Microstructure and mechanical properties of isothermal multi-axial forging formed AZ61 Mg alloy

Microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ61 Mg alloy during isothermal multi-axial forging （MAF） were studied. The mechanisms of grain refinement and relationship between the microstructures and mechanical properties were discussed. The results show that the average grain size decreases with increasing the number of MAF passes. The grains are significantly refined at the 1st and 2nd MAF passes, and gradually refined at higher MAF passes. The initial grain size of 148 lam decreases to about 14 gm after 6 MAF passes. The grain refinement occurs mainly by continuous dynamic recrystallization. With increasing the MAF passes, both the tensile strength and the elongation to failure of the alloy are significantly enhanced.

Improvement of microstructure and mechanical properties of Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zn alloys through water-cooling centrifugal casting technique

The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Al−Cu−Li−Mg−Zn alloys fabricated by conventional gravity casting and centrifugal casting techniques combined with rapid solidification were investigated.Experimental results demonstrated that compared with the gravity casting technique,the water-cooling centrifugal casting technique significantly reduces porosity,refinesα(Al)grains and secondary phases,modifies the morphology of secondary phases,and mitigates both macro-and micro-segregation.These improvements arise from the synergistic effects of the vigorous backflow,centrifugal field,vibration and rapid solidification.Porosity and coarse plate-like Al13Fe4/Al7Cu2Fe phase result in the fracture before the gravity-cast alloy reaches the yield point.The centrifugal-cast alloy,however,exhibits an ultra-high yield strength of 292.0 MPa and a moderate elongation of 6.1%.This high yield strength is attributed to solid solution strengthening(SSS)of 225.3 MPa,and grain boundary strengthening(GBS)of 35.7 MPa.Li contributes the most to SSS with a scaling factor of 7.9 MPa·wt.%^(-1).The elongation of the centrifugal-cast alloy can be effectively enhanced by reducing the porosity and segregation behavior,refining the microstructure and changing the morphology of secondary phases.

Microstructure evolution of modified die-cast AlSi10MnMg alloy during solution treatment and its effect on mechanical properties

To optimize the solution treatment process of a modified high-pressure die-cast AlSi10MnMg alloy, the influence of the solution treatment on the microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms was studied using OM, SEM, EBSD and tensile test. The experimental results suggest that the solution treatment could be completed in a shorter time at a temperature much lower than the conventional practice. Surface blistering could be avoided and substantial strengthening effect could be achieved in the following aging process. Prolonging solution treatment time and elevating solution temperature would be meaningless or even harmful. The rapid evolution of eutectic silicon during solution treatment, especially at the early stage, affected the way of interaction among α-Al grains during plastic deformation, and changed the ultimate mechanical properties and fracture mode.

Effects of solute supersaturation and re-precipitation on microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted Al−Mn−Mg−Sc−Zr alloys

A new Al−4.87Mn−1.42Mg−0.63Sc−0.20Zr(wt.%)alloy was fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM)and its microstructure and mechanical properties before and after aging were investigated.The results show that at a laser power input of 300 W,increasing laser scanning speeds from 700 to 1500 mm/s improves the mechanical properties.In the meantime,the lattice distortion values increase from 0.15%to 0.31%,showing an increasing solute supersaturation.At a laser scanning speed of 1500 mm/s,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the as-SLM alloys are 356 MPa,412 MPa and 17.7%,respectively.After aging at 350°C for 8 h,these values increase to 527 MPa,554 MPa and 10.4%,respectively.The contributions to the yield strength increments from the secondary Al6(Fe,Mn)needle-like phase and re-precipitated L12 structured Al6(Sc,Zr,Ti)nano-particles during aging are 74 and 79 MPa,respectively.As the aging temperature increases to 450°C,the dominant precipitation strengthening is attributed to the secondary Al6(Sc,Zr,Ti)nano-particles.

