Effect of Zr addition on the mechanical characteristics and wear resistance of Al grain refined by Ti after extrusion

Abstract

Aluminum and its alloys are normally grain refined by Ti or Ti+B to transfer their columnar structure during solidification into equiaxed one which improves their mechanical behavior and surface quality. In this paper, the effect of addition of Zr on the metallurgical, and mechanical aspects, hardness, ductility and wear resistance of commercially pure aluminum grain refined by Ti after extrusion is investigated. Zr was added at a level of 0.1% which corresponds to the peretectic limit at the Al-Zr phase diagram. The experimental work was carried out on the specimens after direct extrusion. It was found that addition of Ti resulted in decrease of Al grain size, whereas addition of Zr alone or in the presence of Ti, resulted in reduction of Al grain size. This led to increase of Al hardness. The effect of the addition of Ti or Zr alone resulted almost in the same enhancement of Al mechanical characteristics. As for the strain hardening index,n, increase was obtained when Zr was added alone or in the presence of Ti. Hence pronounced improvement of its formability. Regarding the effect of Zr addition on the wear resistance of aluminum; it was found that at small loads and speeds addition of Ti or Zr or both together resulted in deterioration of its wear resistance whereas at higher loads and speeds resulted in pronounced improvement of its wear resistance. Finally, the available Archard model and the other available models which consider only the mass loss failed to describe the wear mechanism of Al and its micro-alloys because they do not consider the mushrooming effect at the worn end.