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Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys:...
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Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 5712

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Andrey Pozdniakov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Metallurgy of Non-Ferrous Metals, National University of Science & Technology (MISIS), Leninskiy Ave 4, Moscow, Russia
Interests: Al alloys; microstructure; phase transformation; heat treatment; mechanical properties; corrosion resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aluminum and its alloys are widely employed in automobiles, aircraft, shipbuilding and other industries due to their good combination of technological characteristics, such as being light weight and possessing excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and technological properties under casting and deformation. The products fabricated from aluminum alloys are obtained via casting and thermomechanical treatment. The microstructure, phase composition that forms during casting, heat treatment, and thermomechanical treatment of the alloys define the final properties and applications of the material.

The current pace of industrial development requires materials with enhanced mechanical and technological properties, with respect to a complex combination of characteristics. The optimization of the structure and phase composition of alloys, and the search for promising alloying systems and elements for the development of new materials with enhanced operational and technological properties, is an urgent task; this must be achieved in order to expand the application of aluminum alloys and improve the level of technology.

The submission of research articles focusing on the development of prospective Al alloys, the optimization of casting and deformation technology, and the evaluation of their structure and phase composition under casting, heat and thermomechanical treatment is highly encouraged.

Dr. Andrey Pozdniakov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Al alloys
  • casting alloys
  • wrought alloys
  • casting properties
  • microstructure
  • phase composition
  • phase transformation
  • heat treatment
  • strengthening
  • mechanical properties
  • corrosion resistance

