Preparation of semi-solid A356 Al-alloy slurry by introducing grain process

A preparation technology of semi-solid metal slurry introducing grain process （IGP） was developed. The effects of processing parameters on the microstructures of the semi-solid A356 Al-alloy slurries were investigated, and the formation mechanism and morphology controlling of the spherical primary a（A1） grains were discussed. The results show that when the preparing slurry is 4 kg, IG size is 10 mm, dosage is 3.5% and dumping temperature （DT） is 611-617 ℃, the mean diameter of the primary a（A1） grains in the semi-solid slurries can reach 40-75 μm and the shape factor can reach 0.82-0.89. When the IG size is 10 mm, DT is 613℃and dosage is 2%-4%, the mean diameter can reach 45-82 μm and the shape factors can reach 0.78-0.88. With decreasing DT or increasing dosage properly, the primary α（A1） grain morphology is better. When QR=QA and Rh=Rc, as long as the DT is suitable, excellent semi-solid slurry can be produced. As a result of the IG melting, a large amount of dendritic fragments can become the direct source of the primary a（A1） grains. Meanwhile, many undercooled areas are formed, where abundant primary α（A1） grains are multiplied by heterogeneous nucleation.

Effect of hafnium addition on solidification structure of cast Ti-46Al alloys

To investigate the effect of hafnium addition on the solidification structure, Ti-46AI alloys with nominal compositions of Ti-46AI-xHf （x = 0, 3, 5, 7） （at.%） were arc-melted into small ingots in an argon atmosphere. The characteristics of the macrostructures and microstructures were studied using a linear intercept method, OM, SEM （BSE）, XRD and TEM. The results showed that the ingots with Hf have near lamellar microstructure in columnar and dendrite morphology. The hafnium concentration has a strong effect on the columnar spacing refinement. Increasing Hf from 0 to 7 （at.%）, the columnar spacing can be reduced from - 1000 to-400 μm. Constitute phases of the ingots are a2, a small amount of B2 and 7. Most of the B2 phases, richer in Hf and leaner in AI and Ti, exist on the node of the dendrite core in block shape and a little across the lamellar colonies in stick shape. The 7 phases exist on the boundaries of lamellar colonies in small cellular shape. There also exists a segregation of Hf on the columnar and dendrite core. Particularly, both the a-and ,β-phase form from the melt as prior phases. The possible phase sequencing during solidification and solid-state transformations with Hf is given in this paper.

Microstructure of in situ Al_3Ti/6351Al composites fabricated with electromagnetic stirring and fluxes

The 6351 wrought aluminum alloy and K2TiF6-CaF2-LiCl components were selected as raw materials to fabricate in situ Al3Ti particulate reinforced aluminum alloy at 720℃via direct melt reaction method with electromagnetic stirring(EMS).CaF2 and LiCl acted as fluxes to lower the reaction temperature of the system.It is shown that the electromagnetic stirring and fluxes accelerate the emulsion process of K2TiF6.Optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrum were utilized to analyze the microstructure and components of composites.Compared to composites fabricated without EMS and fluxes,the sizes of endogenetic Al3Ti are refined from 10-15μm to 2-4μm,which are often accompanied with silicon element.The morphology of Al3Ti or Al3TiSi0.22 exhibits triangle,quadrilateral and other clumpy patterns. Because of the Ca elements from CaF2,the sizes of Mg2Si decrease from 8-10μm to 1-2μm due to the formation of Ca2Si.

