Changes in structural characteristics of hypoeutectic Al-Si cast alloy after age hardening

Abstract

The contribution describes influence of the age-hardening consist of solution treatment at 515 °C with holding time 4 hours, water quenching at 40 °C and artificial aging at different temperature 150 °C, 170 °C and 190 °C with different holding time 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 hours on mechanical properties (tensile strength and Brinell hardness) and changes in morphology of eutectic Si, Fe-rich and Cu-rich intermetallic phases in secondary (recycled) AlSi9Cu3 cast alloy. A combination of different analytical techniques (light microscopy upon black-white and colour etching, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) upon deep etching and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX)) were therefore been used for the identification of the various phases. Quantitative study of changes in morphology of eutectic Si, Cu-rich and Fe-rich phases was carried out using Image Analyzer software NIS-Elements. Mechanical properties were measured in line with EN ISO. Age-hardening led to changes in microstructure include the spheroidization and coarsening of eutectic silicon, gradual disintegration, shortening and thinning of Fe- rich intermetallic phases, the dissolution of precipitates and the precipitation of finer hardening phase (Al2Cu) further increase in the hardness and tensile strength in the alloy.