Effects of solution treatment and aging process on microstructure refining of semi-solid slurry of wrought aluminum alloy 7A09

A new method was exploited using solution treatment and aging process as a pretreatment in preparing semi-solid slurry with fine microstructure before isothermal treatment of wrought aluminum alloy 7A09.Parameters of pretreatment were optimized by orthogonal experiment design and proper precursor was prepared.The evolution of microstructure of semi-solid slurry during isothermal treatment was analyzed and the mechanism of microstructure refining was discussed.The result of orthogonal experiment design shows that the optimum parameters are 462 ℃for solution temperature,40min for solution time,132 ℃for aging temperature and 14 h for aging time.Microstructure of isothermal treatment is fine,homogenous,with globular solid grains and a solid fraction between 50%and 70%,which is qualified for later semi-solid forming process.Mechanism of microstructure evolution includes the agglomeration ofα-phase and Ostwald ripening.Precipitations prepared by solution and aging treatment prevent the grains from coarsening and promote the grain ripening to globular shape.

Influence of solution treatment on microstructure,mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg-4Zn alloy

The solution treatment parameters,mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of binary Mg-4Zn alloy were investigated.The results showed that after the solution treatment at 335℃ for 16 h,Mg-4Zn alloy had an ultimate tensile strength of 184.13 MPa and elongation of 9.43%.Furthermore,the corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical measurements and immersion tests in 3.5%NaCl solution.The results revealed that the corrosion current density of the solution treatment Mg alloy was 11.2µA/cm^(−2),it was lower than 15.8µA/cm^(−2) for the as-cast Mg alloy under the same conditions,which was greatly associated with the micro-cathode effect of the second phases.

Effects of Solution Treatment Time and Sr-Modification on Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Al-Si Piston Alloy

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effects of solution treatment time and Sr-modification on the microstructure and property of the Al-Si piston alloy.It was found that as-cast microstructures of unmodified and Sr-modified Al-Si alloys consisted of a coarse acicular plate of eutectic Si,Cu_3NiAl_6 and Mg_2Si phases in theα-Al matrix but different in size and morphology.Both size and inter-particle spacing of Si particles were significantly changed by increasing the solution treatment time.After a short solution treatment,the coarse acicular plate of the eutectic Si appears to be fragmented.Fully modified microstructure of Sr-modified alloy can reduce the solution treatment time compared to unmodified alloy.The maximum of a peak hardness value is found in the very short solution treatment of both Al-Si piston alloys.Compared to 10 h solution treatment,the solution treatment of 2-4 h is sufficient to achieve appropriate microstructures and hardness. The short solution treatment is very useful to increase the productivity and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the Al-Si piston alloys.

Effect of solution treatment on microstructure and hardness of rheo-forming AZ91-Y alloy

The microstructure and hardness of rheo-forming AZ91-Y alloy before and after solution treatment(ST) have been investigated by means of optical microscope(OM), scanning electron microscope(SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and Vickers. The experimental results showed that the β-Mg17Al12 phase of alloy was nearly dissolved after ST for 5 min. With the increasing of ST duration to 28 h, both the primary and secondarily solidified α-Mg grains faded away. At the same time, the alloy exhibited a much smoother surface due to the diffusion of solute atoms(Al). During ST, the thermal stable phase of Al2 Y produced by ultrasonic vibration retained its size and morphology. As the ST duration was increased, the alloy hardness decreased sharply at first, and then gradually reached a minimum level. The alloy's appropriate ST duration at 410 °C was approximately 28 h.

EFFECT OF SOLUTION TREATMENT IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF 2091 Al—Li ALLOY

Solution treatment of 20% Al-Li alloy in an electric field has been studied. The results show that it increases the solubility of elements and accelerates the nucleation of T1-phase and promotes the formation of the precipitation free zones(PFZ), and increases the strength and decreases the plasticity of the alloy.

Preparation of a single-phase Mg-6Zn alloy via ECAP-stimulated solution treatment

The solution of the intermetallic phase and the homogenization of composition are important for Mg alloy biomaterials.A single-phase Mg-6Zn alloy with the average grain size of about 20μm was prepared by ECAP processed for six passes at 320°C.It indicated that the ECAP could significantly promote the process of solid solution in Mg-Zn alloy.The results showed that complete dissolution of the intermetallic phase improved the corrosion resistance of Mg-6Zn alloy in 0.9%NaCl solution by turning the corrosion behavior into uniform corrosion and increased the hardness in combination with its smaller grain size.

