Microstructure characteristics and thermodynamic properties of A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites prepared by semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting

A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were prepared using a semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting method.The microstructures,mechanical properties,and thermal conductivities of the composites fabricated under different suction casting processes were compared.Additionally,the microstructural evolution characteristics and performance enhancement mechanism of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were discussed.The results demonstrate that suction casting at 610°C with a low solid phase ratio can significantly enhance the material density and reduce the agglomeration of SiCp.The A357-SiC_(p)/A357 interface is clear and straight with good bonding.With an increase in the suction casting temperature,the bending resistance and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiC_(p)/A357 layered composites exhibit a trend of significantly increase at first and then slowly decrease owing to casting defects,interface bonding,and SiCp distribution.Compared with SiCp/A357 composites,the bending strength,deflection,and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites increase from 257 MPa,1.07 mm,and 155.72 W·(m·K)^(-1) to 298 MPa,2.1 mm,and 169.86 W·(m·K)^(-1),respectively.This study provides a reference for improving the rheological casting of aluminum matrix layered composites.

Microstructure and storage properties of low V-containing Ti–Cr–V hydrogen storage alloys prepared by arc melting and suction casting

The microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of low V content （Ti0.46Cr0.54）100-xVx （x = 2.5-7.1, at%） and （TiyCr1-y）95V5 （y= 0.38-0.54） alloys were investigated. These alloys were prepared by arc melting and copper mould suction casting. The structures of as-cast （Ti0.46Cr0.54）100-xVx （x = 2.5, 5.0, and 7.1） alloy ingots evolve with V contents from pure Laves-（x = 2.5） to dual-phase TiCr2-BCC structures （5.0 and 7.1）, whereas the suction-cast （Ti0.46Cr0.54）100-xVx （x =2.5, 5.0, and 7.1） alloys only contain single BCC phase. The suction-cast alloy rod （Ti0.46Cr0.54）95V5, containing only 5.0 at% V is shown to possess the optimum hydrogen absorption capacity, with the maximum hydrogen content of 3.14 wt%. Furthermore, the hydrogen storage properties of the suction-cast low V alloys （TiyCr1-y）95V5 （y = 0.38-0.54） are sensitive to Ti/Cr ratios and only those alloys with Ti/Cr ratios close to the CN14 cluster [TiTCrs] have good hydrogen storage properties.

Effect of depressurizing speed on mold filling behavior and entrainment of oxide film in vacuum suction casting of A356 alloy

The effect of depressurizing speed on mold filling behavior and entrainment of oxide film of A356 alloy was studied. Themold filling behavior and velocity fields were recorded by water simulation with particle image velocimetry. The results show thatthe gate velocity first increased dramatically, then changed with the depressurizing speed: the gate velocity increased slowly atrelatively high depressurizing speed; at reasonable depressurizing speed, the gate velocity kept unchanged; while at lowerdepressurizing speed, the gate velocity decreased firstly and then kept unchanged. High gate velocity results in melt falling backunder gravity at higher speed. The falling velocity is the main factor of oxide film entrainment in vacuum suction casting. The designcriterion of depressurizing rate was deduced, and the A356 alloy castings were poured to test the formula. The four-point bend testand Weibull probability plots were applied to assessing the fracture mechanisms of the as-cast A356 alloy. The results illuminate amethod on designing suitable depressurizing speed for mold filling in vacuum suction casting.

Modeling of Filling and Solidification Process for TiAl Exhaust Valves During Suction Casting

Investment and suction casting （ISC） represents an economic and promising process route to fabricate auto-motive exhaust valves of γ-TiAI based alloys, but information available on the metal flow and the temperature changeseduring mould filling and solidification process for the ISC process is meager. A sequentially coupled mathematical flow-thermal model, based on the commercial finite-volume/finite-difference code FLOW-3D and the finite-element code PROCAST, has been developed to investigate the ISC process. In term of calcu-lating the flow and temperature fields during the filling and solidification stages, potential defects including the gas bubbles and the surface air entrainment occurred in the mould filling process and the shrinkage porosities formed in the solidification process are predicted and the reasons for the formation of these defects are also analyzed. The effects of filling pressure difference control methods and moulds on gas bubble and surface air entrainment behavior are presented. It is found that by changing the filling pressure difference control methods from general suction casting to ＂air leakage＂ suction casting and reducing air leakage flow rates, the gas bubbles are eliminated effectively, and the surface air entrainment attenuate dramatically. With resort to a mould with a tetragonal runner, the surface air entrainment decrease to the lowest level. Finally, the water analogue and suction casting experiments of exhaust valves are implemented for further validation of the simulation results.

