Effect of cooling rate on morphology and type of vanadium-containing phases in Al-10V master alloy

Effects of cooling rates on the morphology, sizes and species of primary vanadium-containing phases in Al-10V master alloys were investigated. The results show that the primary vanadium-containing phases with different morphologies and compositions present in Al-10V master alloys at different cooling rates with the pouring temperature of 1,170 °C. When the Al-10V master alloy is solidified in the refractory mold at a cooling rate of 2 °C·s-1, the vanadium-containing phases are mainly plate-like Al10V phases, with the average size of 100.0 μm in the center and 93.2 μm at the edge of the ingot. When the master alloy is solidified in the graphite mold at a cooling rate of 24.3 °C·s-1, the primary vanadium-containing phases are dendritic Al3V phases, with the average length of 297.0 μm for the first dendrite in the center and 275.0 μm at the edge of the ingot. The secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) is 9.5 μm in the center and 9.3 μm at the edge of the ingot, respectively. When the solidification is carried out in the copper mould at a cooling rate of 45.7 °C·s-1, the primary vanadium-containing phases are also Al3V phases but with smaller size, compared with that prepared at the cooling rate of 24.3 °C·s-1. As a result, the average length is 190.0 μm for the first dendrite in the center and 150.0 μm at the edge of the ingot. The SDAS is 9.8 μm in the center and 4.4 μm at the edge of the ingot, respectively.

Evolution of V-containing phases during preparation of Al-based Al−V master alloys

Al-based Al−V master alloys were prepared by both the stepwise heating melting experiment and stepwise melting cooling experiment with rapid solidification to investigate the transformation of V-containing phases which gave different effects on microstructures and properties of commercial Al alloys and Ti alloys,as both melting and solidification processes affect the evolution of V-containing phases largely.The results showed that the raw Al−50wt.%V alloy consisted of needle-like Al_(3)V phase and Al8V5 phase(matrix),while petal-like Al_(3)V,needle-like Al_(7)V and plate-like Al_(10)V phase were present in the Al−V master alloys.The metastable Al_(7)V phase was evolved from Al_(3)V phase and then evolved into Al_(10)V phase during melting process.The number of Al_(10)V phase increased with the decrease of temperature in the range of 800−1000℃.Petal-like Al_(3)V phases could be transformed from Al_(8)V_(5) phase,pre-precipitated from Al−V molten liquid during melting process and precipitated directly during rapid solidification,respectively.