Modeling of shear induced coarsening effects in semi-solid alloys

In long-term rheological shear experiments with semi-solid alloys, coarsening of the particles will falsify the interpretation of the experimental results.The coarsening is intensified by the shear induced convection and the mean size of the particles is changed significantly during the experiments.A simple model has been set up which takes the influence of the convection into account.The resulting growth law has been simplified for diffusion and convection dominated growth.The growth law was verified with shear experiments in a Searl-rheometer with A356 and tin-lead alloys.The experiments demonstrated that under convection the growth follows a linear time law and that the rate constant depends on the root of the shear rate.The correction of experimental results to gain the true viscosity function is demonstrated for a shear jump experiment with A356.

New Technique of Casting-rolling Strips for Semi-solid Magnesium Alloys

The conjugation of semi-solid process technique and casting-rolling technique applied to produce the magnesium strips was studied. The semi-solid slurry has been prepared continuously by the mechanical method and its temperature was controlled strictly at the same time. AZ91D and AZ31 casting magnesium alloys were applied to the experiment. The casting-rolling strips with non-dendritic structure were obtained and its main mechanical property is better. The process ability of the casting-rolling strips was studied. It is significative to link the semi-solid process techniques and casting-rolling techniques, through which we can get high quality magnesium alloy strips with non-dendritic structure and improve the overall properties of the products.

Semi-solid processing of aluminum and magnesium alloys:Status,opportunity,and challenge in China

Owing to its low cost,short process and low energy consumption,semi-solid processing(SSP)of aluminum(Al)and magnesium(Mg)alloys has been considered as a competitive approach to fabricate complicated components with excellent performance.Over the past decade,significant progress has been achieved in deeply understanding the SSP process,the microstructure and performance of the fabricated components in China.This paper starts with a retrospective overview of some common slurry preparation methods,followed by presenting the performance and the underlying mechanisms of SSP fabricated alloys.Then,the mainstream opinions on the microstructure evolution and rheological flow behavior of semi-solid slurry are discussed.Subsequently,the general situation and some recent examples of industrial applications of SSP are presented.Finally,special attention is paid to the unresolved issues and the future directions in SSP of Al and Mg alloys in China.

Semi-solid processing of hypereutectic A390 alloys using novel rheoforming process

The feasibility of semi solid processing of hypereutectic A390 alloys using a novel rheoforming process was investigated. A combination of the swirl enthalpy equilibration device （SEED） process, isothermal holding using insulation and addition of solid alloy during swirling was introduced as a novel method to improve the processability of semi solid slurry. The effects of isothermal holding and the addition of solid alloy on the temperature gradient between the centre and the wall and on the formation of a（Al） particles were examined. In additional tests, phosphorus and strontium were added to the molten metal to refine the primary and eutectic silicon structure to facilitate semi solid processing. The results show that the combination of the SEED process with two additional processing steps can produce semi-solid A390 alloys that can be rheoprocessed. The microstructure reveals an adequate amount of non-dendritic a（Al） globules surrounded by liquid, which greatly improves the processability of semi-solid slurry.

Degassing effect of ultrasonic vibration in molten melt and semi-solid slurry of Al-Si alloys

In the process of semi-solid slurry preparation with direct ultrasonic vibration (UV) by dipping the horn into the melt, one of the questions is whether the gas content in the melt would be increased or not by the cavitation effect of ultrasonic vibration. By application of quantitative gas content measurement technique, this paper investigated the effect of the ultrasonic vibration on the gas content of both the melt and the semi-solid slurry of Al-Si alloys, and the variations of the gas contents in two kinds of aluminum alloys, i.e., A356 alloy and Al-20Si-2Cu-1Ni-0.6RE alloy (Al-20Si for short). The results show that ultrasonic vibration has an obvious degassing effect on the molten melt, especially on the semi-solid slurry of Al-Si alloy which is below the liquidus temperature by less than 20 ℃. The ultrasonic degassing efficiency of the A356 alloy decreases with the reduction of the initial gas content in the melt, and it is nearly unchanged for the Al-20Si alloy. The gas content of both alloys decreases when the ultrasonic vibration time is increased. The best vibration time for Al-20Si alloy at the liquid temperature of 710 ℃ and semi-solid temperature of 680 ℃ is 60 s and 90 s, respectively; and the degassing efficiency is 48% and 35%, respectively. The mechanism of ultrasonic degassing effect is discussed.

