The optimisation of heat treatment parameters for Al–Cu–(Mg–Ag) cast alloys (2xxx) having different microstructural scales was investigated. Thermo-Calc software was used to design optimal alloy compositions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy and wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy technique were employed to determine proper solution heat treatment temperature and homogenisation time as well as incidence of incipient melting. Proper artificial ageing temperature for each alloy was identified using DSC analysis and hardness measurement. Microstructural scale had a pronounced influence on time and temperature required for complete dissolution of Al2Cu and homogenisation of Cu solute atoms in the α-Al matrix. Refined microstructure required only one-step solution treatment and relatively short solution treatment of 10 h to achieve dissolution and homogenisation, while coarser microstructures desired longer time. Addition of Mg to Al–Cu alloys promoted the formation of phases having a rather low melting temperature which demands multi-step solution treatment. Presence of Ag decreases the melting temperature of intermetallics (beside Al2Cu) and improvement in age-hardening response. Peak-aged temperature is primarily affected by the chemical composition rather than the microstructural scale. 

The flow stress of an as-cast Al-Si based alloy was modeled using a dislocation density based model. The developed dislocation density-based constitutive model describes the flow curve of the alloy with various microstructures at quite wide temperature range. Experimental data in the form of stress-strain curves for different strain rates ranging from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻¹ s⁻¹ and temperatures ranging from ambient temperature up to 400 °C were used for model calibration. In order to model precisely the hardening and recovery process at elevated temperature, the interaction between vacancies and dissolved Si was included. The calibrated temperature dependent parameters for different microstructure were correlated to the metallurgical event of the material and validated. For the first time, a dislocation density based model was successfully developed for Al-Si cast alloys. The findings of this work expanded the knowledge on short strain tensile deformation behaviour of these type of alloys at different temperature, which is a critical element for conducting a reliable microstructural FE-simulation.

Swedish industry is a global leader in development and manufacture of automotive and aviation components where the usage of aluminium products is remarkable. In addition to manufacturing aluminium components, casting enables low-cost and low-emission production of complex geometry components with a range of sizes. Aluminium with Si as the major alloying element forms a class of alloys representing the most significant fraction of all cast products, for a wide range of applications due to an excellent combination of castability and mechanical properties, as well as good corrosion resistance, wear resistance and recyclability. The microstructure in Al-Si alloys strongly governs their mechanical properties. Several industrial practices such as eutectic modification and alloying are well-known to improve mechanical properties. Al-Si cast alloys generally suffer a lack of ductility and poor high temperature properties due to presence of either brittle or thermally unstable phases. The aim of this work is to study the explicit role of each microstructural constituent on the behaviour of Al-Si cast alloys at room and high temperatures. The results will accordingly highlight the potential for improvement in properties of such alloys.

Casting defects have an immediate and negative effect on the properties of Al-Si alloys and reducing the overall level of defects substantially improves tensile properties. An increased cooling rate refines all microstructural features and reduces volumetric porosity which leads to substantial improvement in tensile properties (e.g. R_m and ε_F) at any test temperature. Modification of eutectic Si-particles (through Sr-addition) generally has a positive effect on alloy ductility. Depression in eutectic growth temperature as a result of eutectic modification was found to be strongly correlated to the level of modification irrespective of coarseness of the microstructure.

Addition of transition metals (Ni-Ti-Zr-Cr-V) to Al-Si improves tensile strength, particularly at temperatures above 200 ºC caused by formation of thermally stable intermetallic compounds. Below 200 ºC however, a substantial potential for improvement through solute-reinforcement was obtained.

A physically-based constitutive model with a wide validity range was successfully developed to describe the flow behaviour of Al-Si alloys at different temperatures, as a reliable input for finite element simulation. 

The principal aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of small additions of several transition metals (Zr, Ni, Ti, V, Cr, La, Y and Nb) on the microstructure, tensile properties and failure mechanisms of as-cast Al-10Si alloys at ambient and elevated temperatures (200 and 250 °C). Transition metal addition led to the formation of (AlSi)₃(TiZr), (AlSi)₃(CrVTi), Al₁₃(FeCrVTi)₄Si₄, (AlSi)₃(CrV), Al₉FeNi AlNbTiZr, AlSiV, AlSiYLa and AlSiZrTiNb phases which are thermally stable until incipient melting of the eutectic compound occurs. Addition of Zr, Ni, Ti, V and Cr gave a substantial improvement in tensile strength at 250 °C, but at the expense of reduced ductility. The strength of transition metals-containing alloys is strongly governed by the size and morphology rather than the volume fraction of the intermetallic phases formed. Large and irregular particles such as (AlSi)₃(TiZr), (AlSi)₃(CrVTi), AlNbTiZr and AlSiV provided inhomogeneity in the α-Al matrix and act as the principal source of stress concentration, playing an active role in crack initiation. Crack propagation was primarily controlled by plastic deformation of high cooling rate-refined dendrites and modified eutectic silicon particles.

This study presents a correlation between the depression in eutectic growth temperature as a result of Sr modification and the tensile properties of Al–Si cast alloys. In order to study the role that Sr exerts on the solidification behavior, modification and mechanical properties, controlled solidification experiments including thermal analysis were performed. Using three mold materials for different cooling rates, tensile testing was conducted on Al–Si alloys with various Sr levels (~35–500 ppm). The gradient solidification technique was used to produce directionally solidified tensile test specimens containing low levels of defects. The depression in eutectic Si growth temperature was correlated with the Sr additions and the tensile properties (elongation to failure and tensile strength).

