Microstructural Evolution of A356 Al Alloy During Flow Along a Cooling Slope

Cooling slope (CS) has been used in this study to prepare semi-solid slurry of A356 Al alloy, keeping in view of slurry generation on demand for Rheo-pressure die casting process. Understanding the physics of microstructure evolution during cooling slope slurry formation is important to satisfy the need of semi-sold slurry with desired shape, size and morphology of primary Al phase. Mixture of spherical and rosette shaped primary Al phase has been observed in the samples collected during melt flow through the slope as well as in the cast (mould) samples compared to that of dendritic shape, observed in case of conventionally cast A356 alloy. The liquid melt has been poured into the slope at 650 A degrees C temperature and during flow it falls below the liquidus temperature of the said alloy, which facilitates crystallization of alpha-Al crystals on the cooling slope wall. Crystal separation due to melt flow is found responsible for nearly spherical morphology of the primary Al phase.

Effect of length scale on mechanical properties of Al-Cu eutectic alloy

This paper attempts a quantitative understanding of the effect of length scale on two phase eutectic structure. We first develop a model that considers both the elastic and plastic properties of the interface. Using Al-Al2Cu lamellar eutectic as model system, the parameters of the model were experimentally determined using indentation technique. The model is further validated using the results of bulk compression testing of the eutectics having different length scales. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4761944]

A Single-Stage Water-Gas Shift Reaction over Highly Active and Stable Si- and Al-Substituted Pt/CeO2 Catalysts

Ce0.88Si0.1Pt0.02O2-d and Ce0.88Al0.1Pt0.02O2-d catalysts were synthesized by using a low-temperature sonochemical method and characterized by using XRD, TEM, XPS, FTIR, and BET surface analyzer. The catalytic activities of these compounds were investigated for the watergas shift reaction in the temperature range of 140-440 degrees C. The substitution of Si in Ce0.98Pt0.02O2-d increased the releasing capacity of lattice oxygen, whereas the substitution of Al decreased the reducibility of Ce0.98Pt0.02O2-d, as evidenced by hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction studies. However, both the catalysts showed a considerable improvement in terms of activity and stability compared to Ce0.98Pt0.02O2-d. The combined activity measurement and characterization results suggest that the increase in the oxygen vacancy, which acts as a dissociation center for water, is the primary reason for the improvement in the activity of modified Ce0.98Pt0.02O2-d. Both the catalysts are 100?% selective toward H2 production, and approximately 99?% conversion of CO to CO2 was observed at 260 and 270 degrees C for Ce0.88Si0.1Pt0.02O2-d and Ce0.88Al0.1Pt0.02O2-d, respectively. These catalysts do not deactivate during the daily startup/shutdown operations and are sustainable even after prolonged reaction. Notably, these catalysts do not require any pretreatment or activation during startup/shutdown operations.

Effect of pouring temperature on cooling slope casting of semi-solid Al-Si-Mg alloy

Present trend of semi-solid processing is directed towards rheocasting route which allows manufacturing of near-net-shape cast components directly from the prepared semi-solid slurry. Generation of globular equi-axed grains during solidification of rheocast components, compared to the columnar dendritic structure of conventional casting routes, facilitates the manufacturing of components with improved mechanical properties and structural integrity. In the present investigation, a cooling slope has been designed and indigenously fabricated to produce semi solid slurry of Al-Si-Mg (A356) alloy and successively cast in a metallic mould. The scope of the present work discusses about development of a numerical model to simulate the liquid metal flow through cooling slope using Eulerian two-phase flow approach and to investigate the effect of pouring temperature on cooling slope semi-solid slurry generation process. The two phases considered in the present model are liquid metal and air. Solid fraction evolution of the solidifying melt is tracked at different locations of the cooling slope, following Schiel's equation. The continuity equation, momentum equation and energy equation are solved considering thin wall boundary condition approach. During solidification of the liquid metal, a modified temperature recovery scheme has been employed taking care of the latent heat release and change of fraction of liquid. The results obtained from simulations are compared with experimental findings and good agreement has been found.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of oxidation resistant suction cast Nb-Si-Al alloy

In this paper, we report a significant improvement in mechanical and oxidation properties of near eutectic Nb-Si alloys by the addition of aluminum (Al) and control of microstructural length scale. A comparative study of two alloys Nb-18.79at%Si and Nb-12.3at%Si-9at%Al were carried out. The processing for microstructure refinements were carried out by vacuum suction casting in water cooled thick copper mould. It is shown that addition of Al suppresses Nb3Si phase and promotes beta Nb5Si3 phase under nonequilibrium solidification condition. The microstructural length scale and in particular eutectic spacing reduces significantly to 50-100 nm in suction cast ternary alloy. A detailed TEM study shows the presence of delta-Nb11Si4 phase in Nb matrix. The hardness of Nb solid solution can be increased as a consequence to a level observed in Nb3Si intermetallic due to the well oriented precipitates. Compression test yields the ultimate strength of 1.8 +/- 0.1 GPa and engineering strain of 2.3 +/- 0.03%. In comparison, the binary Nb-18.79 at% Si alloy possesses an ultimate strength of 1.35 +/- 0.1 GPa and strain of 0.2 +/- 0.01% when processed under identical conditions. The latter exhibits coarser microstructural length scale (300-400 nm) and a brittle behavior. The indentation fracture toughness of Al containing suction cast alloy shows a value of 20.2 +/- 0.5 MPa root m which represents a major improvement over bulk Nb-Si eutectic alloy. The detailed thermal studies confirm a multifold improvement in oxidation resistance up to 1000 degrees C. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of co-substitution of Mn and Al on thermoelectric properties of chromium disilicide