Effect of cold rolling deformation on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of spray formed Al−Zn−Mg−Cu−Cr alloys

The impact of cold rolling deformation,which was introduced after solid solution and before aging treatment,on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the as-extruded spray formed Al−9.8Zn−2.3Mg−1.73Cu−0.13Cr(wt.%)alloy,was investigated.SEM,TEM,and EBSD were used to analyze the microstructures,and tensile tests were conducted to assess mechanical properties.The results indicate that the D1-T6 sample,subjected to 25%cold rolling deformation,exhibits finer grains(3.35μm)compared to the D0-T6 sample(grain size of 4.23μm)without cold rolling.Cold rolling refines the grains that grow in solution treatment.Due to the combined effects of finer and more dispersed precipitates,higher dislocation density and smaller grains,the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the D1-T6 sample can reach 663 and 737 MPa,respectively.In comparison to the as-extruded and D0-T6 samples,the yield strength of the D1-T6 sample increases by 415 and 92 MPa,respectively.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.8Cu alloy prepared by squeeze casting and solid hot extrusion

Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.8Cu alloy ingots were prepared by squeeze casting under different specific pressures,and the fresh ingot with best mechanical properties was solid hot extruded.With the increase of the specific pressure from 0 to 250 MPa,the dendrites became round and small.Because the applied pressure increased the solid solubility of alloying elements,the number of MgZn2 phases decreased.When the specific pressure increased from 250 MPa to 350 MPa,the grain size increased.After solid hot extrusion,the a（Al） grains were refined obviously and the MgZn2 phases were uniformly dispersed in the microstructure.After solid hot extrusion,the ultimate tensile strength was 605.67 MPa and the elongation was 8.1%,which were improved about 32.22%and15.71%,respectively,compared with those of the metal mold casting alloy.The fracture modes of the billet prepared by the metal mold casting and by squeeze casting were intergranular and quasi-cleavage fractures,respectively,whereas,that of the solid hot extrusion was mainly dimple fracture.The refined crystalline strengthening was the main reason to improve the strength and elongation of alloy.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy fabricated by a novel bifurcation-equal channel angular pressing

In this work,a novel type of short-process deformation technology of Mg alloys,bifurcation-equal channel angular pressing(B-ECAP),was proposed to refine grain and improve the basal texture.The cylindrical billets were first compressed into the die cavity,then sequentially flowed downward through a 90°corner and two 120°shear steps.The total strain of B-ECAP process could reach 3.924 in a single pass.The results of microstructure observation showed that DRX occurred at upsetting process in the die cavity and completed at position D.The grains were refined to 6.3μm at being extruded at 300℃ and grew obviously with the extrusion temperature increase.The shear tress induced by 900 corner and two 120°shear steps resulted in the basal poles of most grains tilted to extrusion direction(ED)by±25°.Compared with the original billets,the extruded sheets exhibited higher yield strengths(YS),which was mainly attributed to the grain refinement.The higher Schmid factor caused by ED-tilt texture resulted in a fracture elongation(FE)more than that of the original bar in ED,while was equivalent to that in transverse direction(TD).As the extrusion temperature increased,the variation of UTS and YS in ED and TD decreased gradually without ductility obviously decrease.

Effect of Ti content on microstructures and mechanical properties of cast Al-2Li-2Cu-0.5Mg alloy

Ti is regarded as one of the promising grain refiners in cast Al-Li-Cu alloys,but few research works have been done on its independent role.In this study,the effect of Ti on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of cast Al-2Li-2Cu-0.5Mg base alloy was investigated.The results revealed that the grains can be prominently refined with the increase of Ti addition.After adding Ti,high density TiB_(2)-Al_(3)Ti composite particles with a low lattice misfit form as heterogeneous nucleation sites for the α-Al matrix.δ’(Al3Li) and T_(1)(Al_(2)CuLi) precipitates that provide enhanced strength are dominated in the alloys after T6 aging treatment.The average size of both δ’ and half-width of δ’-precipitation free zone(PFZ) decreases gradually with the increase of Ti content.This is because the higher binding energy between Ti atoms and vacancies limits the diffusion efficiency of Li atoms,and thus results in a higher ductility.Additionally,no nano-sized Al_(3)Ti or core-shell structure of Al_(3)(Li,Ti) particles are found.The tensile property test results indicate that the Al-2Li-2Cu-0.5Mg alloy achieves optimal properties after aging at 175 °C for 32 h when 0.15wt.% Ti is added.It exhibits a yield strength of 352±5 MPa,an ultimate tensile strength of 423±6 MPa,and an elongation of(3±0.4)%.These findings are expected to offer a reliable theoretical guidance for the industrial composition design of the Al-Li-Cu series cast alloys.

