Dependence of microstructure and mechanical properties on solidification condition of directionally solidified Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys

In this study,directional solidification was utilized to explore the relationship between microstructure,mechanical properties,and withdrawal speeds of Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys.In order to assess the characteristics of Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys,both the microstructure and mechanical properties were thoroughly analyzed.This involved conducting room temperature tensile tests on samples with different withdrawal speeds(5,10,100,200,and 400μm·s^(-1)).The results reveal that both the as-cast alloy and samples after directional solidification are composed of zinc,aluminum,and silicon phases.As the withdrawal speed increases,an evident decrease in the size of the primary dendrites is observed.The results of tensile experiments show that Zn-55Al-1.6Si alloys after directional solidification exhibit brittle fracture characteristics,both the tensile strength and elongation of the alloys increase with withdrawal speed.

Sr变质后Al-28%Si合金中Si相的生长行为

采用不同的腐蚀、萃取方法,研究Sr变质后Al-28%Si合金初生Si和共晶Si相的形貌变化。结果表明,变质后合金中初生Si金相组织呈鱼骨状,萃取后是由八面体堆垛形成的长条状聚集体。SEM分析显示,Sr元素在初生硅内部并未富集,Sr的加入影响了初生硅的形核,并未影响初生Si的生长过程;变质后共晶Si表现为细而短的纤维杆状组成的脊骨状结构,能谱分析显示在共晶Si生长前端存在Sr元素的富集。游离态Sr原子在Si相表面的吸附阻止了共晶Si相的片状生长,进而形成分枝细密的珊瑚状共晶Si,Sr的加入影响了共晶Si的生长过程。

Effects of neodymium addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of near-eutectic Al-12Si alloys

The microstructure and mechanical properties of near-eutectic Al-12 Si alloys modified with 0-0.4% Nd（mass fraction） were investigated. The results indicate that a submicro- or nano-sized Al2 Nd phase is observed in the modified alloy with 0.3% Nd. The morphology of the α（Al） phase is significantly refined in the Nd-modified alloys. The primary Si morphology simultaneously changes into a fine, particle-like morphology, and the morphology of eutectic Si becomes fine-fibrous instead of coarse-acicular. Relatively few growth twins are observed on the surface of the Si plate in the Al-12Si-0.3Nd alloy at the optimal modification level. The mechanical property test results confirm that the mechanical properties of the as-cast Al-12 Si alloys are enhanced after the Nd addition, with optimal ultimate tensile strength（UTS） of 252 MPa and elongation（EL） of 13% at an Nd content of 0.3%. The improved mechanical properties are attributed to the refined morphology of Si phase and the formation of the Al2 Nd phase.

Effects of Si addition on microstructure, mechanical and thermal fatigue properties of Zn-38Al-2.5Cu alloys

The influence of Si addition on microstructure, mechanical properties and thermal fatigue behavior of Zn-38Al-2.5Cu alloys was investigated. The results show that constitutional supercooling of ZA38 alloys is formed because of the Si addition. Zn-38Al-2.5Cu-0.55Si alloy shows the dramatically refined microstructure and the best mechanical properties. When the Si addition exceeds 0.55%,αdendrites develop and Si phases become larger and aggregate along the dendrites boundaries, decreasing the mechanical properties. Oxides and pits formed by the plastic deformation are the main factors of cracks initiation. During the early stage of crack propagation, the cracks grow at a high speed well described by Paris law because of the porous and loose oxide, and mainly propagate along the dendrites boundaries. During the slow-growth stage, secondary cracks share the energy of crack growth, delaying the propagation of cracks, and the cracks propagate and fracture by the mixture of intergranular and transgranular modes.

