Eutectic Si Phase Research Articles

The Concept of the Estimation of Phase Diagrams (An Optimised Set of Simplified Equations to Estimate Equilibrium Liquidus and Solidus Temperatures, Partition Ratios, and Liquidus Slopes for Quick Access to Equilibrium Data in Solidification Software) Part I: Binary Equilibrium Phase Diagrams

This paper presents equations derived from thermodynamic equations for calculating the liquidus and solidus temperatures, the liquidus slope, and the partition ratio for solidification simulations. The constants of these equations can be easily determined from measurement data obtained by digitalisation from known diagrams or can be calculated using a CALPHAD-based software. ESTPHAD has a hierarchical system; the developed functions of the binary systems are used in the calculation of the functions of the ternary systems, the functions of the ternary systems in the calculation of the function of quaternary systems, and so on. The developed method is demonstrated by processing the liquidus and solidus of Si–Ge isomorphous and Al–Mg and Al–Si eutectic equilibrium phase diagrams. The use of this method for calculating the functions of ternary systems will be shown in Part II. The advantages of this method are that the equations are simple, can be determined very quickly, and can be built into the simulation software very easily. The most significant advantage is that the calculation time is shorter by some order of magnitude than that of a CALPHAD-type calculation.

Flow behavior and microstructural evolution of Al-1.2Mg-2.4Si-1.2Cu-0.6Mn alloy during hot compression

Thermal compression tests were conducted on Al-1.2Mg-2.4Si-1.2Cu-0.6Mn alloys with process parameters including deformation temperatures ranging from 400°C to 550°C and strain rates ranging from 0.05 s⁻¹ to 1 s⁻¹. The hot working properties of aluminum alloys were evaluated with intrinsic equations and machining diagrams. The results show that the processing safety zones of the alloy are 425–450℃ and 0.05–0.1 s−1, 450–475℃ and 0.1 s−1-0.5 s−1, and 475–500℃ and 0.5 s−1. The microstructure of the aluminum alloy following hot pressing was investigated through the use of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and backscattered electron diffraction (EBSD). When the deformation temperature of the alloy is below 450°C, the alloy organization exhibits a greater prevalence of inhomogeneous defects, which manifest as coarser granular regions in the micro-morphology. Upon reaching a deformation temperature of above 525°C, the deformed alloy organization exhibits an evident thermal cracking phenomenon. At the same temperature, an increase in strain rate is accompanied by a decrease in the Mg2Si phase and an increase in the precipitation of the Al(Fe,Mn)Si eutectic phase. Furthermore, the precipitated phase tends to become coarser. The presence of certain Mn-containing nanoparticle dispersions can impede the migration of subgrain grain boundaries, while simultaneously pinning dislocations and accelerating the generation of dislocation entanglement. This also can serve to inhibit the coarsening of the grains to some extent.

Effect of Casting Process and Thermal Exposure on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-Si-Cu-Ni Alloy.

This paper employed squeeze-casting (SC) technology to develop a novel Al-7Si-1.5Cu-1.2Ni-0.4Mg-0.3Mn-0.15Ti heat-resistant alloy, addressing the issue of low room/high temperature elongation in traditional gravity casting (GC). Initially, the effects of SC and GC processes on the microstructure and properties of the alloy were investigated, followed by an examination of the evolution of the microstructure and properties of the SC samples over thermal exposure time. The results indicate that the SC process significantly improves the alloy's microstructure. Compared to the GC alloy, the secondary dendrite arm spacing of the as-cast SC alloy is refined from 50.5 μm to 18.5 μm. Meanwhile, the size and roundness of the eutectic Si phase in the T6-treated SC alloy are optimized from 11.7 μm and 0.75 μm to 9.5 μm and 0.85 μm, respectively, and casting defects such as porosity are reduced. Consequently, the ultimate tensile strengths (UTSs) at room temperature and at 250 °C of the SC alloy are 5% and 4.9% higher than that of GC alloy, respectively, and its elongation at both temperatures shows significant improvement. After thermal exposure at 250 °C for 120 h, the morphology of the residual second phase at the grain boundaries in the SC alloy becomes more rounded, but the eutectic Si and nano-precipitates undergo significant coarsening, resulting in a 49% decrease in UTS.

Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Extruded AlSiCuFeMnYb Alloy

This study investigates the impact of varying extrusion ratios on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AlSiCuFeMnYb alloy. Following hot extrusion, significant enhancements are observed in the microstructure of the cast rare earth aluminium alloy. Within the cross-sectional microstructure, the α-Al phase is reduced in size, and its dendritic morphology is eliminated. The morphology of the eutectic Si phase transitions from long strips to short rods, fine fibres, or granular forms. Similarly, the Fe-rich phase changes from a coarse skeletal and flat noodle shape to small strips and short skeletal forms resembling Chinese characters. The CuAl2 phase evolves from large blocks to smaller blocks and granular forms, while the Yb (Ytterbium)-rich rare earth phase shifts from large blocks to smaller, more uniformly distributed blocks. In the longitudinal section, the structure aligns into strips along the extrusion direction, with the spacing between these strips decreasing as the extrusion ratio increases. At an extrusion ratio of 22.56, the alloy demonstrates superior mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 325.50 MPa, a yield strength of 254.44 MPa, a hardness of 143.90 HV, and an elongation of 15.47%. These represent improvements of 27.8%, 36.5%, 38.9%, and 236.4%, respectively, compared with the as-cast rare earth alloy. In addition, the fracture surface of the extruded rare earth alloy exhibits obvious ductile fracture characteristics. Additionally, the alloy undergoes dynamic recrystallisation and dislocation entanglement during hot extrusion. The emergence of a twinned Si phase and a dynamically precipitated nanoscale CuAl2 phase are critical for enhancing deformation strengthening, modification strengthening, and dynamic precipitation strengthening of the extruded alloys.

Effect of Strontium Modification on Microstructure and Mechanical Property Al12SiCuMgNi Alloy in Squeeze Casting

Abstract The Al-Si series alloys, which have excellent fluidity and castability, are the most common aluminum material in the casting industry. However, the coarse eutectic Si phase with laminar morphology leads to the stress concentration of material and has a detrimental effect on the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy components. In this study, the Strontium (Sr) modifier was added to Al12SiCuMgNi alloy and the effect of Sr on microstructure and performance of Al12SiCuMgNi in squeeze casting was investigated. The experimental results show that the eutectic Si phase was well modified to fibrous morphology. Although the yield strength (YS) was leveled, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation (EL) of the alloy were obviously enhanced after Sr addition. When the 0.012wt.% Sr was added to Al12SiCuMgNi alloy. The YS, UTS, and EL of alloys were up to 311 MPa, 401 MPa, and 3.4%, respectively. Moreover, the microstructure and performance of Al12SiCuMgNi alloy in the hot forging process were also compared to Al12SiCuMgNi alloy with and without Sr addition in squeeze casting. It is concluded that the Al12SiCuMgNi alloy in hot forging shows higher ductility (4.7%) and lower strength than Al12SiCuMgNi alloy in squeeze casting.

Effect of Homogenization Process on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 4047 Aluminum Alloy

In this study, the homogenization heat‐treatment process and microstructural evolution of 4047 aluminum alloy are investigated. In the results, it is revealed that the homogenization process induces partial dissolution of metastable phases and modification of the fine needle‐shaped eutectic Si. Within the 4047 aluminum alloy, the fine needle‐shaped eutectic Si undergoes granulation, involving two stages: crystal dissolution and granulation of broken crystals. After optimal homogenization heat treatment, the eutectic Si phase transformed from a fine needle‐shaped structure to small, regular spherical structures, reducing stress concentration and improving the interfacial bonding capability and internal structure of the alloy matrix. This significantly reduces the likelihood of microcrack formation within the alloy and effectively hinders crack propagation, enhancing the alloy's mechanical properties.

Microstructure evolution of a novel Al-8Si-0.4Mg-0.2Sc-0.2Er alloy solidified under permanent magnet stirring

An experimental study has been conducted to assess the influence of permanent magnet stirring (PMS) at various rotation speeds (ω = 40, 80, 120, and 160 rpm) on the solidification microstructure of a novel Al-8Si-0.4Mg-0.2Sc-0.2Er alloy. The results reveal that the Sc and Er would produce small size Al(Sc,Er)2Si2 precipitates in the front of the Si phase under the increased rotation speed of PMS. Furthermore, it has been observed that PMS generates forced fluid flow with the magnetic Taylor number as large as 9.80 × 108, which significantly reduces the size of Al(Sc,Er)2Si2 and eutectic Si phase, promotes the formation of equiaxed dendrite α-Al grains.

