Refining Effect of Boron on Hypoeutectic Al-Si Alloys

Several concepts of the grain refinement mechanism of B on hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys have been adopted: the refining effect of B on the a-AI and eutectic Si with the different additions of Al-B master alloys made at 850℃ was investigated; and the Al-B master alloys formed under different temperature conditions have been studied to explore the morphologies of AIB2 particles; slowly cooled sample with addition of Al-B was made to explore the refinement mechanism. AI-B master alloy can refine not only a-AI, but eutectic Si. Theoretical analysis indicates that, although AIB2 does not take part directly in the nucleation process in pure Al in the presence of Si, it provides a substrate for precipitation of a small content of Si from which a-At will grow without any undercooling. When the temperature decreases to eutectic line, AIB2 subsequently nucleates eutectic Si; AIB2 particles appear in two different morphologies, namely, hexagonal platelet and tetradehedron morphology which depend on the processing temperature conditions.

Effects of Si Content and the Addition Amount of Al-3B Master Alloy on the Solidification Structures of Hypoeutectic Al-Si Alloys

Effects of Si content and the addition amount of Al-3B master alloy on the solidification structures of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys were studied. The addition amounts of the master alloy were 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.7% and 1% (mass fraction, so as the follows), respectively. The Si content of Al-Si binary alloys investigated varied from 1% to 11%. The observation of macrostructures of non-refined samples showed that 3% Si constitutes a transition point at which the minimum grain size can be obtained. It was also found that Al-3B master alloy can shift the transition point towards a higher Si value when its addition amount increases, making this point appear at 4%, 5% and 6% Si as its addition amount increases up to 0.4%, 0.7% and 1%, respectively.

Effect of combinative addition of mischmetal and titanium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys used for brazing and/or welding consumables

Effects of mischmetal（RE） and/or Ti modifier on the microstructure including α-Al dendrites, eutectic Si phases and other secondary phases of Al-Si brazing and/or welding alloys were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）, optical microscopy（OM）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. The DSC results showed that an addition of RE decreased the eutectic temperature and caused supercooling, promoting the nucleation of eutectic Si crystals. In addition, the maximum temperature of the first endothermic peak varied with the different RE contents, which had a good correlation with the microstructural modification of the eutectic Si phase. The α-Al dendrites were well refined by increasing the cooling rate or adding 0.08 wt.% of Ti. When 0.05 wt.% RE was added to the Al-5Si-0.08 Ti alloy, the morphology of eutectic Si phase was transformed from coarse platelet to fine fibers and the mechanical properties of the resulting welding rod were well improved. Whereas, when excess RE was added, a large number of β-Fe phases appeared and the aspect ratios of β-Fe phases increased. The morphologies and chemical components of two kinds of RE-containing intermetallic compounds（IMCs） were also discussed.

Research on semi-solid slurry of a hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy prepared by low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring

The semi-solid slurry of a hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy was manufactured by low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring. The effects of pouting temperature and stirring power on the semi-solid slurry were investigated. The results indicated that the semi-solid slurry to satisfy rheocasting can be manufactured by low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring. The pouring temperature （or superheat） and the stirring power remarkably affected the morphology of primary α-Al and the size of primary α-Al, and there is no obvious effect of stirring time on primary α-Al. Compared with the samples made by low superheat pouring with no stirring, the nucleation rate, particle morphology and grain size of primary α-Al in A356 were markedly improved by low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring. On the condition of weak electromagnetic stirring, the pouring temperature with low superheat can be suitably raised to reach the effectiveness obtained from the lower pouring temperature without stirring.

Manufacture technique of semi-solid slurry of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy by low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring

The semi-solid slurry of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy was manufactured by low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring. The effects of pouring temperature and stirring power on the semi-solid slurry making process were investigated. The results indicate that the semi-solid slurry to satisfy rheocasting requirement can be made by a combination of low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring. The pouring temperature (or superheat) and the stirring power significantly affect the morphology and the size of primary α-Al, while there is no obvious effect of the stirring time on primary α-Al. Compared with the samples made by low superheat pouring without stirring, the nucleation rate, particle morphology and grain size of primary α-Al in A356 Al alloy are markedly improved by a process of applying both low superheat pouring and weak electromagnetic stirring. Under the condition of weak electromagnetic stirring applied, the pouring temperature with low superheat can be equivalently to reach the effectiveness obtained from the even lower pouring temperature without stirring.