Effect of Solution Treatment on Recrystallization,Texture and Mechanical Properties of 7A65-T74 Aluminum Alloy Super-thick Hot Rolled Plate

The effects of the solution treatment on the microstructure,recrystallization,texture composition and properties of 7A65-T7451(120 mm)hot rolled plates at H/2(1/2 thickness)and H/4(1/4 thickness)were studied.The results show that the hot rolled microstructure mainly contains a large amount of MgZn_(2) phases and minor Al_(7)Cu_(2)Fe phase.After solid solution treatments,a large amount of MgZn_(2) phases are dissolved back into the aluminum matrix.The main texture types at H/4 are R-Cube,Cube and part of Brass texture,and the main texture types at H/2 are Cube,R,and Copper texture.The qualitative analysis by Schmidt's law reveals that Copper texture at H/2 will deepen the anisotropy of plate metal properties.For the plate with the same thickness,the two-stage solution state has better mechanical properties due to the lower degree of recrystallization and stronger grain boundary strengthening effects.Under the two-stage solution system of 460℃/165 min+477℃/165 min,the composite mechanical properties of the alloy plate at H/4 are the best and the anisotropy is not obvious.The tensile strength,yield strength,and elongation along the rolling direction are 561.9 MPa,523.4 MPa,and 10.6%,respectively..

Effect of solution treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast Al-12Si-4Cu-2Ni-0.8Mg-0.2Gd alloy

Effect of solution treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-12Si-4Cu-2Ni-0.8Mg-0.2Gd alloy was investigated.Results show the Si particles become stable and more intermetallic compounds dissolve in the matrix after solution treatment at 500℃for 2 h followed by 540℃for 3 h(T4).The skeleton-like Al_(3)CuNi develops into two parts in the T4 alloy:one is Al_(3)CuNi which has the framework shape;the other is intermetallics including the Al_(3)CuNi(size:5-10μm)and AlSiCuNiGd phases(size:≤5μm)with complex structure.Adding 0.2%Gd can improve the mechanical properties of the alloys after two-step solution treatment(500℃/2 h followed by 540℃/3 h),the hardness of the alloy increases from 130.9 HV to 135.8 HV compared with the alloy with one-step solution treatment(500℃/2 h),the engineering strength increases from 335.45 MPa to 352.03 MPa and the fracture engineering strain increases from 1.44%to 1.67%.

Effect of solution treatment on microstructure of Inconel 601 nickel-based superalloy weld seam

The microstructure of lneonel 601 nickel-based superalloy after gas tungsten arc welding and its transformation at different solution temperatures are studied. The results show that the original microstructure of weld seam is characterized coarsened austenitic granular crystal, there are a large amount of dispersed carbide and γ＇ phase with carbide as the core in the boundary of grains. Grain of heat-affected zone grows up severely with very little precipitated carbide. The carbide and γ＇ phase are gradually solved into the austenite matrix with the increase of solution treatment temperature. Especicdly solution treated at 1 150 ℃, the carbide and γ＇ phase are completely solved into the austenite matrix, the coarsened equiaxed anstenite grain sizes are refined.

Improving the interfacial contact between CH_3NH_3PbI_(3–x)Cl_x and Au by LiTFSI solution treatment for efficient photoelectric devices

Organic lead halide compounds with perovskite structure become a promising photovoltaic material for low- cost thin film solar cells in recent years. The property of perovskite/metal interface is a fundamental topic for the effective charge transfer at metal electrodes. In this work, we develop an interface modification method of lithium bis（trifluoromethane sulfonimide） （LiTFSI） solution treatment, which can effectively decrease the charge transfer resistance at the CH3NHaPbI3_xClx/Au interface. After the solution treatment, uniform nan- odots are formed at the surface of CHaNH3PbI3_xCIx films, and the barrier height at CH3NH3PbI3_xCIx/Au interface reduces from 0.51 V to 0.08 V. As a consequence, the efficiency of hole conductor free solar cells with CH3NHaPbI3-xCIx harvester increase from 4.0% to 7.6% under one sun condition. It is also found that the hole conductor free perovskite solar cell can work in a photodetector mode, which has the same output prop- erties with phototransistors. After the LiTFSI solution treatment, the sensitivity of this photodetector can be improved for about one time.

