Microstructure control of AZ31 alloy by self-inoculation method for semisolid rheocasting

A novel rheocasting process, self-inoculation method （SIM）, was developed for the microstructure control of semisolid wrought Mg alloy. This process involves mixing between liquid alloy and particles of solid alloy （self-inoculants）, subsequently pouring the mixed melt into a special designed multi-stream fluid director. The primary phase with dendritic morphology in the conventionally cast AZ31 alloy has readily transformed into near spherical one in the slurry produced by SIM from melt treatment temperature between 690 ℃ and 710 ℃ and self-inoculants addition of 3%-7%. Achievement of the non-dendritic microstructure at the higher melt treatment temperature requires more self-inoculants addition or decreases in the slope angle of fluid director. Primary phase in the slurry thus produced has attained an ideally globular morphology after isothermal holding at 620 ℃ for 30 s. The increasing holding time leads to decrease of shape factor but the coarsening of particle size. The spheroidization and coarsening evolution process of solid particles during the isothermal holding were analyzed by Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner （LSW） theory.

Microstructure evolution and segregation behavior of thixoformed Al-Cu-Mg-Mn alloy

A commercial wrought Al-Cu-Mg-Mn alloy（2024） was thixoformed based on the recrystallization and partial melting（RAP） route, and the microstructure evolution and segregation behavior during the indirect thixoforming process were studied. The results show that fine spheroidal microstructures can be obtained by partial remelting of commercial extruded 2024 alloys without additional thermomechanical processing. During the indirect thixoforming, the stress distribution can be optimized by increasing the thickness of base region. Under three-dimensional compression stress state, the microstructures are homogeneous among different regions with no evidence of liquid segregation and micro-porosities, and the grains in the columns are deformed plastically. The distribution of tensile mechanical properties is consistent with the microstructures. Moreover, the distribution of deformation mechanism was discussed, and a technical method for improving the stress distribution was proposed.

Simulation of temperature field and metal flow during continuous semisolid extending extrusion process of 6201 alloy tube

A continuous semisolid extending extrusion （CSEP） method was proposed. Temperature field and metal flow during continuous semisolid extending extrusion process of 6201 alloy tube were studied. During the process, the temperature in the roll-shoe cavity decreases gradually, and the isothermal lines of the alloy deviate from the shoe side to the work roll side in the roll–shoe gap. Metal flow velocity decreases gradually from the surface of the work roll to the surface of the shoe. In the extrusion mould, alloy temperature decreases gradually from the entrance to the exit and from the center to the sidewall of the mould. The extending cavity is radially filled with the alloy. The flow lines in the tube corresponding to the centers of the splitflow orifices and the welding gaps are dense, and the corresponding harness values are high; there are 8 transitional bands between them. In order to prepare 6201 alloy tubes with good surface quality, the pouring temperature from 750 ℃ to 780 ℃ was suggested.

Microstructure and properties of electronic packaging box with high silicon aluminum-base alloy by semi-solid thixoforming

The electronic packaging box with high silicon aluminum-base alloy was prepared by semi-solid thixoforming technique.The flow characteristic of the Si phase was analyzed.The microstructures of different parts of the box were observed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy,and the thermophysical and mechanical properties of the box were tested.The results show that there exists the segregation phenomenon between the primary Si phase and the liquid phase during thixoforming,the liquid phase flows from the box,and the primary Si phase accumulates at the bottom of the box.The volume fraction of primary Si phase decreases gradually from the bottom to the walls.Accordingly,the thermal conductivities of bottom center and walls are 107.6 and 131.5 W/（m·K）,the coefficients of thermal expansion（CTE） are 7.9×10-6 and 10.6×10-6 K-1,respectively.The flexural strength increases slightly from 167 to 180 MPa.The microstructures and properties of the box show gradient distribution overall.

