Founding Research Journal

Founding Research Journal

An Investigation on the Effect of Grain Refinement on the Fluidity and Hot ‎Tearing Susceptibility of Ce-Modified 2024 Al Alloy

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
Hossein Mohammadi 1
Reza Taghiabadi 2
Mahdi Malekan 3
1 Ph.D. student, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IRAN‎
2 Associate Professor, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IRAN ‎
3 Associate Professor, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, IRAN‎
10.22034/frj.2023.410726.1182
Abstract
In this study the effect of grain refinement was studied on the hot tearing behavior of 3 wt. % Ce-modified 2024 Al alloy. Towards this end, different amounts of Ti (0.01, 0.02, and 0.05 wt. %) were added to the molten alloy through Al-5Ti-1B master alloy. According to the results, adding Ti marginally improved the fluidity length, relatively reduced the size shrinkage micropores, dispersed the micropores, reduced the grains size, and decreased the alloy hot tearing susceptibility (HTS). The addition of 0.01, 0.02, and 0.05 wt. % Ti decreased the alloy porosity content, grain size, and the HTS by 5, 20, 31%, 20, 75, 80%, and 9, 24, 34%, respectively. Based on the microstructural characterization and hot tear subsurfaces examination results, the relative improvement of hot tearing behavior can be explained by the refinement of grains and its positive consequences such as decreasing the liquid film thickness between the grains (which increases the capillary force and improves inter-grain feeding), increasing the alloy strength, decreasing the linear contraction, and decreasing the stress applied on grain boundaries as easy growth locations for the hot tear cracks.
Keywords
Hot tearing
2024 Al alloy
Cerium
Grain refinement
Titanium
Subjects
  • [1] Ghonceh M.H., Shabestari S.G., Asgari, A., Karimzadeh M., Nonmechanical criteria proposed for prediction of hot tearing sensitivity in 2024 aluminum alloy. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China. 2018. 28(5) 848–857. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1003-6326(18)64718-1
  • [2] Immanuel R.J., Panigrahi. S.K., Malas. J.C., Materials development for sustainable manufacturing. Sustainable Manufacturing Processes. 2023. (Chapter 5) 155–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-99990-8.00011-4
  • [3] Nabawy AM., Samuel A.M., Samuel F.H., Doty H.W., Effects of grain refiner additions (Zr, Ti–B) and of mould variables on hot tearing susceptibility of recently developed Al–2 wt-%Cu alloy. International Journal of Cast Metals Research. 2013. 26(5) 308–317. https://doi.org/10.1179/1743133613y.0000000068
  • [4] Pumphrey W.I., Jennings P.H., A consideration of the nature of brittleness at temperatures above the solidus in castings and welds in aluminum alloys. Journal of Institute of Metals. 1948. 75. 235.
  • [5] Li Y., Li. H., Katgerman L., Du Q., Zhang J., Zhuang L., Recent advances in hot tearing during casting of aluminium alloys. Progress in Materials Science. 2021. 117. 100741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2020.100741
  • [6] Li S., Apelian. D., Hot tearing of aluminum alloys. International Journal of Metalcasting. 2011. 5(1) 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03355505
  • [7] Easton M., Grandfield J., StJohn D., Rinderer M., The effect of grain refinement and cooling rate on the hot tearing of wrought aluminum alloys. Materials Science Forum. 2006. 30. 1675-1680.
  • [8] Warrington D., McCartney D.G., Hot-cracking in aluminum alloys 7050 and 7010 – a comparative study. Cast Metals. 1991. 3. 202-208.
  • [9] Matsuda F., Nakata K., Shimokusu Y., Effect of additional element on weld solidification crack susceptibility of Al-Zn-Mg. Transactions of JWRI. 1983. 12. 81-87.
  • Metz S.A., Flemings M.C., A fundamental study of hot tearing. AFS Transactions. 1970. 78. 453-460.
  • Elambasseril J., Benoit M.J., Zhu S., Easton M.A., et al., Effect of process parameters and grain refinement on hot tearing susceptibility of high strength aluminum alloy 2139 in laser powder bed fusion. Progress in Additive Manufacturing. 2022. 7(5) 887–901. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-021-00259-2