Influence of pouring temperature on solidification behavior, microstructure and mechanical properties of sand-cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy

Influence of the pouring temperature ranging from 680 to 780 ℃ on the solidification behavior, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the sand-cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy was investigated. It was found that the nucleation undercooling of the a-Mg phase increased from 2.3 to 6.3 ℃. The average a-Mg grain size increased from 44 to 71 μm, but then decreased to 46 μm. The morphology of the eutectic compound transformed from a continuous network into a discontinuous state and then subsequently into an island-like block. The volume fraction of β-Mg_24RE_5 phase increased and its morphology transformed from particle into rod-like. The increase in pouring temperature increased the solute concentration. YS increased from 138 to 151 MPa, and UTS increased from 186 to 197 MPa. The alloy poured at 750 ℃ had optimal combining strength and ductility. The fracture surface mode transformed from quasi-cleavage crack into transgranular fracture, all plus the dimple-like fracture, with the micro-porosity and the re-oxidation inclusion as major defects. The average a-Mg grain size played a main role in the YS of sand-cast Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.4Zr alloy, besides other factors, i.e. micro-porosity, morphology of eutectic compounds, re-oxidation inclusion and solute concentration.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-5Zn-0.63Er alloy

The microstructure evolution of the Mg 5Zn 0.63Er（mass fraction,%） alloy containing quasicrystalline phase（I-phase） under the as-cast condition was investigated via different heat treatments.The results show that apart from the precipitation of the W-phase particles,the I-phase almost dissolves into the matrix after solid solution treatment at 480℃ for 10 h（T4 state）.The solution-treated alloy was aged at 175℃ for 6-100 h（T6 state）.The ultimate tensile strength of the peak-aged alloy is approximately 261 MPa companying with an elongation of 10.5%.The improvement of the tensile strength is mainly attributed to the presence of the rod-like MgZn 2 particles.

Role of alloying and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Al-Li alloys:A review

Due to the prominent advantages of low density,high elastic modulus,high specific strength and specific stiffness,cast Al-Li alloys are suitable metallic materials for manufacturing complex large-sized components and are ideal structural materials for aerospace,defense and military industries.On the basis of the microstructural characteristics of cast Al-Li alloys,exploring the role of alloying and micro-alloying can stabilize their dominant position and further expand their application scope.In this review,the development progress of cast Al-Li alloys was summarized comprehensively.According to the latest research highlights,the influence of alloying and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties was systematically analyzed.The potential methods to improve the alloy performance were concluded.In response to the practical engineering requirements of cast Al-Li alloys,the scientific challenges and future research directions were discussed and prospected.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy cast by metal mould and lost foam casting

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10.1Gd-3.74Y-0.25Zr （mass fraction, %） alloy （GW104 alloy） cast by metal mould casting （MMC） and lost foam casting （LFC） were evaluated, respectively. It is revealed that different forming modes do not influence the phase composition of as-cast alloy. In the as-cast specimens, the microstructures are similar and composed of α-Mg solid solution, eutectic compound of α-Mg＋Mg 24 （Gd, Y） 5 and cuboid-shaped Mg 5 （Gd, Y） phase; whereas the average grain size of the alloy produced by metal mould casting is smaller than that by lost foam casting. The eutectic compound of the alloy is completely dissolved after solution treatment at 525 ℃for 6 h, while the Mg 5 （Gd, Y） phase still exists after solution treatment. After peak-ageing, the lost foam cast alloy exhibits the maximum ultimate tensile strength of 285 MPa, and metal mould cast specimen 325 MPa at room temperature, while the tensile yield strengths of them are comparable. It can be concluded that GW104 alloy cast by lost foam casting possesses similar microstructure and evidently lower mechanical strength compared with metal mould cast alloy, due to slow solidification rate and proneness to form shrinkage porosities during lost foam casting process.

