Effect of Cooling Rate on Modification and Grain Refinement of 4032 Aluminum Alloy

Abstract

Effect of cooling rate on modification and refinement of 4032 aluminum alloy has been investigated at cooling rates of 0.7~4.5 K/s. Sr is used to modify eutectic silicon and B is used to refine primary α-Al grains. Modification level of eutectic silicon and refining results of primary α-Al are characterized quantitatively by Lp based on the perimeter of eutectic silicon particles and the maximum grain length D, respectively. As the cooling rate decreases, the needle-like eutectic silicon particles increases and the modification level reduces with a constant Sr content. Influenced by alloying elements such as Mg, Cu and Ni, the modification level is very low at the lowest cooling rate of 0.7 K/s, but properly increasing Sr content in the melt can improve the modification. At the cooling rates of 0.7~4.5 K/s, the element B can transform coarse columnar dendritic α-Al grains to equiaxed ones, and controlling the ratio of Sr and B is a valid technique to avoid mutual poisoning. On the conditions of present experiments, the Sr content of 350 ppm and Sr:B ratio of about 1.1 are rational to modify eutectic silicon and refine primary α-Al grains simultaneously.