Microstructure and mechanical properties stability of pre-hardening treatment in Al-Cu alloys for pre-hardening forming process

The stability of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the pre-hardened sheets during the pre-hardening forming(PHF)process directly determines the quality of the formed components.The microstructure stability of the pre-hardened sheets was in-vestigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS),while the mechanical properties and formability were analyzed through uniaxial tensile tests and formability tests.The results in-dicate that the mechanical properties of the pre-hardened alloys exhibited negligible changes after experiencing 1-month natural aging(NA).The deviations of ultimate tensile strength(UTS),yield strength(YS),and sheet formability(Erichsen value)are all less than 2%.Also,after different NA time(from 48 h to 1 month)is applied to alloys before pre-hardening treatment,the pre-hardened alloys possess stable microstructure and mechanical properties as well.Interestingly,with the extension of NA time before pre-hardening treatment from 48 h to 1 month,the contribution of NA to the pre-hardening treatment is limited.Only a yield strength increment of 20 MPa is achieved,with no loss in elongation.The limited enhancement is mainly attributed to the fact that only a limited number of clusters are transformed into Guinier-Preston(GP)zones at the early stage of pre-hardening treatment,and the formation ofθ''phase inhibits the nucleation and growth of GP zones as the precipitated phase evolves.

Microstructure and Hot Tearing Sensitivity Simulation and Parameters Optimization for the Centrifugal Casting of Al-Cu Alloy

Four typical theories on the formation of thermal tears:strength,liquid film,intergranular bridging,and solidifica-tion shrinkage compensation theories.From these theories,a number of criteria have been derived for predicting the formation of thermal cracks,such as the stress-based Niyama,Clyne,and RDG(Rapaz-Dreiser-Grimaud)criteria.In this paper,a mathematical model of horizontal centrifugal casting was established,and numerical simulation analysis was conducted for the centrifugal casting process of cylindrical Al-Cu alloy castings to investigate the effect of the centrifugal casting process conditions on the microstructure and hot tearing sensitivity of alloy castings by using the modified RDG hot tearing criterion.Results show that increasing the centrifugal rotation and pouring speeds can refine the microstructure of the alloy but increasing the pouring and mold preheating temperatures can lead to an increase in grain size.The grain size gradually transitions from fine grain on the outer layer to coarse grain on the inner layer.Meanwhile,combined with the modified RDG hot tearing criterion,the overall distribution of the castings’hot tearing sensitivity was analyzed.The analysis results indicate that the porosity in the middle region of the casting was large,and hot tearing defects were prone to occur.The hot tearing tendency on the inner side of the casting was greater than that on the outer side.The effects of centrifugal rotation speed,pouring temperature,and preheating temperature on the thermal sensitivity of Al-Cu alloy castings are summarized in this paper.This study revealed that the tendency of alloy hot cracking decreases with the increase of the centrifugal speed,and the maximum porosity of castings decreases first and then increases with the pouring temperature.As the preheating temperature increases,the overall maximum porosity of castings shows a decreasing trend.

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.

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 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.

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.

Effects of external stress aging on morphology and precipitation behavior of θ'' phase in Al-Cu alloy

The exposure of Al-5Cu alloy to an external stress with normal aging was carried out. The effects of external stress-aging on the morphology and precipitation behavior of θ＂ phase were investigated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and first principle calculation. The size of the θ＂ phase precipitated plates in stress-aging （453 K, 6 h, 50 MPa） is 19.83 nm, which is smaller than that of those present （28.79 nm） in stress-flee aging （453 K, 6 h）. The precipitation process of θ＂ phase is accelerated by loading external stress aging according to the analysis of DSC results. The apparent activation energy for the external stress-aging is 10% lower than the stress-free one. The first principle calculation results show that the external stress makes a decrease of 6% in the interface energy. The effects of the stress on aging process of the alloy are discussed on the basis of the classical theory. The external stress changes the morphology and precipitation behavior of θ＂ phase because the critical nucleation energy is decreased by 19% under stress aging.

Microstructure and crystal growth direction of Al-Cu alloy

The microstructures and crystal growth directions of permanent mould casting（PMC） and directionally solidified（DS） Al-Cu alloys with different contents of Cu were investigated. Simultaneously, the effects of pouring temperature on the microstructure and crystal growth direction of permanent mould casting pure Al were also discussed. The results indicate that the α（Al） crystals in the pure Al do not always keep common columnar grains, but change from the columnar grains to columnar dendrites with developed arms as the pouring temperature rises. The growth direction also varies with the change of pouring temperature. Cu element has similar effects on the microstructures of the PMC and DS casting Al-Cu alloys and the α（Al） crystals gradually change from columnar crystals in turn to columnar dendrites and developed equiaxed dendrites as the Cu content increases. The crystal growth direction in the PMC alloys gradually approaches （110） orientation with increasing Cu content. But the resulting crystals with growth direction of （110） do not belong to feathery grains. There are also no feathery grains to form in all of the DS Al-Cu alloys.

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.

Strengthening and control of second-phase particle precipitation in ferritic/austenitic/martensitic heat-resistant alloys:a review

Heat-resistant alloys with excellent mechanical properties are widely used in various fields,and further improvement in their properties is essential to meet the requirements in new-generation advanced supercritical boilers,nuclear reactors,superheaters,and other new materials applications.To effectively enhance the comprehensive performance of heat-resistant alloys,second-phase particle strengthening has been widely studied,and in the face of different service envi-ronments of advanced heat-resistant steels,the selection of suitable second-phase particles is essential to maximize the performance of these alloys.To this end,three major types of reinforcing phases in heat-resistant alloys such as carbides,rare earth oxides,and intermetallic compounds are summarized.A comparative analysis of the precipitation behavior of the reinforcing phases with different types as well as the risks and means of controlling their use in service,is presented.Key parameters for the application of various types of second-phase particles in heat-resistant alloys are provided to support the design and preparation of new ultrahigh-performance heat-resistant alloys.