Effects of La-Ce addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-18Si-4Cu-0.5Mg alloy

The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Al-18 Si-4 Cu-0.5 Mg alloy modified by the addition of La-Ce rare earth elements through OM,SEM,EPMA and tensile tests were investigated.The results of OM and SEM analyses indicated that primary Si particles were significantly refined from coarse block-like and irregular polygonal shapes into fine flaky shapes,while eutectic Si particles were modified from coarse and needle-like into fine and rod-or coral-like shapes with increase of La-Ce addition.The alloy exhibited the minimum primary Si particle size and the best mechanical properties with the addition of 0.3 wt.%La-Ce.The average particle size decreased from 61 to 28 μm,the ultimate tensile strength increased from 222 to 242 MPa and the elongation increased from 3.2% to 6.3%.In addition,modification mechanisms and fracture modes were explored by the means of SEM and EPMA.

Effect of Li addition on mechanical properties and ageing precipitation behavior of extruded Al-3.0 Mg-0.5 Si alloy

The effect of Li(2.0 wt%)addition on mechanical properties and ageing precipitation behavior of Al-3.0 Mg 0.5 Si was investigated by tensile test,dynamic elasticity modulus test,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM)images.The results show that the tensile strength of the Li-containing alloy can be significantly improved;however,the ductility is sharply decreased and the fracture mechanism changes from ductile fracture to intergranular fracture.The elasticity modulus of the Li-containing alloy increases by 11.6%compared with the base alloy.The microstructure observation shows that the Li addition can absolutely change the precipitation behavior of the base alloy,andδ′-Al_(3)Li phase becomes the main precipitates.Besides,β′′-Mg_(2)Si andδ′-Al_(3)Li dual phases precipitation can be visibly observed at 170℃ ageing for 100 h,although the quantity ofδ′-Al_(3)Li phase is more thanβ′′-Mg_(2)Si phase.The width of the precipitate-free zone(PFZ)of the Li-containing alloy is much wider at the over-ageing state than the base alloy,which has a negative impact on the ductile and results in the decrease of elongation.

Effects of Yttrium Ion on Formation Mechanism of ZrO_2-Y_2O_3 Ceramic Coatings Formed by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation on Al-12Si Alloy

ZrO2-Y2O3 ceramic coating was produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation （PEO） on ZAlSil2Cu3Ni2 alloy. The microstructure and phase composition of the coating were investigated by SEM and XRD.： The results show that adding an appropriate amount of yttrium ion can improve the growing rate of ceramic coating at different oxidation stages and decrease arc voltage. The thickness of ZrO2-Y2O3 coating is 16 μn thicker than that of ZrO2 coating and the maximum oxidation rate improves by 0.6 μm/min. In addition, the arc voltage decreases from 227 to 172 V. It can be seen that the rate of oxidation firstly increases to some extent and then decreases with the content of yttrium ion increasing. The growth rate reaches the maximum while the content of yttrium ion is 0.05 g-L-1The maximum thickness is 90 μm.Compared to ZrO2 coating, the micropores of ZrO2-Y2O3 coating are less and the ceramic layer is repeatedly deposited by ZrO2 and Y2O3 ceramic particles. Meanwhile, the binding force between coating and substrate is better and the coating is uniform and compact. The ceramic layer is mainly composed of c-Y0.15Zr0.85O1.93□0.07, m-ZrO2, α-Al2O3, ,γ-Al2O3 and Y2O3. It is indicated that ZrO2 has beert fully stabilized by yttrium ion through the formation of solid solution.

Microstructure and Thermal-protective Property of CPED Coating with ZrO2 Nanoparticles Addition on Al-12Si Alloy

A novel thermal-protective coating has been successfully prepared by CPED process on a cast Al-12%Si alloy with the addition of ZrO2 nano-particles in the electrolyte. The microstructures and phase composition of the coatings were analyzed by SEM and XRD, and the heat insulation performance and the thermal shock resistance of the coatings were investigated. With ZrO2 nanoparticles addition, the cathode plasma discharge on the coating surface is more obvious than that without ZrO2 nanoparticles addition, the coating is more uniform and compact, and the thickness of the coating increases. Furthermore, the content of Zr and Y elements increases and the degree of crystallization of the coating is more complete. The formation of the solid solution of yttrium stabilized zirconia is promoted by cathode plasma discharge. In addition, the thermal insulation temperature increases as ZrO2 nano-particles are added to the electrolyte. After 1 000 cycles of thermal shock, there was no cracking in the coating surface layer, which indicated that the CPED coating with ZrO2 nanoparticles addition possessed a good thermal shock resistance.