Optimizing the mechanical performance of A356–Sc–Sr alloy via combining machine learning and mechanical stirring under vacuum

In this study, a machine learning design system (MLDS) with a property-oriented optimization strategy was first established to predict the mechanical properties of the A356 alloys with adding Sc and Sr elements. Based on the experimental verification from the MLDS, the addition of 0.2 wt% Sc and 0.067 wt% Sr elements led to the refinement of α-Al grains and eutectic Si phases. Then, the vacuum–stirring was introduced to obtain the semi-solid microstructure of the A356–0.2Sc–0.067Sr alloy. The α-Al grains displayed the spherical morphology and the reduction in pores helped improve the mechanical properties of the alloy. In addition, the effects of stirring time and stirring temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy were investigated. The results demonstrated that the α-Al grains of the alloy were further spheroidized, resulting in the improved mechanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the alloy were 220 MPa and 6.0%, respectively, which were increased by 16.8% and 26.7% in comparison to those of the alloy without vacuum–stirring. The aim of this work is to provide a new method to prepare high-performance A356 alloy through composition design and microstructural control.

Experimental characterization and 3D sharp-interface model simulation of grain refinement during solidification of nano-TiCN/Al–7Si composites

Significant grain refinement was achieved in nano-TiCN/Al-7 wt.% Si composites through growth control induced by nano-TiCN particles (NPs). The microstructures displayed two types of NP distributions: within interdendritic eutectic Si phase and along grain boundaries. This refined microstructure contributed to enhancing mechanical properties. To elucidate the grain refinement mechanism in nano-TiCN/Al–7Si composites, a three-dimensional (3D) sharp interface model (SIM) was developed, integrating the cellular automaton (CA) technique with a transformation matrix comprising three Euler angles. This 3D SIM effectively replicated the dendritic morphology of α-Al. The exact impact of latent heat on grain refinement was clarified. The observed grain refinement induced by NPs could not be numerically reproduced without considering latent heat. The grain refinement in TiCN/Al–7Si composites is governed by multiple factors. As NPs layers inhibits solute diffusion along the solid-liquid interface, the dendrite growth rate reduces, leading to the reduced rate of latent-heat release. Consequently, constitutional undercooling in the surrounding liquid increases, activating more heterogeneous nuclei. The developed SIM model offers deeper insights into the grain refinement mechanism induced by TiCN NPs in Al–7Si alloy.

Influence of cooling speeds on the microstructure and properties of A356 aluminum alloy after squeeze casting

The examination focuses on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical attributes of A356 alloy subsequent to squeeze casting performed under varying cooling speeds. The findings reveal that the cooling speeds have no notable impact on the size of the grains in the A356 alloy produced through squeeze casting. However, as the cooling speeds increase, the eutectic Si phase in A356 alloy decreases, transforming it from coarse flakes to small rods or particles, thereby enhancing the mechanical characteristics of the alloy. The water-cooled alloy has the best UTS performance, whose value of A356 alloy after squeeze casting is 287 MPa.

Effect of Ni and Sr on the microstructure and tensile properties of the squeeze cast Al‐Si‐Cu alloy at elevated temperatures

AbstractThe influence of the transition alloying element nickel and the alkaline earth element strontium on the microstructure and tensile properties of squeeze cast Al−Si‐Cu alloy under as‐cast condition at elevated temperature of 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C is investigated in comparison with the conventional Al−Si‐Cu alloy (A380). Aluminum alloy A380 is alloyed and modified with 2 wt% additional nickel (Ni) and 0.02 wt% strontium (Sr). Squeeze casting is employed to cast the modified A380 under an applied pressure of 90 MPa. The results of tensile testing at the selected elevated temperatures indicate that the Ni and Sr containing A380 alloy exhibits a significantly improvement on tensile properties, specifically ultimate tensile strength and yield strength with 10 %‐30 % increases. The as‐cast microstructures of both the conventional and Ni and Sr‐containing alloys are observed by an optical microscope and further analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presence of Ni‐containing intermetallic phases with Ni addition, and the modified eutectic Si phase with refined morphologies due to the Sr addition should be responsible for the considerable enhancement on the as‐cast strengths of the squeeze cast Ni‐ and Sr‐containing alloy over those of the conventional A380 alloy.

