Primary phase evolution of rheo-processed ADC12 aluminum alloy

The primary phase evolution of ADC12 aluminum alloy rheo-processed by mechanical rotational barrel system was studied by differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）, optical microscopy（OM） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. The semisolid slurry analyses show that the solid fraction of ADC12 aluminum alloy increases from 0.38 to 0.43 while the roundness decreases from 0.45 to 0.38 with increasing the rotational speed from 30 to 120 r/min. When the pouring temperature decreases from 620 to 580 °C, the primary α（Al） morphology changes from spheroidal to rosette-like. Besides, the average particle size of primary phase and solid fraction increase with the decrease of pouring temperature. By rheo-diecasting process, the components with fine, spherical and uniformly distributed primary α（Al） particles were obtained, and the best microstructure was contained at the pouring temperature ranging from 595 to 605 °C. The rheo-processing feasibility of ADC12 aluminum alloy can be explained by the grains controlled growth theory, and the semisolid slurry obeys the Mullins-Sekerka criterion when solidifying in the high pressure die casting machine.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of strontium-modified ADC12 alloy processed by heat treatment

The effects of heat treatment and strontium （SO addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ADC12 alloys were investigated, and two-stage solution treatment was introduced. The results indicated that the addition of Sr obviously refined the microstructure of ADC12 alloys. When 0.05 wt% Sr was added into the alloy, the eutectic Si phase was fully modified into fine fibrous structure; a-A1 and fl-A15FeSi phases were best refined; and the eutectic AlzCu phase was modified into block-like AlzCu phase that continuously distributed at the grain boundary. The ultimate tensile strength （UTS） （270.63 MPa） and elongation （3.19%） were increased by 51.2% and 73.4% respectively compared with unmodified alloys. After the two-stage solution treatment （500 ~C, 6 h＋520 ~C, 4 h）, for 0.05 wt% Sr modified ADC12 alloys, the Si phases transformed into fine particle structure and AlzCu phases were fully dissolved. The peak hardness value of the alloys processed by the two-stage solution treatment was increased by 8.3% and 6.8% respectively compared to solution treatment at 500 ~C and 520 ~C. After the aging treatment （175 ~C, 7 h）, the hardness and UTS were increased by 38.73% and 13.96% respectively when compared with the unmodified alloy.

Feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy

The feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy was studied. The effects of plunger speed, gate thickness, and solid fraction of the slurry on the defects were determined. The defects investigated are gas and shrinkage porosity. In the experiments, semi-solid slurry was prepared by the gas-induced semi-solid （GISS） technique. Then, the slurry was transferred to the shot sleeve and injected into the die. The die and shot sleeve temperatures were kept at 180 ℃ and 250 ℃, respectively. The results show that the samples produced by the GISS die casting give little porosity, no blister and uniform microstructure. From all the results, it can be concluded that the GISS process is feasible to apply in the ADC12 aluminum die casting process. In addition, the GISS process can give improved properties such as decreased porosity and increased microstructure uniformity.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of as-cast ADC12 alloy with rare earth Yb addition and hot extrusion

The effects of rare earth ytterbium(Yb)addition and hot extrusion on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of as-cast ADC12 were studied by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The experimental results demonstrate that both the Si phase andβ-Al5FeSi phase in the alloy with 0.9 wt%Yb have been remarkably refined,and the Al3Yb intermetallic compound has also been obtained.The Si,β-Al5FeSi,and rare earth phases are further refined in the alloy at 0.9 wt%Yb and hot extrusion.The results of the immersion corrosion tests and electrochemical experiments show that the corrosion current density(8.56μA/cm2)of the alloy with 0.9 wt%Yb addition and hot extrusion is 50.6%lower than the untreated alloy(17.33μA/cm2),and the polarization resistance(9252Ω·cm2)was 71.3%higher than the untreated alloy(2654Ω·cm2).The corrosion in the cathode phase in the micro-battery was refined to varying degrees attributable to the addition of Yb and hot extrusion,where the cathode reaction in the corrosion process caused a decrease of the corrosion rate.