Homogenization on solution treatment and its effects on the precipitation-hardening of selective laser melted 17-4PH stainless steel

17-4 precipitation-hardened(PH)stainless steel(SS)exhibits high strength and good corrosion resistance via Cu-precipitation hardening.Unlike conventional wrought 17-4PH SS,Cu segregation andε-Cu pre-cipitates are observed in additively manufactured(AM)17-4PH SS owing to the repeated rapid cooling after heating,which characterizes the AM process.In this study,solution treatment was conducted under various temperatures(1,000,1,050,1,100,and 1,200℃)and durations(1,2,4,and 8 h)to minimize the negative effects of Cu segregation andε-Cu precipitates on precipitation hardening.The mechanical prop-erties and microstructures of each condition for the Cu precipitation behavior were examined.Although theε-Cu precipitates did not disappear after solution treatment,the average diameter of theε-Cu precipi-tates tended to decrease with increasing solution treatment temperature and duration.Therefore,solution treatment at a temperature of 1,200℃ for 8 h was the best,resulting in improved strength compared to the conventional solution treatment at 1,050℃.Solution treatment on at least 1,100℃ is effective in AM.

Transformation and dissolution of second phases during solution treatment of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy containing high zinc

The transformation and dissolution of Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 phase during solution treatment of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy containing high zinc were investigated by means of optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry （EDX） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that solution temperature is the main factor influencing phase dissolution. With solution temperature increasing, the content of residual phases decreases. Phase transformation from Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 to S（Al2CuMg） occurs under solution temperature of 450, 460 and 465 ℃. Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 phase is directly dissolved into the matrix under solution temperature of 470 and 475 ℃, and no S（Al2CuMg） phase transformed from Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 phase is observed. The formation of S（Al2CuMg） phase is mainly controlled by Zn elemental diffusion. The mechanism of transformation and dissolution of second phases was investigated. At low temperature, the dissolution of Zn is faster than that of Mg and Cu, resulting in an appropriate condition to form S（Al2CuMg） phase. At high temperature, the dissolution of main alloying elements has no significant barrier among them to form S（Al2CuMg） phase.

Microstructure of as-extruded 7136 aluminum alloy and its evolution during solution treatment

With the aid of scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy-dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） analysis and electron backscatter diffraction （EBSD）, the microstructure of the alloy in as-extruded state and various solution-treated states was investigated. The results indi- cate that second phase of the as-extruded 7136 aluminum alloy mainly consists of Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 and Fe-rich phases. The Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 phase directly dissolves into the matrix during solution treatment with various solution temperatures. After solution treated at 475℃ for 1 h, Mg（Zn, Cu, Al）2 phases are dissolved into the matrix, while Fe-rich phases still exist. Fe-rich phases could not dissolve into the matrix by prolonging solution time. The mechanical property test and EBSD observation show that two-stage solution treatment makes no significant improvement in mechanical properties and recrystallization of the alloy. The optimized solution treatment parameter is chosen as 475 ℃/1 h.

Effect of Ce/La microalloying on microstructural evolution of Mg-Zn-Ca alloy during solution treatment

The effect of Ce/La misch metal addition on the microstructural evolution of as-cast and as-soluted Mg-5.3Zn-0.5Ca（wt.%） alloys was systematically investigated. It was found that Ce/La could effectively refine the as-cast alloy and restrain grain growth during solution treatment, which was derived from the constitutional supercooling during solidification process and the formation of stable intermetallic compounds Ce Mg12 and Mg17La2. Furthermore, Ce/La microalloying and solution treatment resulted in an evolution from the original lamellar Ca2Mg6Zn3/α-Mg to the divorced eutectic structure. The thermal stability of Mg-Zn-Ca alloy could be effectively improved by Ce/La addition, because the low-melting-point binary Mg-Zn phase was transformed to Mg x Zn y-Ca-（Ce/La） phase with higher thermal stability and the amount of Ca2Mg6Zn3/α-Mg eutectic structure was reduced.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of 7A56 aluminum alloy after solution treatment

The effect of solution treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a novel 7 A56 aluminum alloy plate was investigated by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),conductivity,hardness and tensile tests.The results indicate that the coarse second phases in the hot-rolled plate mainly consist of AlZnMgCu quaternary phase and Al_(7) Cu_(2) Fe phase,and no Al_(2) CuMg phase is found.The amount of the second phases gradually reduces with the increase in temperature(450-480℃)and time(1-8 h)during the solution treatment,and the soluble particles are completely dissolved into the matrix after solution treatment at 470℃for 4 h,while the residual phases are mainly Fe-rich phase along the grain boundaries.The recrystallization fraction of the alloy gradually increases with the degree of solution treatment deepened.When the temperature exceeds480℃,over-burning takes place.The mechanical properties of samples treated at 470℃for various times were tested.After the solution treated at 470℃for 4 h,the quenching conductivity and peak-aged hardness of the alloy are 30.8%IACS and HV 204,respectively.The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the samples aged at 120℃for 24 h are 661 and 588 MPa,respectively.

