Theoretical and Practical Considerations of Grain Refinement of Mg-Al Alloys

2005 ◽  
Vol 488-489 ◽  
pp. 299-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Lu ◽  
Arne K. Dahle ◽  
John A. Taylor ◽  
David H. StJohn
Keyword(s):  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Magnesium Alloys ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Carbon Based

The fundamentals of grain refinement are reviewed with particular focus on magnesium alloys. This is followed by considerations of the theoretical and practical aspects of grain refinement of Mg-Al alloys by carbon-based grain refiners. Finally, experimental results using Al4C3 as a potential grain refiner are presented and discussed.

scholarly journals Novel grain refinement of AZ91E magnesium alloy and the effect on hot tearing during solidfication

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdallah Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Grain Size ◽  
Magnesium Alloy ◽  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Magnesium Alloys ◽  
Hot Tearing ◽  
Grain Refining ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Structural Applications ◽  
Hot Tearing Susceptibility

For the A1-5Ti-1B grain refiner, the addition of 0.1 wt.% provided a 68 % reduction in grain size as compared to the unrefined AZ91E alloy at a holding time of five minutes. Grain growth restriction by TiB₂ particles was the source of grain refinement. With the addition of A1-5Ti-1B, only a small reduction in hot tearing susceptibility ws observed because large TiA1₃ particles bonded poorly with the eutectic and blocked feeding channels.The addition of 1.0 wt.% A1-1Ti-3B provided a grain size reduction of 63% as compared to the unrefined AZ91E alloy at a holding time of five minutes. The grain refinement with A1-1Ti-3B addition was attributed to a combination of TiB₂ grain growth restriction and A1B₂ nucleating sites. A significant reduction in hot tearing susceptibility was observed with A1-1Ti-3B addition as a result of a higher cooling rate and shorter local soldification time as compared to the AZ91E alloy. The reduction in hot tearing susceptibility was attributed to the good interface between eutectic and TiB₂ particles. Both grain refiners demonstrated a good resistance to fading during the holding times investigated. In addition, the AZ91E + A1-5Ti-1B and AZ91E + A1-1Ti-3B castings showed much fewer dislocation networks as compared to the untreated AZ91E casting.The development of efficient A1-Ti-B refiners can also improve castability of magnesium alloys. In addition, the fade resistant A1-Ti-B grain refiners can reduce operating costs and maintain productivity on the foundry floor. Thus, magnesium alloy with A1-Ti-B treatment have the potential for more demanding structural applications in the automobile and aerospace industries. Vehicle weight in the aerospace and automotive industries directly impacts carbon emissions and fuel efficiency. An increase in the use of lightweight materials for structural applications will result in lighter vehicles. Low density materials, such as magnesium (1.74 g/cm³) are a potential alternative to aluminium (2.70 g/cm³), to reduce component weight in structural applications.However, current magnesium alloys still do not have adequate mechanical properties and castability to meet the performance specifications of the automotive and aerospace industries. Grain refinement can significantly improve mechanical properties and reduce hot tearing during permanent mould casting. Recently, Al-Ti-B based grain refiners have shown potential in grain refining magnesium-aluminum alloys such as AZ91E. This study investigates the grain refining efficiency and fading of A1-5Ti-1B and A1-1Ti-3B in AZ91E magnesium alloy and their subsequent effect on hot tearing.The grain refiners were added at 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 wt.% levels. For the grain refinement and fading experiments, the castings were prepared using graphite moulds with holding times of 5, 10 and 20 minutes. For the hot tearing experiments, castings were produced representing the optimal addition level of each grain refiner. The castings were prepared using a permanent mould with pouring and mould temperatures of 720 and 180 ºC, respectively. The castings were characterized using SEM, TEM, optical microscopy and thermal analysis.

Research on Synthesizing Process under Ultrasound Coupling and Refining Performance of Al-Ti-C Grain Refiner

2012 ◽  
Vol 217-219 ◽  
pp. 377-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Long Li ◽  
Fu Rong Cao ◽  
Li Jin
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Master Alloy ◽  
Reduction Method ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Reaction Synthesis ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Synthesis Mechanism ◽  
Refining Performance

The microstructural characters and refining property of Al-Ti-C grain refinement alloy prepared by ultrasound coupling method were studied by analytical means such as SEM, and the reaction synthesis mechanism of Al-Ti-C grain refinement was discussed. Experimental results show that the Al-Ti-C alloy refiner using “thermite reduction method” under high-energy ultrasound was prepared experimentally. Its microstructure character is that master alloy has smaller size of TiC, its quantities are larger and are dispersed. Melt reaction is generally that the source of titanium releases Ti atoms under high temperature of ultrasonic. Ti atoms react with aluminum to generate TiAl3, and react with carbon to generate TiC.

