Microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-Al-Sm series heat-resistant magnesium alloys

The microstructures and phase compositions of the as-cast and die-cast Mg-6.02Al-1.03 Sm, Mg-6.05Al-0.98Sm-0.56 Bi and Mg-5.95Al-1.01Sm-0.57 Zn alloys were investigated. Meanwhile, the tensile mechanical and flow properties were tested. The results show that the as-cast microstructure of Mg-6.02Al-1.03 Sm alloy is composed of δ-Mg matrix, discontinuous δ-Mg17Al12 phase and small block Al2 Sm phase with high thermal stability. Rod Mg3Bi2 phase precipitates when Bi is added, while the added metal Zn dissolves into δ-Mg matrix and δ-Mg17Al12 phase. The as-cast alloys exhibit the excellent tensile mechanical property. The tensile strength（δb） and elongation（δ） can reach 205-235 MPa and 8.5%-16.0% at ambient temperature, respectively. Meanwhile, they can also exceed 160 MPa and 14.0% at 423 K, respectively. The die-cast microstructures are refined obviously, and meanwhile the broken second phases distribute dispersedly. The die-cast alloys exhibit better tensile mechanical properties with the values of δb and δ of 240-285 MPa and 8.5%-16.5% at ambient temperature, respectively, and excellent flow property with the flow length of 1870-2420 mm. The die-cast tensile fractures at ambient temperature exhibit a typical character of ductile fracture.

Effect of RE addition on solidification process and high-temperature strength of Al-12%Si-4%Cu-1.6%Mn heat-resistant alloy

The effect of RE addition on solidification process and high-temperature strength of Al-12%Si-4%Cu-1.6%Mn(in wt.%)heat-resistant alloy was investigated by microstructure observation and tensile test.A great number of fine needle-like RE-rich phases are observed in the alloys with RE addition. Solutionizing treatment does not change their morphologies and sizes, indicating that they have good thermal stability. The addition of RE totally alters the solidification process of eutectic CruAl2 phase, from network-like phase in the form of segregation at the final eutectic grain boundaries to discretely blocky phase growing on the hair-filamentous RE-rich needles. In the alloys with Ce addition, blocky CuAl2, particulate Al15Mn3Si2 and needle-like RE-rich needle phases grow together, but they did not occur in the alloy with only La addition. The addition of RE does not considerably improve the strength of the alloy at high temperatures. The formation of RE-rich phases also does not significantly alter the originating and propagating of micro-cracks in the alloy during tensile test.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a cast heat-resistant rare-earth magnesium alloy

Microstructure,mechanical properties and phase transformation of a heat-resistant rare-earth(RE)Mg-16.1Gd-3.5Nd-0.38Zn-0.26Zr-0.15Y(wt.%)alloy were investigated.The as-cast alloy is composed of equiaxedα-Mg matrix,net-shaped Mg5RE and Zr-rich phases.According to aging hardening curves and tensile properties variation,the optimized condition of solution treatment at 520℃for 8 h and subsequent aging at 204℃for 12 h was selected.The continuous secondary Mg5RE phase predominantly formed at grain boundaries during solidification transforms to residual discontinuousβ-Mg5RE phase and fine cuboid REH2particles after heat treatment.The annealed alloy exhibits good comprehensive tensile property at 350℃,with ultimate tensile strength of 153 MPa and elongation to fracture of 6.9%.Segregation of RE elements and eventually RE-rich precipitation at grain boundaries are responsible for the high strength at elevated temperature.

Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of CrN and CrN/TiN Coated Heat-Resistant Steels in Molten Aluminum Alloy

The components of the equipment for processing the Al melts into the molded parts can be markedly corroded by the molten Al. In this study, a 4 μm CrN coating or CrN/TiN multilayer coating for providing the physical and chemical barriers between the molten reactive Al and the steel substrate were deposited by Cathodic Arc Evaporation onto 10 mm-thick heat-resistant steel plates. The dipping tests were conducted in a 700℃ A356 melt for 1 to 21 h at intervals of 3 h. The damage of the coated steel was eva...