Reactivity of Al-rich Alloys with Water Promoted by Liquid Al Grain Boundary Phases

Al–Ga–Sn, Al–Ga–In and Al–Ga–In–Sn alloys were prepared using arc melting technique. Their microstructures were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersed X-ray. Based on microstructure analysis, the phase constituents of alloys at Al grain boundaries were identified. The melting points of Al grain boundary phases were measured using differential scanning calorimeter.The reactivities of Al–water at different water temperatures indicate that liquid Al grain boundary phases promote Al–water reactions of alloys. The melting points of Al grain boundary phases affect the reaction temperatures of Al–water, leading to different reaction temperatures of alloys. The measured H2 generation rate and yields of alloys are related to the compositions of alloys. The theory of microgalvanic cell is used to explain the observed different H2 generation rates of alloys.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of in-situ TiB_2/A356 composites and a prediction model of yield strength

The in-situ TiB2/A356 composites were successfully synthesized through the mixed salt reaction method. The advantage of this technique was that the particle sizes and morphology can be controlled by the melt reaction. Therefore, the technique can be designed to obtain expected properties, such as high strength at high and room temperatures, high damping capacity, high modulus and good fatigue life. Results showed that in the as-cast state of A356 alloy and TiB2/A356 composites, the eutectic Si phase is normally in the needle shape, and TiB2 particles are mostly in the cubic or near spherical shape, with the size ranging from 30 to 500 nm uniformly distributed in the grains. Also, TiB2 particle clusters are observed in composites. With an increase in TiB2 particles, the average grain size of composites decreases both in as-cast and T6 state. It is found that both the yield stength and ultimate tensile strength increase with an increase in the TiB2 volume fraction. On the contrary, the elongation reduces with the addition of TiB2 particles. Based on the experimental results and Clyne＇s report, a revised model related to particle strengthening mechanism was proposed to fairly predict yield strengths of TiBJA356 composites. The satisfactory agreement between the calculated values and experimental data reported in the literature was obtained.

Impacts of zinc layer and pouring method on interface performance for Al-22Si/ZL104 bi-metal

Bi-metal material consisting of spray-formed Al-22Si and ZL104 is a suitable candidate for applications in internal combustion engines. This research investigated the effects of surface treatment and appropriate gating system on the microstructures and mechanical properties in evaluating the optimal strategy for producing high quality bi-metal materials. The bi-metal materials were prepared using ZL104 gravity casting by different pouring types around the spray-formed AI-22Si with varied surface treatments. The wettability between AI-22Si and ZL104 was significantly improved when Zn coating was used to remove the natural oxide layer. This research also obtained the improved interfacial microstructures and interracial bonding strength for materials when applying the appropriate pouring method. The hardness profiles of AI-22Si/ZL104 bi-metal were consistent with the observed microstructures. The average tensile strength of the bi-metal material with zinc coating is -42.3 MPa, which is much higher than that with oxide film at -10 MPa. The process presented is a promising and effective approach for developing materials in the automotive industry.

Increasing Production Efficiency through Casting Quality Improving by Electromagnetic Field Applying

The increased production efficiency of heat treatable A1 alloys, as the result of applied electromagnetic field during continuous casting process was investigated. The applied frequency of the electromagnetic field （EMF） during the AI alloys continuous casting was changing from 30 Hz to 50 Hz, while some castings were obtained without the EMF influence. The mechanical characterization of continuous casted AI alloys EN AW 2007 and En AW 2024 was done on testing machine Zwick/Roell Z 100. The microstructure of as-cast samples was examined, as well. When the frequency decreases （from 50 Hz to 30 Hz）, the grain size decreases as well, what is noticeable through the finer microstructure and its uniformity throughout the cross-section. These results have shown that low frequency electromagnetic field significantly influenced the microstructure and therefore the mechanical properties of as cast ingots. Thus, through improved castings quality, operation time and energy savings, the production efficiency was increased.

Thermal decomposition kinetics of titanium hydride and Al alloy melt foaming process

A temperature programmed decomposition (TPD) apparatus with metal tube structure, in which Ar is used as the carrier gas, is established and the TPD spectrum of titanium hydride is acquired. Using consulting table method (CTM), spectrum superposition method (SSM) and differential spectrum technique, TPD spectrum of titanium hydride is separated and a set of thermal decomposition kinetics equations are acquired. According to these equations, the relationship between decomposition quantity and time for titanium hydride at the temperature of 940 K is obtained and the result well coincides with the AI alloy melt foaming process.