Effect of solution treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of AISI 321 service

A detailed knowledge of changes in microstructures and mechanical properties that occur in AISI 321 stainless steels service before and after solution treatment is of great interest, since the ductility and toughness of AISI 321 stainless steels may change drastically after service for a long time. After solution treatment at 1050 ℃, the microstructures of AISI 321 stMnless steels service for 80 000 h at 700 ℃ indicate that the content of sigma phase significantly decreased, the grains of austenite grew and the amount of twins together with the size increased with solution treatment time. The results of mechanical properties tests show that the impact toughness at room temperature was superior at solution treatment, and there was no obvious change in the impact toughness between different times of solution treatment at room temperature.

Effect of Solution Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Sand-Cast Mg–9Gd–4Y–0.5Zr Alloy

Sand-cast Mg–9Gd–4Y–0.5 Zr（wt%） alloy was solution-treated at 500–565 ℃ in the time range of 0.5–30 h in air or vacuum to investigate its microstructure evolution and mechanical properties. The results showed that solution treatment temperature had a significant influence on the dissolving rate of eutectic phase and grain growth. Taken both of them into consideration, 510–520 ℃ was considered to be the optimum solution treatment temperature range for this alloy.It should be noted that the trace（0.4–0.9 vol%） and insoluble cuboid-shaped phase precipitated during solution treatment was identified to be YH2, of which the hydrogen was thought to come from both the melting and solution heating process.In addition, the 3D morphology and dissolving process of Mg24（Gd,Y）5 eutectic phases in the as-cast alloy were also discussed via in-situ observation under X-ray tomography.

Effect of Solution Treatment on Microstructure and Corrosion Properties of Mg–4Gd–1Y–1Zn–0.5Ca–1Zr Alloy

The as-cast multi-element Mg–4Gd–1Y–1Zn–0.5Ca–1Zr alloy with low rare earth additions was prepared, and the solution treatment was applied at different temperatures. The microstructural evolution of the alloy was characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and corrosion properties of the alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution were evaluated by immersion and electrochemical tests. The results indicate that the as-cast alloy is composed of the a-Mg matrix,lamellar long-period stacking-ordered（LPSO） structure and eutectic phase. The LPSO structure exists with more volume fraction in the alloy solution-treated at 440 °C, but disappears with the increase in the solution temperature. For all the solution-treated alloys, the precipitated phases are detected. The corrosion rates of the alloys decrease first and then increase slightly with the increase in the solution temperature, and the corrosion resistance of the solution-treated alloys is more than four times as good as that of the as-cast alloy. In addition, the alloy solution-treated at 480 °C for 6 h shows the best corrosion property.

Microstructure and surface of 2A12 aluminum alloy cladded with pure aluminum after solution treatment

The effects of solution temperature and holding time on the microstructure, mechanical properties and surface morphology of 2 A12 aluminum alloy sheets were discussed in this paper. The universal tensile tester was used to test the tensile strength and yield strength of aluminum alloy sheets with different treatment systems. The surface morphology of the alloy sheets was characterized by a white light interference profile scanner, and the microstructure of the sheets was characterized by optical microscope(OM), scanning electron microscope(SEM)and electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD). The results showed that the mechanical properties of the sheets could not satisfy GBT228.1-2010 national standard when the holding time was 10 min and the holding temperature was475 ℃. However, under the other heat treatment systems,the alloy could reach the GBT228.1-2010 national standard. Moreover, with the extension of the holding time, the part of the matrix gradually diffused into the aluminumclad layer. When the holding time was shorter than 25 min,the boundary between the matrix and the aluminum-clad layer was relatively obvious. And the diffusion gradually became obvious when the holding time was over 25 min.Thereby, the boundary became blurry. The further investigation suggested that the solution temperature of495 ℃ and the holding time of 35 min showed better mechanical properties and better surface morphology.