Microstructure, Phase Formation and Heat-Treating of Novel Cast Al-Mg-Zn-Cu-Si Lightweight Complex Concentrated Aluminum Based Alloy

In the current work, a novel complex concentrated aluminum alloy is designed and studied. In order to investigate the unknown region of the multicomponent phase diagrams, thermo-physical parameters and the CALPHAD method were used to understand the phase formation of the Al58Mg18Zn12Cu5Si7 at.% (Al47.4Mg13.3Zn23.8Cu9.6Si6wt.%) alloy with a low-density of 2.63 g/cm3. The CALPHAD methodology showed good agreement with both the investigated microstructure and the thermodynamic parameters. The designed alloy was manufactured using an induction furnace and pour mold casting process. This study avoids the use of expensive, dangerous or scarce alloying elements and focuses instead on the utilization of widely available relatively cheaper elements. The microstructural evolution as a function of the heat-treatment was studied by means of different microstructural characterization techniques. The hardness, compressive strength and electrical conductivity of the as-cast and heat-treated alloy at room temperature were studied and correlated with the previously characterized microstructure. The alloy is characterized by a multiphase microstructure with major α-Al matrix reinforced with various secondary phases. In terms of mechanical properties, the developed alloy exhibited a high hardness value of 249 Vickers and compressive strength of 588 MPa. The present work provides a valuable insight for researchers, who aim to design and produce industry-like Aluminum based complex concentrated alloys (CCAs).

[1]  E. Gavalas,et al.  Development of Complex Concentrated Alloys (CCAs) Utilizing Scrap to Preserve Critical Raw Materials , 2022, Materials Proceedings.

[2]  T. Guraya,et al.  Microstructure and Phase Formation of Novel Al80Mg5Sn5Zn5X5 Light-Weight Complex Concentrated Aluminum Alloys , 2021, Metals.

[3]  Anil Kunwar,et al.  pyMPEALab Toolkit for Accelerating Phase Design in Multi-principal Element Alloys , 2021, Metals and Materials International.

[4]  C. Tasan,et al.  Element-resolved local lattice distortion in complex concentrated alloys: An observable signature of electronic effects , 2021 .

[5]  V. Popov,et al.  Complex Concentrated Alloys for Substitution of Critical Raw Materials in Applications for Extreme Conditions , 2021, Materials.

[6]  F. Zupanič,et al.  Microstructure and Properties of a Novel Al-Mg-Si Alloy AA 6086 , 2021, Metals.

[7]  S. Rana,et al.  A scrap-tolerant alloying concept based on high entropy alloys , 2020 .

[8]  Ji Dong,et al.  Effect of Cu addition on precipitation and age-hardening response of an Al-15%Mg2Si alloy , 2020 .

[9]  E. Gavalas,et al.  The Effects of Reduction and Thermal Treatment on the Recrystallization and Crystallographic Texture Evolution of 5182 Aluminum Alloy , 2020, Metals.

[10]  T. Nagase,et al.  Alloy Design and Fabrication of Ingots of Al–Mg–Li–Ca Light-Weight Medium Entropy Alloys , 2020, MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS.

[11]  P. Liaw,et al.  Effects of Cu and Zn on microstructures and mechanical behavior of the medium-entropy aluminum alloy , 2020 .

[12]  J. Walmsley,et al.  Precipitation in an extruded AA7003 aluminium alloy: Observations of 6xxx-type hardening phases , 2020 .

[13]  A. Deschamps,et al.  Precipitation in original Duralumin A-U4G versus modern 2017A alloy , 2019 .

[14]  Yong Zhang,et al.  Light-Weight and Flexible High-Entropy Alloys , 2019, Engineering Steels and High Entropy-Alloys.

[15]  Yong Zhang,et al.  Effects of Si Addition on Microstructure, Properties and Serration Behaviors of Lightweight Al-Mg-Zn-Cu Medium-entropy Alloys , 2019, Research and Application of Materials Science.

[16]  T. Guraya,et al.  Design, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Medium Entropy Aluminium Alloys , 2019, Scientific Reports.

[17]  D. Schryvers,et al.  Study of the Q′ (Q)-phase precipitation in Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys by quantification of atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and atom probe tomography , 2019, Journal of Materials Science.

[18]  Hailin Yang,et al.  The effects of varying Mg and Si levels on the microstructural inhomogeneity and eutectic Mg2Si morphology in die-cast Al–Mg–Si alloys , 2018, Journal of Materials Science.

