Effects of T6 age hardening on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu cast aluminium alloy

Effects of T6 artificial aging heat treatment on microstructure, microhardness and ultimate tensile strength of Al-4.93 wt% Si-3.47 wt% Cu alloy were investigated. The T6 age hardening treatment consists of solution treatment at 500±5°C for 8 hours followed by quenching into hot water at 80°C and ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Amporn Wiengmoon, Pattama Apichai, John T.H. Pearce, Torranin Chairuangsri
Format: Book Series
Published: 2018
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Online Access:https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84884915177&origin=inward
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/52536
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Institution: Chiang Mai University
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Summary:Effects of T6 artificial aging heat treatment on microstructure, microhardness and ultimate tensile strength of Al-4.93 wt% Si-3.47 wt% Cu alloy were investigated. The T6 age hardening treatment consists of solution treatment at 500±5°C for 8 hours followed by quenching into hot water at 80°C and artificial aging at 150, 170, 200 and 230°C for 1-48 hours followed by quenching into hot water. Microstructure was characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD and SEM revealed that the microstructure in the as-cast condition consists of primary dendritic α-Al, acicular-plate and globular forms of eutectic Si and intermetallic phases including globular Al2Cu and a flake-shape Al5FeSi. By T6 aging hardening, some intermetallics were dissolved and spheroidized. The volume fraction of eutectic phases in the as-cast, solution-treated, and solution-treated plus aging at 170°C for 24 hours is 17%, 12% and 10%, respectively. TEM results showed that precipitates in under-aging condition at 170° C for 6 hours are in the form of disc shape with the diameter in the range of 7-20 nm. At peak aging at 170°C for 24 hours, thin plate precipitates with about 3-10 nm in thickness and 20-100 nm in length were found, lengthening to about 30-200 nm at longer aging time. The microhardness and ultimate tensile strength were increased from 71 HV0.05 and 227 MPa in the as-cast condition up to 140 HV0.05 and 400 MPa after solution treatment plus aging at 170°C for 24 hours, and decreased at prolong aging time. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.