Zirconium(Zr)emerges as the most effective grain refiner for magnesium(Mg)alloys incorporating Zr.Typically,Zr is introduced in the form of an Mg–Zr master alloy.However,within Mg–Zr master alloys,Zr predominantly e...Zirconium(Zr)emerges as the most effective grain refiner for magnesium(Mg)alloys incorporating Zr.Typically,Zr is introduced in the form of an Mg–Zr master alloy.However,within Mg–Zr master alloys,Zr predominantly exists in a particle form,which tends to aggregate due to attractive van der Waals forces.The clustered Zr is prone to settling,thereby reducing its refining impact on Mg alloys.In this work,a combined pretreatment process for Mg–Zr master alloys was proposed,encompassing the introduction of a physical field to intervene the agglomeration of particle Zr and the employ of high-temperature dissolution and peritectic reactions to promote the solid solution of Zr.The results demonstrate that the particle Zr within the pretreated Mg–Zr master alloy is effectively dispersed and refined,and greater solute Zr levels can be achieved.The subsequent grain refinement ability was studied on a typical Mg–6Zn–0.6Zr(wt%)alloy.The outcome highlights that an improvement in the grain refinement efficacy(32.4%)of Mg–Zr master alloys was obtained with a holding time of 60 min.The pretreated Mg–Zr master alloy significantly augments the efficiency of grain refinement for Mg alloys through a synergistic strategy involving heterogeneous nucleation and solute-driven growth restriction.The crucial factor in achieving effective grain refinement of Zr in Mg alloys lies in regulating the presence and morphology of Zr in the Mg–Zr master alloy,distinguishing between particle Zr and solute Zr.This study introduces a novel method for developing more efficient Mg–Zr refiners.展开更多
Al-3B master alloy is a kind of efficient grain refiner for hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of undissolved AlB2 particles in Al-3B master alloy on the grain refinement of...Al-3B master alloy is a kind of efficient grain refiner for hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of undissolved AlB2 particles in Al-3B master alloy on the grain refinement of Al-7Si. It is found that the number and the settlement of AlB2 particles in the melt all have effect on the grain refining efficiency. On the basis of experiments and theoretical analysis, a new grain refinement mechanism was proposed to explain the grain refinement action of Al-3B on hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. The formation of ＇Al-AlB2＇ shell structure is the direct reason for grain refinement and the undissolved AlB2 particles is the indirect nucleating base for subsequent α（Al） phase.展开更多
The effects of grain refining parameters on microstructure of AM60B magnesium alloy with MgCO3 were investigated and then a refining technique was developed.Simultaneously,the corresponding mechanisms were discussed.T...The effects of grain refining parameters on microstructure of AM60B magnesium alloy with MgCO3 were investigated and then a refining technique was developed.Simultaneously,the corresponding mechanisms were discussed.The results indicate that increasing addition temperature of MgCO3 or pouring temperature is beneficial for obtaining fine grains.There is an optimal addition amount of 1.2%at the addition temperature of 790°C.Prolonging holding time at 790°C will increase grain size.The grain refining technique that 1.2%MgCO3 is added at 790°C followed by holding for 10 min and pouring can decrease the grain size from 348μm of the un-refined alloy to 69μm.The nucleation substrates are actually the Al4C3 particles formed from reactions between the MgCO3 and alloying elements in the melt.Besides the heterogeneous nucleation regime,growth restriction of the Al4C3 particles agglomerated at growing front is the other mechanism.展开更多
Al-7.5Si-4Cu cast alloy melt modified by Al-5Ti-B, RE and Al-10Sr master alloys were poured in the chromite sand moulds, to investigate comparatively the effects of individual or combined additions of grain refiners a...Al-7.5Si-4Cu cast alloy melt modified by Al-5Ti-B, RE and Al-10Sr master alloys were poured in the chromite sand moulds, to investigate comparatively the effects of individual or combined additions of grain refiners and modifiers on the mechanical properties, microstructures, grain refining and modification, and intermetallic compounds of the alloy. The results show that the mechanical properties and the microstructures of Al-7.5Si-4Cu cast alloys are improved immensely by combining addition of 0.8%Al-5Ti-B, 0.1%RE and 0.1%Al-10Sr grain refiners and modifiers compared with the individual addition and cast conditions. For individual addition condition, addition of 0.8%Al-5Ti-B master alloy can obtain superior tensile strength, Brinell hardness and finer equiaxedα（Al） dendrites. The alloy with 0.1%RE master alloy shows the highest improvement in ductility because the rare earth can purify the molten metal and change the shape of intermetallic compounds. While the alloy with 0.1%Al-10Sr modifier shows only good improvement in yield strength, and the improvement of other performance is unsatisfactory. The Al-10Sr modifier has a significant metamorphism for the eutectic silicon, but will make the gas content in the aluminum alloy melt increase to form serious columnar grain structures. The effects of grain refining and modification on mean area and aspect ratio have the same conclusions obtained in the mechanical properties and the microstructures analyses.展开更多
A novel A1-Ti-C master alloy containing A14C3 and TiC particle clusters, which exhibits great refining potential for Mg, was prepared. With the addition of 2% A1-Ti-C master alloy, the grains transform to equiaxed cry...A novel A1-Ti-C master alloy containing A14C3 and TiC particle clusters, which exhibits great refining potential for Mg, was prepared. With the addition of 2% A1-Ti-C master alloy, the grains transform to equiaxed crystal with a diameter of （110-a：17） ~tm. The results indicate that A14C3 and TiC particle cluster, rather than a single particle, plays an important role in the refining process. Compared with the simplex smooth nucleating substrate, concave regions on the particle cluster provide easier route for the transformation from liquid Mg atoms to stable nucleus. Nucleus with a small size can also reach the critical nucleation radius when they attach on the concave regions of the substrate. A14C3 and TiC particle clusters thus become more favorable nucleating substrate for a-Mg grains.展开更多