Forced convection rheoforming process for preparation of 7075 aluminum alloy semisolid slurry and its numerical simulation

A self-developed forced convection rheoforming （FCR） machine for the preparation of light alloy semisolid slurry was introduced. The microstructure characteristics of 7075 aluminium alloy semisolid slurry at different stirring speeds prepared by the FCR process were analyzed. The experimental results suggest that with the increase of the stirring speed, the mean grain size of the semisolid decreases and the shape factor as well as the number of primary grains increase. Meanwhile, the preparation process of semisolid slurry was numerically simulated. The flow characteristics of the melt in the device and the effect of the stirring speed on temperature field and solid fraction of the melt were investigated. The simulated results show that during the preparation process of semisolid slurry, there is a complex convection within the FCR device that obviously changes the temperature field distribution and solid fraction of the melt. When the convection intensity increases, the scope of the undercooling gradient of the melt is reduced and temperature distribution is improved.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloy wheels prepared by thixo-forging combined with a low superheat casting process

The A356 aluminum alloy wheels were prepared by thixo-forging combined with a low superheat casting process. The as-cast microstructure, microstructure evolution during reheating and the mechanical properties of the thixo-forged A356 aluminum alloy wheels were investigated. The results show that the A356 aluminum alloy billet with fine, uniform and non-dendritic grains can be obtained when the melt is cast at 635 ℃. When the billet is reheated at 600 ℃ for 60 min, the non-dendritic grains are changed into spherical ones and the billet can be easily thixo-forged into wheels. The tensile strength and elongation of thixo-forged wheels with T6 heat treatment are 327.6 MPa and 7.8%, respectively, which are higher than those of a cast wheel. It is suggested that the thixo-forging combined with the low superheat casting process is an effective technique to produce aluminum alloy wheels with high mechanical properties.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 magnesium alloy parts achieved by thixo-extruding semisolid billets prepared by new SIMA

New strain induced melt activation（new SIMA） method was employed to prepare high-quality semisolid billet of AZ61 magnesium alloy.Optical microscopy and tensile test were used to study the microstructure and mechanical properties of the thixo-extruded component.The results showed that the optimal process parameters for achieving the complete filling status involved the applied pressure of 784 MPa,the pressure holding time of 90 s and the die temperature of 450 ℃.Compared to semisolid isothermal treatment,high mechanical properties such as the tensile strength of 300.5 MPa and elongation of 22% and fine microstructure were obtained in the thixo-extruded parts.With increasing the isothermal temperature and holding time,the tensile strength and elongation were increased firstly and then decreased.When the press pass was increased from 1 to 4,the tensile strength and elongation of the thixo-extruded parts were greatly enhanced and microstructure was refined obviously.

Effects of technical parameters of continuous semisolid rolling on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-3Sn-1Mn alloy

A sloping semisolid rheo-rolling process of Mg-3Sn-1Mn alloy was developed, and the effects of process parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-3Sn-lMn alloy strip were studied. The results show that the primary grain average diameter of the strip increases with the increase of the roll speed. The primary grain average diameter decreases firstly and then increases with the increase of the vibration frequency, and the tensile strength and elongation of the strip increase firstly and then decrease with the increase of the vibration frequency. The primary grain average diameter increases with the increase of casting temperature, and the tensile strength and elongation of the strip decrease correspondingly. When the casting temperature is 670℃, the roll speed is 52 mm/s, and the vibration frequency is 60 Hz, Mg-3Sn-1Mn alloy strip with good properties is produced. The mechanical properties of the present product are higher than those of Mg-3Sn-lMn alloy casting with the addition of 0.87% Ce （mass fraction）.

Microstructure and property of rheocasting AZ91 slurry produced via ultrasonic vibration process

The microstructure and mechanical properties of rheocasting AZ91 magnesium alloy were investigated. The semisolid slurry of this alloy was prepared by ultrasonic vibration （USV） process and then shaped by high pressure diecasting （HPDC）. The results show that fine and spherical a-Mg particles were obtained by USV at the nucleation stage, which was mainly attributed to the cavitation and acoustic streaming induced by the USV. Extending USV treatment time increased the solid volume fraction and average particle size, the shape factors were nearly the same, about 0.7. Excellent semisolid slurry of AZ91 magnesium alloy could be obtained within 6 rain by USV near its liquidus temperature. The rheo-HPDC samples treated by USV for 6 min had the maximum ultimate tensile strength and elongation, which were 248 MPa and 7.4%, respectively. It was also found that the ductile fracture mode prevailed in the rheocasting AZ91 magnesium alloy.