Hot deformation behavior of Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy with acicular microstructure

The characteristics of hot deformation of an α＋β titanium alloy Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si with acicular microstructure were studied using isothermal hot compressive tests in a strain rate range of 0.01-10 s^-1 at 860-1 100 ℃. The true stress-tree strain curves of alloy hot-compressed in the α＋β region exhibit a peak stress followed by continuous flow softening; whereas in the β region, the flow stress attains a steady-state regime. At a strain rate of 10 s^-1 and in a wide temperature range, the alloy exhibits plastic flow instability. According to the kinetic rate equation, the apparent activation energies are estimated to be about 633 kJ/mol in the α＋β region and 281 kJ/mol in the β region, respectively. The processing maps show a domain of the globularization process of a colony structure and α dynamic recrystallization in the temperature range of 860-960 ℃ with a peak efficiency of about 60%, and a domain of β dynamic recrystallization in the β region with a peak efficiency of 80%.

Yield strength prediction of rolled Al-(1.44-12.40)Si-0.7Mg alloy sheets under T4 condition

The effects of Si content on the microstructure and yield strength of Al-(1.44-12.40)Si-0.7 Mg(wt.%)alloy sheets under the T4 condition were systematically studied via laser scanning confocal microscopy(LSCM),DSC,TEM and tensile tests.The results show that the recrystallization grain of the alloy sheets becomes more refined with an increase in Si content.When the Si content increases from 1.44 to 12.4 wt.%,the grain size of the alloy sheets decreases from approximately 47 to 10μm.Further,with an increase in Si content,the volume fraction of the GP zones in the matrix increases slightly.Based on the existing model,a yield strength model for alloy sheets was proposed.The predicted results are in good agreement with the actual experimental results and reveal the strengthening mechanisms of the Al-(1.44-12.40)Si-0.7 Mg alloy sheets under the T4 condition and how they are influenced by the Si content.

Effect of T6-treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of forged Al-4.4Cu-0.7Mg-0.6Si alloy

Transmission electron microscopy(TEM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),hardness tests and tensile tests were performed to investigate the effect of aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of forged Al-4.4Cu-0.7Mg-0.6Si alloy.The results show that the alloy exhibits splendid mechanical properties with an ultimate tensile strength of504MPa and an elongation of10.1%after aging at170°C for16h.With tensile testing temperature increasing to150°C,the strength of the alloy declines slightly to483MPa.Then,the strength drops quickly when temperature reaches over200°C.The high strength of the alloy in peak-aged condition is caused by a considerable amount ofθ'and AlMgSiCu(Q)precipitates.The relatively stable mechanical properties tested below150°C are mainly ascribed to the stability ofθ'precipitates.The growth ofθ'and Q precipitates and the generation ofθphase lead to a rapid drop of the strength when temperature is over150°C.

Investigation of the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process of Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si Alloy

Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)is an advanced manufacturing technology;however,inappropriate LPBF process parameters may cause printing defects in materials.In the present work,the LPBF process of Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy was investigated by a two-step optimization approach.Subsequently,heat transfer and liquid flow behaviors during LPBF were simulated by a well-tested phenomenological model,and the defect formation mechanisms in the as-fabricated alloy were discussed.The optimized process parameters for LPBF were detected as laser power changed from 195 W to 210 W,with scanning speed of 1250 mm/s.The LPBF process was divided into a laser irradiation stage,a spreading flow stage,and a solidification stage.The morphologies and defects of deposited tracks were affected by liquid flow behavior caused by rapid cooling rates.The findings of this research can provide valuable support for printing defect-free metal components.

