Effect of Rare Earth Element Ce on Microstructure and Properties of Aluminum Rod for Electrical Purpose

The effect of rare earth element Ce on microstructure, electrical conductivity and mechanical properties was studied.Using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffractometer, the microstructure and phase composition of aluminum rod for electrical purpose were measured and analyzed.The results indicate that rare earth element Ce can considerably refine grain size of aluminum rod for electrical purpose,improve the regular distribution pattern of the impurity, such as silicon and iron which present in the aluminum matrix,form stable metal compound with pernicious impurity.This metal compound precipitates on the crystal boundary.As a result, the solid solubility of impurity in aluminum reduce, and the electrical conductivity of aluminum rod for electrical purpose is improved.It is found that the mechanical properties of aluminum rod for electrical purpose are improved by rare earth element in certain range of RE addition.

Influence of Rare Earth on Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum Rods for Electrical Purpose

For pushing the anticorrosion research on the electrical aluminum, the influence of the rare earth element on the corrosion resistance of the aluminum rods for electrical purpose in the different density acid, the alkali, the salt solution was investigated. The results show that the anti-corrosive performance of the aluminum rod containing the rare earth element for electrical purpose is distinctly improved, and the anti-corrosive performance is related to corrosive medium and the components of the aluminum rods for electrical purpose.

Development on research of advanced rare-earth aluminum alloy

The active mechanisms of rare earth element erbium ( Er ) in part of aluminum alloys were investigated. Based on the investigation of the effect of the unitary rare earth elements (Er, La, Y, Ce, Nd, Gd, and Sc) and the transition element zirconium on the aluminum alloys, it is concluded that, with Er alloyed, high purity aluminum and Al Mg alloys are featured with refined grain structure, superior heat stability and even higher hardness or tensile strength with unchanged ductility; but Er is not beneficial to the mechanical property of Al Cu alloy, so is Sc. It may also be concluded, to most of the aluminum alloys, Er can be an effective alloying element, like Sc; and for the lower price of Er, the cost of modifying aluminum alloys by Er will be reduced.

Study on the Rare Earth Sealing Procedure of the Porous Film of Anodized 2024 Aluminum Alloy

The rare earth sealing procedure of the porous film of anodized aluminum alloy 2024 was studied with the fieldemission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results show thatRE solution can form cerium oxide/hydroxides precipitation in the pores of the anodized coating at the beginning ofsealing. At the same time, the spherical deposits formed on the surface of the anodized coating created a barrierto the precipitation of RE solution in the pores. When the pore-structured anodizing film is covered all with thespherical deposits, RE conversion coating will form on the surface of the anodized coating. The reaction of thecoating formation was investigated by employing cyclic voltammetry. The results indicate that accelerator H2O2 actsas the source of O2 by carrying chemical reaction in course of coating formation. In the mean time, it maybe carrieselectrochemical reaction to generate alkaline condition to accelerate the coating formation. The porous structure ofthe film is beneficial to the precipitation of the cerium hydroxides film.

Influence of oxidant KMnO_4 on film-forming process of rare earth metal conversion coating on LY12 aluminum alloy

A Cu/Al galvanic couple was established to study the influence of the oxidantKMnO_4 on the film-forming process of rare earth metal (REM) conversion coating on LY12 aluminumalloy. It is found that the galvanic couple simulative experiment accords with the actual immersion,and it can be substantially used to simulate the behavior of LY12 aluminum alloy in thefilm-forming process. It is showed that the formation of the coating is quickened in CeCl_3 solutioncontaining KMnO_4 compared with that not containing KMnO_4. XPS results reveal that the coatingformed on cathode is composed of oxide or hydroxide of Ce and Mn, so the mechanism of formation ofREM conversion coating changes when KMnO4 is added.

Applying ellipsometry to studying the effect of two kinds of rare earth metal salts on anodizing aluminum alloy

The effects of rare earth metal salts (REMs), cerium(IV) salt and lanthanum (III) salt, on the property of anodized coating of LD10 aluminum alloy are studied by corrosion tests including neutral salt spray test and copper accelerated acetic acid immersion test, polarization curves measurement, energy dispersion analyzer of X-Ray(EDAX) analysis, and in situ ellipsometry. The results show that the addition of either of the two REMs in anodizing solution hardly changes the composition of an anodized coating, while increases the thickness of barrier part and reduces the porosity of porous part, which contributed to the improvement of the corrosion resistance of the anodized coating. The results also demonstrate that the effect of cerium salt was better than that of lanthanum salt.