Magnesium is the lightest constructional metal,which makes it an important material for different applications like automotive,transportation,aviation and aerospace.There are several studies about developing propertie...Magnesium is the lightest constructional metal,which makes it an important material for different applications like automotive,transportation,aviation and aerospace.There are several studies about developing properties of existing Mg alloys and introducing new alloy systems to industrial producers.An important way to improve properties of metallic materials is to decrease grain size that results almost in increasing all kind of properties of the material.This review paper aims to summarize the literature about grain refining of magnesium alloys.The text is consisting of three sections,which focused on the(1)grain refining methods used in the past,which are not used today,(2)grain refining methods currently being used in the industry and(3)novel and newly developed methods that may find usage in the industry in future.Before explaining grain refining methods of magnesium alloys a general summary about grain refinement of metals is also provided.展开更多
Hot rolling of AZ31 Mg alloy was performed by using as-cast alloy ingot as the starting material.The microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-rolled alloy subjected to various rolling passes were investigat...Hot rolling of AZ31 Mg alloy was performed by using as-cast alloy ingot as the starting material.The microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-rolled alloy subjected to various rolling passes were investigated.The results show that the grain size of the alloy can be refined steadily with increasing rolling passes by dynamic recrystallization.With the steady refining of the grain size,both the mechanical strength and the plasticity of the alloy are improved correspondingly.In particular,when the grain size is reduced to about 5μm after 5 rolling passes,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and tensile fracture strain of the alloy are 211 MPa,280 MPa and 0.28 in the transverse direction,they are 200 MPa,268 MPa and 0.32 in the rolling direction,respectively.展开更多
Grain refinement of Al alloys inoculated by rare earth elements,such as Sc,has been extensively acknowledged,while the practical behavior of how inoculant Al_(3)Sc particles affect the refinement in solidification has...Grain refinement of Al alloys inoculated by rare earth elements,such as Sc,has been extensively acknowledged,while the practical behavior of how inoculant Al_(3)Sc particles affect the refinement in solidification has not been clarified due to the non-transparency of the solidification process.Here,the microstructural evolution of primary Al_(3)Sc particles andα-Al grains in Al-10 wt.%Cu alloy solidifications with 0.2 wt.%,0.6 wt.%,and 1.0 wt.%Sc additions was investigated by in situ synchrotron X-ray radiography.The detailed mechanisms of curve motion of grains(CMG)and melt convection were revealed.The efficient grains nucleation,uniformly scattered small initial grains,and long duration of melt convection contributed to the best refinement in the 0.6 wt.%Sc addition sample.This work provides a deep insight into grain refinement in solidification with Sc addition,which will enlighten the composition design and casting process of Al alloys inoculated by rare earth elements.展开更多
Heat transfer of flow melt and grain refining mechanism during melt treatment by the cooling sloping plate were investigated. The results show that the cooling sloping plate can refine not only grains of alloys but al...Heat transfer of flow melt and grain refining mechanism during melt treatment by the cooling sloping plate were investigated. The results show that the cooling sloping plate can refine not only grains of alloys but also can obviously refine pure metal. Cooling ability of the plate is the key factor that induces grain refining, the plate material and the flow amount can affect cooling rate of the melt and thus affect refining effectiveness. The cooling rate of the melt on the cooling sloping plate is much faster than that of the conventional casting process, which can reach 1000 K/s and belongs to meta-rapid solidification scope. The thickness of the temperature boundary layer is much larger than that of the velocity boundary layer on the sloping plate, but the temperature gradient is small in the temperature boundary layer. Under strong cooling action by the cooling plate, most parts of the melt on the plate surface can form undercooling, which causes continuous eruptive nucleation, this is the main grain refining mechanism, and the heterogeneous nucleation on the plate surface is a helpful supplement for the nucleation.展开更多
The fatigue-creep interaction behaviour of superalloy GH698 with different grain sizes has been studied at 700℃.The results show that three zones,F,C and FC,can be distinguished at the fatigue-creep interaction curve...The fatigue-creep interaction behaviour of superalloy GH698 with different grain sizes has been studied at 700℃.The results show that three zones,F,C and FC,can be distinguished at the fatigue-creep interaction curves.In zones FC and C,the presence of alternative stresses inhibits the creep deformation process therefore delays the fracture of the alloy.This effect will be enhanced by grain refining.However,in zone F,grain refining exhibits an inverse ef fect under large alternative stresses.展开更多
The influence of equal channel angular extrusion preheating on the microstructure of NiTi was examined. Temperatures under non-isothermal condition is 750, 850 and 950 ℃, and ram speed was 25 mm·s^(-1). The micr...The influence of equal channel angular extrusion preheating on the microstructure of NiTi was examined. Temperatures under non-isothermal condition is 750, 850 and 950 ℃, and ram speed was 25 mm·s^(-1). The micrographs showed that processing by each of the three temperatures via ECAE can refine the initial coarse grains of NiTi (as-received) after the first pass, and the developments of microstructure were quite different under different hot-working conditions. The influence of ECAE preheating (including temperature and time) on the microstructure of nickel-titanium was analyzed.展开更多
