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Mechanism of cryogenic, solid solution and aging compound heat treatment of die-cast Al alloys considering microstructure variation

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Abstract

To develop a new compound heat treatment process for improving the mechanical properties of die-cast Al alloys, this study investigated the effects of cryogenic, solution and aging compound treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of die-cast Al alloys. The characterization methods used were optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and tensile tests; and the Image Pro Plus software was used for statistical analysis. The results indicated that compared with T6 heat treatment, the compound heat treatment process consisting of cryogenic treatment (−196 °C for 12 h), solid solution treatment (476 °C for 22 min), and aging (159 °C for 403 min) significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the die-cast Al alloys. For instance, the tensile strength increased from 224.3 to 249.5 MPa; the hardness increased from HV 110.5 to HV 124.6, and the elongation increased from 6.28% to 7.72%, which in relative terms corresponds to 11.2%, 12.8% and 22.9%, respectively. The compound heat treatment process of the alloy led to significant refinement of its α-Al phases. In addition, Si phases tended to be more ellipsoidal or granular, while the tips of Fe-containing phases became rounded, which played a key role in enhancing the mechanical properties and microstructure stability of the alloys.

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摘要

为寻求一种新型深冷复合热处理工艺方法, 借助光学显微镜 (OM), 扫插电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜 (TEM), 电子背散射衍射 (EBSD), 拉伸试验等测试手段, 结合image pro plus 数据统计分析, 研究了深冷、 固溶、时效复合处理对压铸铝合金合金微观组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明：与T6 热处理相比, 深冷 (‒196 °C, 12 h) + 固溶 (476 °C, 22 min) + 时效 (159 °C, 403 min) 复合热处理能够显著提升压铸铝合金的力学性能, 抗拉强度由224.3 提升到249.5 MPa, 提高了11.2%, 硬度由HV 110.5 提升到HV 124.6, 提高了12.8%, 延伸 率由6.28%提升到7.72%, 提高了22.9%。经深冷复合处理工艺后, 合金的α-Al 相得到显著细化, Si 相趋于椭 圆状或颗粒状, 含铁相尖端变得圆整, 对提高合金的力学性能和组织的稳定性起到关键作用。

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China-Youth Project (No. 51801076), the Provincial Colleges and Universities Natural Science Research Project of Jiangsu Province (No. 18KJB430009), the Postdoctoral Research Support Project of Jiangsu Province (No. 1601055C) and the Senior Talents Research Startup of Jiangsu University (No. 14JDG126).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Cheng Tao, Xiao-Nong Cheng, Zhi-Qiang Li, Guang-Lei Liu, Fu-Hai Xu & Hai-Xia Liu

  2. Jiangsu Minglida Technology Co., Nantong, 226602, China

    Cheng Tao, Shu-Kuan Xie, Zhong-Hua Kuang & Yong Guo

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Tao, C., Cheng, XN., Li, ZQ. et al. Mechanism of cryogenic, solid solution and aging compound heat treatment of die-cast Al alloys considering microstructure variation. Rare Met. 42, 3130–3138 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12598-023-02341-w

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