A New Approach to Refining and Modifying Cast Aluminum Alloys with Rare Earth Alloys

The effects of rare earth (RE) alloys on the refining and modifying of cast aluminum alloys were investigated. Compared to other substances in common use, rare earth alloys maintain the refining and modifying effects of the aluminum alloys for a longer time. RE alloys can also reduce environmental pollution in the melting process. These effects of RE alloys make them become a superior choice for the applications in aluminum foundry.

Effect of Cerium on Mechanical Performance and Electrical Conductivity of Aluminum Rod for Electrical Purpose

The effect of rare earth element Ce on mechanical performance and electrical conductivity of aluminum rod for electrical purpose were studied under industrial production condition. Using optical microscope, SEM, TEM, EDS and X-ray diffractometer, the microstructure and phase composition of aluminum rod were measured and analyzed. The results indicate that the content of rare earth element Ce is between 0.05% -0.16% in the aluminum rod for electrical purpose. Its tensile strength is enhanced to some extent. The research also discovers that the tensile strength is enhanced remarkably with impurity element Si content increases. Because influence of Si is big to the conductivity, the Si content should be controlled continuously strictly in the aluminum for electrical purpose. Adding rare earth element Ce reduces the solid solubility of Si in the aluminum matrix, and the negative effect of Si on the aluminum conductor reduces effectively. So the limit of in Si content in aluminum rod for electrical purpose can be relaxed moderately.

Corrosion Inhibition Mechanism of Rare Earth Metal on LC4 Al Alloy with Spilt Cell Technique

A new method of studying the corrosion inhibition mechanism of rare earth metal（REM） on LC4 Al alloy with the spilt cell technique was studied. The principle and experimental method of the spilt cell technique were analyzed. By measuring the change of net-electric current between the two electrodes caused by the change of the amount of oxygen in the solution and the addition of CeCl3, the influence of corrosive performance of CeCl3 on LC4 super-power aluminum ＂alloy in the 0.1 mol· L^-1 NaCl solution was investigated. Meanwhile, the conditional changes of pH values, CeCl3 solution, additire and time of performance were also studied. Finally, the features of electrode surface were revealed by using SEM and X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry （EDS）. By combining these with other electric chemical techniques, such as potential-time curve, polarization curve et al.

Study of rare earth element effect on microstructures and mechanical properties of an Al-Cu-Mg-Si cast alloy

The improvements of microstructures and properties of a high strength aluminum cast alloy were studied. The effects of rare earth elements on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the high strength cast alloy Al-Cu-Mg-Si were investigated. The result shows that the addition of rare earth elements can change the microstructures in refining the grain size of the alloy and making the needle-like and laminar eutectic Si to a granular Si. With the increase of the rare earth, the tensile strength and elongation of the alloy increase first and then fall down. The mechanical properties of the alloy will reach the highest value when the content of rare earth elements is about 0.7%.

Effect of rare earth samarium addition on the kinetics of precipitation in Al-Cu-Mn casting alloy

The mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mn casting alloy mainly depend on the morphology, distribution, size, and number ofθ′（Al2Cu） precipitates. In this study, we have analyzed the effect of rare earth samarium （Sm） addition on the kinetics of precipitation in the Al-Cu-Mn casting alloy by using differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Thermal ef-fect peaks that are attributed to the formation and the dissolution of Guinier-Preston （GP） zone andθ′phase were identified from the DSC curves. The activation energy ofθ′formation was calculated by using both the Kissinger method and the analytical model, and the corre-sponding results were compared. Results suggest that the activation energy ofθ′formation in Al-Cu-Mn alloy is dramatically higher than that in Al-Cu-Mn-Sm alloy. Accordingly, it is concluded that the addition of rare earth Sm decreases the activation energy ofθ′formation and promotes the formation ofθ′precipitates.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Anisotropy and Microstructure of Al-Li Alloy 2195 Sheets