Effect of molybdenum on the microstructure and wear resistance of hypoeutectic Fe-Cr-B-C hardfacing alloys

Hypoeutectic Fe-Cr-B-C hardfacing alloys with different molybdenum( Mo) contents( The design content was 0,2,3. 3 and 4. 5 wt. %,respectively) were deposited using the flux-cored wire by means of metal active gas arc welding. The effects of Mo on the refinement of microstructures,eutectic microstructure changes and improvement of wear resistance were investigated. The main results were shown as follows: the added Mo could increase the volume fraction of eutectic microstructure and reduce the size of coarse primary austenite as well as the volume fraction. The carboboride of M3( B,C) could be observed in hypoeutectic Fe-Cr-B-C hardfacing alloys at the Mo design content of ≤2. 0 wt. %,while that of M23( B,C)6was formed when 3. 3 wt. % Mo was added.Additionally,the wear resistance of alloys was increased with the increase in Mo content. Specifically,the highest wear resistance of alloys was achieved at 4. 5 wt. % Mo design content,which was 113. 7% higher than that in alloys without Mo.

Distributions of Sr and Fe and their influence on modification of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy

The influence of cooling rate and Fe-containing phases on Sr-modification of Si phases in hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys, a problem with great industrial importance, was investigated. The microstructures of samples were examined using scanning electron microscopy(SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX). A new method of electron probe microanalysis(EPMA) map scanning was used to analyze the Sr distribution, which gave quantitative results covering more Si particles. EPMA map scanning, together with SEM with EDX, was also used in analyzing the distribution of Fe phases. Results show that Fe-containing phase was related to the unmodified Si particles in samples with partial modification failure and the plate-like Si phases in samples without modification failure. Such a relationship was further confirmed by the microstructure observation.In conclusion, a partial failure of Sr-modification can be caused by both slow cooling rate and Fe-containing phases.

Effects of vibration and grain refiner on microstructure of semisolid slurry of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy

The effects of vibration and grain refiner on the microstructure of semisolid slurry of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy were studied. The impact of vibration on the convection of liquid was conducted by using a system of water-particle tracer. The 356 melt at temperature of 630-660 ℃ with or without grain refiner Al-5%Ti-1%B was poured into a metal cup as the vibrating vessel, then it was cooled to 590-610 ℃ in the semisolid zone and kept for some time, subsequently vibration with different frequencies was applied. The results show that the primary α(Al) particles become finer and rounder with the increase of vibration frequency. The slurry with primary α(Al) equivalent particle diameter(EPD) of about 90 μm and average shape coefficient(ASC) of about 0.5 can be prepared under vibration of 20 Hz. With the combined action of vibration and grain refiner Al-5Ti-B, even smaller and rounder spheroids with EPD of about 85 μm and ASC of about 0.6 are obtained.

Effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal,porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy

The effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal(ESC),porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy was investigated by optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and laboratory computed tomography(CT).Results showed that the newly developed AlSi9MnMoV alloy exhibited improved mechanical properties when compared to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.The AlSi9MnMoV alloy,which was designed with trace multicomponent additions,displays a notable grain refining effect in comparison to the AlSi10MnMg alloy.Refining elements Ti,Zr,V,Nb,B promote heterogeneous nucleation and reduce the grain size of primaryα-Al.At a lower slow shot speed,the large ESCs are easier to form and gather,developing into the dendrite net and net-shrinkage.With an increase in slow shot speed,the size and number of ESCs and porosities significantly reduce.In addition,the distribution of ESCs is more dispersed and the net-shrinkage disappears.The tensile property is greatly improved by adopting a higher slow shot speed.The ultimate tensile strength is enhanced from 260.31 MPa to 290.31 MPa(increased by 11.52%),and the elongation is enhanced from 3.72%to 6.34%(increased by 70.52%).

