Melting and solidification of Zinc-Aluminium alloys

Following a scene-setting introduction are detailed reviews of the relevant scientific principles, thermal analysis as a research tool and the development of the zinc-aluminium family of alloys. A recently introduced simultaneous thermal analyser, the STA 1500, its use for differential thermal analysis (DTA) being central to the investigation, is described, together with the sources of support information, chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, ingot cooling curves and fluidity spiral castings. The compositions of alloys tested were from the binary zinc-aluminium system, the ternary zinc-aluminium-silicon system at 30%, 50% and 70% aluminium levels, binary and ternary alloys with additions of copper and magnesium to simulate commercial alloys and five widely used commercial alloys. Each alloy was shotted to provide the smaller, 100mg, representative sample required for DTA. The STA 1500 was characterised and calibrated with commercially pure zinc, and an experimental procedure established for the determination of DTA heating curves at 10°C per minute and cooling curves at 2°C per minute. Phase change temperatures were taken from DTA traces, most importantly, liquidus from a cooling curve and solidus from both heating and cooling curves. The accepted zinc-aluminium binary phase diagram was endorsed with the added detail that the eutectic is at 5.2% aluminium rather than 5.0%. The ternary eutectic trough was found to run through the points, 70% Al, 7.1% Si, 545°C; 50% Al, 3.9% Si, 520°C; 30% Al, 1.4% Si, 482°C. The dendrite arm spacing in samples after DTA increased with increasing aluminium content from 130m at 30% to 220m at 70%. The smallest dendrite arm spacing of 60m was in the 30% aluminium 2% silicon alloy. A 1kg ingot of the 10% aluminium binary alloy, insulated with Kaowool, solidified at the same 2°C per minute rate as the DTA samples. A similar sized sand casting was solidified at 3°C per minute and a chill casting at 27°C per minute. During metallographic examination the following features were observed: heavily cored phase which decomposed into ' and '' on cooling; needles of the intermetallic phase FeAl4; copper containing ternary eutectic and copper rich T phase.

The mechanics of creep crack growth in a Magnox alloy

Magnox AL80 has been used for a study of creep crack propagation. A number of variables have been considered such as specimen geometry,notch root radius, material thickness, creep prestrain and stress level.The work has covered the material behaving under two values of the creep exponent, n=3.5 and n=7, according to the stress level. As well as observing initiation times and crack growth rates, scribed grids have been used to examine the near crack tip strain levels and distributions. It was shown that estimations of COD from notch flank opening can give misleading indications of material behaviour and that a more informative method was to monitor displacements in the material surrounding the crack tip. Strong evidence was found for crack advance being displacement controlled, however it was shown that the COD approach should be considered geometry dependant. The summation of ∈xx and ∈yy provided the most successful description of crack advance as it produced a single value that described propagation in all the cases concidered. The strain distributions indicates that σyy was related to distance from a point ahead of the crack tip by the exponent - (l/n+l) and that σxx is proportional to σyy. The constraint stresses arising in the DEN and CN specimens were evaluated. Initiation time was found to be principally affected by the stress level but was modified by the constraints arising from specimen geometry. Crack growth was found not to obey either the empirical K or σpett relationships but was reviewed in context of the observed strain behaviour.

The fracture toughness of a range of cast steels

A range of plain carbon, carbon-manganese and low alloy cast steels were tested in order to determine their various fracture toughness values under elastic and elastic-plastic conditions. The main fracture toughness parameters which are considered are (1) Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), (2) the J-Contour Integral, and (3) Crack Opening Displacement (COD). Results are obtained from fracture toughness specimens of various dimensions and the relevance of the validity criteria to cast steels is considered in some detail. In addition, the effect of casting position on specimen toughness values was noted. Valid KIC results according to LEFM, were obtained for three of the eight cast steels tested. Although KIC values from LEFM were not obtained from the remaining five steels, critical COD and J-integral values were determined. It is postulated that these values and particularly the critical J values can be used, with confidence for material selection or in defect tolerance calculations using these steels. Toughness values were found to vary with casting position in several of the steels tested and the possible reasons for such variations are discussed in the Thesis.