Study of rare earth element effect on microstructures and mechanical properties of an Al-Cu-Mg-Si cast alloy

The improvements of microstructures and properties of a high strength aluminum cast alloy were studied. The effects of rare earth elements on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the high strength cast alloy Al-Cu-Mg-Si were investigated. The result shows that the addition of rare earth elements can change the microstructures in refining the grain size of the alloy and making the needle-like and laminar eutectic Si to a granular Si. With the increase of the rare earth, the tensile strength and elongation of the alloy increase first and then fall down. The mechanical properties of the alloy will reach the highest value when the content of rare earth elements is about 0.7%.

Effect of Gd content on microstructure and dynamic mechanical properties of solution-treated Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloy

The effect of Gd content ranging from 6.5 wt.%to 8.5 wt.%on microstructure evolution and dynamic mechanical behavior of Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys was investigated by optical microscopy,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and split Hopkinson pressure bar.The microstructure of as-cast Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys indicates that the addition of Gd can promote grain refinement in the casting.Due to the rapid cooling rate during solidification,a large amount of non-equilibrium eutectic phase Mg_(24)(Gd,Y)_(5) appears at the grain boundary of as-cast Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys.After solution treatment at 520℃ for 6 h,the Mg_(24)(Gd,Y)_(5) phase dissolves into the matrix,and the rare earth hydrides(REH)phase appears.The stress−strain curves validate that the solution-treated Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys with optimal Gd contents maintain excellent dynamic properties at different strain rates.It was concluded that the variation of Gd content and the agglomeration of residual REH particles and dynamically precipitated fine particles are key factors affecting dynamic mechanical properties of Mg−xGd−3Y−0.5Zr alloys.

Effects of heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-15Gd-5Y-0.5Zr alloy

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-15wt.%Gd-5 wt.%Y-0.5wt.% Zr alloy were investigated in a series of conditions. The eutectic was dissolved into the matrix and there was no evident grain growth after solntionized at 525 ℃ for 12 h. The evolution of the phase constituents from as-cast to cast-T4 was as follows： α-Mg solid solution＋Mg5（Gd,Y） entectic compound→α-Mg solid solution＋ spheroidized Mg5（Gd, Y） phase→α-Mg supersaturated solid solution＋cuboid-shaped compound （Mg2Y3Gd2）. And the precipitation sequences of Mg-15Gd-5Y-0.5Zr alloy were observed, according to the hardness response to isothermal ageing at 225-300 ℃ for 0-128 h.

Effect of Ni on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al−Mg−Si alloy for laser powder bed fusion

The microstructures and mechanical properties were systematically studied for the high-strength Al−5Mg_(2)Si−1.5Ni alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF).It is found that the introduction of Ni(1.5 wt.%)into an Al−5Mg_(2)Si alloy can significantly improve the L-PBF processibility and provide remarkable improvement in mechanical properties.The solidification range of just 85.5 K and the typical Al−Al3Ni eutectics could be obtained in the Ni-modified Al−5Mg_(2)Si samples with a high relative density of 99.8%at the volumetric energy density of 107.4 J/mm^(3).Additionally,the refined hierarchical microstructure was mainly characterized by heterogeneousα-Al matrix grains(14.6μm)that contain the interaction between dislocations and Al−Al3Ni eutectics as well as Mg_(2)Si particles.Through synergetic effects of grain refinement,dislocation strengthening and precipitation strengthening induced by Ni addition,the L-PBFed Al−5Mg_(2)Si−1.5Ni alloy achieved superior mechanical properties,which included the yield strength of(425±15)MPa,the ultimate tensile strength of(541±11)MPa and the elongation of(6.2±0.2)%.