  • Birru A.K., Karunakar D.B., Effects of grain refinement and residual elements on hot tearing of A713 aluminium cast alloy. Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China. 2016. 26(7) 1783–1790. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1003-6326(16)64291-7
  • Easton M., Grandfield J.F., StJohn D.H., Rinderer B., The effect of grain refinement and cooling rate on the hot tearing of wrought aluminium alloys. Materials Science Forum. 2006. (519–521) 1675–1680. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.519-521.1675
  • Sabau A.S., Milligan B.K., Mirmiran S., et al., Grain refinement effect on the hot-tearing resistance of higher-temperature Al–Cu–Mn–Zr alloys. Metals. 2020. 10(4) 430. https://doi.org/10.3390/met10040430
  • Sun Y., Hung C., Hebert R.J., et al., Eutectic microstructures in dilute Al-Ce and Al-Co alloys. Materials Characterization. 2019. 154. 269–276.
  • Belov N.A., Khvan A.V., The ternary Al–Ce–Cu phase diagram in the aluminum-rich corner, Acta Materialia. 2007. 55(16) 5473–5482.
  • Cao G., Kou S., Hot tearing of ternary Mg−Al−Ca alloy castings. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2006. 37(12) 3647–3663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-006-1059-x
  • Taylor R.P., McClain S.T., Berry J.T., Uncertainty analysis of metal-casting porosity measurements using Archimedes’ principle. International Journal of Cast Metals Research. 1999. 11(4) 247–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/13640461.1999.11819281
  • Czerwinski F., Cerium in aluminum alloys. Journal of Materials Science. 2019 55(1) 24–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03892-z
  • یوسفی ف.، تقی آبادی ر.، باغشاهی س.، بررسی تاثیر منگنز بر قابلیت ریخته­گری آلیاژهای هیپویوتکتیک Al-2Ni-xMn، پژوهشنامه ریخته‌گری، 1396، 1(2) 78-69.
  • Wang R., Zhu Q., Zuo Y., Cheng L., Wang J., The control of as-cast structure of 2024 aluminum alloy with intensive melt shearing and its effect on microstructure and mechanical properties after T4 treatment. Journal of Materials Research and Technology. 2023. 24. 3179–3193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.03.225
  • Mou D., Zuo Y., Zhu Q., Li L., Cui J., Study on the macrosegregation behaviour of 2524 alloy flat ingot solidified under the influence of electromagnetic field. 8th International Conference on Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, Oct 2015, Cannes, France.
  • StJohn D.H., Prasad A., Easton M.A., Qian M., The contribution of constitutional supercooling to nucleation and grain formation. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2015, 46(11) 4868–4885. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-015-2960-y
  • Su M., Zheng W., Fu D., et a., Design and application of a multichannel “cross” hot tearing tendency device: A study on hot tearing tendency of Al alloys. China Foundry. 2022. 19(4) 327–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41230-022-1184-5
  • Eskine D., Zuidema J., Jr. Katgerman L., Linear solidification contraction of binary and commercial aluminium alloys. International Journal of Cast Metals Research. 2002. 14(4) 217–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/13640461.2002.11819440
  • Benny Karunakar D., Naresh Rai R., Patra S., Datta G.L., Effects of grain refinement and residual elements on hot tearing in aluminum castings. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. 2009. 45(9–10) 851–858. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-009-2037-4
  • Upadhya G., Cheng S., Chandra U., A mathematical model for prediction of hot tears in castings. Light Metals. 1995. 1101–1106.
  • Chang-lue Lü, Heng-cheng Liao, Ye Liu., Effect of Ce on castability, mechanical properties and electric conductivity of commercial purity aluminum. China Foundry. 2015. 12(4) 277 – 284.
  • Liao H.C., Liu Y., Lü C.L., Wang Q.G. Effect of Ce addition on castability, mechanical properties and electric conductivity of Al–0.3Si–0.2Mg alloy. International Journal of Cast Metals Research. 2015. 28(4) 213–220. https://doi.org/10.1179/1743133615y.0000000002