Mechanical properties of sintered low alloy steels

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The effect of thermochemical treatment on the fatigue properties of alloy steels

The effect of thermochemical treatment namely carburising on the fatigue behaviour of one carbon and two alloy steels has been studied in rotating and unidirectional bending. The effect of carbon profile on the unidirect¬ional bending fatigue strength of 63SA14 was assessed, and it was found that single stage carburising with a surface carbon content of 0.8% has resulted in a higher fatigue strength than other types of carbon profiles. Residual stresses and other metallurgical variables arising from different carbon profiles, were also considered. The highest compressive stresses h~e resulted from boost-diffuse-carburising. On the other hand surface decarburisation was associated with tensile residual stresses and a reduced fatigue strength. Retained austenite was found to be detrimental in unidirectional bending fatigue; however its presence in carburised 83SAIS did not seem to influence the rotating bending fatigue strength. Carbide particles in globular and/or intergranular form were detrimental to compressive residual stresses; the unidirectional bending fatigue strength is markedly lowered. The highest fatigue strength was accomplished by vacuum carburising. The absence of internal oxidation was the key factor in the increased fatigue strength; the presence of uniformly distributed fine carbide particles did not upset the superior fatigue strength of vacuum carburised pieces. The effect of mean stress on the fatigue strength of carburised 63SA14 was studied. Increasing the mean stress as would be expected resulted in a decreased fatigue strength. Carburisation showed its advantages at low mean stress, but at high mean stress it offers little advantage over the uncarburised hardened conditions. Notch effect was also studied in unidirectional bending of carburised 080MlS. The general trend showed that the fatigue strength decreases with increasing the stress concentration factor. But different carburising conditions have different effect on notch sensitivity.

Use of ultrasonic agitation in iron group alloy electrodepositions

The effects of ultrasonic agitation on deposition from two iron group alloy plating solutions, nickel-cobalt and bright nickel-iron, have been studied. Comparison has been made with deposits plated from the same solutions using controlled air agitation. The ultrasonic equipment employed had a fixed frequency of 13 KHz but the power output from each transducer was variable up to a maximum of 350 watts. The effects of air and ultrasonic agitation on hardness, ductility, tensile strength, composition, structure, surface topography, limiting current density, cathode current efficiency and macro-throwing power were determined. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy, electron-probe microanalysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry have been employed to study the nickel alloy deposits produced. The results obtained show that the use of Ultrasonics increased significantly the hardness of both alloy deposits and altered their composition by decreasing the cobalt and iron contents from nickel-cobalt and nickeliron solutions respectively. The ductility of coatings improved but the tensile strength did not change very much. Ultrasonic agitation gave larger grained deposits than air and they seemed to have a lower stress. Dull cobalt-nickel deposits had a similar pyramidal surface topography regardless of the type of agitation but the bright appearance of the nickel-iron was destroyed by ultrasonic agitation; an unusual ribbed pattern was produced. The use of ultrasonic agitation permitted approximately a twofold increase in the plating current density at which sound deposits could be achieved but there was only a slight increase in cathode current efficiency. Macro-throwing power of the solutions was increased slightly by the use of ultrasonic agitation. ultrasonic agitation is an expensive means of agitating plating Solutions and would be worthwhile only if significant improvements in properties could be achieved. The simultaneous improvement in hardness and ductility is a novel feature that should have useful engineering applications.

Control of soundness and mechanical properties in aluminium-silicon-magnesium alloys

Previously, specifications for mechanical properties of casting alloys were based on separately cast test bars. This practice provided consistently reproducible results; thus, any change in conditions was reflected in changes in the mechanical properties of the test coupons. These test specimens, however, did not necessarily reflect the actual mechanical properties of the castings they were supposed to represent'. Factors such as section thickness and casting configuration affect the solidification rate and soundness of the casting thereby raising or lowering its mechanical properties in comparison with separately cast test specimens. In the work now reported, casting shapes were developed to investigate the variations of section thickness, chemical analysis and heat treatment on the mechanical properties of a high strength Aluminium alloy under varying chilling conditions. In addition, an insight was sought into the behaviour of chills under more practical conditions. Finally, it was demonstrated that additional information could be derived from the radiographs which form an essential part of the quality control of premium quality castings. As a result of the work, it is now possible to select analysis and chilling conditions to optimize the as cast and the heat treated mechanical properties of Aluminum 7% Silicon 0.3% Magnesium alloy.