Effects of cooling rate on solution heat treatment of as-cast A356 alloy

The effect of cooling rate of the solidification process on the following solution heat treatment of A356 alloy was investigated,where the cooling rates of 96 K/s and 3 K/s were obtained by the step-like metal mold.Then the eutectic silicon morphology evolution and tensile properties of the alloy samples were observed and analyzed after solution heat treatment at 540 °C for different time.The results show that the high cooling rate of the solidification process can not only reduce the solid solution heat treatment time to rapidly modify the eutectic silicon morphology,but also improve the alloy tensile properties.Specially,it is found that the disintegration,the spheroidization and coarsening of eutectic silicon of A356 alloy are completed during solution heat treatment through two stages,i.e.,at first,the disintegration and spheroidization of the eutectic silicon mainly takes place,then the eutectic silicon will coarsen.

Temperature variation and solution treatment of high strength AA7050

Temperature variation and solution treatment of high strength aluminum alloy were investigated with temperature data acquisition system,microstructural observation,mechanical properties test,electrical conductivity measurement and differential scanning calorimetry（DSC） analysis.Specimens with two dimensions were employed in the experiment.The results indicate that the specimens with large size undergo low solution temperature and short time,giving rise to the reduction of hardening precipitates.The optimized solution treatments for specimens with dimensions of 25 mm×25 mm×2.5 mm and 70 mm×60 mm×20 mm are（480 ℃,30 min） and（480 ℃,90 min）,respectively.The densities of GP zones and η＇ phases of the small specimen are higher than those of the large specimen,which is consistent with the properties of the alloys.

Effect of as-solidified microstructure on subsequent solution-treatment process for A356 Al alloy

For the compromise of mechanical properties and product cost, the end-chilled sand casting technique was applied to studying the microstructure evolution of A356 Al alloy with cooling rate and the effect of different as-cast microstructures on the subsequent solution-treatment process. The experimental results show that the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) of primaryα(Al), the size of eutectic Si and the volume fraction of Al?Si eutectic are reduced with increasing the cooling rate. Eutectic Si, subjected to solution treatment at 540 °C for 1 h followed by water quenching to room temperature, is completely spheroidized at cooling rate of 2.6 K/s; is partially spheroidized atcooling rate of 0.6 K/s; and is only edge-rounded at cooling rates of 0.22 and 0.12 K /s. Whilst the microhardness is also the maximum at cooling rate of 2.6 K/s. It consequently suggests that subjected to modification by high cooling rate, the eutectic Si is more readily modified, thus shortening the necessary solution time at given solution temperature, i.e., reducing the product cost.

Effect of solution treatment and aging on microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of NiTi shape memory alloy

As-received nickel-titanium （NiTi） shape memory alloy with a nominal composition of Ni50.9Ti49.1 （mole fraction,%） was subjected to solution treatment at 1123 K for 2 h and subsequent aging for 2 h at 573 K, 723 K and 873 K, respectively. The influence of solution treatment and aging on microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of NiTi alloy was systematically investigated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, high resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and compression test. Solution treatment contributes to eliminating the Ti2Ni phase in the as-received NiTi sample, in which the TiC phase is unable to be removed. Solution treatment leads to ordered domain of atomic arrangement in NiTi alloy. In all the aged NiTi samples, the Ni4Ti3 precipitates, the R phase and the B2 austenite coexist in the NiTi matrix at room temperature, while the martensitic twins can be observed in the NiTi samples aged at 873 K. In the NiTi samples aged at 573 and 723 K, the fine and dense Ni4Ti3 precipitates distribute uniformly in the NiTi matrix, and thus they are coherent with the B2 matrix. However, in the NiTi sample aged at 873 K, the Ni4Ti3 precipitates exhibit the very inhomogeneous size, and they are coherent, semi-coherent and incoherent with the B2 matrix. In the case of aging at 723 K, the NiTi sample exhibits the maximum yield strength, where the fine and homogeneous Ni4Ti3 precipitates act as the effective obstacles against the dislocation motion, which results in the maximum critical resolved shear stress for dislocation slip.

