Microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy modified with Cu-P

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-14.6Si castings modified by Cu-P master alloy under different conditions were studied with optical microscope（OM） and mechanical testing and simulation（MTS）.The results indicate that the Cu-P master alloy possesses not only obvious modification effect,but also longevity effect with more than 8 h on the hypereutectic Al-Si alloy.It is shown from thermal calculation,scanning electron microscope（SEM）,and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays（EDAX） that the modification mechanism of Cu-P on primary silicon in the castings is heterogeneous nucleation around AlP particles.The Cu-P master alloy has no or little modifying effect on eutectic silicon,even though it has obvious modification on primary silicon in the castings.This may be because of the fast transformation of eutectic silicon at a very narrow temperature,which will notably weaken the role of AlP particles as heterogeneous nuclei for eutectic silicon.

Characteristics and Microstructure of a Hypereutectic Al-Si Alloy Powder by Ultrasonic Gas Atomization Process

A hypereutectic Al-Si alloy powder was prepared by ultrasonic gas atomization process. The morphologies, microstructure and phase constituent of the alloy powder were studied. The results showed that powder of the alloy was very fine and its microstructure was mainly consisted of Si crystals plus intermetallic compound A19FeSi3, which were.very fine and uniformly distributed.

Effects of P+Cr complex modification and solidification conditions on microstmcture of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys by wedge-shaped copper mould casting

Large and segregated primary Si particles may drastically decrease the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloys. To solve this problem, a P-Cr complex modif ier was added into the alloy, and the effects of P-Cr complex modification and solidification conditions on the microstructure of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys casting produced in wedge-shaped copper mould were studied. The thermal analysis technique was applied to calculate the cooling rate during solidification. The microstructures were observed by means of optical and scanning electron microscopies. Results showed that the primary Si segregates in the as-cast hypereutectic Al-Si alloys. The segregation of primary Si can be inhibited by adding a P+Cr complex modif ier and increasing the cooling rate during solidif ication. The ref inement of primary Si particles by P+Cr complex modif ication is due to the formation of CrS i2 and AlP particles which act as the heterogeneous nuclei for the primary Si phase. The segregation of Si was also inhibited through the adherence of heavier CrS i2 particles to the primary Si particles.

Mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy by semisolid processing

Semisolid hypereutectic Al Si alloy billets were obtained by electromagnetic stirring, in which microstructure of primary silicon gets rounder and there are a large number of rosette α phases appearing. Compared with conventional gravity die casting alloys, the tensile strength and elongation of semisolid forming hypereutectic Al Si get obviously improved. Change of primary silicon morphology of semisolid hypereutectic Al Si alloy made by electromagnetic stirring is the main reason of better tensile strength, and a large number of rosette α phases precipitation is the main reason of better elongation.

Semi-solid characteristics and thixoforming of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy

Effects of processing parameters on microstructure evolutions by mechanical stirring, procedures for obtaining thixotropy in semi solid slurries, and procedure for thixoforging component, were investigated in hypereutectic Al Si alloy. It is shown that 605 ℃ was the proper temperature for stirring treatment of this alloy, at which the coarse and plate primary Si crystals were effectively changed to globular crystals with a mean diameter of 200 μm after 50 min stirring, that billets with excellent thixotropy were obtained after 50 min remelting at 575 ℃, in which solid fraction of matrix and primary Si crystals was about 60%, and that a perfect near net shape component of disc casting was obtained by thixoforging.

Modification mechanism of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy with P-Na addition

Effect of P-Na united modification on Al-22%Si-1.0%Cu-0.5%Mg-0.5%Mn alloy was studied. The results show that the refining effect of P-Na addition on primary silicon is superior to that of P and the former could modify eutectic silicon at the same time. Effects of P-Na modification on crystallization and microstructure of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys were studied with Electron-Scanning Microscope, Electron-Probe and X-ray diffractometer. The modification mechanism represents that on one hand, the primary silicon is refined by AlP as heterogeneous nucleus; on the other hand, when Na is added at the same time, P atoms are difficult to diffuse in the melt, and then enrichs on the growing faces of silicon phase. Moreover, a SiP compound was also discovered in Si crystals, which prevents the growth of silicon phase and refines the primary silicon.

Rapidly solidified hypereutectic Al-Si alloys prepared by powder hot extrusion

Rapidly solidified hypereutectic Al-Si alloys were prepared by powder hot extrusion. By eliminating vacuum degassing procedure, the fabrication routine was simplified. The tensile fracture mechanisms at room temperature and elevated temperature were investigated by SEM fractography. Compared with KS282 casting material, the tensile strength of rapidly solidified Al-Si alloy is greatly improved due to silicon particles refining while its density and coefficient of thermal expansion are lower than those of KS282. The wear resistance of RS AlSi is better than that of KS282.

