铝钛硼丝细化剂提升内燃机铝活塞材料性能的研究

研究了铝钛硼丝细化剂对内燃机铝活塞宏观晶粒度、金相及力学性能的影响。结果表明:铝钛硼丝细化剂对宏观晶粒度细化效果显著,消除了粗大等轴晶及柱状晶和羽毛晶;添加铝钛硼丝细化剂后,初晶硅、合金相未发现明显变化,共晶硅有变短小的趋势;铝合金的机械性能得到明显改善,已批量应用。

Effects of Mn and Sn on microstructure of Al-7Si-Mg alloy modified by Sr and Al-5Ti-B

The effects of Mn and Sn on the microstructure of Al?7Si?Mg alloy modified by Sr and Al?5Ti?B were studied. The results show that the columnar dendrites structure is observed with high content of Sr, indicating a poisoning effect of the Al?5Ti?B grain refinement. In addition, Sr intermetallic compounds distribute on the TiB2 particles, which agglomerate inside the eutectic Si. The mechanism responsible for such poisoning was discussed. The addition of Mn changes the morphology of iron intermetallic compounds fromβ-Al5FeSi toα-Al(Mn,Fe)Si. Increasing the amount of Mn changes the morphology ofα-Al(Mn,Fe)Si from branched shape to rod-like shape with branched distribution, and finally convertsα-Al(Mn,Fe)Si to Chinese script shape. The microstructure observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that Mg is more likely to interact with Sn in contrast with Si under the effect of Sn. Mg2Sn compound preferentially precipitates between the Si/Si interfaces and Al/Si interfaces.

Effect of electromagnetic field on microstructure and macrosegregation of flat ingot of 2524 aluminium alloy

Low frequency electromagnetic casting （LFEC） process with the application of an induction coil outside the conventional direct chill （DC） casting mould was used to prepare the flat ingot of 2524 alloy and the effect of electromagnetic field on the microstructure and macrosegregation of this alloy was systematically studied. The results show that the fiat ingot prepared by the LFEC process has a finer and more uniform as-cast microstructure and the grain morphology is transformed from dendrite and rosette-like to equiaxed structure. The LFEC process also shows a significant effect on macrosegregation, and with the application of electromagnetic field during casting process, the segregation in the centre of the ingot is obviously reduced. The mechanism of these effects was also discussed.

Effect of individual and combined additions of Al-5Ti-B,Mn and Sn on sliding wear behavior of A356 alloy

The effect of grain refiner, Mn and Sn additions on the sliding wear behavior of A356 aluminum alloys was investigated. The microstructure and worn surfaces of the studied alloys were characterized by optical microscopy（OM）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. The experimental results indicate that the alloy refined by Al-5Ti-B alloy exhibits equiaxed α（Al） dendrites and performs better wear resistance compared with the alloy without the grain refiner. Moreover, the addition of Mn can change the β-Al5 Fe Si phase to α-Al（Mn,Fe）Si phase and reduce the possibility of crack formation, thus improving the wear resistance. Sn added to A356 aluminum alloy forms Mg2 Sn precipitates after heat treatment. Therefore, the unrealizable precipitation hardening Mg2 Si phase and the softening β-Sn phase can reduce the hardness of the alloy, and finally reduce the wear resistance.

Microstructure evolution of Al-Sr master alloy during continuous extrusion

The microstructure evolution of Al–Sr master alloy during continuous extrusion was investigated using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Results indicate that the continuous extrusion process could change the Al4Sr particles of the alloy significantly in size and morphology. The as-cast needle-like Al4Sr particles are broken into small blocks in upsetting zone and crushed heavily in adhesion zone. Plenty of dislocations get tangled up in right-angle bending zone. Al4Sr particles grow in the extending zone. Finally, Al4Sr particles in products are approximately 28 μm in length. Al2Sr particles precipitate during the process. Compared with products by horizontal extrusion, Al4Sr particles by continuous extrusion are finer and distribute more evenly.