Atomic mobilities and diffusivities in Al alloys

Knowledge of diffusivity is a prerequisite for understanding many scientific and technological disciplines. In this paper, firstly major experimental methods, which are employed to provide various diffusivity data, are briefly described. Secondly, the fun-damentals of various computational methods, including first-principles method, embedded atomic method/molecular dynamic simulation, semi-empirical approaches, and phenomenological DICTRA technique, are demonstrated. Diffusion models re- cently developed for order/disorder transitions and stoichiometric compounds are also briefly depicted. Thirdly, a newly estab- lished diffusivity database for liquid, fcc_A1, Lie, bcc_A2, bcc_B2, and interrnetallic phases in the multicomponent A1 alloys is presented via a few case studies in binary, ternary and quaternary systems. And the integration of various computational techniques and experimental methods is highlighted. The reliability of this diffusivity database is validated by comparing the calculated and measured concentration profiles, diffusion paths, and Kirkendall shifts in various binary, ternary and quaternary diffusion couples. Next, the established diffusivity databases along with thermodynamic and other thermo-physical properties are utilized to simulate the microstructural evolution for Al alloys during solidification, interdiffusion and precipitation. A spe- cial discussion is presented on the phase-field simulation of interdiffusion microstructures in a series of Ni-Al diffusion couples composed of γ, γ＇, and β phases under the effects of both coherent strain and external compressive force. Future orientations in the establishment of next generation of diffusivity database are finally addressed.

Segregation Behavior and Evolution Mechanism of Iron-Rich Phases in Molten Magnesium Alloys

A new method has been proposed to prepare Mg-A1-Si master alloys by utilizing scrap AI-Si-Fe alloys with higher Fe levels, which aims to segregate Fe from AI-Si-Fe alloys by Mg melt. The segregation be- haviors, microstructure morphology and evolution mechanism of iron-rich phases in Mg-A1-Si alloy melts were studied, after AI-14Si-4Fe （wt%） alloys were added and dissolved completely. In the Mg-A1-Si alloys, iron has very little solubility and tends to combine with other elements to form intermetallic phases, which grow into a deposition layer due to the higher density. During the cooling and solidifying process of Mg-A1-Si melts, the needle-like AlsSiFe phase in AI-14Si-4Fe alloy evolved into blocky AI5Fe2 and Al0.7Fe3Si0.3 phases. Besides, the Fe levels of the Mg-AI-Si master alloys were reduced to 0.017 wt% from nominal content of 0.164 wt%. Based on the above results, this work carried out a semi-quantitative phase- compositions analysis for the deposition layer by relative intensity ratio （RIR） method, and evolution mechanism of the iron-rich phases had also been discussed. This study has paved a new way to regen- erate the scrap AI-Si-Fe alloys, which has a great significance of promoting the recycling of aluminum resources.

Microstructural Characterization and Mechanical Properties of VB_2/A390 Composite Alloy

In this work, we make the best use of the vanadium element; a series of A1-V-B alloys and VB2/A390 composite alloys were fabricated. For Ak-10V-6B alloy, the grain size of VB2 can be controlled within about 1 μm and is distributed uniformly in the AI matrix. Further, it can be found that VB2 promises to be a useful reinforcement particle for piston alloy. The addition of VB2 can improve the mechanical properties of the A390 composite alloys significantly. The results show that with 1 % VB2 addition, A390 composite alloy exhibits the best performance. Compared with the A390 alloy, the coefficient of thermal expansion is 13.2 × 10^-6 K-1, which decreased by 12.6%; the average Brinell hardness can reach 156.5 HB, wear weight loss decreased by 28.9% and ultimate tensile strength at 25℃ （UTS25 ℃） can reach 355 MPa, which increased by 36.5%.