For the purpose of decreasing the applied limitation resulting from the anisotropic mechanical property of Al-Li alloy 2195, this study employed a complex heat treatment process, involving the pre-tension, thermo-infiltration of the rare earth element Ce, solution treatment, and artificial aging technology. The results indicate that the infiltration of rare earth element Ce benefits the abatement of anisotropy of Al-Li alloy 2195 sheet, in contrast with that of the normal heat treatment process. The gradient of the Vickers-hardness decreases at least 50% through the thickness, and the tensile strength in the rolling direction also increases significantly. If Ce was infiltrated into the alloy under the optimum pre-deformation, the yield strength （σ0.2） increased by 30 MPa while the tensile strength （σb） enhanced by 25 MPa compared to the rare earth free samples. Meanwhile, the fractography illustrated that the fracture surface of the sample became more desirable.

Effect of combined RE-Ba-Sb addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of 4004 aluminum alloy

As a brazing foil, 4004 A1 alloy has good welding performance. However, the high Si content decreases the plasticity of the alloy. In order to improve the plasticity of 4004 A1 alloy and subsequently improve the productivity of 4004 AI foil, 4004 A1 alloy was modified by RE-Ba-Sb. As a comparison, the 4004 A1 alloy was also modified by RE with different addition. The tensile properties of the alloy reach the best when the addition of RE was 0.2%, in which the tensile strength and elongation were 194 MPa and 5%, respectively. For RE-Ba-Sb modification, the addition of three elements was optimized by orthogonal analysis. The results showed that the greatest impact parameter of RE-Ba-Sb modification was RE addition, followed by addition of Ba and Sb. The optimum addition amounts of RE, Ba and Sb obtained by orthogonal analyses were 0.01%, 0.3%, and 0.05%, respectively. The tensile strength and the elongation of 4004 A1 alloy modified by the optimal modification process were 224 MPa and 6%, respectively. The amount of RE addition in RE-Ba-Sb modification is lower than that in RE modification.

Study on phosphating treatment of aluminum alloy:role of yttrium oxide

Zinc phosphate coatings formed on 6061-Al alloy, after dipping in phosphating solutions containing different amounts of Y2O3（yttrium oxide）, were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and electrochemical measurements. Significant variations in the morphology and corrosion resistance afforded by zinc phosphate coating were especially observed as Y2O3 in phosphating solution varied from 0 to 40 mg/L. The addition of Y2O3 changed the initial potential of the interface between aluminum alloy substrate and phosphating solution and increased the number of nucleation sites. The phosphate coating thereby was less porous structure and covered the surface of aluminum alloy completely within short phosphating time. Phosphate coating was mainly composed of Zn3（PO4）2·4H2O （hopeite） and AlPO4（aluminum phosphate）. Y2O3, as an additive of phosphatization, accelerated precipitation and refined the gain size of phosphate coating. The corrosion resistance of zinc phosphate coating in 3% NaCl solution was improved as shown by polarization measurement. In the present research, the optimal amount of Y2O3 was 10-20 mg/L, and the optimal phosphating time was 600 s.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Electrical Conductivity of Multi-Element Cu Alloy

The effect of heat treatment on electrical conductivity of Cu alloy containing Ni, Al, and rare earth(Ce) alloying elements was studied by metallographic microscope, TEM, SEM/EDS and conductance instrument. The results indicate that heat treatment can improve the electrical conductivity of the material due to the reducing of the solid solution of Cr element in Cu matrix. The better conductivity was obtained after getting solid solution at 980 ℃ for 1 h, and then aging at 500 ℃ for 4 h.