The effects of superheating temperature on the grain refining efficiency of Ti existing in electrolytic low-titanium aluminum(ELTA)without and with the Al-4B addition and the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy in pure Al were com...The effects of superheating temperature on the grain refining efficiency of Ti existing in electrolytic low-titanium aluminum(ELTA)without and with the Al-4B addition and the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy in pure Al were comparatively investigated. The results show that the Ti existing in ELTA without Al-4B addition exhibits a certain grain refining efficiency when the melt superheating temperature is lower,but the efficiency decreases rapidly when the superheating temperature is higher.The grain refining efficiency of the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy is better than that of the Ti existing in ELTA without Al-4B addition at any superheating temperature,but it also decreases obviously with the increase of the superheating temperature.One important reason is that the TiB2 particles coming from the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy can settle down at the bottom of the Al melt easily when the superheating temperature is increased,thus decrease the number of the potent heterogeneous nuclei retained in the Al melt.If the Al-4B master alloy is added to the ELTA melt,the grain refining efficiency of the Ti existing in ELTA can be improved significantly, and does not decrease with the increase of the superheating temperature.This perhaps provides us a possible method to suppress the effect of the superheated melt on the microstructures of aluminum..展开更多
Al-Ti-B-Er refiner was successfully prepared by CR （contact reaction process）, a process based on SHS （self propagating high-temperature synthesis）. The microstructure of the alloy was studied by optical microscop...Al-Ti-B-Er refiner was successfully prepared by CR （contact reaction process）, a process based on SHS （self propagating high-temperature synthesis）. The microstructure of the alloy was studied by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） equipped with energy-dispersive spectrometry. The results showed that Al-Ti-B-Er alloy was composed of α-Al, block-like TiAl3 and flocked TiB2. Compared with Al-Ti-B refiner, formation of TiAlEr compounds, Er modified the morphology of TiAl3 phase, and dispersed the TiB2 and TiAl3. An excellent grain refining performance was obtained when adding 1 wt.% Al-Ti-B-Er in Al-10Zn-1.9Mg-1.6Cu-0.12Zr alloy, the average grain size was about 40 μm. The refinement mechanism of Al-Ti-B-Er was also discussed. Er changed the morphology of TiAl3, TiB2 phase, the refiner would be more efficient. The decomposition of TiAlEr compounds which released Er refrained the growth of TiAl3 and made TiB2 difficult to aggregate or deposit, therefore resulted in more particles being efficient nucleation substrate.展开更多
Grain refinement is critical for fabricating high-quality Al-Si casting components in the application of automobile and aerospace industries,while the well-known Si-poisoning effect makes it difficult.Nbbased refiners...Grain refinement is critical for fabricating high-quality Al-Si casting components in the application of automobile and aerospace industries,while the well-known Si-poisoning effect makes it difficult.Nbbased refiners offer an effective method to refine Al-Si casting alloys,but their anti Si-poisoning capability is far from being understood.In this work,the grain refining mechanism and the anti Si-poisoning effect in the Al-10 Si/Al-5 Nb-B system were systematically investigated by combining transmission electron microscope,first-principles calculations,and thermodynamic calculations.It is revealed that NbB_(2)provides the main nucleation site in the Al-10 Si ingot inoculated by 0.1 wt.%Nb Al-5 Nb-B refiner.The exposed Nb atoms on the(0001)NbB_(2)and(1-100)NbB_(2)surface can be substituted by Al to form(Al,Nb)B_(2)intermedia layers.In addition,a layer of NbAl_(3)-like compound(NbAl_(3)')can cover the surface of NbB_(2)with the orientation relation of(1-100)[11-20]NbB_(2/)/(110)[110]NbAl_(3)'.Both of the(Al,Nb)B_(2)and NbAl_(3)'intermedia layers contribute to enhancing the nucleation potency of NbB_(2)particles.These discoveries provide fundamental insight to the grain refining mechanism of the Nb-B based refiners for Al-Si casting alloys and are expected to guide the future development of stronger refiners for Al-Si casting alloys.展开更多
AM30 was inoculated by MgCO_(3) powder with different holding time.The influence of MgO decomposed by MgCO_(3)on the grain refinement effect was mainly discussed in the present study.Three sets of comparative samples ...AM30 was inoculated by MgCO_(3) powder with different holding time.The influence of MgO decomposed by MgCO_(3)on the grain refinement effect was mainly discussed in the present study.Three sets of comparative samples were prepared.They were AM30 alloy inoculated by MgO and pure Mg inoculated by MgO and MgCO_(3).The possible nucleating particles were observed and analyzed by EPMA and SEM.AM30 alloy could be effectively refined by either MgCO_(3)or MgO inoculation.Grain refining efficiency and fading effect of MgO inoculation were better than those of MgCO_(3) inoculation.However,pure Mg could not be refined by these two inoculants.Al is an indispensable element to determine the grain refinement of Mg alloys inoculated by either MgCO_(3)or MgO.MgO should not be the effective substrates forα-Mg phase.A novel grain refining mechanism of MgCO_(3) inoculation on AM30 alloy was proposed by combining experimental results with theoretical calculation,i.e.,MgAl_(2)O_(4) should be the potent nuclei ofα-Mg grain for the AM30 alloy in addition to Al_(4)C_(3).展开更多
