Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of In situ Synthesized Dual-Phase TiB2+ZrB2 Particle-Reinforced Al–Cu Alloy
摘要
In particulate-reinforced aluminum alloys, forming fine-sized and uniformly distributed reinforcing particles is crucial to the improvement of the microstructure and mechanical properties of composite materials. This study proposes an in situ preparation process for generating dual-phase TiB2+ZrB2 reinforcing particles for Al–5Cu alloys, aiming to reduce composition segregation, refine the alloy microstructure, and enhance mechanical properties. The effects of melt reaction time (10 min, 40 min, 70 min) and reaction temperature (750 °C, 800 °C, 850 °C) on in situ endogenic reactions are investigated. With the increase in reaction time and temperature, the amount of reinforcing particles generated increases, the grain is refined, and the properties of (TiB2+ZrB2)/Al–5Cu alloys are improved. For 3 wt.% (TiB2+ZrB2)/Al–5Cu alloy, the particles formed by reacting at 850 °C for 40 min are fine and uniform, without residual intermediate products, showing the best grain refinement effect. The average grain size is 51.3 μm, which is 61.4% smaller than that of Al–5Cu alloy. Due to the reinforcement of dual-phase TiB2+ZrB2 particles, the strength and toughness of the alloy are synchronously improved. The tensile strength and elongation are 436 MPa and 6.7%, respectively, which are 7.7% and 19.6% higher than those of Al–5Cu alloy.