Grain refining mechanism of Al-3B master alloy on hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys

Al-3B master alloy is a kind of efficient grain refiner for hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of undissolved AlB2 particles in Al-3B master alloy on the grain refinement of Al-7Si. It is found that the number and the settlement of AlB2 particles in the melt all have effect on the grain refining efficiency. On the basis of experiments and theoretical analysis, a new grain refinement mechanism was proposed to explain the grain refinement action of Al-3B on hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. The formation of ＇Al-AlB2＇ shell structure is the direct reason for grain refinement and the undissolved AlB2 particles is the indirect nucleating base for subsequent α（Al） phase.

Effect of Al-TiB master alloy addition on microstructure, wear and compressive deformation behaviour of aluminum alloys

Aluminum-10% TiB master alloy was added in various proportions in 7178 Al alloy in order to examine the effect of TiB on grain refinement, wear and compressive deformation of the later one. Microstructural characterization reveals that TiB particles act as grain refiners for primary base alloy and result in globular dendrites. It was observed that the wear resistance and strength of the alloy decreased when the master alloy addition increased beyond 20%, even though the dendrites become much finer and almost spherical in nature.

A Model for Evaluation of Grain Sizes of Aluminum Alloys with Grain Refinement Additions

Based on the assumption that the nucleation substrates are activated by constitutional undercooling generated by an adjacent grain growth and solute distribution during the initial solidification, a model for calculation of the grain size of aluminum alloys with the grain refinement is developed, where the nucleation is dominated by two parameters, i.e. growth restriction factor Q and the undercooling parameter P. The growth restriction factor Q is proportional to the initial rate of constitutional undercooling development and can be used directly as a criterion of the grain refinement in the alloys with strong potential nucleation particles. The undercooling parameter P can be regarded as the maximum of constitutional undercooling △Tc. For weak potential nucleation particles, the use of RGS would be more accurate. The experimental data of the grain refinement of pure aluminum and AlSi7 alloys are coincident predicted results with the model.

Enhancing mechanical properties and corrosion performance of AA6063 aluminum alloys through constrained groove pressing technique

The use of a constrained groove pressing(CGP) method to plastically deform AA6063 aluminum alloy led to the improved surface properties. It was found that hardness magnitude is dramatically improved and its uniformity is considerably decreased after the first pass, while subsequent passes result in better hardness behavior for the processed material. Also, the elongated grains formed in the first pass of the CGP are gradually converted to the equiaxed counterparts by adding pass numbers. Eventually, higher corrosion resistance of the sample by imposing the CGP process is related to the quick formation of passivation film and the change in the morphology of the second phase and precipitates which hinder their electrochemical reactions and decrease the potential localized attack sites.

The in-situ Ti alloying of aluminum alloys and its application in A356 alloys

This research has investigated the in-situ Ti alloying of aluminum alloys and its application to A356 alloys and wheels through the evaluation of microstructure and mechanical properties. The results showed that stable titanium content can be obtained by adding a small quantity of TiO2 into electrolyte of pure aluminum. Under this approach, a greater than 95% absorptivity of titanium was achieved, and the microstructure of the specimens was changed to fine equiaxed grains from coarse columnar grains in the pure aluminum. In comparison with the tradition A356 alloys and wheels, the corresponding microstructure in the testing A356 alloys and wheels was finer. Although the tensile strength was similar between the testing and the tradition A356 alloys and wheels, the ductility of the former (testing) is superior to that of the later (tradition), leading to an excellent combination of strength and ductility from the testing alloys and wheels.

Research progress on semi-continuous casting of magnesium alloys under external field

High-performance magnesium alloys are moving towards a trend of being produced on a large scale and in an integrated manner.The foundational key to their successful production is the high-quality cast ingots.Magnesium alloys produced through the conventional semi-continuous casting process inevitably contain casting defects,which makes it challenging to manufacture high-quality ingots.The integration of external field assisted controlled solidification technology,which combines physical fields such as electromagnetic and ultrasonic fields with traditional semi-continuous casting processes,enables the production of high-quality magnesium alloy ingots characterized by a homogeneous microstructure and absence of cracks.This article mainly summarizes the technical principles of those external field assisted casting process.The focus is on elaborating the refinement mechanism of different types of electromagnetic fields,ultrasonic fields,and combined physical fields during the solidification of magnesium alloys.Finally,the development prospects of producing highquality magnesium alloy ingots through semi-continuous casting under the external field were discussed.

STUDY OF THE NUCLEATION MECHANISM OF α-Al GRAINS AFTER ADDITION OF Al-Ti-B MASTER ALLOYS

Nucleation sites of α-Al grains after addition of an Al-Ti-B master alloy into pure aluminium have been investigated using EPMA. The results show that either TiAl3 or boride particales can nucleate α-Al grains. But the number of TiAl3 nucleants is reduced with the holding time prolonged and the boride-nuclei are increasing gradually. Based on these results, a new refining method, adding molten Al-Ti-B into commercially pure aluminium, which has a quicker and better refining efficiency is presented.