An Al 50wt%TiC composite was directly synthesized by self propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) technology,and then was used as a grain refining master alloy for commercially pure aluminum.The microstructure...An Al 50wt%TiC composite was directly synthesized by self propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) technology,and then was used as a grain refining master alloy for commercially pure aluminum.The microstructure and grain refining performance of the synthesized master alloy were emphatically investigated.The SHS master alloy only contained submicron TiC particles except for Al matrix.Moreover,TiC particles were relatively free of agglomeration. Grain refining tests show that adding only 0.1 wt% of the master alloys to the aluminum melt could transform the structure of the solidified samples from coarse columnar grains to fine equiaxed grains (average grain size 120μm),and that this grain refining effectiveness could be maintained for almost 1.5h at 1003K. Therefore,it is concluded that the SHS master alloy is an effective grain refiner for aluminum and its alloys, and that it is highly resistant to the grain refining fading encountered with most grain refiners.展开更多
Al-LaB6 alloy was successfully prepared by aluminum melt reaction method. Microstmcture analysis of this alloy was carried out by field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, Raman spectroscopy and transmiss...Al-LaB6 alloy was successfully prepared by aluminum melt reaction method. Microstmcture analysis of this alloy was carried out by field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It was found that cubic LaB6 particles were highly dispersed in aluminum matrix with a uniform edge length of about 4.5 μm. Grain refining potency of LaB6 on commercial pure aluminum was also investigated. It was shown that LaB6 could act as an effective and stable nucleation substrate for α-Al during solidification process, due to their crystallographic similarity. The coarse grains of commercial pure aluminum were obviously refined to small equiaxed ones by addition of 0.5% Al-5LaB6 alloy at 720 ℃.展开更多
The effects of grain refining parameters on grain size of AM60B magnesium alloy have been investigated using an Al-5Ti-IB master alloy as refiner; and an appropriate refining technique has been developed. The results ...The effects of grain refining parameters on grain size of AM60B magnesium alloy have been investigated using an Al-5Ti-IB master alloy as refiner; and an appropriate refining technique has been developed. The results indicate that the Al-Ti-B master alloy is an effective grain refiner for AM60B alloy and the grain size can be decreased from 348 μm to 76 μm. Raising the addition temperature or the poudng temperature is beneficial for grain refinement; while for the addition amount and holding time, there is an optimal value. The appropriate grain refining technique is that 0.3% Al-Ti-B master alloy is added at 780℃ and then the melt is held for 30 min before pouring. The above phenomena can be explained by the refining mechanisms that have been proposed from the related studies on Al and Mg alloys and theoretical analysis.展开更多
The 2024 aluminum alloy is used extensively in the aircraft and aerospace industries because of its excellent mechanical properties.However,the weldability of 2024 aluminum alloy is generally low because it contains a...The 2024 aluminum alloy is used extensively in the aircraft and aerospace industries because of its excellent mechanical properties.However,the weldability of 2024 aluminum alloy is generally low because it contains a high number of solutes,such as copper(Cu),magnesium(Mg),and manganese(Mn),causing solidification cracking.If high speed welding of 2024 aluminum alloy without the use of filler is achieved,the applicability of 2024 aluminum alloys will expand.Grain refining is one of the methods used to prevent solidification cracking in weld metal,although it has never been achieved for high-speed laser welding of 2024 aluminum alloy without filler.Here,we propose a short-pulsed,laser-induced,grain-refining method during continuous wave laser welding without filler.Bead-on-plate welding was performed on a 2024-T3 aluminum alloy at a welding speed of 1 m min−1 with a single mode fiber laser at a wavelength of 1070 nm and power of 1 kW.Areas in and around the molten pool were irradiated with nanosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 1064 nm,pulse width of 10 ns,and pulse energy of 430 mJ.The grain-refinement effect was confirmed when laser pulses were irradiated on the molten pool.The grain-refinement region was formed in a semicircular shape along the solid–liquid interface.Results of the vertical section indicate that the grain-refinement region reached a depth of 1 mm along the solid–liquid interface.The Vickers hardness test results demonstrated that the hardness increased as a result of grain refinement and that the progress of solidification cracking was suppressed in the grain refinement region.展开更多
Effect of TiO x particle on grain refining of HAZ during the welding thermal cycle was analyzed.It shows that HAZ would have better post-welding low temperature toughness if it contains plenty of TiO x particles.This ...Effect of TiO x particle on grain refining of HAZ during the welding thermal cycle was analyzed.It shows that HAZ would have better post-welding low temperature toughness if it contains plenty of TiO x particles.This phenomenon can be explained by the following aspects.As we know,welding thermal cycle include a rapid heating process and a cooling process.During the heating-up period,high melting TiO x particles which contains NbC with the size below 1μm can make a stronger pining force on the gain boundary migration than pure NbC ones,this effect restrain the austenite growth and control the austenite grain size to a certain extent.Then,when the cooling process begins,TiO x particles containing MnS with the size between 1 to 3μm act as a nucleation site for the intragranular acicular ferrite (IAF).Although the growth of bainite would extrude the IAF and make the smooth edge of IAF deformed,it still can not grow through the IAF.Just owing to the pining effect of TiO x-NbC particles and the hindering effect of IAF induced by the TiO x-MnS particles,prior austenite grains haven’t undergone a rapid growth during the heating process and these austenite grains are divided into small regions by the IAF finally.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2021YFB3501001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52061028)the Major Research and Development Projects of Jiangxi Province(No.20223BBE51021).
