Martensite volume fraction significantly affects the mechanical properties of alloy steels. Martensite start temperature (M_s), transformation temperature for martensite 50 vol.% (M₅₀), and transformation temperature for martensite 90 vol.% (M₉₀) are important transformation temperatures to control the martensite phase fraction. Several researchers proposed empirical equations and machine learning models to predict the Ms temperature. These numerical approaches can easily predict the Ms temperature without additional experiment and cost. However, to control martensite phase fraction more precisely, we need to reduce prediction error of the Ms model and propose prediction models for other martensite transformation temperatures (M₅₀, M₉₀). In the present study, machine learning model was applied to suggest the predictive model for the Ms, M50, M90 temperatures. To explain prediction mechanisms and suggest feature importance on martensite transformation temperature of machine learning models, the explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) is employed. Random forest regression (RFR) showed the best performance for predicting the Ms, M50, M90 temperatures using different machine learning models. The feature importance was proposed and the prediction mechanisms were discussed by XAI.

AA 2026, which is used as an aviation material, is an improved version of 2024 and has higher physical properties, and is a material that has the potential to be applied to supersonic aircraft to be developed in the future. However, when an aircraft exceeds supersonic speeds, the surface heats up and the material must be resistant to this. Therefore, this study confirmed the high-temperature properties of AA 2026, an aviation structural material. AA 2026, solution treated at 500℃ for 4hr, was naturally aged at room temperature for more than 168 hr. Changes in microstructure and physical properties were confirmed over several hours of exposure to 100℃, 200℃, and 300℃, respectively. As a result of microstructure analysis, there was no significant change at 100℃, and from 200℃, GPB, a strengthening mechanism, grew and formed an S Phase. It was confirmed that the S Phase grew as the exposure time increased. Through a tensile test, it was confirmed that physical properties deteriorated as the precipitates grew. However, it was confirmed that the properties were stably maintained at 100℃, which is the temperature when the speed of a supersonic aircraft is less than Mach 2.

We investigate the effect of T6 heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AA365 (Al-10.3Si-0.37Mg-0.6Mn-0.11Fe, wt.%) alloy fabricated by vacuum-assisted high pressure die casting by means of thermodynamic calculation, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and tensile tests. The as-cast alloy consists of primary Al (with dendrite arm spacing of 10~15 ㎛), needle-like eutectic Si, and blocky α-AlFeMnSi phases. The solution treatment at 490 ℃ induces the spheroidization of eutectic Si and increase in the fraction of eutectic Si and α-AlFeMnSi phases. While as-cast alloy does not contain nano-sized precipitates, the T6-treated alloy contains fine β' and β' precipitates less than 20 nm that formed during aging at 190℃. T6 heat treatment improves the yield strength from 165 to 186 MPa due to the strengthening effect of β' and β' precipitates. However, the β' and β' precipitates reduce the strain hardening rate and accelerate the necking phenomenon, degrading the tensile strength (from 290 to 244 MPa) and fracture elongation (from 6.6 to 5.0%). Fractography reveals that the coarse α-AlFeMnSi and eutectic Si phases act as crack sites in both the as-cast and T6 treated alloys.

In this study, the carburizing heat treatment process used in aircraft gear manufacturing was compared with the general carburizing heat treatment process using AISI 9310 steel. The process of carburizing followed by slow cooling, and then quenching after austenitizing(Process A) showed less compressive residual stress and less retained austenite in the surface layer compared to the process of quenching directly after carburizing(Process B). In prpcess B, there was a large amount of retained austenite when quenched immediately after carburization, and when treated with subzero, martensite rapidly increased and the compressive residual stress increased significantly, but at the same time, there is a risk of cracking due to severe expansion in volume. Therefore, in the case of aviation parts, it is believed that a step-by-step heat treatment cycle was adopted to ensure stability against heat treatment cracks. As a result of the final tempering after sub-zero treatment, the A process specimen showed a deeper effective case depth and HV700 depth and a higher hardness value above HV700 than the B process specimen.