Influence of samarium content on microstructure and mechanical properties of recycled die-cast YL112 aluminum alloys

The influence of Sm （Samarium） content on microstructure and mechanical properties of recycled die-cast YLl12 aluminum alloys was investigated. The results show that many small Sm-rich particles form in the recycled die-cast YLl12 alloys with Sm addition. At the same time, the secondary dendrite arm spacing in the YLl12 alloys modified with Sm is smaller than that of the unmodified alloy. The eutectic Si of recycled die- cast YL112-xSm alloys transforms from coarse acicular morphology to fine fibres. Mechanical properties of the investigated recycled die-cast YLl12 aluminum alloys are enhanced with Sm addition, and a maximal ultimate tensile strength value （276 MPa） and elongation （3.76%） are achieved at a Sm content of 0.6wt.%. Due to the modification of eutectic Si by Sm, numerous tearing ridges and tiny dimples on the fractures of tensile samples are observed.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of the welding joint filled with microalloying 5183 aluminum welding wires

In this study, 7A52 aluminum alloy sheets of 4 mm in thickness were welded by tungsten inert gas welding using microalloying welding wires containing traces of Zr and Er. The influence of rare earth elements Zr and Er on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints was analyzed by optical microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, hardness testing, and tensile mechanical properties testing. Systematic analyses indicate that the addition of trace amounts of Er and Zr leads to the formation of fine Al3Er, Al3Zr, and Al3（Zr,Er） phases that favor significant grain refinement in the weld zone. Besides, the tensile strength and hardness of the welded joints were obviously improved with the addition of Er and Zr, as evidenced by the increase in tensile strength and elongation by 40 MPa and 1.4%, respectively, and by the welding coefficient of 73%.

Reaction behavior between the oxide film of LY12 aluminum alloy and the flux

In this paper, the brazing mechanism of LY12 aluminum alloy at middle range temperature was presented. The CsF-AlF_3 non-corrosive flux was utilized to remove the complex oxide film on the surface of LY12 aluminum alloy. The results revealed that the oxide film was removed by the improved CsF-AlF_3 flux accompanied with the occurrence of reaction as well as dissolution and the compounds CsF played an important role to remove the oxide film. Actually, the high activity of flux, say, the ability to remove the oxide film, was due to the presence of the compounds, such as NH_4F,NH_4AlF_4 and composite molten salt. The production of HF was the key issue to accelerate the reaction and enhance to eliminate the oxide film by dissolution. It was found that the rare earth element La at small percentage was not enriched at the interface. Moreover, the rare earth fluoride enhanced the dissolution behavior.

Modification Effect of P+Sr+Ce Compound on Microstructure and Properties of Cast High Silicon Heat-Resist Aluminum Alloy

The P ＋ Sr ＋ Ce compound modification technologies of as-cast Al-21Si-1.5Cu-1.5Ni- 2.5Fe- 0.5Mg alloy were investigated by means of orthogonal test. Orthogonal test results show that 3% （CaH2PO4 ＋ 2CASO4）＋ 0.2%Sr ＋ 0.2%Ce is the optimum additive of modification treatment which can fine eutectic and primary silicon also can change the form of rich-iron phase at same time. The needle form of rich-iron phase is Al9FeSi3, which is prored by X-ray diffraction analysis and X-ray energy spectrum analysis. After compound modification treatment, the needle form of rich-iron phase disappeared and the fish bone form of rich-iron and rich-Ce phase that is AlsCeFe emerged. Both at room temperature and at 300℃, the tensile strength of the alloy after the modification treatment with the optimum additive is 30% lager than that of the alloy unmodified. Observed by SEM, the brittle intercrystalline tensile fracture changed into a blended one in which has many dimples.

Corrosion resistance of 2195 aluminum alloy treated by multi-step-heating-rate controlled process

2195 aluminum-lithium alloy was widely applied in the aviation and aerospace industry, but it is highly susceptible to pitting and intergranular corrosion undergoing sever corrosive circumstance and moisture atmosphere. To solve this problem and consequently to prolong its service life, a multi-step-heating-rate(MSRC) process was carried out. Investigations were carried out to find the effect of the MSRC process on the alloys corrosion resistance. It is found that the MSRC process is more favorable for the uniform phase precipitation by comparing the corrosion resistance of samples treated by traditional heat treatments. The potential difference between phases can be reduced and intergranular corrosion is able to be prohibited efficiently. Besides, the rare earth infiltration is beneficial to improving the corrosion resistance. As heating time increases, the corrosion resistance declines gradually, samples treated by artificial aging and solid solution also exhibit a better corrosion resistance.