  • Mahmoud M.G., Mosleh A.O., Mohamed M.S., The impact of Ce-containing precipitates on the solidification behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Al-6063. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 2023. 948. 169805 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.169805
  • Jin H., Sui Y., Yang Y., Jiang Y., Wang Q., Effect of Ce content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of squeeze-cast Al–5Mg-2.2Si-0.6Mn alloys. Journal of Materials Research and Technology. 2022. 19. 1798–1804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.05.126
  • Zhang X., Sui Y., Jiang Y., Wang Q., Effect of Ce on the Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Al-5Mg-3Zn-1Cu Alloy. Metals. 2022. 12(3) 371. https://doi.org/10.3390/met12030371
  • Dahle A.K., Karlsen S., Arnberg L., Effect of grain refinement on the fluidity of some binary Al—Cu and Al—Mg alloys. International Journal of Cast Metals Research. 1996. 9(2) 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/13640461.1996.11819649
  • Tiryakioglu M., Askeland D.R., Ramsay C.W., The fluidity of 319 and A356: An experimental design approach. AFS Transactions. 1994. 102. 17–25.
  • Kwon Y-D., Lee Z.-H., The effect of grain refining and oxide inclusion on the fluidity of Al–4.5Cu–0.6Mn and A356 alloys. Materials Science and Engineering: A. 2003. 360(1–2) 372–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0921-5093(03)00504-5
  • Dahle A.K., Tøndel P.A., Paradies C.J., Arnberg L., Effect of grain refinement on the fluidity of two commercial Al-Si foundry alloys. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 1996. 27(8) 2305–2313. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02651885
  • Lang G., Casting properties and surface tension of aluminum and binary aluminum alloys, Part I: Fluidity. Aluminum. 1972. 48(10) 664-672.
  • Ravi KR., Pillai R.M., Amaranathan K.R., Pai B.C., Chakraborty M., Fluidity of aluminum alloys and composites: A review. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 2008. 456(1–2) 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2007.02.038
  • Dahle A.K., Tondal P.A., Paradies J.J., Arnberg L., The effect of AlTi5Bl on A356 alloy fluidity, Metal Materials Transplantation Proceedings.1996. A27. 2305-2313.
  • Di Sabatino M., Arnberg L., Effect of grain refinement and dissolved hydrogen on the fluidity of A356 alloy. International Journal of Cast Metals Research. 2009. 18(3) 181–186. https://doi.org/10.1179/136404605225022982
  • Li Y., Li H., Katgerman L., et al., Recent advances in hot tearing during casting of aluminium alloys. Progress in Materials Science. 2021. 117. 100741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2020.100741
  • Stangeland A., Mo A., Eskin D., Thermal strain in the mushy zone for aluminum alloys. In Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2006. 37(7) 2219–2229. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02586141
  • Stangeland A., Mo A., Nielsen Ø., M’Hamdi M., Eskin D., Development of thermal strain in the coherent mushy zone during solidification of aluminum alloys. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2004. 35(9) 2903–2915 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0238-x
  • Eskin D.G., Katgerman L., Mooney J.F., Contraction of aluminum alloys during and after solidification. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2004. 35(4) 1325–1335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-004-0307-1
  • Li S., Sadayappan K., Apelian D., Role of grain refinement in the hot tearing of cast Al-Cu alloy. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B. 2013. 44(3) 614–623. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-013-9801-4
  • Easton M., Grandfield J.F., StJohn D.H., Rinderer B., The effect of grain refinement and cooling rate on the hot tearing of wrought aluminium alloys. Materials Science Forum. 2006. 519–521. 1675–1680. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.519-521.1675

Easton M., Wang H., Grandfield J., St John D.H., Sweet E., An analysis of the effect of grain refinement on the hot tearing of aluminium alloys. Materials Forum. 2004. 28. 224-229.

Founding Research Journal
Volume 6, Issue 3 - Serial Number 21
Winter 2022
Pages 195-202

  • Receive Date 10 August 2023
  • Revise Date 06 September 2023
  • Accept Date 28 September 2023