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 12122 KiB  
Article
Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation of Al-Zn-Mg-Ni-Fe “Nikalin” Alloys
by Nikolay V. Letyagin, Torgom K. Akopyan, Alexander A. Sokorev, Ivan V. Shkaley, Stanislav O. Cherkasov, Vitali V. Doroshenko, Tatiana A. Sviridova and Alexander Yu. Churyumov
Metals 2024, 14(6), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14060680 - 7 Jun 2024
Viewed by 512
Abstract
Ceramic coatings were formed on the surface of as-cast Al5.2Zn1.7Mg0.4Ni0.3Fe and heat-treated Al7.0Zn2.7Mg0.5Ni0.4Fe “nikalin” aluminum alloys by using the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique in a silicate–alkaline electrolyte. Uniform coatings containing a minimum number of defects and consisting predominantly of a γ-Al2 [...] Read more.
Ceramic coatings were formed on the surface of as-cast Al5.2Zn1.7Mg0.4Ni0.3Fe and heat-treated Al7.0Zn2.7Mg0.5Ni0.4Fe “nikalin” aluminum alloys by using the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique in a silicate–alkaline electrolyte. Uniform coatings containing a minimum number of defects and consisting predominantly of a γ-Al2O3 phase were synthesized on the surface of both Al-Zn-Mg-Ni-Fe alloys. The coatings had a microhardness of 660–1200 HV, which is 3.5–11 times higher than that of the “bare” as-cast and heat-treated alloy. The coating on the Al5.2Zn1.65Mg0.4Ni0.3Fe alloy had the highest peak hardness, which is probably caused by the lower residual alloying elements Zn and Mg in the coating bulk. As a consequence, the PEO coating with the highest hardness synthesized on the as-cast alloy exhibited a lower wear rate as compared to the heat-treated alloy. The polarization curves in 3.5% NaCl show that the PEO coatings in all cases reduced the corrosion current density and shifted the corrosion potential toward positive values, thus indicating protective properties of the coatings. The corrosion rate of the as-cast and heat-treated Al-Zn-Mg-Ni-Fe alloys increased noticeably by about 3.7–5.7 times after PEO treatment. A relationship between the residual alloying elements Zn and Mg in the bulk of the PEO coatings and corrosion resistance was established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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15 pages, 5601 KiB  
Article
Precipitation Thermodynamics in an Al–Zn–Mg Alloy with Different Grain Sizes
by Zhen Wang, Siqi Huang, Wenkai Zhang, Shunqiang Li and Jizi Liu
Metals 2024, 14(6), 625; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14060625 - 25 May 2024
Viewed by 536
Abstract
In order to gain insight into the influence of grain size on precipitation thermodynamics, bulk materials of coarse-grained (CG), ultrafine-grained (UFG) (with or without dislocations), and nanocrystalline (NC) 7075 Al alloy have been fabricated by solid solution treatment, equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), or [...] Read more.
In order to gain insight into the influence of grain size on precipitation thermodynamics, bulk materials of coarse-grained (CG), ultrafine-grained (UFG) (with or without dislocations), and nanocrystalline (NC) 7075 Al alloy have been fabricated by solid solution treatment, equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), or high-pressure torsion (HPT) processes. The precipitation behavior and the corresponding thermal phenomenon were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating. The results indicated that there are significant differences in precipitation thermodynamics among the four bulk materials. In the CG and UFG materials without dislocations, homogeneous nucleation is the primary precipitation mechanism. However, the nucleation of the GP zones is suppressed at lower temperatures due to a reduction in the number of residual vacancies and the supersaturation in the UFG interiors. This is attributed to the absorption of vacancies and solute atoms by a greater volume of grain boundaries. It can be observed that the greater the excess of vacancies remaining in grain interiors, the lower the temperature at which nucleation of GP zones occurs. Defect-assisted heterogeneous nucleation was identified as the predominant precipitation mechanism in the UFG materials with dislocations and the NC materials. These defects encompass dislocations, lattice distortions, and grain boundaries. The decomposition processes of solid solutions were found to be almost complete at a lower temperature. The presence of dislocations, lattice distortions, and grain boundaries enables solute atoms to diffuse at a much faster rate, significantly enhancing the precipitation rate and reducing the nucleation and formation energies of various precipitate phases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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21 pages, 11384 KiB  
Article
Die Casting of Lightweight Thin Fin Heat Sink Using Al-25%Si
by Toshio Haga and Hiroshi Fuse
Metals 2024, 14(6), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14060622 - 24 May 2024
Viewed by 400
Abstract
The demand for lightweight and cost-effective heat sinks is increasing. A typical method for economically manufacturing complex-shape heat sinks is die casting. To reduce the weight of the die-cast heat sinks, thinning the fins and base is common practice. We experimented with casting [...] Read more.
The demand for lightweight and cost-effective heat sinks is increasing. A typical method for economically manufacturing complex-shape heat sinks is die casting. To reduce the weight of the die-cast heat sinks, thinning the fins and base is common practice. We experimented with casting heat sinks using Al-25%Si in a conventional die casting machine with the aim of economically producing thinner fins and bases. Compared with the aluminum alloy used in conventional die casting, Al-25%Si has superior fluidity, which is proven to be very useful for reducing the thickness of the fins and base. As a result, we successfully reduced the heat sink weight using Al-25%Si and a conventional die casting machine. To investigate the properties of the produced Al-25%Si thin fin heat sink, we compared the effects of fin thickness, fin height, number of fins, and base thickness on heat dissipation and weight reduction. Additionally, we compared the weight and heat dissipation properties with those of a commercial heat sink and found that our Al-25%Si heat sink maintains the same heat dissipation performance but for 35% lower weight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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11 pages, 3418 KiB  
Article
Research on Alloy Design and Process Optimization of Al–Mg–Zn-Cu-Based Aluminum Alloy Sheets for Automobiles with Secured Formability and Bake-Hardenability
by GyeongSeok Joo, SeungGyu Choi, YoungKil Jung, SeHoon Kim and JaeHyuck Shin
Metals 2024, 14(6), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14060618 - 24 May 2024
Viewed by 391
Abstract
In this study, the compositional design of high-formability, high-bake-hardening Al–Mg–Zn-Cu-based aluminum alloys was carried out, and process conditions were established to secure mechanical properties under harsh conditions for Al–Mg–Zn-Cu-based alloys. Using JMatPro13.0 for precipitation phase simulation, the optimal pre-aging temperature and time of [...] Read more.