文摘Zirconium(Zr)emerges as the most effective grain refiner for magnesium(Mg)alloys incorporating Zr.Typically,Zr is introduced in the form of an Mg–Zr master alloy.However,within Mg–Zr master alloys,Zr predominantly exists in a particle form,which tends to aggregate due to attractive van der Waals forces.The clustered Zr is prone to settling,thereby reducing its refining impact on Mg alloys.In this work,a combined pretreatment process for Mg–Zr master alloys was proposed,encompassing the introduction of a physical field to intervene the agglomeration of particle Zr and the employ of high-temperature dissolution and peritectic reactions to promote the solid solution of Zr.The results demonstrate that the particle Zr within the pretreated Mg–Zr master alloy is effectively dispersed and refined,and greater solute Zr levels can be achieved.The subsequent grain refinement ability was studied on a typical Mg–6Zn–0.6Zr(wt%)alloy.The outcome highlights that an improvement in the grain refinement efficacy(32.4%)of Mg–Zr master alloys was obtained with a holding time of 60 min.The pretreated Mg–Zr master alloy significantly augments the efficiency of grain refinement for Mg alloys through a synergistic strategy involving heterogeneous nucleation and solute-driven growth restriction.The crucial factor in achieving effective grain refinement of Zr in Mg alloys lies in regulating the presence and morphology of Zr in the Mg–Zr master alloy,distinguishing between particle Zr and solute Zr.This study introduces a novel method for developing more efficient Mg–Zr refiners.
基金Project supported by Tsinghua-Wuxi Science Foundation, China
文摘Al-3B master alloy is a kind of efficient grain refiner for hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of undissolved AlB2 particles in Al-3B master alloy on the grain refinement of Al-7Si. It is found that the number and the settlement of AlB2 particles in the melt all have effect on the grain refining efficiency. On the basis of experiments and theoretical analysis, a new grain refinement mechanism was proposed to explain the grain refinement action of Al-3B on hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. The formation of ＇Al-AlB2＇ shell structure is the direct reason for grain refinement and the undissolved AlB2 particles is the indirect nucleating base for subsequent α（Al） phase.
基金Project(G2010CB635106)supported by the National Basic Research Program of ChinaProject(NCET-10-0023) supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of China
文摘The effects of grain refining parameters on microstructure of AM60B magnesium alloy with MgCO3 were investigated and then a refining technique was developed.Simultaneously,the corresponding mechanisms were discussed.The results indicate that increasing addition temperature of MgCO3 or pouring temperature is beneficial for obtaining fine grains.There is an optimal addition amount of 1.2%at the addition temperature of 790°C.Prolonging holding time at 790°C will increase grain size.The grain refining technique that 1.2%MgCO3 is added at 790°C followed by holding for 10 min and pouring can decrease the grain size from 348μm of the un-refined alloy to 69μm.The nucleation substrates are actually the Al4C3 particles formed from reactions between the MgCO3 and alloying elements in the melt.Besides the heterogeneous nucleation regime,growth restriction of the Al4C3 particles agglomerated at growing front is the other mechanism.
基金Project (09C26279200863) supported by Technology Innovation Fund Project of High-tech Small and Medium Enterprises,Ministry of Science and Technology of ChinaProject (BA2011084) supported by Special Fund Project on Science and Technology Achievement Transformation of Jiangsu Province,China
文摘Al-7.5Si-4Cu cast alloy melt modified by Al-5Ti-B, RE and Al-10Sr master alloys were poured in the chromite sand moulds, to investigate comparatively the effects of individual or combined additions of grain refiners and modifiers on the mechanical properties, microstructures, grain refining and modification, and intermetallic compounds of the alloy. The results show that the mechanical properties and the microstructures of Al-7.5Si-4Cu cast alloys are improved immensely by combining addition of 0.8%Al-5Ti-B, 0.1%RE and 0.1%Al-10Sr grain refiners and modifiers compared with the individual addition and cast conditions. For individual addition condition, addition of 0.8%Al-5Ti-B master alloy can obtain superior tensile strength, Brinell hardness and finer equiaxedα（Al） dendrites. The alloy with 0.1%RE master alloy shows the highest improvement in ductility because the rare earth can purify the molten metal and change the shape of intermetallic compounds. While the alloy with 0.1%Al-10Sr modifier shows only good improvement in yield strength, and the improvement of other performance is unsatisfactory. The Al-10Sr modifier has a significant metamorphism for the eutectic silicon, but will make the gas content in the aluminum alloy melt increase to form serious columnar grain structures. The effects of grain refining and modification on mean area and aspect ratio have the same conclusions obtained in the mechanical properties and the microstructures analyses.
