Effect of multidirectional forging on grain structure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al–20%Si alloys with added refiners and modifiers

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present work is focused on the multidirectional forging (MDF) of Al–20 wt-% Si alloys with the addition of refiners and modifiers. The MDF process was performed at 200°C with a cumulative strain of 0.63. Microstructural characterization and mechanical performance were evaluated on the Al–20Si, Al–20Si–4.5Cu, Al–20Si–4.5Cu–1(Al–Ti–B), Al–20Si–4.5Cu–1(Al–Ti–B)–10(Al–Sr). The microstructure analysis revealed significant changes in the eutectic and primary phase refinement. The micro-Vickers hardness confirmed that the MDF process resulted in increased hardness (125 ± 1.9 VHN) compared to the homogenized samples (96 ± 2.7 VHN). Tensile test results showed that with the accumulation of strain, ultimate tensile strength increased to 435 MPa from 302 MPa with reduction in the percentage of elongation from 7.8 to 5.6. The grains were more uniformly distributed with addition of modifiers, and refiners further reduced the nucleation number of eutectic grains. The wear study demonstrated that the wear resistance is more in the Al–Si-Cu-Sr sample due to the increased level of hardness. The combination of multidirectional forging techniques with judicious incorporation of refiners and modifiers engenders a synergistic enhancement of microstructural integrity, hardness profiles, and wear-resistant properties in hypereutectic Al-20Si alloys.