A new development of Al-Ti-C grain refining master alloys

Al Ti C master alloys have been prepared with a novel production method. A combination of X ray phase analysis, SEM and EDS was used to examine the phases and microstructures of the master alloys. The master alloys have block like Al 3Ti particles and submicron size TiC X with X ranging from 0.49 to 0.78 and show excellent grain refining performance for commercially pure aluminum. Titanium carbides were observed at the crystallization centers in refined castings.

A New Approach to Refining and Modifying Cast Aluminum Alloys with Rare Earth Alloys

The effects of rare earth (RE) alloys on the refining and modifying of cast aluminum alloys were investigated. Compared to other substances in common use, rare earth alloys maintain the refining and modifying effects of the aluminum alloys for a longer time. RE alloys can also reduce environmental pollution in the melting process. These effects of RE alloys make them become a superior choice for the applications in aluminum foundry.

Preparation of V-Ti-Fe master alloys by metallothermic reduction method

V-Ti-Fe master alloys were prepared by metaUothermic reduction method, and the influences of the mass ratio of V205 to TiO2, Al and Al-Mg alloy addition amounts on the metal recovery rates and alloy compositions were investigated. The results show that appropriate technological parameters are： the mass ratio of V205 to TiO2 is 0.5：1, Al addition represents 95% of the theoretical value, and the Al-Mg alloy addition amount is one third that of the Al addition. The results from energy spectrum analysis show that V and Fe distribute uniformly in the prepared alloy, while the segregation for Ti, i.e. Ti-rich phase is detected. A spray refming process was carried out to reduce the impurity contents of Al and O in the prepared alloys. The Al content drops from 4.27% to 1.86%, and the O content drops from 2.10% to 0.91% after the refining process.

Grain refinement mechanism of Al-5C master alloy in AZ31 magnesium alloy

Al-5C master alloy was prepared by powder in situ synthesis process, and its effects on grain refinement of AZ31 alloy and refining mechanism were investigated. The results indicate that the AI 5C master alloy consists of a（Al） and A14C3 phases, and the size distribution of Al4C3 particles is controlled by sintering time. The AI 5C master alloy can remarkably reduce the grain size of AZ31 alloy, which decreases with the increasing addition amount of AI-SC master alloy when the addition amount is below 2%. The refining mechanism is attributed to the formation of new compounds of Al-C-Mnparticles by Al4C3 and Mn, which might act as nucleating substrates for a-Mg grain.

Refining Effect of a New Al3Ti1B1RE Master Alloy on Al Sheets Used for Can Manufacture and Behavior of Rare Earths in Master Alloy

The refining effect of Al3Ti1B1RE master alloy on Al sheets used for pressure can manufacture and the behavior of mixed rare earths in master alloy were investigated with XRD, OM, SEM and EDAX. It is found that the refining effect of the refiner on the material has superiority over foreign or domestic Al5Ti1B refiner, and the refiner still retains its refining ability for 6 h after adding it to molten Al, thus improving the strength and plasticity of the material remarkably. The excellent refining effect and stability of AlTiBRE refiner result from that RE can lower the surface energy of molten Al and improve the wetting characteristics of molten Al on refinement nuclei such as TiAl 3, TiB 2, etc., thus giving full play to the effect of heterogeneous nucleation and impeding the congregating tendency of TiB 2 phase in molten Al. At the same time, RE gathering in front of solid/liquid interface are also easy to cause composition supercooling in molten Al, thus impeding the growth of α Al grains and promoting α Al nucleation on refinement nuclei. In addition, RE also play certain role in purification and grain refinement, or modification, especially their effect of purification can improve the metallurgical quality of AlTiBRE master alloy.

Grain refining effect of Mg by novel particle cluster-containing Al-Ti-C master alloy

A novel A1-Ti-C master alloy containing A14C3 and TiC particle clusters, which exhibits great refining potential for Mg, was prepared. With the addition of 2% A1-Ti-C master alloy, the grains transform to equiaxed crystal with a diameter of （110-a：17） ~tm. The results indicate that A14C3 and TiC particle cluster, rather than a single particle, plays an important role in the refining process. Compared with the simplex smooth nucleating substrate, concave regions on the particle cluster provide easier route for the transformation from liquid Mg atoms to stable nucleus. Nucleus with a small size can also reach the critical nucleation radius when they attach on the concave regions of the substrate. A14C3 and TiC particle clusters thus become more favorable nucleating substrate for a-Mg grains.

Refining mechanism of yttrium on primary α-Al in semi-solid Al alloy

Semi-solid Al7Si0.3Mg alloy slurry, which is grain-refined by yttrium, is manufactured by low temperature pouring. The effects of grain-refined by yttrium on the morphology and the grain size of the primary α-Al in semi-solid Al7Si0.3Mg alloy are researched. The results indicate that semi-solid Al7Si0.3Mg alloy with particle-like and rosette-like primary α-Al can be prepared by low temperature pouring from liquid Al7Si0.3Mg alloy grain-refined by yttrium. The grain size and particle morphology of primary α-Al in Al7Si0.3Mg alloy are markedly improved by 0.5 wt pet Y. The refining mechanism of Y on the morphology and the grain size of the primary α-Al in semi-solid Al7Si0.3Mg alloy are delved.