Effects of ZnS modification on primary Si in hypereutectic Al-Si alloy

A new modifying agent, ZnS, was used as a refiner to modify primary silicon in hypereutectic AlSi alloy. The factors affecting the modification results, including addition level of ZnS and holding time, were investigated. The results showed that the average size of the most effectively modified primary silicon was 28.5 μm when the ZnS mixed powder addition was 0.15 wt.% with a holding time of 10 min. More important, the average size of primary silicon could remain below 40 μm despite the holding time extending to 120 min, which means ZnS is a promising modifying agent of primarySi in industrial applications.

Effect of hot extrusion process on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys

The hypereutectic Al-Si alloy was fabricated by hot extrusion process after solidified under electromagnetic stirring,and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy were studied.The results show that the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the alloy reached 229.5 MPa and 4.6%,respectively with the extrusion ratio of 10,and 263.2 MPa and 5.4%,respectively with extrusion ratio of 20.This indicates that the mechanical properties of the alloy are obviously improved with the increase of extrusion ratio.After hot extruded,the primary Si,eutectic Si,Mg2Si,AlNi,Al7Cu4Ni and Al-Si-Mn-Fe-Cr-Mo phases are refined to different extent,and the efficiency of refinement is obvious more and more with the increase of extrusion ratio.After T6 heat treatment,the sharp corners of these phases become passivated and roundish,and the mechanical properties are improved.The ultimate tensile strength of the extruded alloy after T6 heat treatment reaches 335.3 MPa with extrusion ratio of 10 and 353.6 MPa with extrusion ratio of 20.

Influence of La on microstructures of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys

The modification effects of La addition on the microstructural evolution of hypereutectic Al 17% Si and Al 25% Si(mass fraction) alloys were investigated. The Al Si alloys were fabricated using conventional casting, spray atomization and deposition processing. Microstructures were examined using optical microscopy and SEM. The results show that the addition of La has strong modification effect on the conventional microstructure of as cast Al Si alloys, while little effect on that of spray deposited Al Si alloys. EDS and XRD experiments show that La reacts with Al and Si to form some intermetallics, which can be represented as AlSi 2La 2 consisting of LaSi 2 and some unknown ternary AlSi x La y phase. Spray atomization and deposition processing show significant microstructural modification in Al 17Si x La alloys as compared to their as cast counterpart. Equiaxed Si particulates were observed evenly distributed in all the spray deposited Al 17Si x La alloys regardless of the addition of La.

Effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal,porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy

The effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal(ESC),porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy was investigated by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and laboratory computed tomography(CT).Results showed that the newly developed AlSi9MnMoV alloy exhibited improved mechanical properties when compared to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.The AlSi9MnMoV alloy,which was designed with trace multicomponent additions,displays a notable grain refining effect in comparison to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.Refining elements Ti,Zr,V,Nb,B promote heterogeneous nucleation and reduce the grain size of primaryα-Al.At a lower slow shot speed,the large ESCs are easier to form and gather,developing into the dendrite net and net-shrinkage.With an increase in slow shot speed,the size and number of ESCs and porosities significantly reduce.In addition,the distribution of ESCs is more dispersed and the net-shrinkage disappears.The tensile property is greatly improved by adopting a higher slow shot speed.The ultimate tensile strength is enhanced from 260.31 MPa to 290.31 MPa(increased by 11.52%),and the elongation is enhanced from 3.72%to 6.34%(increased by 70.52%).

Characterization of high-pressure die-cast hypereutectic Al-Si alloys based on microstructural distribution and fracture morphology

The fracture behavior of high-pressure die-cast hypereutectic(HPDC) Al-Si alloys was investigated using a high-resolution laboratory CT and synchrotron X-ray tomography with a particular focus on the influence of HPDC microstructure. Results showed that microstructure of the alloy was mainly comprised of primary silicon particles(PSPs), Al dendrites, Cu-rich phases and pores. Most of the coarse PSPs, Cu-rich phases and pores were located in the center of the specimen. The rapid solidification of HPDC led to a heterogeneous microstructural feature. Elemental Cu was enriched in the frontiers of solid-liquid interface, causing the formation of large size dendritic arms. The pores were formed in the interdendrites which endured high stress intensity under high applied stress. Microcracks were originated from pores and further connected Cu-rich phases causing intergranular fracture. PSPs worked as obstacles causing piling-up dislocations in the phase interface. In the regions where large size of PSPs enriched in, PSPs ruptured rather than debonded from matrix, indicating transgranular fractures of PSPs. Microcracks originated around pores and PSPs tended to converge on the main cracks to decrease the energy required for crack propagation.