Evaluation of microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-xCe-0.5Zn alloys by nano-indentation

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-xCe-0.5Zn （x=0.5, 1.5, 2.5, molar fraction, %） alloys were examined using a nano-indentation technique. The alloys were fabricated using a vacuum induction melting method under an argon atmosphere The microstruetures of Mg-xCe-0.5Zn alloys mainly consist ofa-Mg and eutectic Mg12Ce phase. The volume fraction and size of the eutectic Mgl2Ce phase increase with increasing Ce contents. Nano-indentation test results show that the indentation hardness and elastic modulus of the eutectic Mg12Ce phase are higher than those of the a-Mg matrix. In addition, the mean indentation hardness and elastic modulus of the Mg-xCe-0.5Zn alloys increase with the Ce addition amount increasing.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of a bulk nanostructured Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy

A bulk nanostructured Al-10.0Zn-2.8Mg-1.8Cu alloy was synthesized by cryomilling first and then by spark plasma sintering （SPS）, and the effect of heat treatment on the microstructures and mechanical properties of this alloy were studied. Most MgZn2 particles with a coarse size lie on the grain boundaries of the SPS-processed sample. After solid solution and artificial aging, fine spherical-like MgZn2 particles precipitate uniformly in the grain interiors. No obvious grain growth is found after the heat treatment. A nanoindentation study indicates that no clear change is found in the Yong＇s modulus of the nanostructured alloy after the heat treatment. However, the hardness of the nanostructured alloy increases by about 33% after the heat treatment, which is attributed to the effect of precipitation-hardening.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine Grained Mg15Al Alloy Processed by Equal-channel Angular Pressing

An as-cast magnesium alloy with high Al content Mg15Al was subjected to equal-channel angular pressing （ECAP） through a die with an angle of φ= 90？ at 553 K following route Bc. It is found that the network β-Mg17Al12 phases in the as-cast Mg15Al alloy are broken into small blocks and dispersed uniformly with increasing numbers of pressing passes. Moreover, many nano-sized Mg17Al12 particles precipitate in the ultra-fine α-Mg matrix. The grains are obviously refined. However, the grain structure is inhomogeneous in different areas of the alloy. The average size of the primary phase α-Mg is reduced to about 1 μm while grains of around 0.1-0.2 μm are obtained in some two-phase areas. With additional ECAP passes （up to 8）, coarsening of the grains occurs by dynamic recovery. Room temperature tensile tests show that the mechanical properties of Mg15Al alloys are markedly improved after 4 ECAP passes. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure increase from 150 MPa to 269.3 MPa and from 0.05% to 7.4%, respectively. Compared with that after 4 passes, the elongation to failure of the alloy increases but the strength of the alloy slightly decreases after 8 ECAP passes. Fracture morphology of the ECAP-processed alloy exhibits dimple-like fracture characteristics while the as-cast alloy shows quasi-cleavage fractures.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-6Zn-4Sm-0.4Zr alloy

A new rare earth magnesium alloy(Mg-6 Zn-4 Sm-0.4 Zr, wt.%) was prepared by permanent mould casting. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy sample in as-cast and various heat treatment situations were characterized with an optical microscope(OM), X-ray diffractometer(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscope(EDS), transmission electron microscope(TEM) and mechanical tests at room temperature, respectively. The experimental results show that the as-cast alloy mainly consists of α-Mg, eutectic Mg_2Zn_3, MgZnSm and Mg_(41)Sm_5. These eutectic phases with continuous or semicontinuous morphology principally distribute along grain boundaries. Almost all the eutectic compounds dissolve in α-Mg and the grains have no obvious growth trend after optimum solution treatment at 490 °C for 18 h. Meanwhile, the ultimate tensile strength(UTS) of 229 MPa and elongation(EL) to rupture of 9.78% can be achieved through the optimal solution treatment, which increase by 37 MPa and 57.74%, respectively, compared with that of the as-cast alloy. Further aging treatments at 200 °C for different durations lead to the conspicuous increment of mechanical properties and prominent age-hardening response. Peak-aged alloy(treated at 200 °C for 12 h) reveals better mechanical properties(UTS 258 MPa, EL 9.42%, hardness 73.4 HV) compared with the same alloy treated in other aging conditions, which is mainly ascribed to precipitated Mg_2Zn_3 and MgZn_2 phases. Fracture analysis demonstrates that the as-cast alloy belongs to inter-granular and cleavage fracture patterns, while the solutionized alloy(treated at 490 °C for 18 h) reveals trans-granular and quasi-cleavage fracture modes. For the peak-aged alloy, the fracture pattern obeys the mixture of trans-granular and cleavage modes.