CrSi2 was earlier reported to be an interesting thermoelectric material for high temperature applications because of its high oxidation resistance and good mechanical properties. In order to enhance its figure of merit, Mn at Cr site and Al at Si site were substituted into CrSi2. Our results indicate that Cr1-x Mn (x) Si2-x Al (x) solid solutions exhibit significantly lower thermal conductivity and a higher figure of merit than CrSi2.

Internal defect and process parameter analysis during friction stir welding of Al 6061 sheets

Welding parameters like welding speed, rotation speed, plunge depth, shoulder diameter etc., influence the weld zone properties, microstructure of friction stir welds, and forming behavior of welded sheets in a synergistic fashion. The main aims of the present work are to (1) analyze the effect of welding speed, rotation speed, plunge depth, and shoulder diameter on the formation of internal defects during friction stir welding (FSW), (2) study the effect on axial force and torque during welding, (c) optimize the welding parameters for producing internal defect-free welds, and (d) propose and validate a simple criterion to identify defect-free weld formation. The base material used for FSW throughout the work is Al 6061T6 having a thickness value of 2.1 mm. Only butt welding of sheets is aimed in the present work. It is observed from the present analysis that higher welding speed, higher rotation speed, and higher plunge depth are preferred for producing a weld without internal defects. All the shoulder diameters used for FSW in the present work produced defect-free welds. The axial force and torque are not constant and a large variation is seen with respect to FSW parameters that produced defective welds. In the case of defect-free weld formation, the axial force and torque are relatively constant. A simple criterion, (a,tau/a,p)(defective) > (a,tau/a,p)(defect free) and (a,F/a,p)(defective) > (a,F/a,p)(defect free), is proposed with this observation for identifying the onset of defect-free weld formation. Here F is axial force, tau is torque, and p is welding speed or tool rotation speed or plunge depth. The same criterion is validated with respect to Al 5xxx base material. Even in this case, the axial force and torque remained constant while producing defect-free welds.

The Fracture Characteristics of a Near Eutectic Al-Si Based Alloy Under Compression

The fracture of eutectic Si particles dictates the fracture characteristics of Al-Si based cast alloys. The morphology of these particles is found to play an important role in fracture initiation. In the current study, the effects of strain rate, temperature, strain, and heat treatment on Si particle fracture under compression were investigated. Strain rates ranging from 3 x 10(-4)/s to 10(2)/s and three temperatures RT, 373 K, and 473 K (100 A degrees C and 200 A degrees C) are considered in this study. It is found that the Si particle fracture shows a small increase with increase in strain rate and decreases with increase in temperature at 10 pct strain. The flow stress at 10 pct strain exhibits the trend similar to particle fracture with strain rate and temperature. Particle fracture also increases with increase in strain. Large and elongated particles show a greater tendency for cracking. Most fracture occurs on particles oriented nearly perpendicular to the loading axis, and the cracks are found to occur almost parallel to the loading axis. At any strain rate, temperature, and strain, the Si particle fracture is greater for the heat-treated condition than for the non-heat-treated condition because of higher flow stress in the heat-treated condition. In addition to Si particle fracture, elongated Fe-rich intermetallic particles are also seen to fracture. These particles have specific crystallographic orientations and fracture along their major axis with the cleavage planes for their fracture being (100). Fracture of these particles might also play a role in the overall fracture behavior of this alloy since these particles cleave along their major axis leading to cracks longer than 200 mu m.

Effect of Annealing Temperature in Al 1145 Alloy Sheets on Formability, Void Coalescence, and Texture Analysis

This paper deals with a combined forming and fracture limit diagram and void coalescence analysis for the aluminum alloy Al 1145 alloy sheets of 1.8 mm thickness, annealed at four different temperatures, namely 200, 250, 300, and 350 A degrees C. At different annealing temperatures these sheets were examined for their effects on microstructure, tensile properties, formability, void coalescence, and texture. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images taken from the fractured surfaces were examined. The tensile properties and formability of sheet metals were correlated with fractography features and void analysis. The variation of formability parameters, normal anisotropy of sheet metals, and void coalescence parameters were compared with texture analysis.