Microstructure evolution of Mg-9Gd-2Er-0.4Zr alloy during solid solution treatment

Microstructure evolution of the cast Mg-9Gd-2Er-0.4Zr alloy during solid solution treatment at temperature of 460-520 ℃ for 3-12 h was investigated by using optical microscope（OM）,scanning electron microscope（SEM） and transmission electron microscope（TEM）.The results indicated that the grain size and the shape of second phase were obviously changed with time and/or temperature going on.At 460 ℃ for 3 h,the morphology of the Mg5（GdEr） phase was changed into fragmentized island morphology and the volume faction of the phase decreased.After solution solid treatment at 460 ℃ for 6 h,the Mg5（GdEr） phase was already completely dissolved,but some cuboid-shaped RE-rich phase precipitated.As the temperature increased,the morphology of the Mg5（GdEr） phase was transformed into the same morphology as that at 460 ℃ for 6 h.It was suggested that the microstructure evolution of the alloy during the solid solution treatment was concluded as follows：Mg5（GdEr） eutectic phase→Gd/Er atom diffusing into matrix→spheroidic Mg5（GdEr） phase→cuboid-shaped RE-rich phase→grain boundary immigration.

Influence of Zr content on microstructure and mechanical properties of implant Ti-35Nb-4Sn-6Mo-xZr alloys

The influence of Zr content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of implant Ti-35Nb-4Sn-6Mo-xZr （x=0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15; mass fraction） alloys was investigated. It is shown that Ti-35Nb-4Sn-6Mo-xZr alloys appear to have equiaxed single β microstructure after solution treatment at 1023 K. It is found that the grains are refined first and then coarsened with the increase of Zr content. It is also found that Zr element added to titanium alloys has both the solution strengthening and fine-grain strengthening effect, and affects the lattice parameters. With increasing the Zr content of the alloys, the strength increases, the elongation decreases, whereas the elastic modulus firstly increases and then decreases. The mechanical properties of Ti-35Nb-4Sn-6Mo-9Zr alloy are as follows： σb=785 MPa, δ=11%, E=68 GPa, which is more suitable for acting as human implant materials compared to the traditional implant Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Influence of solution treatment on microstructure and properties of in-situ Mg_2Si/AZ91D composites

The influence of solution treatment on the microstructure and properties of Mg2Si/AZ91D composites fabricated from Mg-SiO2 system via in-situ processing method was investigated.The results show that coarse Chinese script shape Mg2Si phases can be formed by adding SiO2 into AZ91D magnesium alloy with Si content up to 1.5% of the alloy melt.During solution treatment,the morphology and distribution of the coarse Chinese script shape Mg2Si phases are modified.Meanwhile,the β-Mg17Al12 phase is dissolved into the magnesium matrix.With increasing holding time,the coarse Mg2Si phases tend to dissolve,break and spheroidize.After solution treatment at 420 ℃ for 16 h,Mg2Si phases become the finest and relatively well-distributed phase.The tensile strength and elongation are increased by 14.9% and 38.9%,respectively.It is believed that the Mg2Si phases continuously dissolve and break,and finally the spheroidized Mg2Si particles are obtained due to the interface tension of Mg2Si/Mg interface.

Application of novel physical picture based on artificial neural networks to predict microstructure evolution of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy during solid solution process

The effects of the solid solution conditions on the microstructure and tensile properties of Al?Zn?Mg?Cu aluminum alloy were investigated by in-situ resistivity measurement, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tensile test. A radial basis function artificial neural network (RBF-ANN) model was developed for the analysis and prediction of the electrical resistivity of the tested alloy during the solid solution process. The results show that the model is capable of predicting the electrical resistivity with remarkable success. The correlation coefficient between the predicted results and experimental data is 0.9958 and the relative error is 0.33%. The predicted data were adopted to construct a novel physical picture which was defined as “solution resistivity map”. As revealed by the map, the optimum domain for the solid solution of the tested alloy is in the temperature range of 465?475 °C and solution time range of 50?60 min. In this domain, the solution of second particles and the recrystallization phenomenon will reach equilibrium.