Heterogeneous Nucleation for AZ91 with In Situ Synthesis Al4C3

2010 ◽  
Vol 97-101 ◽  
pp. 1069-1072
Author(s):  
Xue Quan Luo ◽  
Hong Min Guo ◽  
Xiang Jie Yang
Keyword(s):  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Magnesium Alloys ◽  
Master Alloy ◽  
Heterogeneous Nucleation ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
In Situ Synthesis ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Al Alloy

Heterogeneous nucleation is a critical factor for grain refinement magnesium alloys. The paper reports the Al-9wt.%Mg-10wt.%SiCp master alloy were prepared by adding SiCp into the Al-Mg molten with stirring in 610-595°C, which were introduced into AZ91. Experimental results indicated Al4C3 were in situ synthesis on the surface of SiCp by the reaction between SiCp and Al in 850°C, which could be as nucleant substrate for primary Mg during the solildification of magnesium alloys. This investigation provided a novel idea for grain refinement Mg-Al alloy.

Aluminium-Rich Coring Structures in Mg-Al Alloys with Carbon Inoculation

2010 ◽  
Vol 654-656 ◽  
pp. 675-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Ding Huang ◽  
Xiu Hua Zheng ◽  
Anopuo Okechukwu ◽  
Gyu Seok Kim ◽  
Karl Ulrich Kainer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Magnesium Alloys ◽  
Thermomechanical Processing ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Homogeneous Microstructure ◽  
Sem And Tem ◽  
Cast Magnesium Alloys ◽  
Carbon Inoculation ◽  
Cast Magnesium ◽  
Free Magnesium

A homogeneous microstructure of as-cast magnesium alloys is necessary to improve the formability during their subsequent thermomechanical processing. In Al-containing magnesium alloys, the grain refinement by carbon inoculation is considered to be the best approach until now. However, the mechanism of grain refinement is unclear. The present work investigates the coring microstructure in Mg-Al alloys inoculated with carbon using FIB, SEM and TEM techniques. In each grain one or more “hillocks” exist, enriched with carbon, manganese and aluminium. This is possibly related to the inhomogeneous nucleation of alpha-magnesium. The precipitates in these “hillocks” are always surrounded by the aluminium-rich zones. These characteristics of microstructure observed in Mg-Al alloys with carbon inoculation are compared with that observed in Al-free magnesium alloys inoculated by zirconium. The similarities between them are discussed. A novel mechanism is suggested to explain the grain refinement in Mg-Al alloys inoculated by carbon.

Influence of a Novel Master Alloy Addition on the Grain Refinement of Al-Si Cast Alloys

2013 ◽  
Vol 765 ◽  
pp. 311-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro Bolzoni ◽  
Magdalena Nowak ◽  
N. Hari Babu
Keyword(s):  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Master Alloy ◽  
Intermetallic Phases ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Grain Structure ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Casting Alloys ◽  
Alloy Addition ◽  
Cast Alloys ◽  
The Impact

The grain refinement practice using Ti based chemical additions is well established for wrought Al alloys, especially in the last few decades. In the case of Al-Si casting alloys the practice of adding grain refiners and the impact on castability is not well established in industries. The main reason is the chemical instability of conventionally known Ti based grain refiner which reacts with silicon forming intermetallic phases. Recently, researchers at Brunel University have identified a novel chemical composition that can refine the grain structure of Al-Si alloys in an effective way. Over the last year, this novel grain refiner in the form of master alloy was developed and tested in various Al-Si cast alloys that are commonly used in industry. Significant grain refinement is obtained when the master alloy is added to the liquid metal prior to casting. Moreover, the grain size of the Al-Si cast alloys is observed to be less sensitive to cooling rate when the master alloy is added. In this work, the influence of addition of the master alloy on microstructural evolution of various Al-Si alloys cast under various cooling rates is presented.

scholarly journals Effect of grain refinement on the microstructure, dendrite coherency and porosity of AZ91E magnesium alloy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Vlasceanu
Keyword(s):  
Magnesium Alloy ◽  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Growth Mechanism ◽  
Solid Fraction ◽  
Dendrite Growth ◽  
Dendritic Morphology ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Mg Alloys ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Dendrite Coherency

Magnesium (Mg) alloys present a promising alternative to aluminum (Al) alloys in lightweight applications. However, relative to Al alloys, Mg alloys have poor castability. Castability is influenced significantly by the dendrite coherency point (DCP), which represents the temperature, time, and solid fraction at which an interlocking solid network forms during solidification. An increase in the solid fraction at coherency may improve the castability of the alloy and reduce casting defects such as porosity, hot tears and misruns. A successful method for increasing the solid fraction at the DCP in Al alloys involves the use of grain refiners such as titanium (Ti). However, the influence of Ti refiners on the DCP in Mg alloys has not been thoroughly investigated. The objective of this research was to study the effect of Al-5Ti-1B refiner on the dendrite growth mechanism, DCP and porosity of AZ91E magnesium alloy. This thesis is a pioneering effort in relating the grain refinement effect of Ti on the DCP, coherency solid fraction, and porosity development during the solidification of Mg alloy, AZ91E. It represents an important step in improving the castability of Mg alloys. Varying levels of Al-5Ti1B grain refiner (0.005, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt.% Ti) were added to AZ91E. The effect of Al-5Ti-1B grain refiner on the microstructure and dendrite growth mechanism of AZ91E was investigated. Quench experiments were performed to observe transformations in the dendritic morphology that resulted from the refiner additions. The growth rate and DCP were determined using the rheological method. The changes in porosity levels were determined for the grain refiner additions.