Effect of Si,Cu and Fe on mechanical properties of cast semi-solid 206 alloys

The development of a modified 206 alloy whose composition was optimized to minimize hot tearing during semi-solid forming was reported. The effect of varying silicon, copper and iron contents was investigated using a design of experiment (DOE) approach. Semi-solid slurries were prepared using the SEED process and injected into a high pressure die casting press. The hot tearing sensitivity results were reported for different alloy variants. The microstructure evolution during the semi-solid preparation was presented along with actual die cast components. The effects of silicon, copper and iron on mechanical properties in the T7 condition were also analyzed. Beyond the benefit of reducing hot tearing, it is shown that the tensile and fatigue properties remain compatible with the automotive industry requirements.

Effects of Cr and Cr/Mn Combined Additions on Semi-Solid Microstructures of Al-Mg-Si Alloys Produced by D-SSF Process

The effects of Cr and Cr/Mn combined additions on the semi-solid microstructure of wrought Al-Mg-Si alloys are investigated.In the Cr-added alloy,the Al-7Cr compound is formed with homogeneously distributed in theα-Al matrix after homogenization.Both of the Al-7Cr andα-Al-（12）Mn3-Si-2 dispersiod particles are found in the homogenized microstructure of the Cr/Mn-added alloy.In the semi-solid microstructures,the smallestα-Al grains are obtained in the 60% cold-rolled alloys.After prolonged holding time,theα-Al grain size of the Cr/Mn-added alloy is smaller than that of the Cr-added alloy.Heavy deformation by cold-rolling accelerates spheroidization of theα-Al grains.The D-SSF process is found to be useful to modify the microstructures of both the Cr-added and Cr/Mn-added Al-Mg-Si alloys.

Deformation mechanism and forming properties of 6061Al alloys during compression in semi-solid state

The 6061 semi-solid aluminium alloy feedstocks prepared by near-liquidus casting were compressed in semi-solid state by means of Gleeble-3500 thermal-mechanical simulator.The relationship between the true stress and the true strain at different temperatures and strain rates was studied with the deformation degree of 70%.The microstructures during the deformation process were characterized.The deformation mechanism and thixo-forming properties of the semi-solid alloys were analyzed.The results show that the homogeneous and non-dendrite microstructures of semi-solid 6061Al alloy manufactured by near-liquidus casting technology could be transformed into semi-solid state with the microstructure suitable for thixo-forming which are composed of near-spherical grains and liquid phase with eutectic composition through reheating process.The deformation temperature and strain rate affect the peak stress significantly rather than steady flow stress.The resistance to deformation in semi-solid state decreases with the increase of the deformation temperature and decrease of the strain rate.At steady thixotropic deformation stage, the thixotropic property is uniform, and the main deformation mechanism is the rotating or sliding between the solid particles and the plastic deformation of the solid particles.

Evolution and distribution of Al_2Sm phase in as-extruded AZ61-xSm magnesium alloys during semi-solid isothermal heat-treatment

The evolution and distribution of Al2Sm phase in as-extruded AZ61-xSm（x=0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5, mass fraction, %） magnesium alloys during semi-solid isothermal heat treatment were investigated. The results showed that when as-extruded AZ61 magnesium alloys were modified with Sm, the smaller and rounder grains were obtained during semi-solid isothermal heat treatment. When the Sm content is 2.0%（mass fraction）, the average size of the globular grains reached the smallest value of 90 μm. Although a few Al2Sm particles existed in the α-Mg grains, most of Al2Sm particles solidified at the edge of the globular grains with the width of 20 μm. These phenomena are mainly attributed to the forces acting on Al2Sm particles in front of the solid-liquid interface, leading to Al2Sm particles accumulating at the solid-liquid interface and then solidifying at the edge of the globular grains in the quenching process.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Fe alloys prepared by semi-solid formation

The effects of alloying elements, electromagnetic stirring, reheating and semi-solid formation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Fe alloys prepared by semi-solid formation were studied. It was found that alloying elements and electromagnetic stirring can alter the morphology and growth mode of the iron-rich phase in Al-Fe alloys; and effectively refine the primary Al3Fe phase. In contrast to the microstructure obtained in conventional casting, the Al3Fe phase becomes thin short rod-like instead of thick needle-like; and the dendritic grain structure almost disappears in the semi-solid formation. The Al3Fe phase can be further refined through being dissolved or fused during subsequent reheating. It was also found that the larger extrusion ratio of semi-solid formation causes a greater crushing effect and therefore the Al3Fe phase is more refined and has more uniform distribution. Moreover, Al-Fe alloys prepared by semi-solid formation exhibit excellent mechanical properties at both room and high temperatures.

