Multiplex modification with rare earth elements and P for hypereutectic A1-Si alloys

The effect of rare earth （RE） elements on the morphologies and sizes of Si phases in the hypereutectic A1-Si alloys modified with P was investigated. The results show that the addition of La element to the hypereutectic A1-Si alloys can enhance the effect of P element on the modification of the primary Si phases. In the multiplex modification of RE-P, the primary Si phase is refiner and the shape of the eutectic Si is changed from long needle-like to short rod-like. Moreover, the agglomeration rate of the primary Si phase is slowed greatly. Even the melt is held for 6 h, the average size of the primary Si phase is still satisfied. The results analyzed by scanning electron microscope （SEM） indicate that La is richer at A1-Si interface than that in α-A1 or primary Si phase. The higher the La content in the A1-Si interface, the smaller the primary Si phase.

Process of aluminum dross recycling and life cycle assessment for Al-Si alloys and brown fused alumina

In 2008,around 596 000 t of aluminum dross was generated from secondary aluminum industry in China;however,it was not sufficiently recycled yet.Approximately 95% of the Al dross was land filled without innocent treatment.The purpose of this work is to investigate Al dross recycling by environmentally efficient and friendly methods.Two methods of Al dross recycling which could utilize Al dross efficiently were presented.High-quality aluminum-silicon alloys and brown fused alumina(BFA) were produced successfully by recycling Al dross.Then,life cycle assessment(LCA) was performed to evaluate environmental impact of two methods of Al dross recycling process.The results show that the two methods are reasonable and the average recovery rate of Al dross is up to 98%.As the LCA results indicate,they have some advantages such as less natural resource consumption and pollutant emissions,which efficiently relieves the burden on the environment in electrolytic aluminum and secondary aluminum industry.

Si purification by enrichment of primary Si in Al-Si melt

The primary silicon crystals and AI-Si alloy in hypereutectic A1-Si melt were separated by electromagnetic stirring and directional solidification. Additionally, the distribution feature of impurities in A1-Si system was verified. The results show that the impurities are mainly located in A1-Si alloy and the grain boundaries between the A1-Si alloy and primary silicon. Furthermore, the morphology of primary silicon changes from fish-bone like to plate like and spheroid due to the different Si contents. The amount of impurities decreases with the increasing of Si content in different positions of the sample. The amount of impurities in the bottom of the sample is approximately 10× 10^-6, which is obviously improved compared with the 1248.47 × 10^- 6 in metallurgical Si.

变质工艺对过共晶Al-Si合金连铸坯组织的影响

采用美国标准TP-1模具及模拟方法,研究了Al-Si-P变质剂的加入量、熔体浇注温度以及变质保温时间对过共晶Al-Si合金连铸坯料凝固组织的影响规律。结果表明,Al-Si-P变质剂加入量(超过0.02%)和变质保温时间对合金显微组织细化的影响不明显;而浇注温度对初生Si的大小分布影响较大,浇注温度越高,初生Si越细小、分布也越均匀。在合适的工艺匹配条件下,可以获得初生Si细小、形貌较为规则圆整、分布均匀的显微组织。

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.