In this study, the compositional design of high-formability, high-bake-hardening Al–Mg–Zn-Cu-based aluminum alloys was carried out, and process conditions were established to secure mechanical properties under harsh conditions for Al–Mg–Zn-Cu-based alloys. Using JMatPro13.0 for precipitation phase simulation, the optimal pre-aging temperature and time of the design composition were selected. Through the introduction of pre-aging, it was confirmed that no over-aging phenomena occurred, even after bake-hardening, and it was confirmed that it could have mechanical properties similar to those of test specimens subjected to traditional heat treatment. Through DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope) analyses, it was found that pre-aging provided sufficient thermal stability to the GP (Guinier–Preston) zone and facilitated transformation to the η’-phase. In addition, it was confirmed that, even under bake-hardening conditions, coarsening of the precipitation phase was prevented and number density was increased, thereby contributing to improvements in the mechanical properties. The designed alloy plate was evaluated as having excellent anisotropy properties through n-value and r¯-value calculations, and it was confirmed that a similar level of formability was secured through FLC (Forming Limit Curve) comparison with commercial plates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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12 pages, 3340 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Flat-Rolling Parameters for Thermally Stable Alloy of Al-Cu-Mn System with Micro Additions of Si and Zr
by Alexander Koshmin, Stanislav Cherkasov, Anastasiya Fortuna, Yury Gamin and Alexander Churyumov
Metals 2023, 13(12), 2019; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13122019 - 16 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 906
Abstract
The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of flat-rolled experimental Al-Cu-Mn system alloy with Si and Zr additions have been studied. The experimental results have been compared with data for the AA2219 commercial alloy pertaining to the same alloying system. Hot deformation of [...] Read more.
The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of flat-rolled experimental Al-Cu-Mn system alloy with Si and Zr additions have been studied. The experimental results have been compared with data for the AA2219 commercial alloy pertaining to the same alloying system. Hot deformation of an experimental alloy causes the precipitation of ~100 nm sized dispersoids and refinement of the eutectic phase particles. The yield strength and relative elongation of the hot-deformed experimental alloy are 255 MPa and 8.6%, respectively. Subsequent cold deformation reduces the relative elongation by 3.5% and increases the yield strength by 50 MPa, while the ultimate tensile strength does not change. After long-term 350 °C exposure, the mechanical properties of the experimental alloy remain the same as those of the as-deformed one, whereas the yield strength of the 2219 alloy decreases by 2 times and the ultimate tensile strength by 1.4 times. Comparison of these experimental results with data for the 2219 alloy and other Al-Cu-Mn system alloys cited in this work and reported elsewhere suggests that a good thermal stability of Al-2Cu-2Mn-0.4Si-0.2Zr alloy rolled stock can be achieved through treatment using the regimes designed herein. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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15 pages, 10883 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Analysis of Microstructure and Hot Deformation Behavior of Al-Cu-Y-Mg-Cr-Zr-Ti-Fe-Si Alloy
by Sayed M. Amer, Maria V. Glavatskikh, Ruslan Yu. Barkov, Alexander Yu. Churyumov, Irina S. Loginova, Maxim G. Khomutov and Andrey V. Pozdniakov
Metals 2023, 13(11), 1853; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13111853 - 5 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1376
Abstract
Low sensitivity to hot cracking is very important not only for casting but also for ingots of wrought alloys. Doping of Al-Cu-(Mg) alloys by eutectic forming elements provides an increasing resistance to hot cracking susceptibility, but it also leads to a decrease in [...] Read more.
Low sensitivity to hot cracking is very important not only for casting but also for ingots of wrought alloys. Doping of Al-Cu-(Mg) alloys by eutectic forming elements provides an increasing resistance to hot cracking susceptibility, but it also leads to a decrease in plasticity. The quasi-binary alloys based on an Al-Cu-REM system with an atomic ratio of Cu/REM = 4 have a high solidus temperature, narrow solidification range and fine microstructure. The detailed investigation of microstructure, precipitation and hot deformation behavior, and mechanical properties of novel Al-Cu-Y-Mg-Cr-Zr-Ti-Fe-Si alloy was performed in this study. The fine Al8Cu4Y, needle-shaped Al11Cu2Y2Si2, compact primary (Al,Ti)84Cu6.4Y4.3Cr5.3 and Q (Al8Cu2Mg8Si6) phases were identified in the as-cast microstructure. Near-spherical coarse Al3(Zr,Y) and fine Al45Cr7 precipitates with a size of 60 nm and 10 nm were formed after 3 h of solution treatment at 580 °C. S′(Al2CuMg) precipitates with an average diameter of 140 nm, thickness of 6 nm and calculated volume fraction of 0.033 strengthened 36 HV during aging at 210 °C for 3 h. Three-dimensional hot processing maps demonstrated an excellent and stable deformation behavior at 440–540 °C and strain rates of 0.01–10 s−1. The rolled sheets had a good combination of yield strength (313 MPa) and plasticity (10.8%) in the recrystallized at 580 °C, with water quenched and aged at 210 °C for a 3 h state. The main calculated effect in the yield strength was contributed by Al45Cr7 precipitates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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14 pages, 4746 KiB  
Article
Effect of Mechanical Alloying on the Dissolution of the Elemental Mn and Al-Mn Compound in Aluminum
by Olga A. Yakovtseva, Nadezhda B. Emelina, Andrey G. Mochugovskiy, Andrey I. Bazlov, Alexey S. Prosviryakov and Anastasia V. Mikhaylovskaya
Metals 2023, 13(10), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13101765 - 17 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1098
Abstract
The grain boundary, solid solution, and precipitation strengthening mechanisms are important for controlling the mechanical properties of Al-based alloys. Due to severe plastic deformation, mechanical alloying refines grain structure to a nanoscale level which leads to a strong increase in solute content and [...] Read more.
The grain boundary, solid solution, and precipitation strengthening mechanisms are important for controlling the mechanical properties of Al-based alloys. Due to severe plastic deformation, mechanical alloying refines grain structure to a nanoscale level which leads to a strong increase in solute content and the related strengthening effect of solute atoms and secondary-phase precipitates. This study analyzed the elemental Mn and Al6Mn phase dissolution in Al during high-energy ball milling. For this purpose, XRD data, microstructure, and hardness evolutions were compared for two Al—5.2 at% Mn alloys prepared by mechanical alloying using elemental Al and Mn powders and a pre-melted master alloy. In the two-phase master alloy, containing the Al solid solution and the Al6Mn phase, the strain accumulation, grain refinement, solid solution supersaturation, and milling-induced hardening effects were facilitated. Both elemental Mn and intermetallic compound were dissolved during mechanical alloying, and the maximum solute content was near 3.1 at% Mn. A fine crystalline size of ~25 nm and the maximum Mn solute content were observed after milling of elemental powders and the master alloy for 60 h and 20 h, respectively. The microhardness of ~3 GPa corresponded to a ~3.1% solute Mn content, and the microhardness increased to ~5 GPa after long–term milling due to precipitation strengthening effect of the secondary Al6Mn phase in the master alloy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Casting, Thermomechanical and Heat Treatment of Aluminum Alloys: Second Edition)
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