Melting purification process and refining effect of 5083 Al-Mg alloy

To improve the poor stability of casting process of Al alloy with high Mg content, which leads to poor final product quality, the melting purification process and the influences of the refiner on the microstructure and defect of 5083 alloy were studied. The results show that the optimized process for the rotary impeller degassing of 5083 alloy is as follows： a rotary speed of 250-400 r/min; a gas flow of 1.2-2.0 L/s, a refining time of 10-15 min. This optimized process can reduce the gas content in the solid alloy to 2× 10^-3 mL/g or lower. Due to the addition of grain refiner, the cast microstructure of 5083 alloy is refined. The Al-5Ti-IB wire shows the best refining effect among all the refiners. The refining effect is improved with the increase of grain refiner addition amount. And the refinement effects become stable when Ti content reaches 0.1% or higher. The surface crinkling defect of the billet can be easily found in the alloy refined with Al-5Ti-IB wire compared with the alloys refined with other refiners.

Kinetic nucleation of primary α(Al) dendrites in Al-7%Si-Mg cast alloys with Ce and Sr additions

Nucleation of dendritic primaryα（Al） phase with addition of element Ce and Sr in hypoeutectic Al-7%Si-Mg cast alloy was investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and scanning electron microscopy. DSC results were used to calculate the activation energy and nucleation work of primaryα（Al） phase. The results show that the values of activation energy and nucleation work are decreased and the nucleation frequency is increased with the additions of Ce and Sr to the alloys. Moreover, the grain size of dendriticα（Al） phase is well refined, and the nucleation temperatures of primaryα（Al） dendrites are decreased with the additions of Ce and Sr. The effects of elements Ce and Sr additions on kinetic nucleation of primary α（Al） phases were also discussed in hypoeutectic Al-7%Si-Mg cast alloy.

Effect of various melt and heat treatment conditions on impact toughness of A356 aluminum alloy

The microstructure and impact behavior of A356 aluminum alloy were studied after melt treatment processes of grain refinement and modification under both non-heat treated and T6 heat treated conditions. The modification and grain refinement were done with the addition of Al-10%Sr and Al-5Ti-1B master alloys, respectively. All casting parameters were kept constant in order to focus on the influence of mentioned treatments. The results indicate that the eutectic silicon morphology is the main parameter to control the impact behavior of alloy. Consequently, the individual grain refinement of as-cast alloy does not improve the impact toughness as the modification does. While, simultaneous grain refinement and modification provide higher impact toughness in comparison with individual treatments. T6 heat treatment of the alloy improves the impact toughness under all melt-treated conditions. This is related to the further modification of eutectic silicon particles. To verify the results and clarify the mechanisms, three-point bending test and fractography were used to interpret the improvement of impact toughness of the alloy.

Nucleation potency prediction of LaB_6 with E2EM model and its influence on microstructure and tensile properties of Al-7Si-0.3Mg alloy

The edge-to-edge matching(E2EM)crystallographic model was used to predict the orientation relationships(ORs)between LaB6 and Al.Three different possible ORs can be predicted between LaB6 and Al,which are(100)Al||(100)LaB6,[001]Al||[001]LaB6;(110)Al||(110)LaB6,[001]Al||[001]LaB6;and(111)Al||(111)LaB6,[011]Al||[011]LaB6.The prediction results are perfectly confirmed through TEM analysis and prove the nucleation potency of LaB6.The refining efficacy of Al-2La-1B refiner and its influence on the tensile properties were investigated in the as-cast Al-7Si-0.3Mg alloy.According to the results,LaB6 has higher nucleation potency than TiB2,leading to better grain refining efficacy of Al-2La-1B refiner in the as-cast Al-7Si-0.3Mg alloy.Regarding the mechanical performances,tensile properties of the as-cast Al-7Si-0.3Mg casting alloy are prominently improved after addition of Al-2La-1B refiner,due to the refined microstructures.

Crystallographic study of Al_3Zr and Al_3Nb as grain refiners for Al alloys

The potency of Al3Zr and Al3Nb as grain refiners for Al alloys was investigated from a crystallographic point of view using the edge-to-edge matching （E2EM） model. The results show that both Al3Zr and Al3Nb have small values of interatomic spacing misfit and interplanar spacing mismatch with respect to Al. Furthermore, energetically favourable orientation relationships predicted by the model exist between Al and each of these two intermetallic phases. In the light of the edge-to-edge matching model predictions, it is suggested that both Al3Zr and Al3Nb are potent heterogeneous nucleation refiners for Al grains from the crystallographic point of view. The present crystallographic analysis provides a more reasonable explanation for the significant grain refinement obtained in the peritectic Al-Zr and Al-Nb alloys and also provides fresh insight into the understanding of the grain refinement mechanism of Al alloys.

