Effect of Mg/Si mass ratio on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Si cast aluminum alloy
摘要
The effect of Mg/Si mass ratio on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Si cast aluminum alloys under sub-rapid solidification conditions was investigated. This study utilized four different Mg/Si ratios: 2.83, 1.91, 1.73, and 1.53. To analyze the evolution of the microstructure, particularly the second phase, various techniques were employed: optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Additionally, thermodynamic calculations were performed using the Thermal-calc software to further understand the microstructural changes. Results show that as the Mg/Si ratio decreases from 2.83 to 1.53, α-Al grains become more uniformly distributed. Meanwhile, the morphology of the Mg2Si phases changes from skeletal to short stick shapes with a decreasing aspect ratio. An as-cast Al-Mg-Si alloy with a Mg/Si ratio of 1.53 exhibits high strength, achieving an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 320.6 MPa and a yield strength (YS) of 249.9 MPa. The cast alloy with a Mg/Si ratio of 2.83 exhibits the highest elongation, reaching 5.31%. This superior elongation is attributed to the uniform distribution of Mg2Si phases, which possess a long skeletal shape. Conversely, the alloy with a Mg/Si ratio of 1.53 demonstrates the lowest elongation, primarily due to the central concentration of Mg2Si phases, which are characterized by their short stick shapes.