E2EM’s prediction of LaB_(6) as nucleation substrate for primary Mn-rich phase in Al-Si-Cu-Mn heat-resistant alloy and its refining effect

Edge-to-edge matching(E2EM)model was used to predict the potency of LaB_(6) as the heterogeneous nucleation substrate for primary Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8) phase formed during the solidification of Al−Si−Cu−Mn heat-resistant alloy.There are five pairs of orientation relationships(ORs)between LaB_(6) and Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8) phases which meet the criteria of E2EM model.One pair of plane ORs((110)LaB_(6)//(110)Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8))are demonstrated by TEM observation.This strongly indicates that the LaB_(6) phase can act as the heterogeneous nucleation substrate for the primary Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8) phase.1.0 wt.%of Al−2La−1B master alloy was also added into Al−12Si−4Cu−2Mn alloy to evaluate the refining effect by microstructure observation and tensile test.Experimental results show that addition of Al−2La−1B master alloy can significantly refine the primary Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8) phase,supporting the prediction accuracy of E2EM model.However,such refinement of primary Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8) phase does not lead to an improvement in strength.This is due to the larger difference in elastic modulus between the finally formed Al_(13)Mn_(4)Si_(8) phase and aluminum matrix than that of Al_(15)Mn_(3)Si_(2) phase.

Effects of pre-deformation on microstructure and properties of Al–Cu–Mg–Ag heat-resistant alloy

The effects of the pre-deformation on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloys were investigated by means of hardness tests, tensile tests, intergranullar corrosion (IGC) tests and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The results show that with the increase of deformation amount, the aging hardening rate increases while the strength of the alloy decreases and then increases. The sample with a pre-deformation of 6% possesses the highest tensile strength due to the refinedly and homogeneously distributed precipitations. The pre-deformation aging accelerates the heterogeneous nucleation of Ω and θ′ phases at dislocations, and also refines the precipitations both in the grains and along the grain boundaries. The precipitation of Ω phase is restrained while that of θ′ phase is accelerated in pre-deformed Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloy compared with the sample without pre-deformation. In addition, the width of the precipitate free zone decreases with increasing the pre-deformation amount, leading to a narrower IGC passageway. This results in an enhanced IGC resistance of Al–Cu–Mg–Ag alloy treated by pre-deformation aging. © 2017, Central South University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

Phase transition of Al-Fe-V-Si heat-resistant alloy by spray deposition

Solidification curve of Al 8.5Fe 1.7Si was calculated by thermodynamic models. Phase constitutions of Al 8.5Fe, Al 8.5Fe 1.7Si and Al 8.5Fe 1.7Si 1.3V alloys were analysed at different cooling rates by means of optical microscopy, X ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and so on. Microstructures of spraying deposited ingots and their hot processed samples were detected, and the phase transitions during spraying deposition, heating process and hot processing were also studied. The results show that, by spraying deposition, the ideal structures of α (Al) and Al 12 (Fe, V) 3Si can be obtained when cooling rate is above 10 5 K/s; and restraining the formation of Al 8(Fe,V) 2Si/Al 13 Fe 4 can improve the properties of the alloy.

Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Y-containing Al-Zr Heat-resistant Alloy Produced by Dynamic ECAE Process

The influence of rare earth Y on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Zr alloy produced by dynamic ECAE was studied by OLYMPUS-BX51M optical microscope(OM),S4800 energy disperse spectroscopy(EDS)and SANS CMT5105 electronic universal material testing machine,and the corresponding equivalent conductivity was also investigated by using QJ48 DC electric bridge.The results show that the tensile strength of Al-Zr conductor first increases and then decreases with the increase of the aging time and temperature,and the highest tensile value can be obtained under the aging temperature of 160°C for 4 h.The ductility and the resistivity of the Al-Zr alloy have inverse proportion to the aging time.The rare earth Y has significantly improved the electrical and mechanical properties of Al-0.3%Zr heat-resistant alloy.In this study,the tensile strength and the elongation of the Al-0.3%Zr-0.2%Y alloy,after aging treatment at 220°C for 14 h,are about 278.49 MPa and 6.7%,respectively,and the equivalent conductivity is about 59.6 IACS.Hence the synthetical properties of the Y-containing alloy are significantly improved compared with traditional Al-0.3%Zr alloy.

Heat Resisting Mechanism of Heat-Resisting Aluminum Alloy Conductor and Its Application in Transmission Line

In this paper the heat withstanding mechanism of heat-resisting aluminum alloy conductor is discussed, the types and performance of the conductor and its application on transmission lines are analyzed and introduced, and suggestions on accelerating exploitation and application of the conductor are put forward.