Effect of Deep Cryogenic Aging Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Selective Laser-Melted AlSi10Mg Alloy

Deep cryogenic aging (DCA) is a newly developed heat treatment technique for additive-manufactured metallic materials to reduce residual stress and improve their mechanical properties. In this study, AlSi10Mg alloy samples fabricated by selective laser melting were deep-cryogenic-treated at −160 °C and subsequently aged at 160 °C. Phase and microstructural analyses were conducted using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, while the mechanical properties were evaluated through microhardness and tensile testing at room temperature. The results indicated that the DCA treatment did not have an effect on the morphology of the melt pools. However, it facilitated the formation of atomic clusters and nanoscale Si and β′ phases, as well as accelerating the coarsening of grains and the ripening of the eutectic Si phase. After DCA treatment, the mass fraction of the Si phase experienced an increase from 4.4% to 7.2%. Concurrently, the volume fraction of the precipitated secondary phases elevated to 5.1%. The microhardness was enhanced to 147 HV, and the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength achieved 495 MPa and 345 MPa, respectively, with an elongation of 7.5%. In comparison to the as-built specimen, the microhardness, ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength increased by 11.4%, 3.1%, and 19.0%, respectively. The improvement in mechanical properties is primarily attributed to the Orowan strengthening mechanism induced by the secondary phases.

The effect of B and Sb on the corrosion behavior of T6-treated Al–Si–Mg alloys

The influence of B and Sb on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of T6-treated Al–Si–Mg alloys has been specifically studied. It is found that the addition of 0.03 wt% B to Al–Si–Mg alloys results in the lowest corrosion rate (0.02451 mm/y) when immersed in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution for 3 days. This improvement can be attributed to the transformation of coarse dendritic α-Al grains into refined equiaxed grains, which is beneficial for the formation of uniform and compact passive film. In contrast, the Al–Si–Mg alloy with addition of 0.2 wt% Sb shows the highest corrosion rate (0.05795 mm/y), which can be attributed to two reasons. First, the addition of Sb contributes to the transformation of rod-like eutectic Si particles into a spherical morphology, increasing the number of micro-galvanic corrosion sites and thus accelerating the corrosion process. Second, the generated Mg3Sb2 phase, being more noble than the eutectic Si phase, strengthens the micro-galvanic corrosion.

Effect of local loading on microstructure and enhanced mechanical property of large complex castings prepared by Al–Si–Fe–Mn–Mg–Cu alloy during squeeze casting

Flywheel shells with a complex structure and large wall-thickness difference, as key components in heavy trucks, serve to connect the engine and transmission. Formability and mechanical performance control of such components should be taken into consideration. In this work, an Al–Si–Fe–Mn–Mg–Cu alloy was used to manufacture the flywheel shell via squeeze casting. The role of local loading on microstructure and mechanical property at thick-walled positions was investigated. Furthermore, the effect of the squeeze casting specific pressure and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical property of the Al–Si–Fe–Mn–Mg–Cu alloy flywheel shells was also analyzed. The results showed that at the thick-walled positions, local loading not only helped eliminate the solidification defects, but also refined the microstructure including α-Al grains and secondary dendrite arm spacing. With increasing the squeeze casting specific pressure from 24 MPa to 32 MPa, microstructure refinement and mechanical property enhancement of squeeze casting flywheel shells were obtained. After T6 heat treatment, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of flywheel shells were further increased to 261.8 and 318.4 MPa, respectively, owing to the formation of spherical eutectic Si phases and nano-sized β'', Q and S precipitates.

