Influence of the solution and artificial aging treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of die-cast Al–Si–Mg alloys

Abstract

Heat treatment is widely used to improve the properties of Al–Si–Mg alloys and its outcomes are influenced by the parameters applied during the treatment. This study describes the effect of the solution and artificial aging treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of die-cast Al–Si–Mg alloys. The microstructure of the as-cast Al–Si–Mg alloy was mainly composed of α-Al, complex needle-type eutectic Si particles, Mg2 Si, and α-AlFeMn. The complex needle-type eutectic Si particles disintegrated into spheroidal morphologies, while the Mg2 Si was dissolved due to the solid solution treatment. The maximum yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) values were 126.06 and 245.90 MPa at 520◦ C after 90 min of solution heat treatment, respectively. Although the YS and UTS values of the Al–Si–Mg alloys reduced due to the solution treatment, the elongation (EL) of the solid solution heat-treated Al–Si–Mg alloys was improved in comparison to that of the as-cast Al–Si–Mg alloy. The maximum YS and UTS of 239.50 and 290.93 MPa were obtained after performing artificial aging at 180◦ C for 180 min, respectively. However, the EL of the aging heat-treated alloy was reduced by a minimal value.