[19]  Daniel B. Miracle,et al.  From high-entropy alloys to complex concentrated alloys , 2018, Comptes Rendus Physique.

[20]  S. Midson,et al.  Effect of Zn Concentration on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-Mg-Si-Zn Alloys Processed by Gravity Die Casting , 2018, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A.

[21]  Vinod Kumar,et al.  Structure and properties of lightweight high entropy alloys: a brief review , 2018 .

[22]  T. Guraya,et al.  Compound Formation and Microstructure of As-Cast High Entropy Aluminums , 2018 .

[23]  Q. Liu,et al.  The structural and compositional evolution of precipitates in Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy , 2018 .

[24]  T. Chin,et al.  A light-weight high-entropy alloy Al20Be20Fe10Si15Ti35 , 2018 .

[25]  R. Holmestad,et al.  Precipitates in aluminium alloys , 2018 .

[26]  C. Wolverton,et al.  Equilibrium composition variation of Q-phase precipitates in aluminum alloys , 2017 .

[27]  P. Midgley,et al.  On the crystallography and composition of topologically close-packed phases in ATI 718Plus® , 2017 .

[28]  Y. Cho,et al.  Effects of ultrasonic melt treatment and solution treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of low-density multicomponent Al70Mg10Si10Cu5Zn5 alloy , 2017 .

[29]  Amit Kumar,et al.  An Insight into Evolution of Light Weight High Entropy Alloys: A Review , 2016 .

[30]  Ming-Hung Tsai,et al.  Three Strategies for the Design of Advanced High-Entropy Alloys , 2016, Entropy.

[31]  M. Gao,et al.  Manufacturing of High Entropy Alloys , 2015 .

[32]  Douglas L. Irving,et al.  A Novel Low-Density, High-Hardness, High-entropy Alloy with Close-packed Single-phase Nanocrystalline Structures , 2015 .

[33]  Xinquan Zhang,et al.  Formation of multiple orientation relationships of Q precipitates in Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloys , 2014 .

[34]  Brian Cantor,et al.  Multicomponent and High Entropy Alloys , 2014, Entropy.

[35]  Yong Zhang,et al.  Phase Stability of Low-Density, Multiprincipal Component Alloys Containing Aluminum, Magnesium, and Lithium , 2014 .

[36]  Michael D. Uchic,et al.  Exploration and Development of High Entropy Alloys for Structural Applications , 2014, Entropy.

[37]  Jien-Wei Yeh,et al.  Alloy Design Strategies and Future Trends in High-Entropy Alloys , 2013 .

[38]  F. Samuel,et al.  Microstructure, tensile properties and fracture behavior of high temperature Al–Si–Mg–Cu cast alloys , 2013 .

[39]  Chong Li,et al.  Morphological evolution and growth mechanism of primary Mg2Si phase in Al–Mg2Si alloys , 2011 .

[40]  J. Yeh.  Recent progress in high-entropy alloys , 2006 .

[41]  M. Starink,et al.  Precipitates and intermetallic phases in precipitation hardening Al–Cu–Mg–(Li) based alloys , 2005 .

[42]  J. G. Kaufman,et al.  Aluminum Alloy Castings: Properties, Processes And Applications , 2004 .

[43]  Y. Ohmori,et al.  Morphology and Crystallography of β-Mg2Si Precipitation in Al-Mg-Si Alloys , 2001 .

[44]  D. Lloyd,et al.  The precipitation of the Q phase in an AA6111 Alloy , 2001 .

[45]  G. Watt.  Alloys , 1855, Nature.

[46]  P. Liaw,et al.  Mechanical behaviors and precipitation transformation of the lightweight high-Zn-content Al–Zn–Li–Mg–Cu alloy , 2021 .

[47]  T. Guraya,et al.  Phase prediction, microstructure and high hardness of novel light-weight high entropy alloys , 2019, Journal of Materials Research and Technology.

[48]  Akash Avinash Gondhalekar.  Design and Development of Light Weight High Entropy Alloys , 2019 .

[49]  J. Haddad,et al.  Modelling and Testing Aluminum Based High Entropy Alloys , 2018 .

[50]  M. Gao,et al.  High-Entropy Alloys: Fundamentals and Applications , 2016 .

[51]  Yeting Xi.  Effects of Si addition on microstructure and wear properties of mechanical alloying Al-12%Sn , 2014 .