Grain refinement of gravity die cast secondary AlSi7Cu3Mg alloys for automotive cylinder heads

The effects of AITi5B1 grain refinement and cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a secondary AlSi7Cu3Mg alloy were reported. Metallographic and image analysis techniques have been used to quantitatively examine the macrostructural and microstructural changes occurring with the addition of grain-refining agent at different cooling rates by using a step casting die. The results indicate that the addition of AlTi5B1 produces a fine and uniform grain structure throughout the casting and this effect is more pronounced in the slowly solidified regions. Increasing the cooling rate, lower amount of grain refiner is necessary to produce a uniform grain size throughout the casting. On the other hand, the initial contents of Ti and B, present as impurity elements in the supplied secondary alloy, are not sufficient to produce an effective grain refinement. The results from the step casting geometry were applied to investigate a gasoline 16V cylinder head, which was produced by gravity semi-permanent mould technology. The grain refinement improves the plastic behaviour of the alloy and increases the reliability of the casting, as evidenced by the Weibull statistics.

Effect of Al-TiB master alloy addition on microstructure, wear and compressive deformation behaviour of aluminum alloys

Aluminum-10% TiB master alloy was added in various proportions in 7178 Al alloy in order to examine the effect of TiB on grain refinement, wear and compressive deformation of the later one. Microstructural characterization reveals that TiB particles act as grain refiners for primary base alloy and result in globular dendrites. It was observed that the wear resistance and strength of the alloy decreased when the master alloy addition increased beyond 20%, even though the dendrites become much finer and almost spherical in nature.

Assessment of solidification characteristics of carbon-inoculated Mg-3%Al melt by thermal analysis

The Mg-3%Al melt was inoculated by carbon with different holding time.The effect of holding time on grain refining efficiency was evaluated.The solidification characteristics of the carbon-inoculated Mg-3%Al melt with different holding time were assessed by computer-aided cooling curve analysis.The results showed that Mg-3%Al alloy could be effectively refined by carbon inoculation.Slight fading phenomenon occurred with increasing the holding time to 60 min.Carbon inoculation could significantly influence the shape of cooling curves of Mg-3%Al melt.The nucleation starting and minimum temperatures increased.The recalescence undercooling and duration decreased to almost zero after carbon inoculation.The grain refining efficiency of carbon inoculation could be assessed by the shape of the cooling curve and solidification characteristic parameters including nucleation starting and minimum temperatures,recalescence undercooling and duration.

Kinetic behaviour of TiB particles in Al melt and their effect on grain refinement of aluminium alloys

Solidification experiments were carried out to investigate the kinetic behaviour of TiB2 particles in Al melt and their effect on the grain refinement of commercially-pure Al.A model was proposed to describe the kinetic behaviour of TiB2 particles during the whole process from the addition of TiB2 to the melt to the freezing of the melt.The results indicate that TiB2 particles are not stable in Al melt.They may dissolve and coarsen during the holding period and grow during the cooling period of the melt.The kinetic behaviour of TiB2 particles in the melt has a great influence on their number density and the grain refinement.Solute Ti addition can suppress the dissolution,Ostwald ripening and growth behaviours of TiB2 particles.

Grain refinement mechanism of as-cast aluminum by hafnium

The effect of Hf on the grain refinement of as-cast aluminum was investigated using optical microscopy, electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The result shows that the grain size of studied alloy decreases effectively with the addition of Hf,Hf can react with Al to form Al3Hf particles during the solidification, the primary Al3Hf particles are highly potent nucleants for Al and the nanoscale coherent Al3Hf particles can inhibit the grain growth by pinning effect. The grain refinement mechanism of studied alloys was verified by the solute theory and the crystallography study, and it can be divided into two distinct types: At low Hf contents, there are no primary Al3Hf phases to form, the acquired grain refinement is primarily attributed to the constitutional undercooling induced by the Hf solute. At medium and high Hf contents, both Hf solute and Al3Hf particles contribute to the refinement.

Effects of grain refinement and residual elements on hot tearing of A713 aluminium cast alloy

Some investigations have been carried out on hot tears in the A713 cast alloy, which is one of the long freezing range alloys, with objective to minimize/prevent hot tears. Experiments were conducted by varying pouring temperatures at 700, 750, and 780 ℃ on the alloy with the addition of grain refiners like Al-2.5Ti-0.5C and Al-3.5Ti-1.5C. It was found that hot tearing was minimized by the addition of Al-3.5Ti-1.5C grain refiner, but grain refinement alone could not prevent hot tearing in A713 cast alloy. This has contradicted the findings of some earlier researchers. Experiments conducted on hot tearing with the addition of iron were found to be interesting. It was found that grain refinement along with iron addition to the A713 alloy has reduced the inter-dendritic separation so that interlocking could take place along the grain boundaries. Thus, iron, which comes as an impurity in commercial aluminum, can prevent hot tearing of A713 alloy.