Coarsening rate of microstructure in semi-solid aluminium alloys

The rate of microstructural coarsening of recrystallisation and partial melting (RAP) and cooling slope (CS) processed materials in the semi-solid state is compared with rates found in the literature.The rate of coarsening depended on the liquid fraction but RAP route 2014 alloy with 37% liquid coarsened slightly more slowly than the CS route 2014 alloy with a lower liquid fraction of 17%, contrary to expectations.For the CS route, an increase in liquid fraction resulted in faster coarsening.A modified 2014 alloy with Fe, Mn and Zn stripped out of the composition gave a relatively high coarsening rate.The coarsening rate was also relatively high for CS 201 alloy in comparison with either RAP 2014 or CS 2014.Low coarsening rates are thought to be associated with the presence of particles which inhibit the migration of liquid film grain boundaries.This could be the result of pinning or of the liquid film impeding diffusion at the boundary.

Structural evolution of spray-formed Al-70wt.%Si alloys during iso-thermal holding in the semi-solid state

The grain growth behavior of spray-formed Al-70wt.%Si alloys was studied in the semi-solid state. The specimens were isothermally heat-treated at various temperatures between the solidus and liquidus of Al-Si alloys and then quenched in water. The microstructure of reheated specimens was characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopies. The isothermal holding experiment was carried out to investigate grain growth behavior as a function of holding time and temperature in the semi-solid state. The coarsening mechanism and the effect of porosity on microstructure were also studied.

Research progress on microstructure evolution of semi-solid aluminum alloys in ultrasonic field and their rheocasting

The effects of ultrasonic vibration(UV)treatment on microstructure of semi-solid aluminum alloys and the application of UV in rheocasting process are reviewed.Good semi-solid slurry can be produced by high-intensity UV process for aluminum alloys.The microstructures of Al-Si,Al-Mg and Al-Cu alloys produced by rheocasting assisted with UV are compact and with fine grains.The mechanical properties of the UV treated alloys are increased by about 20%-30%.Grain refinement of the alloys is generally considered because of cavitation and acoustic streaming caused by UV.Apart from these mechanisms,a hypothesis of the fuse of dendrite root caused by capillary infiltration in the ultrasonic field,as well as a mechanism of crystallites falling off from the mould-wall and crystal multiplication by mechanical vibration effect in indirect ultrasonic vibration are proposed to explain the microstructure evolution of the alloys.

Development of rheometer for semi-solid high-melting point alloys

A rheometer for semi-solid high-melting point alloys was developed based on the principle of a double-bucket rheometer, with which the solidifying of semi-solid high-melting point alloy melt could be effectively controlled by the control of temperature and the outer force-field; and different microstructures have also been obtained. This rheometer can be used to investigate the rheological behavior under different conditions by changing the Theological parameters. By way of full-duplex communication between the computer and each sensor, automatic control of the test equipment and real- time measurement of rheological parameters were realized. Finally, the influencing factors on torque are also quantitatively analyzed .

Microstructure and high temperature tensile properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mn-Fe alloys prepared by semi-solid thixoforming

The differences in the microstructure and elevated temperature tensile properties of gravity die cast,squeeze cast,and semi-solid thixoformed Al-Si-Cu-Mn-Fe alloys after thermal exposure at 300℃were discussed.The results demonstrate that the elevated temperature tensile properties of semi-solid thixoformed alloys were significantly higher than those of gravity die cast and squeeze cast alloys,especially after thermal exposure for 100 h.The ultimate tensile strength(UTS)of semi-solid thixoformed alloys after thermal exposure at 300℃for 0.5,10 and 100 h were 181,122 and 110 MPa,respectively.The UTS values of semi-solid thixoformed alloys were higher than those of heat resistant aluminum alloys used in commercial applications.The enhanced elevated temperature tensile properties of semi-solid thixoformed experimental alloys after thermal exposure can be attributed to the combined reinforcement of precipitation strengthening and grain boundary strengthening due to thermally stable intermetallic phases as well as suitable grain size.

Rheo-diecasting Process for Semi-solid Aluminum Alloys

A novel one-step semisolid processing technique, the rheo-diecasting （RDC） process, was developed, which adapts in situ creation of semisolid metal slurry with fine and spherical solid particles followed by direct shaping of the slurry into a near-net shape component using the existing cold chamber diecasting process. The RDC process was applied to process A356 and A380 aluminum alloys. The resulting microstructures and mechanical properties of RDC products under as-cast and various heat treatment conditions were analyzed. The experimental results show that the RDC samples have an extremely low porosity, a fine and uniform microstructure throughout entire casting, and consequently much improved strength and ductility in the as-cast condition. The strength of RDC A356 alloy can be substantially improved under T5 and T6 heat treatments without loss of ductility.