Influence of SiC Particles on the Grain Refinement of an Mg-Al Alloy

2009 ◽  
Vol 618-619 ◽  
pp. 445-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Schiffl ◽  
Mark Easton
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Phase Equilibria ◽  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Al Alloy ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Sic Particles ◽  
Ternary Carbides

SiC particles are effective grain refiners in Mg-Al alloys. Several investigations, from different researchers, into their effect on a range of alloys with different Al contents has been undertaken and it has been found that the greatest reduction in grain size occurs in alloys having low Al contents. Performing grain refinement studies on a range of alloy contents also allows for further investigation into the mechanisms of grain refinement. It was found that the size of the SiC particles is also important in magnesium grain refinement. However, the presence of Mg2Si in the microstructure and the consideration of phase equilibria suggest that SiC can transform into other binary or ternary carbides. If such carbides are formed, they may also act as an effective grain refiner for Mg-Al alloys. In this study, the possibility of formation of new carbides (Al4C3, Al2MgC2, Mn7C3, Mg2C, Mg2C3, Al2CO etc.) and their ability to be good grain refiners for Mg-Al alloys is discussed.

scholarly journals Grain refinement of commercially pure aluminum with addition of Ti and Zr elements based on crystallography orientation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongwei Chen ◽  
Kang Yan
Keyword(s):  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Heterogeneous Nucleation ◽  
Pure Aluminum ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Orientation Relationships ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Heterogeneous Nucleation Site ◽  
Edge Matching ◽  
Commercially Pure ◽  
Al Matrix

Abstract The edge-to-edge matching (E2EM) model and electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) technique are used to explore the grain refinement mechanism of commercially pure Al through the addition of Ti and Zr elements. EBSD results show that there are favorable crystallography orientation relationships (ORs) between both Al3Ti and Al3Zr particles with α-Al matrix. Due to these ORs Al3Ti and Al3Zr particles act as the heterogeneous nucleation site during solidification nucleation of Al–Ti and Al–Zr alloys, respectively. Furthermore, both Al3Ti and Al3Zr particles have small values of interplanar spacing mismatch and interatomic spacing misfit with respect to α-Al matrix by using E2EM. It shows that micro-addition of Ti and Zr element is efficient heterogeneous nucleation refiner in commercial purity Al or Al alloys. Besides, there may be some other mechanisms in grain refinement of Al alloys with addition of Ti grain refiner.

Effects of AlN Particles and Electromagnetic Stirring on As-Cast Structure of AZ31 Alloys

2011 ◽  
Vol 675-677 ◽  
pp. 771-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Wei Gu ◽  
Hai Hao ◽  
Can Feng Fang ◽  
Shou Hua Ji ◽  
Xing Guo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Magnesium Alloy ◽  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Grain Growth ◽  
Magnesium Alloys ◽  
Electromagnetic Stirring ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Cast Structure ◽  
Fine Grain ◽  
Refinement Mechanism

A fine grain size generally leads to improved structural uniformity of magnesium alloys. AlN has been identified as a potential grain refiner and electromagnetic stirring may have great effects on microstructure and grain growth. This study will be focused on the effects of AlN particles and electromagnetic stirring on the as-cast structure of AZ31 alloys.The grain refinement mechanism of both methods on magnesium alloy and their interaction effects are also discussed.

Effect of Grain Refinement on Residual Strain and Hot Tearing in B206 Aluminum Alloy

2011 ◽  
Vol 409 ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco D'Elia ◽  
Comondore Ravindran ◽  
Dimitry Sediako
Keyword(s):  
Grain Refinement ◽  
Residual Strain ◽  
Lattice Strain ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Hot Tearing ◽  
High Susceptibility ◽  
Grain Refiner ◽  
Aluminum Copper Alloy ◽  
Lower Magnitude ◽  
And Control

Aluminum-copper alloy B206 has an excellent potential for use in automobiles as suspension knuckles and control arms. The main shortfall of this alloy however, is its high susceptibility to hot tearing. Grain refinement has been shown to reduce hot tearing severity in Al alloys. In the present study, Ti-B grain refiner was added at two levels (0.02 and 0.05 wt% Ti) to B206 to investigate the effect on hot tearing. Residual lattice strain was measured for each condition using neutron diffraction. Equiaxed fine grains significantly reduced hot tears in the alloy, and this resulted in a lower magnitude of residual strain along the casting.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document