Ni-Co coatings with various cobalt contents were electrodeposited from modified Watts bath. The effect of cobalt content on electrodeposition mechanism of the coatings was studied by electro-chemical impedance spectroscopy method (EIS). Surface morphology and crystallographic structure of the coatings were investigated by means of SEM and XRD. Mechanical properties of the coatings were determined using Vickers microhardness and tensile tests. It was found that with increasing the Co2+ ions in electroplating bath, the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of Ni-Co film increased whereas the Warburg impedence decreased. This may be due to enhancement in coverage of cathode surface by Co(OH)2 and higher diffusion rate of metal ions towards cathode surface, respectively. Also, with increasing the cobalt content in the bath, cobalt content in the alloy coating increased anomalously and (111) texture consolidated gradually. With increasing the cobalt content up to 45% in alloy coating, the grain size decreased and consequently, hardness and strength of the alloy increased. Further enhancement of cobalt content up to 55% led to a little decrease in hardness and strength. The maximum ductility was observed for Ni-25%Co coating due to relatively small grain size and compact structure. © 2016 The Nonferrous Metals Society of China.

The effect of cooling rate and eutectic modification on texture evolution and grain structure of an Al-Si-Cu-Mg die cast alloy were investigated using optical microscopy (OM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques. Directional solidification technique was utilized to produce as-cast specimens having low level of casting defects with controlled microstructural scale: specimens with average SDAS of 10 and 25 µm. Mode of solidification, cooling rate and eutectic modification did not induce any significant texture in the microstructure. An increase in cooling rate resulted in reduction grain size. High degree of grains orientation randomness was found in high cooling rate regardless of modification treatment.

This study presents a correlation between the depression in eutectic growth temperature, as a result of modification, and the tensile properties of Al-Si cast alloys. In order to study the role that Sr exerts on the solidification behavior, modification and mechanical properties, controlled solidification experiments accompanied with thermal analysis using three mold materials for various cooling conditions, and tensile testing were conducted on Al-Si alloys with several Sr levels (~ 35-500 ppm). The gradient solidification technique was applied to produce directional solidified tensile test specimens comprising low level of defects. The depression in growth temperature of eutectic Si was found to be correlated with the Sr additions and the tensile properties (e.g. elongation to failure and tensile strength). 

Aluminium alloys with Si as the major alloying element form a class of material providing the most significant part of all casting manufactured materials. These alloys have a wide range of applications in the automotive and aerospace industries due to an excellent combination of castability and mechanical properties, as well as good corrosion resistance and wear resistivity. Additions of minor alloying elements such as Cu and Mg improve the mechanical properties and make the alloy responsive to heat treatment. The aim of this work is studying the role of size and morphology of microstructural constituents (e.g SDAS, Si-particles and intermetalics) on mechanical properties of Al-Si based casting alloy at room temperatures up to 500 ºC.

The cooling rate controls the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS), size and distribution of secondary phases. As SDAS becomes smaller, porosity and second phase constituents are dispersed more finely and evenly. This refinement of the microstructure leads to substantial improvement in tensile properties (e.g. Rm and εF). Addition of about 280 ppm Sr to EN AC- 46000 alloy yields fully modified Si-particles (from coarse plates to fine fibres) regardless of the cooling conditions. Depression in eutectic growth temperature as a result of Sr addition was found to be strongly correlated to the level of modification irrespective of coarseness of microstructure. Modification treatment can improve elongation to failure to a great extent as long as the intermetallic compounds are refined in size.

Above 300 ºC, tensile strength, Rp0.2 and Rm, of EN AC-46000 alloys are dramatically degraded while the ductility was increased. The fine microstructure (SDAS 10 μm) has superior Rm and ductility compared to the coarse microstructure (SDAS 25 μm) at all test temperature (from room to 500 ºC). Concentration of solutes (e.g. Cu and Mg) in the dendrites increases at 300 ºC and above where Rp0.2 monotonically decreased. The brittleness of the alloy below 300 ºC was related to accumulation of a high volume fraction damaged particles such as Cu- Fe-bearing phases and Si-particles. The initiation rate of damage in the coarse particles was significantly higher, which enhances the probability of failure and decreasing both Rm and εF compared to the fine microstructure. A physically-based model was adapted, improved and validated in order to predict the flow stress behaviour of EN AC- 46000 cast alloys at room temperature up to 400 ºC for various microstructures. The temperature dependant variables of the model were quite well correlated to the underlying physics of the material

The quantitative methods for controlling and predicting the level of Si modification in EN AC-46000 aluminum cast alloys were examined using thermocouples (thermal analysis) and optical microscopy (image analysis). A wide range of Sr, from 37 to 486 ppm, was added to the alloy. The alloys were cast using three different molds providing different cooling rate and consequently varied microstructure coarseness. Large difference in nucleation and growth temperature of unmodified and modified alloy was found irrespective of coarseness of microstructure. The depression in growth temperature of eutectic Si found to be strongly correlated to content of modification agent as well as modification level. Thermal analysis technique was realized as a non-biased, accurate and inexpensive approach for on-line prediction of Si modification level in the EN AC-46000 alloy cast under different cooling rate.