Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition
In the present work, microalloying is put forward to improve the microstructure and tensile properties of A356.2-0.15Fe (wt.%) alloy by the co-addition of trace Mn and Mg. A suitable Mn/Fe mass ratio of 0.5 is obtained for alloys with 0.15Fe. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elonga...
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| author | Jie Cui Jiayan Chen Yongbo Li Tianjiao Luo |
| author_facet | Jie Cui Jiayan Chen Yongbo Li Tianjiao Luo |
| author_sort | Jie Cui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the present work, microalloying is put forward to improve the microstructure and tensile properties of A356.2-0.15Fe (wt.%) alloy by the co-addition of trace Mn and Mg. A suitable Mn/Fe mass ratio of 0.5 is obtained for alloys with 0.15Fe. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation of the A356.2-0.15Fe alloy with an Mn/Fe ratio of 0.5 and containing 0.42 wt.% Mg is 179 MPa, 286 MPa, and 9.1%, respectively, which is acceptable for automotive wheel hub applications. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron-probe microanalyzer (EPMA) methods are used to characterize the microstructure of the alloys. The results indicate that Mn addition promotes the transformation of the acicular β-Al<sub>5</sub>FeSi phase to the block-shaped α-Al(Fe, Mn)Si phase. The ratio of length/width of the Fe-rich phase in the alloy is reduced by 78.8% with an Mn/Fe ratio of 0.5 and containing 0.35 wt.% Mg, compared with that of the alloy without Mn addition and containing 0.35 wt.% Mg. The addition of Mg reduces the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) from 26.1 μm to 20.9 μm. The volume fraction of the precipitated Mg<sub>2</sub>Si phase in the alloy containing 0.42 wt.% Mg increases by 60% compared with that in the alloy containing 0.35 wt.% Mg. The morphology transformation of the Fe-rich phase, the reduction of SDAS, and the increase in volume fraction of precipitated Mg<sub>2</sub>Si phase comprehensively contribute to the improvement of A356.2-0.15Fe alloy. The microstructure evolution mechanism and the effect of microstructure on tensile properties are analyzed and discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:44:56Z |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:44:56Z |
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| series | Metals |
| spelling | doaj.art-c86b29c816534db78f0c88b9ec6127232023-11-19T02:11:24ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012023-08-01138145110.3390/met13081451Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-AdditionJie Cui0Jiayan Chen1Yongbo Li2Tianjiao Luo3School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, ChinaInstitute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaSchool of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, ChinaInstitute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaIn the present work, microalloying is put forward to improve the microstructure and tensile properties of A356.2-0.15Fe (wt.%) alloy by the co-addition of trace Mn and Mg. A suitable Mn/Fe mass ratio of 0.5 is obtained for alloys with 0.15Fe. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation of the A356.2-0.15Fe alloy with an Mn/Fe ratio of 0.5 and containing 0.42 wt.% Mg is 179 MPa, 286 MPa, and 9.1%, respectively, which is acceptable for automotive wheel hub applications. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron-probe microanalyzer (EPMA) methods are used to characterize the microstructure of the alloys. The results indicate that Mn addition promotes the transformation of the acicular β-Al<sub>5</sub>FeSi phase to the block-shaped α-Al(Fe, Mn)Si phase. The ratio of length/width of the Fe-rich phase in the alloy is reduced by 78.8% with an Mn/Fe ratio of 0.5 and containing 0.35 wt.% Mg, compared with that of the alloy without Mn addition and containing 0.35 wt.% Mg. The addition of Mg reduces the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) from 26.1 μm to 20.9 μm. The volume fraction of the precipitated Mg<sub>2</sub>Si phase in the alloy containing 0.42 wt.% Mg increases by 60% compared with that in the alloy containing 0.35 wt.% Mg. The morphology transformation of the Fe-rich phase, the reduction of SDAS, and the increase in volume fraction of precipitated Mg<sub>2</sub>Si phase comprehensively contribute to the improvement of A356.2-0.15Fe alloy. The microstructure evolution mechanism and the effect of microstructure on tensile properties are analyzed and discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/8/1451A356.2 alloymicroalloyingMnMgmicrostructuretensile properties |
| spellingShingle | Jie Cui Jiayan Chen Yongbo Li Tianjiao Luo Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition Metals A356.2 alloy microalloying Mn Mg microstructure tensile properties |
| title | Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition |
| title_full | Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition |
| title_short | Enhancing the Strength and Toughness of A356.2-0.15Fe Aluminum Alloy by Trace Mn and Mg Co-Addition |
| title_sort | enhancing the strength and toughness of a356 2 0 15fe aluminum alloy by trace mn and mg co addition |
| topic | A356.2 alloy microalloying Mn Mg microstructure tensile properties |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/13/8/1451 |
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