Microstructure and Gd-rich phase evolution of as-cast AZ31-xGd magnesium alloys during semi-solid isothermal heat treatment

The microstructure and Gd-rich phase evolution of as-cast AZ31-xGd(x=0,1.5 wt.%,2.0 wt.%and 2.5 wt.%)magnesium alloys during semi-solid isothermal heat treatment were investigated deeply in the present work.Results showed that the lamellar(Mg,Al)3Gd phases transformed into the particle-like Al2Gd phases in AZ31 magnesium alloys with Gd addition during semi-solid isothermal heat treatment,leading to yielding more sphericalα-Mg grains.When Gd content is 2.0 wt.%,the size of semi-solid spherical grains reaches the minimum.The main mechanism of grain refinement lies in the remelting of dendritic branches as well as the auxiliary effect of a small number of Al2Gd particles as grain refining inoculants.Meanwhile,Al2Gd particles enriched at the solid-liquid interfaces can remarkably retard the growth rate ofα-Mg grains.A reduction of deformation resistance has been successfully achieved in AZ31-2.0Gd magnesium alloy after semi-solid isothermal heat treatment,which shows a moderate compressive deformation resistance(230 MPa),comparing to the as-cast AZ31 magnesium alloy(280 MPa)and semi-solid AZ31 magnesium alloy(209 MPa).

Isothermal grain growth of reactive spray formed 7075 alloys in semi-solid state

The grain growth behavior in reactive spray formed 7075+2.91 vol percent TiCAl alloy was studied and compared with that of spray formed 7075 Al alloy at semi-solid state. Theeffects of in-situ TiC particles on the microstructure of spray formed 7075 Al alloy were alsoinvestigated. The specimens were heat-treated isothermally at various temperatures between thesolidus and liquidus of 7075 Al alloy for times in the range of 10-60 min, then quenched in water.The microstructure of reheated specimens was characterized using scanning electron microscopy andoptical microscopy. The grain size was measured using a mean linear intercept method. Results showthat the in-situ TiC particles can effectively retard grain growth and refine the grain at a limitedsize. The grain growth exponent in Arrhenius equation increases from 2 to 3, which indicates thatthe in-situ TiC particles have the significant pinning effect on grain coarsening in the semi-solidstate.

Microstructure evolution of semi-solid Mg-14Al-0.5Mn alloys during isothermal heat treatment

A new Mg-14Al-0.5Mn alloy that exhibits a wide solidification range and sufficient fluidity for semi-solid forming was designed. And the rnicrostructure evolution of semi-solid Mg-14Al-0.5Mn alloy during isothermal heat treatment was investigated. The mechanism of the microstructure evolution and the processing conditions for isothermal heat treatment were also discussed. The results show that the microstructures of cast alloys consist of α-Mg,β-Mg17Al12 and a small amount of Al-Mn compounds. After holding at 520 ℃ for 3 min, the phases of β-Mg17Al12 and eutectic mixtures in the Mg-14Al-0.5Mn alloy melt and the microstructures of α-Mg change from developed dendrites to irregular solid particles. With increasing the isothermal time, the amount of liquid increases, and the solid particles grow large and become spherical. When the holding time lasts for 20 min or even longer, the solid and liquid phases achieve a state of dynamic equilibrium.

Effects of SiC_(p) on microstructures of semi-solid extruded AZ91D magnesium alloys in recrystallization process

AZ91 D and 8.5 vol.%SiC_(p)/AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites were fabricated by a semi-solid extruded processing method,and treated with solution and aging heat treatment.The effects of SiC_(p)on the microstructures of the semi-solid extruded AZ91 D magnesium alloy during recrystallization were studied by observing and analyzing the microstructure evolution during extrusions and heat treatments.The results show that the addition of SiC_(p)inhibits the dynamic recrystallization of AZ91 D during the semi-solid extrusion with only 26% of the volume fraction of recrystallization.Furthermore,the addition of SiC_(p)refines the sizes of grains and second phases,and upgrades the volume fraction of second phase.After solution and aging treatment,the recrystallization continues,and the addition of SiC_(p)promotes the recrystallization and the recrystallized microstructure is much more stable.Meanwhile,the sizes of grains and second phases continue to be refined,and the volume fraction of second phases continues to increase.