基金Project(DUT15JJ(G)01) supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,ChinaProject(2009AA03Z525) supported by the National High-tech Research and Development Program of China
文摘A novel A1-Ti-C master alloy containing A14C3 and TiC particle clusters, which exhibits great refining potential for Mg, was prepared. With the addition of 2% A1-Ti-C master alloy, the grains transform to equiaxed crystal with a diameter of （110-a：17） ~tm. The results indicate that A14C3 and TiC particle cluster, rather than a single particle, plays an important role in the refining process. Compared with the simplex smooth nucleating substrate, concave regions on the particle cluster provide easier route for the transformation from liquid Mg atoms to stable nucleus. Nucleus with a small size can also reach the critical nucleation radius when they attach on the concave regions of the substrate. A14C3 and TiC particle clusters thus become more favorable nucleating substrate for a-Mg grains.
文摘Magnesium is the lightest constructional metal,which makes it an important material for different applications like automotive,transportation,aviation and aerospace.There are several studies about developing properties of existing Mg alloys and introducing new alloy systems to industrial producers.An important way to improve properties of metallic materials is to decrease grain size that results almost in increasing all kind of properties of the material.This review paper aims to summarize the literature about grain refining of magnesium alloys.The text is consisting of three sections,which focused on the(1)grain refining methods used in the past,which are not used today,(2)grain refining methods currently being used in the industry and(3)novel and newly developed methods that may find usage in the industry in future.Before explaining grain refining methods of magnesium alloys a general summary about grain refinement of metals is also provided.
文摘Hot rolling of AZ31 Mg alloy was performed by using as-cast alloy ingot as the starting material.The microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-rolled alloy subjected to various rolling passes were investigated.The results show that the grain size of the alloy can be refined steadily with increasing rolling passes by dynamic recrystallization.With the steady refining of the grain size,both the mechanical strength and the plasticity of the alloy are improved correspondingly.In particular,when the grain size is reduced to about 5μm after 5 rolling passes,the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and tensile fracture strain of the alloy are 211 MPa,280 MPa and 0.28 in the transverse direction,they are 200 MPa,268 MPa and 0.32 in the rolling direction,respectively.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51627802,51871152 and 51971237)the Shanghai Pujiang Program(No.21PJD030)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2020YFB0311200)。
文摘Grain refinement of Al alloys inoculated by rare earth elements,such as Sc,has been extensively acknowledged,while the practical behavior of how inoculant Al_(3)Sc particles affect the refinement in solidification has not been clarified due to the non-transparency of the solidification process.Here,the microstructural evolution of primary Al_(3)Sc particles andα-Al grains in Al-10 wt.%Cu alloy solidifications with 0.2 wt.%,0.6 wt.%,and 1.0 wt.%Sc additions was investigated by in situ synchrotron X-ray radiography.The detailed mechanisms of curve motion of grains(CMG)and melt convection were revealed.The efficient grains nucleation,uniformly scattered small initial grains,and long duration of melt convection contributed to the best refinement in the 0.6 wt.%Sc addition sample.This work provides a deep insight into grain refinement in solidification with Sc addition,which will enlighten the composition design and casting process of Al alloys inoculated by rare earth elements.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51034002 and 50974038)the Fok Ying Tong Education Foundation (No. 132002)National Basic Research Program of China (973 program)(No.2011CB610405)
文摘Heat transfer of flow melt and grain refining mechanism during melt treatment by the cooling sloping plate were investigated. The results show that the cooling sloping plate can refine not only grains of alloys but also can obviously refine pure metal. Cooling ability of the plate is the key factor that induces grain refining, the plate material and the flow amount can affect cooling rate of the melt and thus affect refining effectiveness. The cooling rate of the melt on the cooling sloping plate is much faster than that of the conventional casting process, which can reach 1000 K/s and belongs to meta-rapid solidification scope. The thickness of the temperature boundary layer is much larger than that of the velocity boundary layer on the sloping plate, but the temperature gradient is small in the temperature boundary layer. Under strong cooling action by the cooling plate, most parts of the melt on the plate surface can form undercooling, which causes continuous eruptive nucleation, this is the main grain refining mechanism, and the heterogeneous nucleation on the plate surface is a helpful supplement for the nucleation.
文摘The fatigue-creep interaction behaviour of superalloy GH698 with different grain sizes has been studied at 700℃.The results show that three zones,F,C and FC,can be distinguished at the fatigue-creep interaction curves.In zones FC and C,the presence of alternative stresses inhibits the creep deformation process therefore delays the fracture of the alloy.This effect will be enhanced by grain refining.However,in zone F,grain refining exhibits an inverse ef fect under large alternative stresses.
