Evaluation of Age-Hardening Characteristics of Rheo-Cast A356 Alloy by Nano/Micro Hardness Measurement

나노/마이크로 경도 측정에 의한 레오캐스트 A356 합금의 시효경화특성 평가

This study investigates the nano/microstructure, the aging response, and the mechanical/tribological properties of the eutectic regions in rheoformed A356 alloy-T5 parts using nano/micro-indentation and mechanical scratching, combined with optical microscopy and atomic force microscope (AFM). Most eutectic Si crystals in the A356 alloy showed a modified morphology as fine-fibers. The loading curve for the eutectic region was more irregular than that of the primary Al region due to the presence of various particles of varying strength. The aging responses of the eutectic regions in the rheoformed A356 alloys aged at $150^{\circ}C$ for different times (0, 2, 4, 8, 10, 16, 24, 36, and 72 h) were investigated. Both Victors hardness $(H_v)$ and indentation $(H_{IT})$ test results showed a similar trend of aging curves, and the peak was obtained at the same aging time of 10 h. A remarkable size-dependence of the tests was found.