Effect of characteristics and distribution of Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates on tensile and bending properties of high-Al-containing Mg alloys

This study investigates the effect of characteristics and distribution of Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates on the uniaxial tensile and three-point bending properties of extruded Mg alloys containing high Al contents.The extruded Mg–9Al–1Zn–0.3Mn(AZ91)alloy contains lamellar-structured Mg_(17)Al_(12)discontinuous precipitates along the grain boundaries,which are formed via static precipitation during natural air cooling.The extruded Mg–11Al–1Zn–0.3Mn(AZ111)alloy contains spherical Mg_(17)Al_(12)precipitates at the grain boundaries and inside the grains,which are formed via dynamic precipitation during extrusion.Due to inhomogeneous distribution of precipitates,the AZ111 alloy consists of two different precipitate regions:precipitate-rich region with numerous precipitates and finer grains and precipitate-scarce region with a few precipitates and coarser grains.The AZ111 alloy exhibits a higher tensile strength than the AZ91 alloy because its smaller grain size and more abundant precipitates result in stronger grain-boundary hardening and precipitation hardening effects,respectively.However,the tensile elongation of the AZ111 alloy is lower than that of the AZ91 alloy because the weak cohesion between the dynamic precipitates and the matrix facilitates the crack initiation and propagation.During bending,a macrocrack initiates on the outer surface of bending specimen in both alloys.The AZ111 alloy exhibits higher bending yield strength and lower failure bending strain than the AZ91 alloy.The bending specimens of the AZ91 alloy have similar bending formability,whereas those of the AZ111 alloy exhibit considerable differences in bending formability and crack propagation behavior,depending on the distribution and number density of precipitates in the specimen.In bending specimens of the AZ111 alloy,it is found that the failure bending strain(ε_(f,bending))is inversely proportional to the area fraction of precipitates in the outer zone of bending specimen(A_(ppt)),with a relationship ofε_(f,bending)=–0.1A_(ppt)+5.86.

Preheating-assisted solid-state friction stir repair of Al-Mg-Si alloy plate at different rotational speeds

Additive friction stir deposition(AFSD)is a novel structural repair and manufacturing technology has become a research hotspot at home and abroad in the past five years.In this work,the microstructural evolution and mechanical performance of the Al-Mg-Si alloy plate repaired by the preheating-assisted AFSD process were investigated.To evaluate the tool rotation speed and substrate preheating for repair quality,the AFSD technique was used to additively repair 5 mm depth blind holes on 6061 aluminum alloy substrates.The results showed that preheat-assisted AFSD repair significantly improved joint bonding and joint strength compared to the control non-preheat substrate condition.Moreover,increasing rotation speed was also beneficial to improve the metallurgical bonding of the interface and avoid volume defects.Under preheating conditions,the UTS and elongation were positively correlated with rotation speed.Under the process parameters of preheated substrate and tool rotation speed of 1000 r/min,defect-free specimens could be obtained accompanied by tensile fracture occurring in the substrate rather than the repaired zone.The UTS and elongation reached the maximum values of 164.2MPa and 13.4%,which are equivalent to 99.4%and 140%of the heated substrate,respectively.

Synergistic effect of gradient Zn content and multiscale particles on the mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with coupling distribution of coarse-fine grains

This study investigated the influence of graded Zn content on the evolution of precipitated and iron-rich phases and grain struc-ture of the alloys,designed and developed the Al–8.0Zn–1.5Mg–1.5Cu–0.2Fe(wt%)alloy with high strength and formability.With the increase of Zn content,forming the coupling distribution of multiscale precipitates and iron-rich phases with a reasonable matching ratio and dispersion distribution characteristics is easy.This phenomenon induces the formation of cell-like structures with alternate distribu-tion of coarse and fine grains,and the average plasticity–strain ratio(characterizing the formability)of the pre-aged alloy with a high strength is up to 0.708.Results reveal the evolution and influence mechanisms of multiscale second-phase particles and the corresponding high formability mechanism of the alloys.The developed coupling control process exhibits considerable potential,revealing remarkable improvements in the room temperature formability of high-strength Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys.