Influence of multi-pass friction stir processing on microstructure and mechanical properties of 7B04-O Al alloy

Three-pass friction stir processing(FSP)with different moving distances of the stirring tool between the two successivepasses,50%diameter of the pin(traditional way)and50%diameter of the shoulder(novel way),was conducted on7B04-O Al alloy.The result shows that an improvement in the mechanical properties of the processed zone is accomplished due to grain and secondphase particles refinement.The hardness of the multi-pass FSP(M-FSP)sample is about HV40higher than that of the base metal.And the tensile strength of the M-FSP specimens is also significantly increased to about1.4times that of the base metal.Besides,theweak region of the processed zone is mainly dependent on the moving distance,where it is the previous pass stir zone in thetraditional way and the transitional zone in the novel way.Increasing the rotational speed narrows the weak region in the novel way,while it does not in the traditional way.

Structure,strength and superplasticity of ultrafine-grained 1570C aluminum alloy subjected to different thermomechanical processing routes based on severe plastic deformation

A comparative study of the structure and mechanical behavior of an Al-5 Mg-0.18 Mn-0.2 Sc-0.08 Zr-0.01 Fe-0.01 Si(wt.%)alloy ingot subjected to multidirectional isothermal forging(MIF)to a strain of 12 or equal-channel angular pressing(ECAP)to a strain of 10 at 325℃,and subsequent warm and cold rolling(WR and CR)at 325 and 20℃,was performed.The results showed that the MIF process of ultrafine-grained structure with a(sub)grain size dUFG=2μm resulted in enhanced room-temperature ductility and superplastic elongation up to 2800%.Further grain refinement under WR as well as development of a heavily-deformed microstructure with high dislocation density by subsequent CR resulted in a yield/ultimate tensile strength increase from 235/360 MPa after MIF to 315/460 and 400/515 MPa after WR and CR,respectively.Simultaneously,WR led to improved superplastic elongation up to 4000%,while after CR the elongation remained sufficiently high(up to 1500%).Compared with MIF,ECAP resulted in more profound grain refinement(dUFG=1μm),which promoted higher strength and superplastic properties.However,this effect smoothed down upon WR,ensuring equal properties of the processed sheets.CR of the ECAPed alloy,in contrast,led to higher strengthening and slightly better superplastic behavior than those after CR following MIF.

Effect of trace boron on grain refinement of commercially pure aluminum by Al-5Ti-1B

The effect of boron content on grain refinement of commercially pure aluminum by Al-5Ti-1B was quantitatively assessed.When the boron content is less than 0.03 wt.%,the refining performance of Al-5Ti-1B gradually is weakened as the boron content increases,which is attributed to the reaction of boron with the Al_(3)Ti interlayer on TiB_(2)and the consumption of solute Ti.On the contrary,when the boron content exceeds 0.03 wt.%,the refining performance of Al-5Ti-1B gradually recovers with increasing boron content,which is related to the formation of primary AlB_(2)particles that provide additional nucleant substrates.

Effects of pre-deformation on microstructure and tensile properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy produced by modified strain induced melt activation

The effects of Al-8B grain refiner on microstructure and tensile properties of an Al-12Zn-3Mg-2.5Cu alloy produced by modified strain induced melt activation process were investigated. Pre-deformation of 60% was used by hot working at 300 ℃. After pre-deformation, the samples were heated to a temperature above the solidus and below the liquidus point and maintained in the isothermal conditions at three different temperatures（500, 550 and 590 ℃） for varying time（10, 20 and 40 min）. It was observed that strain induced melt activation has caused the globular morphology of α（Al） grains. Microstructural study was carried out on the alloy by using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope in both unrefined and B-refined conditions. The results showed that for the desired microstructures of the alloy during SIMA process, the optimum temperature and time are 550 ℃ and 10 min, respectively. After the T6 heat treatment, the average tensile strengths increased from 278 to 585 MPa and 252 to 560 MPa for samples refined with 3.75% Al-8B before and after SIMA process, respectively. The ultimate strength of SIMA specimens is lower than that of B-refined specimens.