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Optimizing the Morphology and Solidification Behavior of Fe-Rich Phases in Eutectic Al-Si-Based Alloys with Different
Lei Luo1, Yingchun Tang2, Xiao Liang1
1School of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 29, 2024
Summary
Adding manganese (Mn) to aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) alloys refines harmful iron (Fe)-rich phases, improving alloy properties and recyclability. Mn addition transforms detrimental Fe phases into beneficial, less harmful morphologies, enhancing overall alloy performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Metallurgy
- Alloy Development
Background:
- High iron (Fe) content in Al-Si alloys forms detrimental Fe-rich phases, negatively impacting alloy properties and recyclability.
- Transforming these harmful Fe-rich phases into beneficial ones is crucial for enhancing Al-Si alloy performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism of manganese (Mn) on the morphology and microstructural evolution of Fe-rich phases in Al-Si alloys.
- To analyze how Mn addition affects the phase transition reactions and the resulting Fe-rich phase characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Al-Si-based alloys with varying Fe content (0.1-2.0 wt.%) were modified with different Mn additions.
- Experiments were combined with simulations to comprehensively analyze the effects of Mn on Fe-rich phase morphology.
- Microstructural analysis focused on phase identification, morphology, size, and curvature of Fe-rich phases.
Main Results:
- Without Mn, increasing Fe content transformed Fe-rich phases from skeleton-shaped α-Al8Fe2Si to fibrous, needle-like, and plate-like β-Al9Fe2Si2 with increased length and aspect ratio.
- Mn addition (0.35 wt.%) promoted the formation of Chinese-character and petal-shaped α-Al15(FeMn)3Si2 at lower Fe content and refined plate-like β-Al15(FeMn)3Si2 at higher Fe content.
- Mn altered phase reactions, limited Fe-rich phase growth, and reduced their maximum length and aspect ratio by up to 46.2% and 42.0%, respectively, while increasing mean curvature by 3.27 times.
Conclusions:
- Manganese effectively modifies the morphology and microstructural evolution of Fe-rich phases in Al-Si alloys.
- Mn addition transforms harmful Fe-rich phases into beneficial, refined structures, significantly improving alloy properties and recyclability.
- The study provides a mechanism for Mn's beneficial role in controlling Fe-rich phase formation and morphology.