Mechanical properties and tribological behavior of a cast heat-resisting copper based alloy

Mechanical properties and tribological behavior of a novel cast heat resisting copper based alloy are investigated. The corresponding properties of a commercial aluminum bronze C95500 (ASTM B30) are compared with the alloy. The results show that the alloy possesses better mechanical properties and tribological behaviors than that of C95500 at elevated temperature. The tensile strength, elongation and hardness at 500℃ are 470MPa, 2.5% and HB220, respectively. The wear rate of the developed alloy at ambient and elevated temperature is about one sixth and one fortieth of that of C95500, respectively. The alloy is very suitable for ma nufacturing heat resisting and wear resisting parts. Major strengthening mechanisms for the alloy are solution strengthening and the second phase strengthening.

Promoting dynamic recrystallization and improving strength and ductility of Mg-7Bi alloy through Al addition

This study investigated the influence of the addition of Al to a Mg-7Bi(B7,wt%)alloy,particularly its recrystallization behavior during extrusion and its resulting mechanical properties.The addition of 2 wt%Al to the B7 alloy resulted in a lower grain size,a reduction in the number density of fine Mg3Bi2 particles,and a higher area fraction of relatively coarse Mg3Bi2 particles in the extrusion billet.These microstructural changes increased the nucleation sites for recrystallization,reduced the Zener pinning effect,and enhanced particle-stimulated nucleation,all of which promoted dynamic recrystallization behavior during extrusion.As a result,the area fraction of recrystallized grains in the extruded alloy increased from 77%to 94%.The extruded B7 alloy exhibited a strong<10-10>fiber texture,whereas the extruded Mg-7Bi-2Al(BA72)alloy had a weak<10-10>-<2-1-10>texture,which was attributed to the minimal presence of unrecrystallized grains and the dispersed orientation of the recrystallized grains.The tensile yield strength(TYS)of the extruded BA72 alloy was higher than that of the extruded B7 alloy(170 and 124 MPa,respectively),which resulted from the enhanced grain-boundary and solid-solution strengthening effects.The tensile elongation(EL)of the BA72 alloy also exceeded that of the B7 alloy(20.3%and 6.1%,respectively),the result of the uniform formation of fine twins under tension in the former and the formation of a few coarse twins among the unrecrystallized grains in the latter.Consequently,the addition of a small amount of Al to the B7 alloy significantly improved both the strength and ductility of the extruded alloy,resulting in a remarkable increase in the product of the TYS and EL from 756 to 3451 MPa%and expanding its potential range of applications as a lightweight extruded structural component.

Mechanical properties and interfacial characteristics of 6061 Al alloy plates fabricated by hot-roll bonding

This work aims to investigate the mechanical properties and interfacial characteristics of 6061 Al alloy plates fabricated by hotroll bonding(HRB)based on friction stir welding.The results showed that ultimate tensile strength and total elongation of the hot-rolled and aged joints increased with the packaging vacuum,and the tensile specimens fractured at the matrix after exceeding 1 Pa.Non-equilibrium grain boundaries were formed at the hot-rolled interface,and a large amount of Mg_(2)Si particles were linearly precipitated along the interfacial grain boundaries(IGBs).During subsequent heat treatment,Mg_(2)Si particles dissolved back into the matrix,and Al_(2)O_(3) film remaining at the interface eventually evolved into MgO.In addition,the local IGBs underwent staged elimination during HRB,which facilitated the interface healing due to the fusion of grains at the interface.This process was achieved by the dissociation,emission,and annihilation of dislocations on the IGBs.

Strengthening mechanism of T8-aged Al-Cu-Li alloy with increased pre-deformation

The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a T8-aged Al-Cu-Li alloy with increased pre-deformation(0-15%) were investigated,revealing the microstructure-strength relationship and the intrinsic strengthening mechanism.The results show that increasing the pre-deformation levels remarkably improves the strength of the alloy but deteriorates its ductility.Dislocations introduced by pre-deformation effectively suppress the formation of Guinier-Preston(GP) zones and provide more nucleation sites for T1 precipitates.This leads to more intensive and finer T1 precipitates in the samples with higher pre-deformation levels.Simultaneously,the enhanced precipitation of T1 precipitates and inhibited formation of GP zones cause the decreases in number and sizes of θ′ precipitates.The quantitative descriptions of the strength contributions from different strengthening mechanisms reveal that strengthening contributions from T1 and θ′ precipitates decrease with increasing pre-deformation.The reduced diameters of T1 precipitates are primarily responsible for their weakened strengthening effects.Therefore,the improved strength of the T8-aged Al-Cu-Li alloy is mainly attributed to the stronger strain hardening from the increased pre-deformation levels.