Effects of on-line solution and off-line heat treatment on microstructure and hardness of die-cast AZ91D alloy

The effects of on-line solution, off-line solution and aging heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of the die-cast AZ91D alloys were investigated. Brinell hardness of die-cast AZ91D alloy increases through on-line solution and off-line aging treatment but decreases after off-line solution treatment. By X-ray diffractometry, optical microscopy, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, it is found that the microstructures of the die-cast AZ91D magnesium alloy before and after on-line solution and off-line aging are similar, consisting of α-Mg and β-Al12Mg17. The precipitation of Al element is prevented by on-line solution so that the effect of solid solution strengthening is enhanced. The β-Al12Mg17 phases precipitate from supersaturated Mg solid solution after off-line aging treatment, and lead to microstructure refinement of AZ91D alloy, so the effect of precipitation hardening is enhanced. The β-Al12Mg17 phases dissolve in the substructure after off-line solution treatment, which leads to that the grain boundary strengthening phase is reduced significantly and the hardness of die cast AZ91D is reduced.

Microstructural evolution during solution treatment of thixoformed AM60B Mg alloy

The microstructural evolution and kinetic characteristics were studied during solution treatment of AM60B Mg alloy prepared by thixoforming. The results indicate that the microstructural evolution includes two stages： the first stage involves rapid dissolution of eutectic β （Mg 17 Al 12 ） phase, homogenization and coarsening, and the second stage is regarded as normal grain growth consisting of primary α-Mg particles （primary particles） and secondary α-Mg grains （secondary grains）. In the first stage, the dissolution completes in a quite short time because the fine β phase can quickly dissolve into the small-sized secondary grains. The homogenization of Al element needs relatively long time. Simultaneously, the microstructure morphology and average grain size obviously change. The first stage sustains approximately 1 h when it is solutionized at 395 ℃ Comparatively, the second stage needs very long time and the microstructure evolves quite slowly as a result of low Al content gradient and thus low diffusivity of Al element after the homogenization of the first stage. The growth model of primary particles obeys power function while that of the secondary grains follows the traditional growth equation in the first stage. In the second stage, both of the primary particles and secondary grains behave a same model controlled by diffusion along grain boundaries and through crystal lattice.

Effects of solution treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-9.0Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu-0.12Zr-0.03Sc alloy

Effects of additions minor contents of 0.03%Sc and 0.12%Zr and solution treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-9.0Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu alloy were studied by metallographic microscopy, differential thermal analysis （DSC） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, in order to obtain high-performance Al alloys. The minor additions of Sc （less than 0.1%） were carried out. The results show that with the additions of 0.03% Sc and 0.12% Zr, the petaloid Al3（Sc,Zr） precipitated phases occur in Al-9.0Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu alloy, and Al3（Sc,Zr） particles obviously hinder the recrystallization of Al-9.0Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu alloy during homogenizing and extruding processes due to their strong pinning effect on dislocation. Multi-stage solution is better than single solution, for it can avoid recrystallization of Al-9.0Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu alloy with the minor contents of Sc （less than 0.1%）. The proper solution treatment is （420 °C, 3 h）＋（465 °C, 2 h） under which Al-9.0Zn-2.8Mg-2.5Cu-0.12Zr-0.03Sc alloy obtains a tensile strength of 777.29 MPa and a elongation of 11.84%.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical property of extruded 7090/SiC_p composite

The ultra high strength SiC particles （SiCp） reinforced Al-10%Zn-3.6%Mg-1.8%Cu-0.36%Zr-0.15% Ni composite was prepared by spray co-deposition. Microstructures of the extruded and different heat-treated bars were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and energy dispersive spectrometry （EDS）. Grain size of the composites prepared by two-stage solution is smaller than that by single-stage solution. After single-stage solution aging treatment, fine precipitates of both η and AlZnMgCu-rich phase can be found both intragranularly and intergranularly. While after the two-stage solution, an amorphous Si-Cu-Al-O （5 nm） layer appears at the interface. The addition of Ni and Zr modified the influence of the two-stage solution and inhibited the growth of the 7090/SiCp composite grain size. Heat treatments can significantly improve the fracture toughness of the composite. The fracture toughness first decreases then increases with the elongation of the aging time.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZA27 alloy