Towards high performance Al–Si–Fe alloy castings via rheo-diecasting: Effect of injection velocity and heat treatment on microstructure evolution and property

The mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of Al–Si–Fe castings must meet high requirements in the automobile, aerospace, and communication fields. Traditional high-pressure diecasting (HPDC) castings often have dendritic structures and pore defects that deteriorate their overall performance. Therefore, an advanced rheo-diecasting (RDC) technique assisted by a vibrating contraction sloping plate was proposed to address this problem. However, the process optimization strategy, microstructural evolution, and performance improvement mechanisms remain unclear. The influence of the injection velocity on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of the RDC tensile specimens was first investigated. A high-performance cover plate was fabricated via RDC using an optimized injection velocity. The results showed that when the injection velocity increased to 2.8 m/s, the porosity decreased to a minimum value, and the mechanical performance and thermal conductivity of the RDC tensile specimens reached their maximum values. Furthermore, spherical eutectic Si phases and nanosized Mg2Si precipitates for the RDC cover plate were observed after T6 heat treatment, which further improved the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity owing to Orowan strengthening and decreased lattice distortion, respectively. The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and thermal conductivity for the RDC cover plate were 358.2 MPa, 279.9 MPa, 12.5%, and 180.72 W/(m·K), respectively, which were higher than that of reported similar alloys. From engineering perspectives, this study had the application value for produce of high-quality RDC castings.

Effects of the synergistic addition of AlCrNiTi and Ce on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hypoeutectic Al-7Si alloy

A new strategy is proposed in this study to modify the microstructure of the Al-7Si alloy, which is widely employed in the aerospace and transportation sectors due to its lightweight, high specific strength, and specific modulus. The primary challenge of the Al-7Si alloy is its coarse microstructure, which undermines its mechanical properties. This research focuses on the effects of adding the AlCrNiTi master alloy and Ce to the Al-7Si alloy. The impact on both the microstructure evolution and the mechanical properties is examined, including analysis and discussion of the underlying mechanisms for refinement and strengthening. When the alloy was modified by 0.9 wt% of the AlCrNiTi master alloy and 0.1 wt% of Ce, there was a notable refinement of the α-Al phase, transforming it from a coarse dendritic structure to fine equiaxed grains. The addition of 0.9 wt% of the AlCrNiTi master alloy and 0.1 wt% of Ce can also reduce the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) to 5.9 μm. The eutectic Si phase underwent a significant transformation, changing from coarse flakes to fine granularity with rounded edges. Furthermore, CeSi2Ni2, Al3Ni intermetallic compounds, and nanoscale Al45Cr7 particles were observed in the modified Al-7Si alloy. Tensile tests showed that the addition of the inoculant in the Al-7Si alloy enhanced the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from 173 MPa to 211 MPa and increased the elongation (El) from 7.9% to 14.1%.

Crystallography and Interface Structures in As-Arc Melted and Laser Surface-Remelted Aluminum–Silicon Alloys with and without Strontium Addition

The crystallography of the eutectic Al-Si microstructure in both unmodified and Sr (0.2 wt.%)-modified hypereutectic Al-20 wt.% Si alloys, processed via arc-melting and laser surface remelting, has been comprehensively characterized using transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Although, under as-cast conditions, specific orientations between different planes of Al and Si, satisfying defined orientation relationships (ORs), have been investigated within the flake morphology, the rapid solidification induced by laser surface remelting results in a notable transformation from a flake morphology to nanocrystalline Si fibers dispersed in an Al matrix. Consequently, this transformation results in a mis-orientation of the interface between the eutectic Al and Si phases, preventing the formation of orientation relationships, thus promoting the formation of faceted interfaces exhibiting substantial lattice disregistry.

Effects of Cu content and heat treatment process on microstructures and mechanical properties of Al−Si−Mg−Mn−xCu cast aluminum alloys

The effects of Cu content and heat treatment process on the microstructures and mechanical properties of a series of Al−Si−Mg−Mn−xCu cast aluminum alloys prepared by the vacuum die casting process were investigated by three-dimensional X-ray microscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and microhardness testing. It was found that the number density and size of gas porosities increase with increasing Cu content. However, the Cu addition will promote the formation of Cu-containing primary phases (Q-Al5Cu2Mg8Si6 and θ-Al2Cu) during the solidification, which will improve the properties of the alloys. Five different primary phases were observed, namely eutectic Si, α-Al(Fe, Mn)Si, β-Mg2Si, Q-Al5Cu2Mg8Si6, and θ-Al2Cu phases. With increasing the Cu content, the θ phase area fraction increases significantly, while the α-Al(Fe, Mn)Si phase area fraction decreases initially, followed by a slight increase, with the Q phase area fraction displaying the opposite trend relative to α-Al(Fe, Mn)Si phase. These primary phases present different evolution rules during heat treatment process. During subsequent aging, the synergic effect of precipitating Q' and θ' phases can significantly increase the alloy hardening response.