文摘The influence of equal channel angular extrusion preheating on the microstructure of NiTi was examined. Temperatures under non-isothermal condition is 750, 850 and 950 ℃, and ram speed was 25 mm·s^(-1). The micrographs showed that processing by each of the three temperatures via ECAE can refine the initial coarse grains of NiTi (as-received) after the first pass, and the developments of microstructure were quite different under different hot-working conditions. The influence of ECAE preheating (including temperature and time) on the microstructure of nickel-titanium was analyzed.
文摘The effects of superheating temperature on the grain refining efficiency of Ti existing in electrolytic low-titanium aluminum(ELTA)without and with the Al-4B addition and the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy in pure Al were comparatively investigated. The results show that the Ti existing in ELTA without Al-4B addition exhibits a certain grain refining efficiency when the melt superheating temperature is lower,but the efficiency decreases rapidly when the superheating temperature is higher.The grain refining efficiency of the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy is better than that of the Ti existing in ELTA without Al-4B addition at any superheating temperature,but it also decreases obviously with the increase of the superheating temperature.One important reason is that the TiB2 particles coming from the Al-5Ti-1B master alloy can settle down at the bottom of the Al melt easily when the superheating temperature is increased,thus decrease the number of the potent heterogeneous nuclei retained in the Al melt.If the Al-4B master alloy is added to the ELTA melt,the grain refining efficiency of the Ti existing in ELTA can be improved significantly, and does not decrease with the increase of the superheating temperature.This perhaps provides us a possible method to suppress the effect of the superheated melt on the microstructures of aluminum..
基金supported by Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(KZ20122100050008)National Basic Research Program of China(2012CB6198503)
文摘Al-Ti-B-Er refiner was successfully prepared by CR （contact reaction process）, a process based on SHS （self propagating high-temperature synthesis）. The microstructure of the alloy was studied by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） equipped with energy-dispersive spectrometry. The results showed that Al-Ti-B-Er alloy was composed of α-Al, block-like TiAl3 and flocked TiB2. Compared with Al-Ti-B refiner, formation of TiAlEr compounds, Er modified the morphology of TiAl3 phase, and dispersed the TiB2 and TiAl3. An excellent grain refining performance was obtained when adding 1 wt.% Al-Ti-B-Er in Al-10Zn-1.9Mg-1.6Cu-0.12Zr alloy, the average grain size was about 40 μm. The refinement mechanism of Al-Ti-B-Er was also discussed. Er changed the morphology of TiAl3, TiB2 phase, the refiner would be more efficient. The decomposition of TiAlEr compounds which released Er refrained the growth of TiAl3 and made TiB2 difficult to aggregate or deposit, therefore resulted in more particles being efficient nucleation substrate.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51871138)Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(19010500400)the 111 project(No.D16002)。
文摘Grain refinement is critical for fabricating high-quality Al-Si casting components in the application of automobile and aerospace industries,while the well-known Si-poisoning effect makes it difficult.Nbbased refiners offer an effective method to refine Al-Si casting alloys,but their anti Si-poisoning capability is far from being understood.In this work,the grain refining mechanism and the anti Si-poisoning effect in the Al-10 Si/Al-5 Nb-B system were systematically investigated by combining transmission electron microscope,first-principles calculations,and thermodynamic calculations.It is revealed that NbB_(2)provides the main nucleation site in the Al-10 Si ingot inoculated by 0.1 wt.%Nb Al-5 Nb-B refiner.The exposed Nb atoms on the(0001)NbB_(2)and(1-100)NbB_(2)surface can be substituted by Al to form(Al,Nb)B_(2)intermedia layers.In addition,a layer of NbAl_(3)-like compound(NbAl_(3)')can cover the surface of NbB_(2)with the orientation relation of(1-100)[11-20]NbB_(2/)/(110)[110]NbAl_(3)'.Both of the(Al,Nb)B_(2)and NbAl_(3)'intermedia layers contribute to enhancing the nucleation potency of NbB_(2)particles.These discoveries provide fundamental insight to the grain refining mechanism of the Nb-B based refiners for Al-Si casting alloys and are expected to guide the future development of stronger refiners for Al-Si casting alloys.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51574127)Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2014A030313221).
文摘AM30 was inoculated by MgCO_(3) powder with different holding time.The influence of MgO decomposed by MgCO_(3)on the grain refinement effect was mainly discussed in the present study.Three sets of comparative samples were prepared.They were AM30 alloy inoculated by MgO and pure Mg inoculated by MgO and MgCO_(3).The possible nucleating particles were observed and analyzed by EPMA and SEM.AM30 alloy could be effectively refined by either MgCO_(3)or MgO inoculation.Grain refining efficiency and fading effect of MgO inoculation were better than those of MgCO_(3) inoculation.However,pure Mg could not be refined by these two inoculants.Al is an indispensable element to determine the grain refinement of Mg alloys inoculated by either MgCO_(3)or MgO.MgO should not be the effective substrates forα-Mg phase.A novel grain refining mechanism of MgCO_(3) inoculation on AM30 alloy was proposed by combining experimental results with theoretical calculation,i.e.,MgAl_(2)O_(4) should be the potent nuclei ofα-Mg grain for the AM30 alloy in addition to Al_(4)C_(3).
