduced porosity and enhanced dissolution besides augmented homogeneity.A direct comparison remains impossible owing to unavailability of researches on ultrasonically vibrated cooling slope.

Multifunctional A356 alloy/PKSAnp composites:Microstructure and mechanical properties

Mechanical properties and microstructure of multifunctional composites produced with palm kernel shell ash nano particle(PKSAnp)-A356 alloy composites was studied.The composites were produced using Double layer feeding stir casting method(DLF-SCM) by adding 1 wt%-4 wt.% PKSAnp.The microstructure,density,electrical and mechanical properties were determined.The results shows that there was a uniform distribution of the PKSAnp in A356 alloy.The mismatch at the interface between the PKSAnp and A356 alloy was 4.26%.Improvement of 30.47%,41.91%,49.52%,40.90% and 65.09% were obtained for hardness values,tensile,yield strength,%elongation and impact energy at 4 wt% PKASnp.The work has established that the developed composites can be used for multifunctional applications where combination of toughness and strength is vital.

Effect of depressurizing speed on mold filling behavior and entrainment of oxide film in vacuum suction casting of A356 alloy

The effect of depressurizing speed on mold filling behavior and entrainment of oxide film of A356 alloy was studied. Themold filling behavior and velocity fields were recorded by water simulation with particle image velocimetry. The results show thatthe gate velocity first increased dramatically, then changed with the depressurizing speed: the gate velocity increased slowly atrelatively high depressurizing speed; at reasonable depressurizing speed, the gate velocity kept unchanged; while at lowerdepressurizing speed, the gate velocity decreased firstly and then kept unchanged. High gate velocity results in melt falling backunder gravity at higher speed. The falling velocity is the main factor of oxide film entrainment in vacuum suction casting. The designcriterion of depressurizing rate was deduced, and the A356 alloy castings were poured to test the formula. The four-point bend testand Weibull probability plots were applied to assessing the fracture mechanisms of the as-cast A356 alloy. The results illuminate amethod on designing suitable depressurizing speed for mold filling in vacuum suction casting.

Microstructure and Properties of SemisolidA356 Alloy Strip Affected by Nozzle Temperature of a Novel Micro Fused-Casting

The semisolid A356 alloy strip was prepared by a novel continuous micro fused-casting process. The microstructure evolution and mechanical property of A356 aluminum alloy strip with different nozzle temperatures were investigated. The nozzle temperature had great influences on the microstructure and property primarily accompanied with the crystal change in the fused-casting area through the cooling conditions. The results showed that the semisolid A356 alloy strip samples fabricated by micro fused-casting demonstrated good performances and uniform structures with the nozzle temperature at 593 ℃ and the stirring velocity at 700 r/min. The fine grains of the primary α-Al phase with average grain size of 51 μm and shape factor up to 0.71 were obtained under the micro fused-casting process, and the ultimate average vickers hardness came up to 83.39±0.89 HV, and the tensile strength and elongation of the A356 alloy strip reached 245.32 MPa and 7.85%, respectively.

Experimental study of the effect of wear parameters on the wear behavior of A356 alloy/cow horn particulate composites

Experimental study of the effect of wear parameters on the wear behaviour of A356 alloy reinforced with cow horn particles(CHp) produced by spark plasma sintering was investigated. Experiments were conducted based on the plan of experiments generated through Taguchi's(L9) technique. Tribometer was used for the wear test and Scanning electron microscope was used to analyse the worn scar of the samples. The results shows that, A356 alloy reinforced with CHp exhibited better dry sliding wear resistance than the unreinforced alloy. Wear rate decreased as the amount of CHp reinforcement increased in the matrix. It was found that, the optimum level of the factors with minimized the wear loss were obtained at: wt%CHp(20%), applied load(10 N), sliding velocity(3 m/s) and sliding distance(2000 m). It can be seen that the wear track of the sample are(D ? 0.81 and L = 42.85 mm) and(D ? 0.54 and L= 27.03 mm) for A356 alloy and composites at optimum condition respectively. The results showed that the addition of cow horn particles as reinforcing materials in A356 alloy composites increased the wear resistance of the composites greatly.