• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2015

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the effects of solution treatment time and Sr-modification on the microstructure and property of the Al-Si piston alloy. It was found that as-cast microstructures of unmodified and Sr-modified Al-Si alloys consisted of a coarse acicular plate of eutectic Si, $Cu_3NiAl_6$ and $Mg_2Si$ phases in the ${\alpha}$-Al matrix but different in size and morphology. Both size and inter-particle spacing of Si particles were significantly changed by increasing of the solution treatment time. After a short solution treatment, the coarse acicular plate of the eutectic Si appears to be fragmented. Fully modified microstructure of Sr-modified alloy can reduce the solution treatment time to shorter compared to unmodified alloy. The maximum of a peak hardness value is found in the very short solution treatment of both Al-Si piston alloys. Compared to 10 h solution treatment, the solution treatment of 2-4 h is sufficient to achieve appropriate microstructures and hardness. The short solution treatment is very useful to increase the productivity and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the Al-Si piston alloys.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.538-542
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• 2014

Microstructural and mechanical characteristics of Al-6Si-2Cu alloy for lightweight automotive parts were investigated. The test specimens were prepared by gravity casting process. Solution heat treatments were applied to as-cast alloys to improve mechanical properties. The microstructure of the gravity casting specimen presents a typical dendrite structure, having a secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) of $37{\mu}m$. In addition to the Al matrix, a large amount of coarsened eutectic Si, $Al_2Cu$ intermetallic phase, and Fe-rich phases were identified. After solution heat treatment, single-step solution heat treatments were found to considerably improve the spheroidization of the eutectic Si phase. Two-step solution treatments gave rise to a much improved spheroidization. The mechanical properties of the two-step solution heat treated alloy have been shown to lead to higher values of properties such as tensile strength and microhardness. Consequentially, the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of Al alloy have been successfully characterized and are available for use with other basic data for the development of lightweight automotive parts.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1303-1313
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• 1997

A micro-macroscopic analysis on the conduction-controlled directional casting of Al-Cu alloys is performed, in which emphases are placed on the microstructural features. In order to facilitate the solution procedure, an iterative micro-macroscopic coupling algorithm is developed. The predicted results show that the effect of finite back diffusion on the transient solidification process in comparison with the lever rule depends essentially on the initial concentration of an alloy. In the final casting, the eutectic fraction is distributed in an increasing-decreasing-increasing pattern, each mode of which is named the chill, interior and end zones. This nonuniformity per se suffices to justify the necessity of this work because it originates from the combined effects of finite back diffusion and cooling path-dependent nature of the eutectic formation. As the cooling rate is enhanced, not only the influence depths of boundaries narrow, but also the eutectic fractions in the chill and interior zones increase. In addition, it is revealed for the first time that the micro segregation band is formed in response to a sudden change in cooling rate during the directional casting. An increasing change creates an overshooting band in the eutectic fraction distribution, and vice versa.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.3655-3665
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• 1996

An analytical solution is presented for the conduction-dominated solidification of a binary mixture in a semi-infinite medium. The present approach differs from that of other solution by these four characteristics. (1) Solid fraction is determined from the phase diagram, (2) thermophysical properties in mushy zone are weighted according to the local solid fraction, (3) non-equilibrium solidification can be simulated and (4) the cooling condition of under-eutectic temperature can be simulated. Up to now, almost all analyses are based on the assumption of constant properties in mushy zone and solid fraction linearly with temperature or length. The validation for these assumptions, however, shows that serious error is found except some special cases. The influence of microscopic model on the macroscopic temperature profile is very small and can be ignored. But the solid fraction and average solid concentration which directly influence the quality of materials are drastically changed by the microscopic models. An approximate solution using the method of weighted residuals is also introduced and shows good agreement with the analytical solution. All calculations are performed for NH$_{4}$Cl-H$_{2}$O and Al-Cu system.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.195-201
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• 2016

The effects of Mg addition on heat treatment and mechanical properties of A356 alloy were investigated. With increased amounts of Mg addition to A356 alloy, the grain size decreased and eutectic Si was refined. And, this process can improve the mechanical properties. Solid solution heat treatment causes the spheroidizing of eutectic Si. In this study, although eutectic Si was refined with Mg addition, solid solution time increased from 2 hours to 6 hours with Mg addition, and aging time also increased, from 4 hours to 8 hours. After heat treatment, Mg2Si remained in a formation of Chinese script. And, Chinese script Mg2Si formed with Mg addition caused a reduction of the elongation of the alloys according to the stress concentration.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.399-407
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• 2005