On the modification of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys using rare earth Er

Hypereutectic Al-17.5Si （wt pct） and Al-25Si （wt pct） alloys with various content of rare earth Er were prepared by conventional casting technique. The effect of Er on the microstructure and properties of the hypereutectic Al-Si alloys was investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy as well as friction and wear tests. It was found that optimal amount of Er exists in modifying the hypereutectic Al-Si alloys. An appropriate addition of Er improved the anti-wear properties, and reduced the friction coefficient of the hypereutectic Al-Si alloys studied. The primary silicon crystals in the hypereutectic Al-Si alloys were refined with the suitable addition of Er element. The modification mechanism was also discussed in this paper.

Highly ductile hypereutectic Al-Si alloys fabricated by selective laser melting

In the endeavor to maximize the refinement effect of primary Si and alleviate the inherent brittleness of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy,the approach of coating P as a modifier on powder was adopted.The ultimate aim was to create more heterogeneous fine Al P nucleus and enhance the nucleation efficiency of primary Si on Al P to refine the coarse primary Si to nano-scale during 3D printing.In the combination of large undercooling and high density of nucleation sites,the size of primary Si was successfully refined to 200–300 nm and the divorced eutectic was also induced to modify the microstructure of matrix.In the presence of nano-scale primary Si,the melting pool boundary(MPB)feature disappeared and the fracture mechanism also changed from load transfer to interfacial fracture.Compared with the pristine alloy,the ductility was increased four times without significantly changing the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and wear resistance.The improvement of ductility is attributed to the refinement of primary Si,the disappearance of MPB features and the formation of divorced eutectic.The optimal tensile properties were:UTS-482 MPa,yield strength-320 MPa and ductility of 8.1%at 0.05 wt.%P.These are comparable to those for high-strength Al alloys.

Evolution of Solidification Structure of Hypereutectic Al-Si Alloy Under a Novel Low-Voltage Alternating Current Pulse

The effect of a novel low-voltage alternating current pulse(ACP)controlled by transformer and silicon controlled rectifier on the solidification structure of Al-20%Si alloy was investigated.The results indicated that the remarkable segregation of primary Si occurred during the solidification,and even dendrites of a-Al phase appeared at the center of samples under ACP.The thickness of segregation layer decreased first and then increased with current density increasing from 0 to 300 Acm^(-2).The primary Si existed with long pole or five petal star-shaped without ACP.However, the morphology of primary Si phases changed to block under ACP,and the sizes of blocky Si decreased obviously with increasing current density from 110 to 300 Acm^(-2).The formation mechanism of the structure of hypereutectic AI-20%Si alloy was also discussed under ACP.

Improvement in mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Si-Cu alloys through sonosolidified slurry

For the wider applications,it is necessary to improve the ductility as well as the strength and wear-resistance of hypereutectic AlSi-Cu alloys,which are typical light-weight wear-resistant materials.An increase in the amounts of primary silicon particles causes the modified wear-resistance of hypereutectic Al-Si-Cu alloys,but leads to the poor strength and ductility.It is known that dual phase steels composed of hetero-structure have succeeded in bringing contradictory mechanical properties of high strength and ductility concurrently.In order to apply the idea of hetero-structure to hypereutectic Al-Si-Cu alloys for the achievement of high strength and ductility along with wear resistance,ultrasonic irradiation of the molten metal during the solidification,which is called sono-solidification,was carried out from its molten state to just above the eutectic temperature.The sono-solidified Al-17Si-4Cu alloy is composed of hetero-structure,which are,hard primary silicon particles,soft non-equilibrium a-Al phase and the eutectic region.Rheo-casting was performed at just above the eutectic temperature with sono-solidified slurry to shape a disk specimen.After the rheo-casting with modified sonosolidified slurry held for 45 s at 570 oC,the quantitative optical microscope observation exhibits that the microstructure is composed of 18area%of hard primary silicon particles and 57area%of soft a-Al phase.In contrast,there exist only 5 area%of primary silicon particles and no a-Al phase in rheo-cast specimen with normally solidified slurry.Hence the tensile tests of T6 treated rheo-cast specimens with modified sono-solidified slurry exhibit improved strength and 5%of elongation,regardless of having more than 3 times higher amounts of primary silicon particles compared to that of rheo-cast specimen with normally solidified slurry.