Microstructure evolution of hot pressed AZ91D alloy chips reheated to semi-solid state

AZ91D magnesium alloy chips, which were directly collected on the spot of machining process, were recycled to prepare billet via hot pressing for semi-solid processing. The semi-solid microstructure evolution of the billet during reheating was investigated. The results indicate that there are three stages during reheating to semi-solid state: the dissolution of Mg17Al12 and diffusion of Al into α-Mg matrix, the melting of the region with high content of solute and formation of isolated solid particles, and spheroidization and growth of solid particles. Meanwhile, a number of entrapped liquid droplets form within solid particles. In addition, the number and size of entrapped liquid droplets rely on the holding time in the semi-solid temperature range. With increasing isothermal holding time, the solid fraction remains unchanged when the solid-liquid system reaches the dynamic equilibrium at last, while the solid particles become more globular and the average size of solid particles increases owing to the decreasing of interfacial energy and the effect of interfacial tension.

清凉峰蜻蜓目昆虫

蜻蜓目是节肢动物门昆虫纲的一目,半变态。全世界已知种类有5500余种,中国记载有350多种和亚种。在浙江清凉峰国家级自然保护区有蜻蜓100余种。蜻蜓是食肉性昆虫,它们以捕食苍蝇、蚊子、小蝉、飞虻、蝴蝶、蛾子等昆虫为生。“蜻蜓点水”是蜻蜓即将产卵的一种生物学特征。蜻蜓的幼虫生活在水里,也以其他小虫子为食物。因为种类不同,其幼虫在水中生活的时间2—5年不等。蜻蜓幼虫对于环境水质的要求较高。大多蜻蜓每年一代,也有的蜻蜓2—5年一代。其实,蜻蜓在羽化以后的生命只有短短的几个星期。交配和产卵是它们羽化后的终极目的(许多昆虫也是如此),生命不易。

昆虫(一)

昆虫可说是地球上数量最多的动物,保守的估计,目前已被人鉴定出来的昆虫有100万种,昆虫学家估计约有5倍于已知种类的昆虫亟待我们去发现和分类。 动物分类上,昆虫属于节肢动物门和昆虫纲,这一纲共分29个目,其中4个目的昆虫数量最多:鞘翅目。

Microstructural evolution during semisolid state strain induced melt activation process of aluminum 7075 alloy

The effects of compression ratio on the microstructure evolution of semisolid 7075 Al alloy produced by the strain induced melt activation （SIMA） process were investigated. The samples were cold deformed by compression into the different heights up to 40% reduction. The isothermal holding treatments were carried out at 625 ℃ for predetermined time intervals. The results reveal that the average grain size is gradually reduced with the increase of the compression ratio. When the compression ratio surpasses 30%, the above descending trend is not as evident as that below 30% reduction. During the subsequent heat treatments, the recrystallization is induced in the deformed samples by the increasingly accumulated strain energy. The grain growth mechanisms and the microstructural coarsening of the SIMA processed 7075 Al alloy were discussed and confirmed.

Effects of processing parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of powder-thixoforged 6061 aluminum alloy

A new processing technology,powder thixoforming,for preparation of particle reinforced metal matrix composites was proposed and 6061 aluminum alloy was prepared by powder thixoforging.6061 ingots were first prepared by cold-pressing the atomized 6061 alloy powders,and then the ingots were partially remelted followed by thixoforging.The effects of reheating time,mould temperature and reheating temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of the thixoforged alloys were investigated.The results indicate that all of the three parameters have large effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties.Owing to the microstructure changes,the fracture regime varies with the processing parameters.Furthermore,cracks always initiate from shrinkage porosities and inclusions,and then propagate either along the secondarily solidified structures or primary particles.The ultimate tensile strength,elongation and hardness of the resulting alloy are up to 196 MPa,11.0%and HV 55.7 respectively.

High temperature deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of wrought nickel-based superalloy GH4037 in solid and semi-solid states

Cylindrical samples of Ni-based GH4037 alloy were compressed at solid temperatures(1200,1250 and 1300℃) and semi-solid temperatures(1340,1350,1360,1370 and 1380℃) with different strain rates of 0.01,0.1 and 1 s-1.High temperature deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of GH4037 alloy were investigated.The results indicated that flow stress decreased rapidly at semi-solid temperatures compared to that at solid temperatures.Besides,the flow stress continued to increase after reaching the initial peak stress at semi-solid temperatures when the strain rate was 1 s-1.With increasing the deformation temperature,the size of initial solid grains and recrystallized grains increased.At semi-solid temperatures,the grains were equiaxed,and liquid phase existed at the grain boundaries and inside the grains.Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization(DDRX) characterized by grain boundary bulging was the main nucleation mechanism for GH4037 alloy.