文摘An Al 50wt%TiC composite was directly synthesized by self propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) technology,and then was used as a grain refining master alloy for commercially pure aluminum.The microstructure and grain refining performance of the synthesized master alloy were emphatically investigated.The SHS master alloy only contained submicron TiC particles except for Al matrix.Moreover,TiC particles were relatively free of agglomeration. Grain refining tests show that adding only 0.1 wt% of the master alloys to the aluminum melt could transform the structure of the solidified samples from coarse columnar grains to fine equiaxed grains (average grain size 120μm),and that this grain refining effectiveness could be maintained for almost 1.5h at 1003K. Therefore,it is concluded that the SHS master alloy is an effective grain refiner for aluminum and its alloys, and that it is highly resistant to the grain refining fading encountered with most grain refiners.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51071097,51001065)the support of the Graduate Independent Innovation Foundation of Shandong University (GIIFSDU)
文摘Al-LaB6 alloy was successfully prepared by aluminum melt reaction method. Microstmcture analysis of this alloy was carried out by field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It was found that cubic LaB6 particles were highly dispersed in aluminum matrix with a uniform edge length of about 4.5 μm. Grain refining potency of LaB6 on commercial pure aluminum was also investigated. It was shown that LaB6 could act as an effective and stable nucleation substrate for α-Al during solidification process, due to their crystallographic similarity. The coarse grains of commercial pure aluminum were obviously refined to small equiaxed ones by addition of 0.5% Al-5LaB6 alloy at 720 ℃.
基金financially supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (grant No.G2007CB613706)the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University of China (grant No. NCET-10-0023)
文摘The effects of grain refining parameters on grain size of AM60B magnesium alloy have been investigated using an Al-5Ti-IB master alloy as refiner; and an appropriate refining technique has been developed. The results indicate that the Al-Ti-B master alloy is an effective grain refiner for AM60B alloy and the grain size can be decreased from 348 μm to 76 μm. Raising the addition temperature or the poudng temperature is beneficial for grain refinement; while for the addition amount and holding time, there is an optimal value. The appropriate grain refining technique is that 0.3% Al-Ti-B master alloy is added at 780℃ and then the melt is held for 30 min before pouring. The above phenomena can be explained by the refining mechanisms that have been proposed from the related studies on Al and Mg alloys and theoretical analysis.
基金The authors would like to thank Mr Tetsuji Kuwabara of NAC Image Technology Inc.for support of high-speed photographingThis work was supported in part by MEXT Quantum Leap Flagship Program(MEXT Q-LEAP)Grant No.JPMXS0118068348,JSPS KAKENHI Grant Nos.JP16H04247,JP16K14417,and 19K22061This work was funded in part by ImPACT Program of Council for Science,Technology and Innovation(Cabinet Office,Government of Japan).
文摘The 2024 aluminum alloy is used extensively in the aircraft and aerospace industries because of its excellent mechanical properties.However,the weldability of 2024 aluminum alloy is generally low because it contains a high number of solutes,such as copper(Cu),magnesium(Mg),and manganese(Mn),causing solidification cracking.If high speed welding of 2024 aluminum alloy without the use of filler is achieved,the applicability of 2024 aluminum alloys will expand.Grain refining is one of the methods used to prevent solidification cracking in weld metal,although it has never been achieved for high-speed laser welding of 2024 aluminum alloy without filler.Here,we propose a short-pulsed,laser-induced,grain-refining method during continuous wave laser welding without filler.Bead-on-plate welding was performed on a 2024-T3 aluminum alloy at a welding speed of 1 m min−1 with a single mode fiber laser at a wavelength of 1070 nm and power of 1 kW.Areas in and around the molten pool were irradiated with nanosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 1064 nm,pulse width of 10 ns,and pulse energy of 430 mJ.The grain-refinement effect was confirmed when laser pulses were irradiated on the molten pool.The grain-refinement region was formed in a semicircular shape along the solid–liquid interface.Results of the vertical section indicate that the grain-refinement region reached a depth of 1 mm along the solid–liquid interface.The Vickers hardness test results demonstrated that the hardness increased as a result of grain refinement and that the progress of solidification cracking was suppressed in the grain refinement region.
文摘Effect of TiO x particle on grain refining of HAZ during the welding thermal cycle was analyzed.It shows that HAZ would have better post-welding low temperature toughness if it contains plenty of TiO x particles.This phenomenon can be explained by the following aspects.As we know,welding thermal cycle include a rapid heating process and a cooling process.During the heating-up period,high melting TiO x particles which contains NbC with the size below 1μm can make a stronger pining force on the gain boundary migration than pure NbC ones,this effect restrain the austenite growth and control the austenite grain size to a certain extent.Then,when the cooling process begins,TiO x particles containing MnS with the size between 1 to 3μm act as a nucleation site for the intragranular acicular ferrite (IAF).Although the growth of bainite would extrude the IAF and make the smooth edge of IAF deformed,it still can not grow through the IAF.Just owing to the pining effect of TiO x-NbC particles and the hindering effect of IAF induced by the TiO x-MnS particles,prior austenite grains haven’t undergone a rapid growth during the heating process and these austenite grains are divided into small regions by the IAF finally.