Characteristics and distribution of microstructures in high pressure die cast alloys with X-ray microtomography:A review

Al and Mg alloy high pressure die castings(HPDC)are increasingly used in automotive industries.The microstructures in the castings have decisive effect on the casting mechanical properties,in which the microstructure characteristics are fundamental for the investigation of the microstructure-property relation.During the past decade,the microstructure characteristics of HPDC Al and Mg alloys,especially micro-pores andα-Fe,have been investigated from two-dimensional(2D)to threedimensional with X-ray micro-computed tomography(μ-CT).This paper provides an overview of the current understanding regarding the 3D characteristics and formation mechanisms of microstructures in HPDC alloys,their spatial distributions,and the impact on mechanical properties.Additionally,it outlines future research directions for the formation and control of heterogeneous microstructures in HPDC alloys.

Microstructure evolution and tensile behavior of balanced Al−Mg−Si alloy with various homogenization parameters

The effects of homogenization parameters on the microstructure evolution and tensile behavior of a balanced Al−Mg−Si alloy were investigated using the optical microscope,scanning electron microscope,X-ray diffraction,electron probe microanalyzer,differential scanning calorimetry,electrical conductivity test,and tensile test.The results show that Mg_(2)Si andβ-AlFeSi are the main intermetallic compounds in the as-cast structure,and Mg solute microsegregation is predominant inside the dendrite cell.The prediction of the full dissolution time of Mg_(2)Si by a kinetic model is consistent with the experiment.Theβ-AlFeSi in the alloy exhibits high thermal stability and mainly undergoes dissolution and coarsening during homogenization at 560℃,and only a small portion is converted toα-AlFeSi.The optimal homogenization parameters are determined as 560℃and 360 min,when considering the evolution of microstructure and resource savings.Both the strength and ductility of the alloy increased after homogenization.

Effect of ultrasonic and mechanical vibration treatments on evolution of Mn-rich phases and mechanical properties of Al−12Si−4Cu−1Ni−1Mg−2Mn piston alloys

Effects of ultrasonic vibration(UV)and mechanical vibration(MV)on the Mn-rich phase modification and mechanical properties of Al−12Si−4Cu−1Ni−1Mg−2Mn piston alloys were investigated.The results show that the UV and UV+MV treatments can significantly refine and fragmentize the microstructures.In addition,UV treatment can significantly passivate the primary Mn-rich Al15Mn3Si2 intermetallics.The formation mechanisms of refinement and passivation of the grains and non-dendrite particles were discussed.Compared with the gravity die-cast alloys,the UV and UV+MV treated alloys exhibit improved tensile and creep resistance at room and elevated temperatures.These results can be attributed to the refinement of theα(Al)grains and the secondary intermetallics,the increased proportion of refined heat-resistant precipitates,and the formation of nano-sized Si particles.The ultimate tensile strength of the UV treated alloys at 350℃ exceeds that of commercial piston alloys.This indicates the high application potential of the developed piston alloys in density diesel engines.

Hybrid machine learning and microstructure-based approach for modeling relationship between microstructure and hardness of AA2099 Al−Li alloy

A hybrid approach combining machine learning and microstructure analysis was proposed to investigate the relationship between microstructure and hardness of AA2099 Al−Li alloy through nano-indentation,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)technologies.Random forest regression(RFR)model was employed to predict hardness based on microstructural features and uncover influential factors and their rankings.The results show that the increased hardness correlates with a smaller distance from indentation to grain boundary(D_(dis))or a shorter minimum grain axis(D_(min)),a lower Schmidt factor in friction stir weld direction(SF_(FD)),and higher sine values of the angle between{111}slip plane and surface(sinθ_(min)).D_(dis) and D_(min) emerge as pivotal determinants in hardness prediction.High-angle grain boundaries imped dislocation slip,thereby increasing hardness.Crystallographic orientation also significantly influences hardness,especially in the presence of T_(1) phases along{111}Al habit planes.This effect is attributable to the variation in encountered T_(1) variants during indenter loading.Consequently,the importance ranking of microstructural features shifts depending on T_(1) phase abundance:in samples with limited T_(1) phases,D_(dis) or D_(min)>SF_(FD)>sinθ_(min),while in samples with abundant T_(1) phases,D_(dis) or D_(min)>sinθ_(min)>SF_(FD).