Abstract
Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy was synthesized by a method of thermal explosion reaction in pure molten aluminum and used to modify commercial pure Al and hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy. The microstructure and tensile properties of commercial pure Al and hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy with different additions of Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy were investigated. The results show that the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce alloy was composed of α-Al, granular TiC, lump-like TiAl3 and block-like Ti2Al20Ce. Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 5 min) can significantly refine macro grains of commercial pure Al into tiny equiaxed grains. The Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 30 min) still has a good refinement effect. The tensile strength and elongation of commercial pure Al modified by the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 5 min) increased by roughly 19.26% and 61.83%, respectively. Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (1.5 wt %, 10 min) can significantly refine both α-Al grains and eutectic Si of hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy. The dendritic α-Al grains were significantly refined to tiny equiaxed grains. The morphology of the eutectic Si crystals was significantly refined from coarse needle-shape or lath-shape to short rod-like or grain-like eutectic Si. The tensile strength and elongation of hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy modified by the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (1.5 wt %, 10 min) increased by roughly 20.53% and 50%, respectively. The change in mechanical properties corresponds to evolution of the microstructure.
Highlights
It is well known that the structure modifying processes strongly influence the mechanical properties and are commonly used in foundry practice of the non-ferrous metals and their alloys
The team headed by Wang Liandeng [17], in the preparation of the Al-Ti-C master alloy, with the addition of Ce2 O3 to the fluoride salt method, discovered that it could lower the temperature of preparing alloy and improve the wettability of C
The grain sizes were measured with the linear intercept of Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.8 wt %, 1.0 wt %, 1.5 wt %, 2.0 wt %)
Summary
It is well known that the structure modifying processes (morphology and fineness) strongly influence the mechanical properties and are commonly used in foundry practice of the non-ferrous metals and their alloys. Metals 2017, 7, 227 of containing TiC particles, small size, high dispersion in molten aluminum, and immunity to the poisoning of Zr and Cr atoms [9] It has become important at home and abroad in recent years, and has good application prospects in the aluminum processing industry, especially in the aluminum sheet strip and foil processing industry. The team headed by Wang Liandeng [17], in the preparation of the Al-Ti-C master alloy, with the addition of Ce2 O3 to the fluoride salt method, discovered that it could lower the temperature of preparing alloy and improve the wettability of C and molten aluminum and promote the formation of TiC particles [18].
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