The effect of minor addition of Ni on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of suction cast Al-0.14 at. pct Sc binary alloy

Aluminum scandium binary alloys represent a promising precipitation-hardening alloy system. However, the hardness of the binary alloys decreases with the rapid coarsening of Al3Sc precipitate during high-temperature aging. In the current study, we report a new approach to compensate for the loss of mechanical properties by combining rapid solidification with very small ternary addition of transition metal Ni. This addition yields dispersion, and at a critical concentration improves the mechanical properties. We explore additions of a maximum of 0.06 at. pct of Nickel to a binary Al-0.14 at. pct Sc alloy, which yield nickel-rich dispersions. We report two kinds of biphasic dispersions containing AlNi2Sc/Al9Ni2 and alpha-Al/Al9Ni2 phase combinations. The maximum improvement in mechanical properties occurs with the addition of 0.045 at. pct Ni with a yield strength of 239 +/- A 7 MPa for an aging treatment at 583 K (310 A degrees C) for 15 hours. DOI: 10.1007/s11661-013-1624-z (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2013

Structural, electrical and dielectric properties of sputtered TiO2 films for Al/TiO2/Si capacitors

Metal-oxide semiconductor capacitors based on titanium dioxide (TiO2) gate dielectrics were prepared by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The deposited films were post-annealed at temperatures in the range 773-1173 K in air for 1 hour. The effect of annealing temperature on the structural properties of TiO2 films was investigated by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, the surface morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the electrical properties of Al/TiO2/p-Si structure were measured recording capacitance-voltage and current-voltage characteristics. The as-deposited films and the films annealed at temperatures lower than 773 K formed in the anatase phase, while those annealed at temperatures higher than 973 K were made of mixtures of the rutile and anatase phases. FTIR analysis revealed that, in the case of films annealed at 1173 K, an interfacial layer had formed, thereby reducing the dielectric constant. The dielectric constant of the as-deposited films was 14 and increased from 25 to 50 with increases in the annealing temperature from 773 to 973 K. The leakage current density of as-deposited films was 1.7 x 10(-5) and decreased from 4.7 X 10(-6) to 3.5 x 10(-9) A/cm(2) with increases in the annealing temperature from 773 to 1173 K. The electrical conduction in the Al/TiO2/p-Si structures was studied on the basis of the plots of Schottky emission, Poole-Frenkel emission and Fowler-Nordheim tunnelling. The effect of structural changes on the current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics of Al/TiO2/p-Si capacitors was also discussed.

Isothermal transformation of beta-phase in Cu-rich Cu-Al-Sn alloys

Microstructural changes resulting from isothermal decomposition of the beta-phase have been studied in Cu-rich binary Cu-Al and ternary Cu-Al-Sn alloys containing up to 3 at.% Sn at temperatures from 873 to 673 K. Results are presented as TTT diagrams. The decomposition occurs in several stages, each of which involves the establishment of metastable equilibrium between beta and one or more of the product phases alpha, beta(1) and gamma(2). Addition of Sn has been shown to increase the stability of the ordered beta(1)-phase in relation to beta. In alloys containing more than 2 at.% Sn, the beta(1) emerges as a stable phase. At low Sn concentrations beta(1) is metastable. An important new finding is the existence of three-phase equilibrium microstructure containing alpha, beta(1) and gamma(2). Increasing addition of Sn alters the morphology of beta(1) from rosettes to dendrites and finally to Widmanstatten needles.

Experimental study of phase equilibria in the system Cu-Al-Sn

Phase equilibria in the Cu-rich corner of the ternary system Cu-Al-Sn have been re-investigated. Final equilibrium microstructures of 20 ternary alloy compositions near Cu3Al were used to refine the ternary phase diagram. The microstructures were characterized using optical microscopy (OM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe microanalysis and transmission electron microscopy. Isothermal sections at 853, 845, 833, 818, 808, 803 and 773 K have been composed. Vertical sections have been drawn at 2 and 3 at% Sn, showing beta(1) as a stable phase. Three-phase fields (alpha + beta + beta(1)) and (beta + beta(1) + gamma(1)) result from beta -> alpha + beta(1) eutectoid and beta + gamma(1) -> beta(1) peritectoid reactions forming metastable beta(1) in the binary Cu-Al. With the lowering of temperature from 853 to 818 K, these three-phase fields are shifted to lower Sn concentrations, with simultaneous shrinkage and shifting of (beta + beta(1)) two-phase field. The three-phase field (alpha + beta + gamma(1)) resulting from the binary reaction beta -> alpha + gamma(1) shifts to higher Sn contents, with associated shrinkage of the beta field, with decreasing temperature. With further reduction of temperature, a new ternary invariant reaction beta + beta(1) -> alpha + gamma(1) is observed at similar to 813 K. The beta disappears completely at 803 K, giving rise to the three-phase field (alpha + beta(1) + gamma(1)). Some general guidelines on the role of ternary additions (M) on the stability of the ordered beta(1) phase are obtained by comparing the results of this study with data in the literature on other systems in the systems group Cu-Al-M.