Microstructure and tensile properties of A356 alloy with different Sc/Zr additions
Shoupeng Xu, Chunsheng Shi, Naiqin Zhao, Chunnian He
Abstract
Abstract Addition of rare earth elements for improving the tensile properties of aluminum alloys has attracted great attention. In this study, a systematic analysis on the microstructure and tensile properties of A356–0.13Ti alloys with different contents of scandium (Sc) and scandium/zirconium (Sc/Zr) after solution and aging treatment process was carried out. The addition of Sc/Zr into A356–0.13Ti alloys can greatly refine the grain size and modify the deleterious coarse eutectic Si structure and harmful acicular iron‐containing phase morphology. As a result, the maximum value of strength (298 MPa) and ductility (elongation of 8.4%) are acquired by co‐addition of Sc/Zr after solution and aging treatment process, which indicates that the tensile properties of A356 alloy are greatly enhanced by the synergistic effect of co‐addition of Sc/Zr.