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.

Enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties of high-temperature resistant Al-Cu alloy with Zr and Mn micro-alloying

The high temperature(HT)thermal stability and mechanical properties of Al-5%Cu(AC)and Al-5%Cu-0.2%Mn-0.2 Zr%(ACMZ)alloys from 573 to 673 K were systematically studied.The results displayed that micro-alloying additions of Zr and Mn elements have presented a significant role in stabilizing the main strengthening metastableθ′precipitates at a temperature as high as 573 K.Simultaneously,the HT tensile test demonstrated that ACMZ alloy retained their strength of(88.6±8.8)MPa,which was much higher than that of AC alloy((32.5±0.8)MPa)after the thermal exposure at 573 K for 200 h.Finally,the underlying mechanisms of strength and ductility enhancement mechanism of the ACMZ alloy at HT were discussed in detail.

Forming properties and microstructure of Al-Cu alloy prepared by liquid-die forging

The Al-Cu wheel adopting the new Al alloy was prepared by the liquid-die forging,and the mechanical properties,composition distribution,microstructure and fracture behavior were investigated.The results showed that serious Cu segregation was found in the wheel specimen;the microstructure of the Al-Cu wheel was comprised of the casting microstructure and a small amount of the deformed microstructure;the best heat treatment and water quenching system were found to solution treated at(530±5)℃ for 4 h followed by(535±5)℃ for 24 h and aging treated at(155±5)℃ for 4 h;the fracture morphologies of the samples heated under T 6 and T 5-1 heat treatment showed flat,tough nest,and poor plastic characteristics;the fracture morphologies of the samples heated under T 4 heat treatment exhibited complete resilience,but no residual metallographic characteristic;the sample treated under T 4 protocol had the best elongation;the fracture failure was mainly due to the formation of the CuAl_(2)(θ)phases;and the fracture mechanism of the Al-Cu wheel was intergranular fracture.

Corrosion behavior of hypoeutectic Al-Cu alloys in H_2SO_4 and NaCl solutions

The aim of this work was to evaluate the electrochemical behaviour of hypoeutectic Al-Cu alloys immersed in two different solutions containing sulphate and chloride ions, respectively. The influence of Al2Cu associated to the dendritic arm spacing on the general corrosion resistance of such alloys is analysed. The typical microstructural pattern was examined by using scanning electron microscope. The corrosion tests were performed in both 0.5 M sulphuric acid and 0.5 M NaCl solutions at 25℃ by using an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） technique and potentiodynamic polarization curves. Equivalent circuits by using the ZView software, were also used to provide quantitative support for the discussions. It was found that as the Cu content increased （i.e., increasing the Al2Cu fraction）, a higher susceptibility to the corrosion action in the NaCl solution is detected. In contrast, the tests carried out in the H2SO4 solution resulted in similar corrosion,rates for the three different hypoeutectic 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.

Effects of Cd addition in welding wires on microstructure and mechanical property of wire and arc additively manufactured Al-Cu alloy

Wall structures were made by cold metal transfer-based wire and arc additive manufacturing using two kinds of ER2319 welding wires with and without Cd elements. T6 heat treatment was used to improve mechanical properties of these wall structures. Due to the higher vacancy binding energy of Cd, Cd-vacancy clusters are formed in the aging process and provide a large number of nucleation locations for θ′ phases. The higher diffusion coefficient of the Cd-vacancy cluster and the lower interfacial energy of θ′ phase lead to the formation of dense θ′ phases in the heat-treated α(Al). According to the strengthening model, after adding Cd in ER2319 welding wires, the yield strength increases by 43 MPa in the building direction of the heat-treated wall structures.

Effect of returns on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu based alloys

It is well known that maximal utilization of the returns can be beneficial for cost reduction,preservation of natural resources and protection of the environment,by making them into recycled Al-Cu alloys.In this study,the influences of returns on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu alloys have been investigated by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.The results showed that the returns could be used to produce recycled Al-Cu alloys with fine and uniform microstructure and excellent mechanical properties,including ultimate tensile strength,yield strength and ductility.It was found that the maximum performance of the recycled Al-Cu alloy in their properties could be achievable when the returns content was 20wt.%,which gave 219 MPa,87.16 MPa and 12.15% at as-cast state,and 525 MPa,445.3 MPa and 14.14% after heat treated,in their tensile strengths,yield strengths and elongations,respectively.These values were much higher than those of primary alloy.

Squeeze casting of Al-Cu alloy

In order to use the cast method to replace forge method in producing the load bearing wheel used in certain heavy duty vehicle, simplified and reduced size load bearing wheels were squeeze cast and studied using Al Cu alloy. Tensile properties, hardness, microstructures and morphologies of the squeeze cast wheels were investigated. The results show that the finer microstructure, higher density, strength, toughness and hardness were achieved through the squeeze casting. Ultimate tensile strength of 428 MPa, yield strength of 360 MPa, elongation of 13.1% were achieved for T5 heat treated squeeze cast wheels. The Brinell hardness of squeeze cast wheels is from HB 120 to HB 137.