Abstract
Several rare earth elements are considered by-products to rare earth mining efforts. By using one of these by-product elements in a high-volume application such as aluminum casting alloys, the supply of more valuable rare earths can be globally stabilized. Stabilizing the global rare earth market will decrease the long-term criticality of other rare earth elements. The low demand for Ce, the most abundant rare earth, contributes to the instability of rare earth extraction. In this article, we discuss a series of intermetallic-strengthened Al alloys that exhibit the potential for new high-volume use of Ce. The castability, structure, and mechanical properties of binary, ternary, and quaternary Al-Ce based alloys are discussed. We have determined Al-Ce based alloys to be highly castable across a broad range of compositions. Nanoscale intermetallics dominate the microstructure and are the theorized source of the high ductility. In addition, room-temperature physical properties appear to be competitive with existing aluminum alloys with extended high-temperature stability of the nanostructured intermetallic.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Critical Materials Strategy (United States Department of Energy, 2011).
G.A. Gegel, Material & Process Consultancy (Morton, IL, 2016). Unpublished research.
A.A. Luo, JOM 54, 42 (2002).
J.G. Kaufman and E.L. Rooy, Aluminum Alloy Castings: Properties, Processes, and Applications (Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 2004).
L.F. Mondolfo, Aluminum Alloys: Structure and Properties (Atlanta, GA: Elsevier, 2013).
C. Booth-Morrison, D.C. Dunand, and D.N. Seidman, Acta Mater. 59, 7029 (2011).
C.B. Fuller, D.N. Seidman, and D.C. Dunand, Acta Mater. 51, 4803 (2003).
R. DeHoff, Thermodynamics in Materials Science, 2nd ed. (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2006).
S. Viswanathan, ASM Handbook of Casting, vol. 15, 1st ed. (Materials Park, OH: ASM International, 2008), pp. 56–63.
M.C. Flemings, E. Niyama, and H.F. Taylor, AFS Trans. 69, 625 (1961).
J.R. Davis, Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys (ASM International: Materials Park, OH, 1993).
D. Chakrabarti and D.E. Laughlin, Prog. Mater Sci. 49, 389 (2004).
S.C. Bergsma, M.E. Kassner, X. Li, and M.A. Wall, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 254, 112 (1998).
Y.B. Kang, A.D. Pelton, P. Chartrand, and C.D. Fuerst, CALPHAD 32, 413 (2008).
Y. Zhong, M. Yang, and Z.K. Liu, CALPHAD 29, 303 (2005).
A.M. Samuel, J. Gauthier, and F.H. Samuel, Metall. Mater. Trans. A 27, 1785 (1996).
P. Rogl, Ternary Alloys vol. 5, ed. G. Petzow and G. Effenberg (Weinheim: VCH, 1991).
C.S. Garde, T. Takeuchi, Y. Nakano, Y. Takeda, Y. Ota, Y. Miyauchi, K. Sugiyama, M. Hagiwara, K. Kindo, F. Honda, R. Settai, and Y. Ōnuki, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 77, 124704 (2008).
J.A. Collins, Failure of Materials in Mechanical Design: Analysis, Prediction, Prevention (New York: Wiley, 1993).
Acknowledgements
This research was sponsored by the Critical Materials Institute, an Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and with Oak Ridge National Laboratory under U.S. Department of Energy contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. Work at the Molecular Foundry was supported by the Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. 3D printed molds and engine testing was funded by Oak Ridge National Laboratory Directed Research and Development funds. We acknowledge the support of Scott Curran and Claus Daniel with engine assembly and testing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sims, Z.C., Weiss, D., McCall, S.K. et al. Cerium-Based, Intermetallic-Strengthened Aluminum Casting Alloy: High-Volume Co-product Development. JOM 68, 1940–1947 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-016-1943-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-016-1943-9