The effects of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ZA27 alloy were studied by X-ray diffraction（XRD）,scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and mechanical characterization.The results indicated that the as-cast microstructure of the alloy was mainly composed of α,decomposed β,η and ε phases.After solid solution treatment at 365 ℃ for 1 h,α and η phases dissolved,and the microstructure of specimen was mainly composed of the supersaturated β phases.The phase decomposition of supersaturated ZA27 alloy is a two-stage phase transformation：the decomposition of the supersaturated β phase at the early stage of aging,and with the increase of aging time,ε phase decomposition through a four-phase transformation：α＋ε→T ＇＋ η.A good combination of high tensile elongation and reasonable strength can be achieved by suitable heat treatments.

Effects of Peracetic Acid(PAA) Combined with Calcium Treatments on Storage Quality of Loquat Fruit

[Objective] The paper was to evaluate effects of peracetic acid （PAA） combined with calcium treatments on storage quality of Ioquat fruits, so as to pro- vide practical techniques to solve the problems of postharvest rot and quality deteri- oration for Ioquat fruits. [Method] With Ioquat fruits of Qingzhong variety as materi- als, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% PAA combined with 0.8% CaCI2 was used to soak Ioquat fruits for 4 min, 0.8% CaCl2 and water treatments were set as two controls; the fruits were dried and packaged by 0.02 mm PE bags, then stored under non-chilling low temperature of （7±1） ℃. The indicators related to storage quality of Ioquat fruits were randomly tested once every 3 d, and their variation situations were analyzed. [Result] Compared with two control treatments and 0.2% PAA, 0.8% PAA combined with calcium treatments, the treatment of 0.4% PAA combined with 0.8% CaCl2 could significantly inhibit rot index, weight loss rate, firmness and cell membrane permeability of Ioquat fruits during storage period, which could also effectively delay the reduction of titratable acid, vitamin C, soluble solid content and juice yield, and maintain respiration intensity of fruits at a low level; the appearance and flavor qual- ity of fruits were good after stored for 25 d. [Conclusion] 0.4% PAA combined with 0.8% CaCl2 treatment is an efficient, safe and economical practice technology in an- ti-corrosion and quality preservation for postharvest Ioquat fruits .

某电厂#1锅炉后屏过热器TP347H不锈钢管爆管原因分析

本项目对某火电厂#1锅炉后屏过热器TP347H不锈钢泄漏管段进行了宏观检查、化学成分分析、室温拉伸试验、冲击试验、压扁试验、布氏硬度测试、非金属夹杂物及金相组织分析。试验结果表明,TP347H不锈钢管冷拔后未经固溶处理,该不锈钢管晶粒变形严重,晶粒内部存在大量滑移线,管材塑性韧性变差、脆性增大,是导致本次后屏过热器TP347H不锈钢管爆管的根本原因。建议对后屏过热器同批更换的TP347H不锈钢管进行硬度检测,对于硬度超标的管段应更换。

Heat treatment of 7xxx series aluminium alloys—Some recent developments

The 7xxx series alloys are heat treatable wrought aluminium alloys based on the Al-Zn-Mg（-Cu） system. They are widely used in high-performance structural aerospace and transportation applications. Apart from compositional, casting and thermo-mechanical processing effects, the balance of properties is also significantly influenced by the way in which the materials are heat-treated. This paper describes the effects of homogenisation, solution treatment, quenching and ageing treatments on the evolution of the microstructure and properties of some important medium to high-strength 7xxx alloys. With a focus on recent work at Monash University, where the whole processing route from homogenisation to final ageing has been studied for thick plate products, it is reported how microstructural features such as dispersoids, coarse constituent particles, fine-scale precipitates, grain structure and grain boundary characteristics can be controlled by heat treatment to achieve improved microstructure-property combinations. In particular, the paper presents methods for dissolving unwanted coarse constituent particles by controlled high- temperature treatments, quench sensitivity evaluations based on a systematic study of continuous cooling precipitation behaviour, and ageing investigations of one-, two- and three-step ageing treatments using experimental and modelling approaches, in each case, the effects on both the microstructure and the resulting properties are discussed.