Influence of Cu Addition on the Wear Behavior of a Eutectic Al–12.6Si Alloy Developed by the Spray Forming Method

In the present study, the influence of the addition of copper (Cu) on the wear behavior of a Al-12.6Si eutectic alloy developed using the spray forming (SF) method was discussed, and the results were compared with those of as-cast (AC) alloys. The microstructural features of the alloys were examined using both optical and the scanning electron microscopy, and the chemical composition and phase identification were achieved by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results revealed that the microstructure of binary the SF alloy consisted of fine primary and eutectic Si phases, evenly distributed in the equiaxed α-Al matrix, whereas the Cu-based SF ternary alloy consisted of uniformly distributed fine eutectic Si particulates and spherical-shaped θ-Al2Cu precipitates, uniformly distributed in α-Al matrix. In contrast, the AC ternary (Al-12.6Si-2Cu) alloy consisted of unevenly dispersed eutectic Si needles and the coarse intermetallic compound θ-Al2Cu in the α-Al matrix. The addition of Cu enhanced the micro hardness of the SF ternary alloy by 8, 34, and 41% compared to that of the SF binary, AC ternary, and binary alloys, respectively. The wear test was conducted using a pin-on-disc wear testing machine at different loads (10–40 N) and sliding velocities (1–3 ms−1). The wear tests revealed that SF alloys exhibited an improved wear behavior in the entire applied load and sliding velocity range in comparison to that of the AC alloys. At a load of 40 N and a sliding velocity of 1 ms−1, the wear rate of the SF2 alloy is 62, 47, and 23% lower than that of the AC1, AC2, and SF1 alloys, respectively. Similarly, at a sliding velocity of 3 ms−1, the wear rate of the SF2 alloy is 52%, 42%, and 21% lower than that of the AC1, AC2, and SF1 alloys, respectively. The low wear rate in the SF2 alloy was due to the microstructural modification during spray forming, the precipitation of fine Al2Cu intermetallic compounds, and increased solid solubility. The SF alloys show an increased transition from oxidative to abrasive wear, while the AC alloys demonstrate wear mechanisms that change from oxidative to abrasive, including delamination, with an increase in sliding velocity and load.

Squeeze casting of 4032 aluminum alloy and the synergetic enhancement of strength and ductility via Al-Ti-Nb-B grain refiner

The 4032 aluminum alloy is a high-Si deformation aluminum alloy, that is commonly generated through forging due to the difficulties involved in its direct casting. In this work, the 4032 aluminum alloy is innovatively prepared via a squeeze casting process, and the Al-6Nb-1.5Ti-0.5B refining agent is incorporated to enhance its mechanical properties. A range of analytical techniques are subsequently employed to analyze the grain refinement mechanism of Al-6Nb-1.5Ti-0.5B under squeeze casting conditions. It was found that the microstructure of the aged 4032 aluminum alloy after refinement treatment was mainly composed of α-Al grains measuring <100 μm in size, in addition to a eutectic Si phase, that is accompanied by stacked dislocations and diffusely distributed Q′-Al5Cu2Mg8Si6 and θ′-Al2Cu phases. The yield strength of the alloy reached 340 MPa, its tensile strength was 404 MPa, and the elongation was 4.1 %. In the presence of the Al-6Nb-1.5Ti-0.5B refiner, the generation of nucleation cores (e.g., MAl3(M = Ti, Nb)) in the melt led to a significant reduction (∼50 %) in the α-Al grain size of the aged 4032 aluminum alloy (i.e., 95.1 ± 21.0 μm), compared with the standard alloy. After the T6 heat treatment of the refined 4032 aluminum alloy, the size of the precipitation phase was reduced by 36.8 %, and fine silicon particles with a spherical morphology and a more random distribution were observed. No obvious selective orientation was detected, and the fracture morphology improved significantly, thereby leading to a synergistic improvement in the strength and toughness of the alloy.