Secondary Solidification Behaviour of AA8006 Alloy Prepared by Suction Casting

Solidification behaviour of AA8006 aluminium alloy in suction casting has been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）. It is found that there is a secondary solidification process of the remaining liquid in located region of α-Al dendrites, and the cooling rate influences not only the solidification of the primary α-Al dendrite, but also the secondary solidification process of the remaining liquid. With the primary solidification being responsible for the formation of the relatively large α- Al dendrite, a fine and homogeneous microstructure is observed in the secondary solidification. Furthermore, because of the presence of the fine microstructure, the eutectic reaction is confined into small intergranular areas, inducing the formation of the laminar eutectic phase in the primary solidification region and fibrous eutectic phase in the secondary solidification region. EDS analysis shows that the content of Fe is higher in the secondary solidification region, and the enrichment of the solute element further confirms the existence of the secondary solidification.

Tensile Behavior of SiC Fiber-Reinforcedγ-TiAl Composites Prepared by Suction Casting

The process of preparing SiC_(f)iber-reinforced y-TiAl composites by the conventional methods is difficult and complicated due to the high reactivity,high melting point and poor deformability of y-TiAl alloys.In this work,suction casting,a promising method for preparing SiC_(f)/TiAl composite,had been attempted.In the process,y-TiAl alloy melt was introduced rapidly into a mold within pre-arranged fibers that were coated with additional layer of titanium alloy.This simple method successfully prevented serious reactions between the alloy melt and the fibers which remained intact during the solidification process.The interfacial reaction layer was observed by optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The interfacial reaction products were identified by transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Tensile tests of the matrix alloy and composites were performed at room temperature and 800℃.The results exhibited that the tensile strength of SiC_(f)/γ-TiAl composite was higher than that of the matrix alloy at both room temperature and 8000 C.At room temperature,tensile strength of SiC_(f)/γ-TiAl composite was increased by about 7%(50 MPa),whereas a double increase in tensile strength 14%(100 MPa)was obtained at 800℃.The titanium alloy coating on the fiber not only prevented the serious interfacial reaction between the y-TiAl alloy melt and the SiC_(f)iber,but also played a role in delaying the propagation of cracks in the matrix to the fiber at 800℃.The fracture mechanism of the composite was analyzed by fracture metallographic analysis.

Microstructure evolution and magnetic properties of the Nd_9Fe_(81–x)Ti_4C_2Nb_4B_x(x=11, 13, 15) bulk magnets prepared by copper mold suction casting

The bulk nanocomposite magnets of Nd9Fes1-xTi4C2Nb4Bx （x= 11, 13, 15） in sheet form with the thickness of 0.7 mm were prepared by copper mold suction casting and subsequently annealing. The microstructure evolution and magnetic properties of bulk magnets were studied. It was shown that the as-cast microstmcture ofbtflk alloys were composed ofNdEFe14B, a-Fe, FeaB crystalline phases and an amorphous matrix, and that the glass formability of alloy was improved with increasing the B content. The DSC analysis showed that the as-cast bulk alloys had the crystallization behavior of a two-step process. After annealing at the temperatures which was 40453 K higher than their onset temperatures of the second exothermic peak, Nd9Fe81 xTi4C2Nb4Bx （x=11, 13, 15） bulk alloys obtained a finely mixed structure which were composed of Nd2Fe14B, a-Fe, Fe3B, （Nb,Ti）C crystalline phases and a residual amorphous phase, whose magnetic properties were significantly enhanced. For the bulk magnets of Nd9Fes1-xTi4CENb4Bx （x=11, 13, 15）, the optimal magnetic properties of Br=0.63 T, iHc= 155.1 kA/m, （BH）max= 18.73 kJ/m3 could be achieved when x= 13 after annealing at 983 K for 10 min.

Effect of centrifugal counter-gravity casting on solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of A357 aluminum alloy

To investigate the influence of Centrifugal Counter-gravity Casting(C3) process on the solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of the casting, A357 aluminum alloy samples were produced by different process conditions under C3. The results show that C3 has better feeding capacity compared with the vacuum suction casting; and that the mechanical vibration and the convection of melts formed at the centrifugal rotation stage suppress the growth of dendrites, subsequently resulting in the refinement of grains and the improvement of mechanical properties, density and hardness. A finer grain and higher strength can be obtained in the A357 alloy by increasing centrifugal radius and rotational speed. However, casting defects will appear near the rotational axis and the mechanical properties will decrease once the rotational speed exceeds 150 r·min-1.

Effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability and mechanical properties of Cu_(46)Zr_(47-x)Al_7M_x(M = Ce,Pr,Tb,and Gd) bulk metallic glasses

Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx （M = Ce, Pr, Tb, and Gd） bulk metallic glassy （BMG） alloys were prepared by copper-mold vacuum suction casting. The effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability （GFA）, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx were investigated. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx （M = Ce, Pr） alloys is dependent on the content of Ce and Pr, and the optimal content is 4 at.%. Cu46Zr47-xA17Thx（X = 2, 4, and 5） amorphous alloys with a diameter of 5 mm can be prepared. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Gdx（x = 2, 4, and 5） increases with increasing Gd. Tx and Tp of all decrease. Tg is dependent on the rare-earth element and its content. ATx for most of these alloys decreases except the Cu46Zra2Al7Gd5 alloy. The activation energies △Eg, △Ex, and △Ep for the Cu46Zr42A17Gd5 BMG alloy with Kissinger equations are 340.7, 211.3, and 211.3 kJ/mol, respectively. These values with Ozawa equations are 334.8, 210.3, and 210.3 kJ/mol, respec- tively. The Cu46Zr45Al7Tb2 alloy presents the highest microhardness, Hv 590, while the Cu46Zr43A17Pr4 alloy presents the least, Hv 479. The compressive strength （at.f.） of the Cu46Zra3A17Gd4 BMG alloy is higher than that of the Cu46Zr43Al7Tb4 BMG alloy.

Manufacture of Bulk Amorphous Crystal and Micro-Crystal for Pr_(60)Cu_((20-x))Ni_(10)Al_(10)Fe_x and Characteristics of Its Magnetic Apparatus

Bulk amorphous crystal and microcrystal for Pr60Cu(20-x)Ni10Al10Fex (x = 0, 8, 15, 20) with the diameter ofΦ2 ~ 6 mm were manufactured by electric arc smelting, high frequency heating and copper mold upper suction casting, and its structure was analyzed by X-ray diffract meter. It showed soft magnetic characteristic gradually when Fe content in it was up to 8% . The material was applied to magnetic-electric sensor as key component, output signal of which was measured with the change of Fe content. It shows that the signal changes from weak to strong with the increase of Fe content and presents the largest peak value when Fe is replaced by Cu completely.

Glass formation,thermal and mechanical properties of ZrCuAlNi bulk metallic glasses

The glass forming ability, thermal and mechanical properties of some Zr Cu Al Ni bulk metallic glasses were analyzed. The compositions of the alloys were theoretically determined with the dense packing and kinetic fragility index models. Cylindrical and conical ingots were produced by copper mould suction-casting under Ar atmosphere. The conical ingots were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction in order to determine the glassy structure. It was found that both alloys have a critical glassy diameter, Dc, of 3 mm. Thermal behaviours were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry at heating rates of 0.5, 0.67 and 0.83 K/s. The gamma parameter γ, supercooled liquid region ΔTx, and reduced glass transition temperature Trg, of the experimentally obtained glasses indicated high glass forming ability. The glassy compositions showed a fragility index of ~40 GPa. The compression test of the investigated alloys was carried out at a strain rate of 0.016 s^-1, obtaining a elastic modulus of ~83 GPa, total deformation of ~5%, yield strength of 1.6 GPa and hardness of 4 GPa. It was concluded that the use of the dense packing and kinetic fragility index models helped to predict glass-forming compositions in the family alloy investigated.

Microstructural refinement and enhanced mechanical properties of suction-cast NiTi-Al alloy for structural use

A significant refinement of the microstructure of structural NiTi alloy was achieved through a combination of Al addition and fabrication by suction casting.This is attributed to the change from a layer-by-layer to volume solidification mode with Al content increasing,which causes a change in grain shape from columnar to equiaxed.Furthermore,when compared with conventional casting,suction casting optimizes the microstructure of the alloy by refining the grain size and ensuring a homogeneous distribution of Ti2 Ni and Ni_(2)TiAl phases.The high cooling rate of suction casting also delays the formation ofβ'-Ni_(2)TiAl phase.Finally,this fine microstructure and uniform distribution of intermetallic phases result in the ultimate compressive strength of up to 2463.7 MPa,representing an improvement of 370 MPa over conventionally cast NiTi-Al alloy.

Synthesis and characterization of bulk composite Fe-Si-B alloys with small concentration of Nb and Mo

The preparation and some mechanical, thermal and magnetic properties of the as cast bulk composite Fe72B19.2Sin.sM4 （M=Nb, Mo） alloys obtained by suction casting are presented and discussed. The microstructrural results showed the existence of a crystalline a-Fe（Si） phase embedded in a glassy matrix. The values of microhardness （/Iv） and yield strength （ay） for the Nb-containing alloy are exceptionally high, i.e. （12.65~0.3） GPa and （4.22~0.10） GPa, respectively. The saturation polarization values are found to be as high as 1.24 T for both composite ~11oys. It is thought that the interplay between the secondary crystalline phases and amorphous matrix could be responsible for the mechanical and magnetic behaviour of these alloys.