Effects of punch velocity on microstructure and tensile properties of thixoforged Mg2Sip/AM60B composite

The effects of punch velocity on the microstructures and tensile properties of Mg2 Sip/AM60 B composite were investigated.In comparison,the tensile properties of the permanent mold casting of this composite were also analyzed.The results indicate that the punch velocity obviously influences the microstructure through changing the secondary solidification behaviors and semisolid deformation mechanisms.The variations of the microstructures and deformation mechanisms are responsible for the changes in tensile properties and fracture modes of the composites.The best comprehensive tensile properties of this composite are obtained under the punch velocity of 60 mm/s.The resulting ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the composite are found to be 198 MPa and 10.2%,respectively.The excellent tensile properties of the thixoforged composite are ascribed to the elimination of porosities and the work hardening.

Evolution of microstructure in semi-solid slurries of rheocast aluminum alloy

Semi-solid metal processing is being developed in die casting applications to give several cost benefits. To efficiently apply this emerging technology, it is important to understand the evolution of microstructure in semi-solid slurries for the control of the theological behavior in semi-solid state. An experimental apparatus was developed which can capture the grain structure at different times at early stages to understand how the semi-solid structure evolves. In this technique, semi-solid slurry was produced by injecting fine gas bubbles into the melt through a graphite diffuser during solidification. Then, a copper quenching mold was used to draw some semi-solid slurry into a thin channel. The semi-solid slurry was then rapidly frozen in the channel giving the microstructure of the slurry at the desired time. Samples of semi-solid 356 aluminum alloy were taken at different gas injection times of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 35, 40, and 45 s. Analysis of the microstructure suggests that the fragmentation by remelting mechanism should be responsible for the formation of globular structure in this rheocasting process.

Rheo-squeeze casting of semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy slurry

The effect of pouring temperature, electromagnetic stirring power and holding process on semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy slurry was investigated, then the slurry was squeeze-cast. The results show that when the pouring temperatures are properly above the liquidus line, for example 630-650 ℃, the slurry with spherical primary α（Al） grains can be prepared under the stirring power of 1.27 kW. The slurry is then homogeneously held for a short time, and the primary α（Al） grains are further ripened and distributed evenly in the slurry. The results of the rheo-squeezed casting experiments show that the injection specific pressure has a great effect on the filling ability of the semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy slurry, and the higher the injection specific pressure is, the better the ability for the slurry to fill the mould cavity is. When the injection specific pressure is equal to or above 34 MPa, the whole and compact rheo-squeezed castings can be obtained. The microstructure of the castings indicates that the shape, size and numbers of the primary α（Al） grains in different parts of the castings are highly consistent. After being held at 535 ℃ for 5 h and then aged at 155 ℃ for 12 h, the ultimate strength of the rheo-squeezed castings can reach 300-320 MPa, the yield strength 230-255 MPa, and the elongation 11%-15%.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of 7075 aluminum alloy during complex thixoextrusion

7075 aluminum alloy was used to obtain elbow parts by complex thixoextrusion and the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties during this process were studied by SEM,TEM and other analytical methods.The results show that different parts in 7075 aluminum alloy show quite different microstructures.The microstructure of the thin walls formed by back-extrusion is stratified,and the bottom of the parts formed by angular extrusion is obviously deformed.Shear forces contribute to the crushing of grains and the coarse second phase.The main strengthening phases in the material areηphase and E phase,whose amounts greatly decrease during heating to semi-solid and thixoextrusion.After heat treatment,they can precipitate evenly to improve the mechanical properties of the material.The average tensile strength of whole part after thixoextrusion and heat treatment is 485.49 MPa,while the average elongation is 5.49%.

Microstructure evolution of Al-Si semi-solid slurry by gas bubble stirring method

A novel technique of introducing gas bubble stirring during solidification was studied to prepare Al-Si semi-solid slurry. The microstructure evolution of the slurry during slow cooling process after stirring was investigated. The effects of the solidification rate on the microstructure of the semi-solid slurry were investigated under three different solidification conditions. The results show that fine non-dendritic slurry can be obtained using the gas bubble stirring method. Ripening and coarsening of primary Al grains are observed during the slow cooling process, and at last coarsened eutectic Si appears. Primary Al grains with different sizes and eutectic Si are obtained, corresponding to three different solidification rates.