Effect of eutectic phase on damping and mechanical properties of as-cast Mg-Ni hypoeutectic alloys

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was applied to systematically investigate the low frequency damping properties of as-cast hypoeutectic Mg-Ni alloys. The results show that the as-cast hypoeutectic Mg-Ni alloys exhibit high damping capacities. The strain amplitude dependent damping curve has its own special characteristic, in which the damping is strongly related to the strain amplitude. The effect of the eutectic phase on damping and the mechanical properties of as-cast hypoeutectic Mg-Ni alloys were also discussed in detail.

Grain refinement of hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy prepared with ELTA by A1-4B master alloy

Electrolytic low-titanium aluminum (ELTA) was produced by adding TiO2 powder to an industrial aluminum electrolyzer. The grain refining effect of A1-4B master alloy in the hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy prepared by using ELTA was investigated, and compared with those of Al-5Ti, A1-5Ti-1B and Al-4B master alloys in the similar alloy prepared by using pure Al. The results indicate that when Al-4B is added to the melt of the alloy prepared by using ELTA in terms of the Ti/B mass ratio of 5:1, the grain refining effect is better than those of Al-5Ti, Al-5Ti-1B and Al-4B master alloys. Thus, using Al-4B to refine the grain of Al-Si alloys prepared by using ELTA will possibly become a feasible way of obtaining Al-Si alloy with homogeneous and fine microstructure.

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.

Functions and mechanism of modification elements in eutectic solidification of Al-Si alloys:A brief review

Being used more and more widely in engineering,AlSi alloys comprise about 80%of all kinds of aluminum alloys,which are the most widely utilized nonferrous alloys.Although most Al-Si alloys consist of multiple components,the eutectics in the structure accounts for 50%-90%of the sum volume of such alloys.Therefore,understanding the modification mechanism and function rules of the AlSi eutectic solidification is the technical key in controlling the structures and properties of such casting alloys.The present paper chiefly reviews recent investigation developments and important conclusions along the lines of the functions of modification elements and their modification mechanism in the eutectic solidification of Al-Si alloys.

Effects of P+Cr complex modification and solidification conditions on microstmcture of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys by wedge-shaped copper mould casting

Large and segregated primary Si particles may drastically decrease the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloys. To solve this problem, a P-Cr complex modif ier was added into the alloy, and the effects of P-Cr complex modification and solidification conditions on the microstructure of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys casting produced in wedge-shaped copper mould were studied. The thermal analysis technique was applied to calculate the cooling rate during solidification. The microstructures were observed by means of optical and scanning electron microscopies. Results showed that the primary Si segregates in the as-cast hypereutectic Al-Si alloys. The segregation of primary Si can be inhibited by adding a P+Cr complex modif ier and increasing the cooling rate during solidif ication. The ref inement of primary Si particles by P+Cr complex modif ication is due to the formation of CrS i2 and AlP particles which act as the heterogeneous nuclei for the primary Si phase. The segregation of Si was also inhibited through the adherence of heavier CrS i2 particles to the primary Si particles.

Assessment of modification level of hypoeu- tectic Al-Si alloys by pattern recognition of cooling curves

Most evaluations of modification level are done according to a specific scale based on an American Foundry Society (AFS) standard wall chart as qualitative analysis in Al-Si casting production currently. This method is quite dependent on human experience when making comparisons of the microstructure with the standard chart. And the structures depicted in the AFS chart do not always resemble those seen in actual Al-Si castings. Therefore, this qualitative analysis procedure is subjective and can introduce human-caused errors into comparative metallographic analyses. A quantization parameter of the modification level was introduced by setting up the relationship between mean area weighted shape factor of eutectic silicon phase and the modification level using image analysis technology. In order to evaluate the modification level, a new method called "intelligent evaluating of melt quality by pattern recognition of thermal analysis cooling curves" has also been introduced. The results show that silicon modification level can be precisely assessed by comparison of the cooling curve of the melt to be evaluated with the one most similar to it in a database.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Hyper-eutectic Al-Si Alloys Fabricated by Spray Casting

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hyper-eutectic Al-Si alloy fabricated by spray casting were in- vestigated and then these results were compared with those by squeeze cast.The spray-cast specimen was found to have finer Si particles （～5μm） compared to the squeeze-cast specimen （10-25μm）.The tensile strength and elongation of the spray-cast specimen are also higher than those of the squeeze cast one.It was considered that the increased mechanical properties of the spray-cast specimen were mainly due to finer size of the Si particles distributed in Al matrix.

