China Foundry (Nov 2014)
Modification and aging precipitation behavior of hypereutectic Al-21wt.%Si alloy treated by P+Ce combination
Abstract
In the present study, the tested hypereutectic Al-21wt.%Si alloys were prepared by modifying the melt using different proportions of P and Ce, and then applying T6 heat treatment. The modification effects and mechanism of P+Ce complex modifier on the Si phase of hypereutectic Al-21wt.%Si alloy were studied, and the aging precipitation behavior after modification was characterized by means of tensile strength measurement, OM, SEM and TEM analysis. The results show that the massive primary silicon phase particles are significantly refined after modification, while the needle-like eutectic silicon crystals become fibrous and short. It was found that the mechanism of phosphorus modification on the primary silicon can be attributed to heterogeneous nucleation of AlP, while the modification mechanism of Ce can be explained by adsorbing-twinning theory. In the aged microstructure of the modified hypereutectic Al-21wt.%Si alloy, there existed some strengthening phases such as Al4Cu9, Al2Cu, AlCu3, and Al57Mn12. The P+Ce complex modifier not only affected the size of primary silicon and eutectic silicon, but also the aging behavior of alloys under the heat treatment process. When Al-21wt.%Si alloy was modified using 0.08%wt.P + 0.6wt.% Ce, the aging precipitates were dispersed uniformly in the alloy, and its mechanical properties at room and elevated temperatures are optimized (Rm = 287.6 MPa at RT, Rm = 210 MPa at 300 ℃).