Evolution of second phases and mechanical properties of 7075 Al alloy processed by solution heat treatment

The effects of solution treatment on the evolution of the second phases and mechanical properties of7075Al alloy werestudied with scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry(EDS),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),hardness and tensile tests.The results show that Mg(Zn,Cu,Al)2phases gradually dissolve into the matrix,yet the size andmorphology of Al7Cu2Fe phase exhibit no change with the increase of the solution treatment temperature and time due to its highmelting point.When the solution treatment temperature and time continue to increase,the formation of coarse black Mg2Si particlesoccurs.Compared to the as-cast alloy,the microhardness,tensile strength,and elongation of the sample under solution heat treatmentat460°C for5h are increased by55.1%,40.9%and109.1%,respectively.This is because the eutectic Mg(Zn,Cu,Al)2phases almostcompletely dissolve and basically no coarse black Mg2Si particles are formed.

Effect of solution treatment and artificial aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloy

In order to achieve good mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloys such as high strength and good toughness,precipitation hardening and artificial aging treatment were applied.As defined by the T6 heat treatment,the standard artificial aging treatment for Al-Cu alloy followed heat treatments of solution treatment at 510-530 ℃ for 2 h,quenching in water at 60 ℃ and then artificial aging at 160-190 ℃ for 2-8 h.The effects of solution treatment and artificial aging on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloy were studied by optical microscopy（OM）,scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy（EDS）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and tensile test.The results of solution treatment indicate that the mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloy increase and then decrease with the increase of solution temperature.This is because the residual phases dissolve gradually into the matrix,and the fraction of the precipitation and the size of the re-crystallized grain increased.Compared to the solution temperature,the solution holding time has less effect on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloy.The artificial aging treatments were conducted at 160-180 ℃ for 2-8 h.The results show that the ultimate tensile strength can be obtained at 180 ℃ for 8 h.Ultimate tensile strength increased with increasing time or temperature.Yield strength was found as the same as the ultimate tensile strength result.

Effects of single and multi-stage solid solution treatments on microstructure and properties of as-extruded AA7055 helical profile

The effects of single-stage solution treatment(SST),enhanced solution treatment(EST),high-temperature pre-precipitation(HTPP)and multi-stage solution treatment(MST)on the microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the as-extruded 7055 aluminium alloy(AA7055)helical profile were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD)and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).It was observed that EST and MST could promote the dissolution of the second-phase particles compared with the traditional SST,and the intergranular phases were distinctly discontinuously distributed after HTPP and MST.There was obvious difference in the main texture type and texture strength for the alloy after different solid solution treatments.HTPP could improve the corrosion resistance of the alloy by regulating the intergranular phases,but the mechanical properties were severely weakened.While the good corrosion resistance of the alloy could be obtained by MST without obvious strength loss.As a result,the MST is an ideal solid solution treatment scheme for AA7055.

Microstructure evolution of modified die-cast AlSi10MnMg alloy during solution treatment and its effect on mechanical properties

To optimize the solution treatment process of a modified high-pressure die-cast AlSi10MnMg alloy, the influence of the solution treatment on the microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms was studied using OM, SEM, EBSD and tensile test. The experimental results suggest that the solution treatment could be completed in a shorter time at a temperature much lower than the conventional practice. Surface blistering could be avoided and substantial strengthening effect could be achieved in the following aging process. Prolonging solution treatment time and elevating solution temperature would be meaningless or even harmful. The rapid evolution of eutectic silicon during solution treatment, especially at the early stage, affected the way of interaction among α-Al grains during plastic deformation, and changed the ultimate mechanical properties and fracture mode.