The effect of IN738 additive powder on microstructure and mechanical properties of the wide-gap region brazed with BNi-3 filler metal powder was investigated. The wide-gap brazing was conducted in a vacuum of $2\times10^{-5}torr\;at\;1200^{\circ}C$ with various powder mixing ratios of additive to filler powders. The microstructures of the wide-gap brazed region were analyzed by SEM and AES. The region brazed with only BNi-3 filler metal powder had a microstructure consisted of proeutectic, binary eutectic and ternary eutectic structure, while that brazed with a mixture of IN738 additive powder and BNi-3 filler metal powder had a microstructure consisted of IN738 additive powder, binary eutectic of $Ni_3B-Ni$ solid solution and (Cr, W)B. The fracture strength of the wide-gap brazed region was about 680 MPa regardless of the additive powder mixing ratios. Cracks were initiated at the (Cr, W)B and binary eutectic of $Ni_3B-Ni$ solid solution, and propagated through them in the wide-gap brazed region, which lowered the fracture strength of the region.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.409-419
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• 2021

The effect of solidification rate on micro-segregation in investment casting of IN738LC superalloy was studied. In Ni-based superalloys, the micro-segregation of solute atoms is formed due to limited diffusion during cast and solidification. The microstructure of cast Ni-based superalloys is largely divided into dendrite core of initial solidification and interdendrite of final solidification. In particular, mosaic shaped eutectic γ/γ' and carbides are formed in the interdendrite of the final solidification region in some cases. The micro-segregation phenomena formed in regions of dendrite core and interdendrite including eutectic γ/γ' and carbides were analyzed using OM, SEM/EDS and micro Vickers hardness. As a result of analysis, the lack of (Cr, W) and the accumulation of Ti were measured in the eutectic γ/γ', and the accumulation of (Cr, Mo) and the lack of Ti were measured in the interdendrite between dendrite and eutectic. Carbides formed in interdendritic region were composed of (Ti, W, Mo, C). The segregation applied to each microstructure is mainly due to the formation of γ' with Ni₃(Al,Ti) composition. The Ni accumulation accompanied by Cr depletion, and the Ti accumulated in the eutectic region as a γ' forming elements. The Mo tends to diffuse out from the dendrite core to the interdendrite, and the W diffuse out from the interdendrite to the dendrite core. Therefore, the accumulation of Mo in the interdendrite and the deficiency of W occur in the eutectic region located in the interdendrite. Heat treatment makes the degree of the micro-segregation decrease due to the diffusion during solid solution. This study could be applied to the heat treatment technology for the micro-segregation control in cast Ni-based superalloys.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.102-108
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• 2018

The objective of this study is to develop the mechanical properties of an AlSiCu aluminum alloy using the two-step solution heat treatment. The microstructure of the gravity casting specimen represents a typical dendrite structure with a secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) of 40 um. In addition to the Al matrix, a large amount of coarsen eutectic Si phase, $Al_2Cu$ intermetallic phase, and Fe-rich phases is generated. The eutectic Si phases are fragmented and globularized with the solution heat treatment. The $Al_2Cu$ intermetallic phase is also resolutionized into the Al matrix. The $2^{nd}$ solution temperature at $525^{\circ}C$ may be an optimal condition to enhance the mechanical properties of the AlSiCu aluminum alloy.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.185-190
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• 2013

Influence of solution treatment (T4) and peak-aging (T6) on damping capacity was investigated in permanent-mold cast Mg-3%Nd alloy. In as-cast state, the microstructure was characterized by eutectic $Mg_{12}Nd$ intermetallic phase network in the intergranular region. T4 treatment resulted in a dissolution of the eutectic particles, but small amount of the particles still remained in the microstructure. After T6 treatment, nano-sized ${\beta}^{\prime}(Mg_{12}Nd)$ particles were precipitated within the matrix. T4 microstructure showed higher damping capacity than as-cast and T6 ones. In view of the microstructural features, this may well be associated with the dissolution of second-phase particles which play a role in pinning the dislocations acting as a damping source.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.868-873
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• 2017

Natural convection is driven by the compositional buoyancy in solidification of a binary melt. The stabilities of convection in a growing mushy layer were analyzed here in the time-dependent solidification system of a near-eutectic melt cooled impulsively from below. The linear stability equations were transformed to self-similar forms by using the depth of the mushy layer as a length scale. In the liquid layer the stability equations are based on the propagation theory and the thermal buoyancy is neglected. The critical Rayleigh number for the mushy layer increases with decreasing the Stefan number and the Prandtl number. The critical conditions for solidification of aqueous ammonium chloride solution are discussed and compared with the results of the previous model for the liquid layer.