Grain refining technique of AM60B alloy by Al-Ti-B master alloy

The effects of grain refining parameters on grain size of AM60B magnesium alloy have been investigated using an Al-5Ti-IB master alloy as refiner; and an appropriate refining technique has been developed. The results indicate that the Al-Ti-B master alloy is an effective grain refiner for AM60B alloy and the grain size can be decreased from 348 μm to 76 μm. Raising the addition temperature or the poudng temperature is beneficial for grain refinement; while for the addition amount and holding time, there is an optimal value. The appropriate grain refining technique is that 0.3% Al-Ti-B master alloy is added at 780℃ and then the melt is held for 30 min before pouring. The above phenomena can be explained by the refining mechanisms that have been proposed from the related studies on Al and Mg alloys and theoretical analysis.

Al-Si-P master alloy and its modification and refinement performance on Al-Si alloys

An Al-Si-P master alloy has been developed by an in-situ reaction and the electron probe microanalyzer （EPMA） results show that there are many pre-formed AlP particles contained in the master alloy. Silicon introduced into the system plays an important role in remarkably improving the distribution and content of AlP particles due to their similar crystal structure and lattice parameters. ZL109 alloys have shown fast modification response to the addition of 0.5% Al-15Si-3.5P master alloy at 720℃, with a mass of primary Si precipitating in size of about 15 μm. Also, coarse primary Si grains in AI-30Si alloy can be refined dramatically from 150 μm to 37 μm after the addition of 2.0% Al-15Si-3.5P master alloy at 850℃. The P recovery of the Al-15Si-3.5P master alloy is much higher than that of a Cu-8.5P master alloy due to the pre-formed AlP particles.

Influences of Preparation Conditions and Melt Treatment Procedures on Melt Treatment Performance of Al-5Ti-B and Al-10Sr Master Alloys

The influences of preparation conditions of Al-5Ti-B （as-cast and hot-rolled） and Al-10Sr （as-cast and hotextruded） and melt treatment procedures on the grain refinement and modification performance of A356 alloy are experimentally studied. For the two master alloys, the 50% reduction is sufficient to meet the demands of the efficient grain refinement and modification of A356 alloy. When Al-STi-B is introduced into the melt prior to degassing, the grain refinement efficiency of Al-5Ti-B will be greatly increased due to the better dispersity of TiB2 particles. Al-5Ti-B master alloy is less prone to affect the modification effect of Al-10Sr when they are used together.

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.

Grain refinement of AZ31 magnesium alloy by new Al-Ti-C master alloys

New Al4C3-containing Al-Ti-C master alloys (Al-0.6Ti-1C and Al-1Ti-1C) were developed by introducing Ti element into Al-C melt using melt reaction method,in which most of the TiC particles distribute around Al4C3 particles. It is believed that most of the C firstly reacts with Al melt and form Al4C3 particles by the reaction Al(l)+C(s)→Al4C3(s),and after adding Ti into the Al-C melt,the size of Al4C3 particles is decreased and the distribution of Al4C3 is improved through the reaction Ti(solute)+Al4C3(s)→ TiC(s)+Al(l). With the addition of 1% Al-1Ti-1C master alloy,the average grain size of AZ31 is reduced sharply from 850 μm to 200 μm,and the grain morphology of α-Mg transits from a fully-developed equiaxed dendritic structure to a petal-like shape. Al-C-O-Mn-Fe compounds are proposed to be potent nucleating substrates for primary Mg. Appropriate addition of Ti is believed to increase the grain refinement efficiency of Al4C3-containing Al-Ti-C master alloys in AZ31 alloy.

Effects of Al-10Sr master alloys on grain refinement of AZ31 magnesium alloy

The effects of Al-10Sr master alloys on grain refinement of AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated,and the refinement efficiency of different Al-10Sr master alloys(commercial,solubilized,rolled and remelted+rapidly cooled)was compared and analyzed.The results indicate that the morphology and size of Al4Sr phases in the microstructures of different Al-10Sr master alloys,are of great difference.For the commercial Al-10Sr master alloy,the Al4Sr phases evolve from coarse block shape to relatively fine block shape after being dissolved at 500 ℃ for 4 h and followed by water quenching;but after being rolled at 300 ℃ for 50% reduction or remelted and followed by rapid cooling,the Al4Sr phases mainly exhibit fine granule and fibre shapes.In addition,the different Al-10Sr master alloys can effectively reduce the grain size of AZ31 magnesium alloy,but their refinement efficiency is different.The refinement efficiency of the Al-10Sr master alloy obtained by remelting and rapid cooling is the best,then the rolled,solubilized and commercial Al-10Sr master alloys are in turn.The difference of refinement efficiency for different Al-10Sr master alloys may be related to the dissolution rates of Al4Sr phases with different morphologies and sizes in the melt of AZ31 magnesium alloy.