Efects of Al-Mn-Ti-P-Cu master alloy on microstructure and properties of Al-25Si alloy

To obtain a higher microstructural refining efficiency, and improve the properties and processing ability of hypereutectic AI-25Si alloy, a new environmentally friendly AI-20.6Mn-12Ti-0.9P-6.1Cu （by wt.%） master alloy was fabricated; and its modification and strengthening mechanisms on the AI-25Si alloy were studied. The mechanical properties of the unmodified, modified and heat treated alloys were investigated. Results show that the optimal addition amount of the AI-20.6Mn-12Ti-0.9P-6.1Cu master alloy is 4wt.%. In this case, primary Si and eutectic Si as well as e-AI phase were clearly refined, and this refining effect shows an excellent long residual action as it can be heat-retained for at least 5 h. After being T6 heat treated, the morphology of primary and eutectic Si in the AI-25Si alloys with the addition of 4wt.% AI-20.6Mn-12Ti- 0.9P-6.1Cu alloy changes into particles and short rods. The average grain size of the primary and eutectic Si decreases from 250 IJm （unmodified） to 13.83 pm and 35 IJm （unmodified） to 7 tim; the e-Al becomes obviously finer and the distribution of Si phases tends to be uniform and dispersed. Meanwhile, the tensile properties are improved obviously; the tensile strengths at room temperature and 300 ℃ reach 241 MPa and 127 MPa, increased by 153.7% and 67.1%, respectively. In addition, the tensile fracture mechanism changes from brittle fracture for the alloy without modification to ductile fracture after modification. Modifying the morphology of Si phase and strengthening the matrix can effectively block the initiation and propagation of cracks, thus improving the strength of the hypereutectic AI-25Si alloy.

DIFFUSION OF La IN LIQUID Al-Si ALLOY

The diffusion coefficients of lanthnum in liquid Al-Si alloy have been measured successfully by the anodic chronopotentiometry. At 973K, the diffusion coefficient of lanthanum (D_(La(Al-Si))) in liquid Al-5.2wt-%Si alloy equals (0.91±0.01)×10^(-5) cm^2 s^(-1) . In the range of temperatures 953-1053K, the relationship between the diffusion coefficient and the tem- perature is represented by 1gD_(La(Al-Si))=-1.78×10^(-3)-4909/T. The activation energy is Q=94.00kJ·mol^(-1). Using the diffusion data of lanthanum and strontium, the effect of the diffusion of the modifier on the incubation period of modification and cooling rate has been discussed.

Effect of La addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypoeutectic Al-7Si aluminum alloy

The effect of La addition(0,0.1,0.2,0.4,wt.%)on the microstructure,tensile properties and fracture behavior of Al-7Si alloy was investigated systematically.It is found that the La appears in the Al-7Si alloy in the form of Al4La and Al2Si2La phases.La addition can refine the secondary dendrite arm spacing(SDAS)and eutectic Si particles,which are decreased by 7.9%and 7%,respectively,with the optimal La content of 0.1wt.%.Because when 0.1wt.%La is added,a relatively higher nucleation undercooling of 37.47℃ is observed.Higher undercooling degree suggests that nucleation is accelerated and subsequent growth is restrained.After T6 heat treatment,compared with the without La,the ultimate tensile strength of the alloy with 0.1wt.%La is enhanced by 5.2%from 333 MPa to 350.2 MPa and the elongation increases by 73%from 7.37%to 12.75%,correspondingly.The fracture mode evolves from the ductile-brittle mixed fracture to ductile fracture mode.However,when La element content reaches a certain value of 0.4wt.%,serious segregation takes place during the solidification process.The formed brittle phases deteriorate the tensile properties of the alloy and the fracture mode of Al-7Si-0.2/0.4 La changes to mixed ductile-brittle fracture mode.