Impact of Rare Earth Element La on Microstructure and Hot Crack Resistance of ADC12 Alloy

The impact of rare earth element La on the microstructure and hot crack resistance of ADC12 alloy was analyzed. The additive amount of La was 0%, 0.3 wt%, 0.6 wt% and 0.9 wt%, respectively. The results showed that, with the increase of the additive amount from 0% to 0.6 wt%, the grain shape of α-Al gradually varied from developed dendritic crystal into fine dendritic crystal, equiaxed crystal and spheroidal crystal; eutectic silicon varied from needle-like or tabular shape into fine rod like shape; the hot crack force of the alloy also gradually decreased. However, when the additive amount of La reached 0.9 wt%, the excessive amount of rare earth elements was segregated within grain boundary area, forming intermetallic compounds. Therefore, the grain size of α-Al, eutectic silicon and the hot crack force of the alloy all increased. In the case that the additive amount of La reached 0.6 wt%, the best metamorphism effect and most excellent hot cracking resistance capacity of alloy were presented. The poisoning effect of rare earth element on eutectic silicon and the constitutional supercooling caused by rare earth element were the major causes for alloy modification, alloy refinement, and the main reasons for the increased hot cracking resistance.

Modification of eutectic silicon and β-Al_5FeSi phases in as-cast ADC12 alloys by using samarium addition

The effects of Sm additions （0, 0.5 wt.%, 1.0 wt.%and 1.5 wt.%） on the eutectic Si and β-Al5FeSi phases of ADC12 as-cast alloys were studied by optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and differential thermal analysis （DTA）. The experimental results showed that Sm was an effective modifying agent for the eutectic Si of ADC12 alloy, when 1.0 wt.%-1.5 wt.%Sm was added to the alloy, the coarse acicular eutectic Si was modified into fine particle or short rod structure. Moreover, the appropriate addition of Sm （about 1.0 wt.%） had marked effects on shortening the length of needle-likeβ-Al5FeSi phase. Whereas, Sm was less effective on modifying the needle-likeβ-iron to the Chinese script or sphericalα-iron phase. The modification mecha-nism was also discussed.

Chip morphology and cutting temperature of ADC12 aluminum alloy during high-speed milling

The ADC12 aluminum alloy is prone to severe tool wear and high cutting heat during high-speed milling because of its high hardness.This study analyzes the highspeed milling process from the perspective of different chip morphologies.The influence of cutting temperature on chip morphology was expounded.A two-dimensional orthogonal cutting model was established for finite element analysis(FEA)of high-speed milling of ADC12 aluminum alloy.A theoretical analysis model of cutting force and cutting temperature was proposed based on metal cutting theory.The variations in chip shape,cutting force,and cutting temperature with cutting speed increasing were analyzed via FEA.The results show that,with the increase in cutting speed,the chip morphology changes from continuous to serrated,and then back to continuous.The serrated chip is weakened and the cutting temperature is lowered when the speed is lower than 600 m·min^(-1)or higher than 1800 m·min^(-1).This study provides a reference for reducing cutting temperature,controlling chip morphology and improving cutting tool life.

Effects of Mg Enhancement and Heat Treatment on Microstructures and Tensile Properties of Al2Ca-Added ADC12 Die Casting Alloys

The effects of Mg enhancement and heat treatment on the microstructures and tensile properties of Al_2Ca-added ADC12 die casting alloys were investigated. 0.3% and 0.5% Mg in the form of a master alloy including a trace amount of Al_2Ca were added to conventional ADC12（383 and AlSi10Cu2Fe） alloy with an initial Mg-content of 0.3% to increase the Mg content to 0.6% and 0.8%, respectively. To avoid heat treatmentinduced surface blisters, shortened solution treatment for 15 min at 490 ℃ and artificial aging for 6 h at 150 ℃ was undertaken. The results show that a 10% improvement in the shape factor of eutectic Si particles was achieved for Al_2Ca-added ADC12 with 0.8% Mg compared to the conventional ADC12 in the as-aged condition. Al_2Ca-added ADC12 with 0.8% Mg exhibited a yield strength of 289 MPa, a tensile strength of 407 MPa, and an elongation of 4.22%.