Effect of modifying additives of dysprosium titanate on the structure of silumin AK12

Currently, silumins, which are aluminum alloys, are most widely used in mechanical engineering, construction, and other industries. The use of silumins is often limited due to the presence of large-crystalline structures, such as α-Al dendrites, needle-shaped crystals of eutectic Si, and intermetallic phases. The effect of various additives on and their relationship with the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-containing intermetallic phases (Al–Si–Fe and Al–Si–Fe–Mn) has been studied extensively. However, studies of the effect of various additives on the morphology of Fe-containing phases in industrial Al–Si alloys remain relevant.

The effect of small amounts of dysprosium titanate additives (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 wt.%) on the morphology and localization of Fe-containing intermetallic phases is studied. Introducing 0.01 wt.% dysprosium titanate causes the transformation of the needle-shaped β-phase to the α-phase in the form of more compact blocks and polyhedral crystals, the size of the α-phase reducing by more than half. The introduction of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 wt.% dysprosium titanate does not change the modification of the α- and β-phases and reduces the size of the phases by a factor of 1.5 on average. After the introduction of dysprosium titanate, θ‑Al₂Cu particles are dissolved and Cu is concentrated/localized in the Fe-containing intermetallic phases in all the modified alloys.

After the introduction of 0.05–0.5 wt.% dysprosium titanate, the tensile strength of AK12 alloys increases due to a decrease in the size of the α- and β-phases. The modification of the Fe-containing intermetallic phases from the β-phase to the α-phase after the introduction of 0.1 wt.% dysprosium titanate decreases the tensile strength and elongation. The optimum is the addition of tungsten in the amount of 0.1 wt.%, as it leads to the optimal ratio between the structure and the mechanical properties. The tensile strength and elongation increase by 23% on average.