Characteristics of Faigue Crack Initiation in Ti-5Al-4Sn-2Zr-1Mo-0.7Nd-0.25Si Alloy

The characteristics of fatigue crack initiation in Ti-5AI-4Sn-2Zr1Mo-O.7Nd-O.25Si alloy wereStudied. Two modes Of fatigue crack initiation were found. The Nd-rich phase particles displaybetter resistance to fatigue crack initiation than the matrix at lower stress.

Effect of Ti on microstructure and properties of electromagnetic stirred Al-18wt.%Mg_(2)Si alloy

By adding different amounts of Ti into the electromagnetic stirred Al-18wt.%Mg_(2)Si alloy,the effect of Ti element on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was studied.The experimental results show that the microstructure is refined after modification with Ti,which is related to the heterogeneous nucleation of TiAl_(3) particles on theα-Al matrix.With the increase of Ti content and holding time after stirring,the primary Mg_(2)Si phase is refined firstly and then coarsened,and correspondingly,the mechanical properties of the alloy show a trend of increasing at first and then decreasing.When the addition of Ti is 0.5wt.%and the holding time is about 20 min,the refinement effect of primary Mg_(2)Si phase is the most significant and the mechanical properties of the alloy are optimal.

Optimization of processing parameters for preparation of Al-3Ti-1B grain refiner

Al-3Ti-1B master alloys were prepared at different processing parameters by the reaction of halide salts,and the grain refining response of Al-7Si alloy was investigated with Al-3Ti-B master alloy.The microstructure of master alloy and its grain refining effect on Al-7Si alloy were investigated by means of OM,XRD and SEM.Experimental results show that,the size of Al3Ti particles presented in Al-3Ti-1B master alloys increases with the increase of reaction temperature and decreases with the increase of cooling rate.The grain refining efficiency of Al-3Ti-1B master alloy on Al-7Si alloy is mainly attributed to heterogeneous nucleation of Al3Ti particles,and the morphology ofα(Al)changes from coarse dendritic to fine equiaxed.As a result,Al-3Ti-1B master alloy is prepared by permanent mold,and holding at 800 ℃for 30min,which has better grain refining performance on Al-7Si alloy.

A method for prediction of unstable deformation in hot forging process by simulation

A method is proposed for prediction of the unstable deformation in hot forging process using both the determined thermomechnical parameter windows of the unstable deformation zones and finite element simulation. Taking Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si alloy as the testing material, the thermomechnical parameter windows of the unstable deformation zones for the Ti-alloy are integrated into a commercial finite element simulation software platform. The distribution and variation of the unstable deformation zones of the alloy in hot compression process are simulated and predicted using the tailor-made finite element codes in the finite element platform. The simulation results tally with the physical experiments and the proposed method for simulation and prediction of the unstable deformation is thus verified and its efficiency is validated.

Effects of cerium and phosphorus on microstructures and properties of hypereutectic Al-21%Si alloy

The influences of P and rare earth （RE） complex modifier on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-21%Si alloy were studied. The ingots were made by metal mold casting and the proportion of Ce＋P ingredient was different. The result showed that the size of grains could be refined obviously by the Ce＋P modifier and the effect of phosphorus was more intensive The primary silicon crystal was refined, while the needle-like eutectic silicon was turned fibrous or short. The alloy mechanical prop- erties had the best performance when 0.08% P and 0.6% Ce were added. The modification of primary silicon grains mainly depended on the heterogeneous nucleation mechanism, and the metamorphic mechanism of eutectic silicon was explained by adsorbing-twirming theory. The strengthening mechanism of experimental alloy was also discussed. The σb, 20 ℃ increases from 236.2 to 287.6 MPa and σb, 300 ℃ increases from 142.5 to 210 MPa.