Microstructure evolution and phase transformation of traditional cast and spray-formed hypereutectic aluminium-silicon alloys induced by heat treatment

Microstructural evolution and phase transformation induced by different heat treatments of the hypereutectic aluminium-silicon alloy, Al-25Si-5Fe-3Cu （wt%, signed as 3C）, fabricated by traditional cast （TC） and spray forming （SF） processes, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The results show that A17Cu2Fe phase can be formed and transformed in TC- and SF-3C alloys between 802-813 K and 800-815 K, respectively. The transformation from β-Al5FeSi to δ-Al4FeSi2 phase via peritectic reaction can occur at around 858-870 K and 876-890 K in TC- and SF-3C alloys, respectively. The starting precipitation temperature of δ-Al4FeSi2 phase as the dominant Fe-bearing phase in the TC-3C alloy is 997 K and the exothermic peak about the peritectic transformation of δ-Al4FeSi2→β-Al5FeSi is not detected in the present DSC experiments. Also, the mechanisms of the microstructural evolution and phase transformation are discussed.

Effect of mixing rate and temperature on primary Si phase of hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy during control ed diffusion solidification(CDS) process

Controlled Diffusion Solidification(CDS) is a promising process relied on mixing two liquid alloys of precisely controlled chemistry and temperature in order to produce a predetermined alloy composition. In this study, the CDS was employed to prepare hypereutectic Al-20%Si(mass fraction) alloy using Al-30%Si and pure Al of different temperatures. The mixing rate was controlled using three small crucibles with a hole of different diameters in their bottom. The effect of mixing rate and temperature on the microstructure of the primary Si-phase during the mixing of molten Al and Al-30%Si was studied. The results showed that when the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 16 mm, a higher mass mixing rate 0.217 kg·s-1 would results in a lower stream velocity 0.414 m·s-1. Conversely a lower mass mixing rate 0.114 kg·s-1(the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 8 mm) would result in a higher fluid stream velocity 0.879 m·s-1. A lower mass mixing rate would be better to refine the primary Si than a higher mass mixing rate. Meanwhile, the morphology and distribution of primary Si could also be improved. Especially, when Al-30%Si alloy at 820 °C was mixed with pure Al at 670 °C in the case of a mass mixing rate of 0.114 kg·s-1 and a pouring temperature of 680 °C, the average size of the primary Si phase would be only 18.2 μm. Its morphology would mostly be octahedral and the primary Si would distribute uniformly in the matrix microstructure. The lower mass mixing rate(0.114 kg·s-1) will enhance the broken tendency of Al-30%Si steam and the mixing agitation of resultant melt, so the primary Si phase can be better refined.

Microstructure Characteristics and Apparent Viscosity of Hypereutectic Al-24%Si Alloy Melt During Semi-solid State Stirring

The microstructural evolution and apparent viscosity of hypereutectic Al-24%Si alloy during semi-solid state shearing were studied with a Searte type viscometer. When the alloy melt was continuously stirred from 720 degreesC to eutectic temperature, the primary Si crystals were gradually changed from elongated platelets to near-spherical shapes. It was found that some nondendritic a-phase formed when the melt was stirred below 585 degreesC. The experiment showed that the semi-solid stirring had strong effect on inhibiting the anisotropic growth of Si crystals during solidification. The apparent viscosity of the alloy melt increased slowly with the decreasing of temperature before the formation of nondendritic alpha -phase, which caused the dramatic increase of apparent viscosity.

Effect of Nd on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hypereutectic Al-25Si Alloy

The modification mechanism of Nd on Al-25Si alloy was studied. The result showed that pure Nd (0.3%) could significantly refine primary silicon in hypereutectic Al-25Si alloy. And the morphology of primary silicon was transformed from star-shaped to block and the size of primary silicon changed from 150～200 μm to 40～80 μm after modification. The morphology of silicon and elements presence was detected by means of SEM-EDS, XRD was carried out to detect the phase constitution before and after modification. It was found that no new phase formed and the lattice of silicon and aluminum increased after modification and most of Nd may exist as solids solute element of silicon and absorb on the surface of silicon. Mechanical property test results showed that after modification with 0.3% Nd, Tensile strength increased about 33% from 138 to 184 MPa, yield strength increased about 15% from 126 to 145 MPa, and elongation change was not obvious. The improvement of mechanical property should attribute to fine grain strength and purification of base metal after modification.