INFLUENCES OF TRACE ADDITIONS OF STRONTIUM AND PHOSPHORUS ON ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY AND VISCOSITY OF LIQUID Al-Si ALLOYS

The electrical resistivity and viscosity of liquid hypoeutectic Al 7%Si and hypereutectic Al 18%Si alloys, and the influences of trace strontium and phosphorus on them were investigated. The trace additions of the two elements increase the electrical resistivity. At the precipitation temperatures of primary phase, the electrical resistivity exhibits a discontinuity for all experimental Al Si alloys. In the discontinuity the electrical resistivity, respectively, decreases and increases abruptly for Al 7%Si alloys and Al 18%Si alloys. Phosphorus and strontium both have some effects on the discontinuity temperature and the jump value of electrical resistivity of Al 18%Si alloys, but strontium hardly has effect on them in Al 7%Si alloys. The trace additions of strontium and phosphorus increase the viscosity of the experimental alloy.

Influence of Al-B grain refiner on porosity formation of directionally solidified Al-Si alloys

This work aims to present a perspective for porosity formation in three different alloys:A356,A413 and A380.1 by taking into account the addition of Al-B grain refiners:AlTi5B1 and Al3B.The directional solidification method was used,and microstructural changes of the alloys and its correlation with porosity formation were investigated.Pore size,number of pores,average pore length and distribution of pores were statistically analyzed.Also,external shrinkage was examined,and the volume of external shrinkage was calculated.It was found that there was a relationship between external shrinkage and the size and number of pores.As the size and number of pores internally decrease,external shrinkage increases.Additionally,porosity is decreased in all the three Al-Si alloys when Al-B grain refiners are used.The distribution of pore diameters is low when AlTi5B1 is used.Grain refiners have a different effect on porosity formation of Al-Si alloys with regard to their solidification morphology.

Effect of AlP master alloy on grain refinement of primary silicon in eutectic Al-Si alloys

To obtain the finer primary silicon crystals, the proprietary Al-P masteralloy was adopted to modify the eutectic Al-Si alloys and the most suitable modification process wasmade in the experiments. The SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and DSC (Differential ScanningCalorimeter) analysis indicate that the Al-P modifier has more advantages over Cu-P and Fe-Pmodifier in easily addition, no elemental alteration and less undercooling of primary silicon'ssolidification, which suggests the Al-P master alloy is an effective modifier of eutectic Al-Sialloys.

Study on Improving Solidification Structure of Rare Earth Al-Si Alloys with Electropulse Acting on Liquid Alloy

Electropulse modification (EPM) process, a new physical field method for improving the solidification structure of metals was introduced.Different from other research, EPM is only acting pulse current on melt under liquid state.The solidification structure of Al-Si alloys, A1-Cu alloys,cast iron and steel can be modified obviously with this method: the solidification structure of ZL101 alloy presented the Na and Sr modification and the mechanical properties were enhanced; a large number of primary silicon appeared in the microstructure of ZL109 alloy; the equiaxed grain zone was expanded and the grains were fined in Al-5.0wt% Cu alloy; the graphitization took place in solidification process of molten cast iron; the grain sizes of solidification structure of T8 steel were reduced significantly and the shape of steel pearlites also changed; the equiaxed grain zone increased to 88% from original untreated 19%, the equiaxed grains were fined and the intercrystalline crack was avoided in concasting billet by continuously treating liquid electrical sheet steel in tundish.Effects of rare earths on casting Al-Si alloys were also summarized.The method of modifying the solidification structure of rare earth Al-Si alloys with EPM in producing the alloys was proposed.