• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.273-281
• /
• 2022

In order to understand the solidification behavior and microstructural evolution of the Al-Cu-Si ternary eutectic alloy system, changes of the microstructure of the Al-Cu-Si ternary eutectic alloy with different cooling rates were investigated. When the mold preheating temperature is 500℃, primary Si and Al2Cu dendrites are observed, with (α-Al+Al2Cu) binary eutectic and needle-shaped Si subsequently observed. In addition, even when the mold preheating temperature is 300℃, primary Si and Al2Cu dendrites can be observed, and both (α-Al+Al2Cu+Si) areas observed and areas not observed earlier appear. When the mold preheating temperature is 150℃, bimodal structures of the binary eutectic (α-Al+Al2Cu) and ternary eutectic (α-Al+Al2Cu+Si) are observed. When the preheating temperature of the mold is changed to 500℃, 300℃, and 150℃, the greatest change is in the Si phase, and upon reaching the critical cooling rate, the ternary eutectic of (α-Al+Al2Cu+Si) forms. If the growth of the Si phase is suppressed upon the formation of (α-Al+Al2Cu+Si), the growth of both Al and Cu is also suppressed by a cooperative growth mechanism. As a result of analyzing the Al-27wt%Cu-5wt%Si ternary eutectic alloy with a different alloy design simulation programs, it was confirmed that different results arose depending on the program. A computer simulation of the alloy design is a useful tool to reduce the trial and error process in alloy design, but this effort must be accompanied by a task that increases reliability and allows a comparison to microstructural results derived through actual casting.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.150-158
• /
• 2022

The effects of scandium addition on the Al-6Si-2Cu Alloy were investigated. The Al-6Si-2Cu-Sc alloy was prepared by gravity die casting process. In this study, scandium was added at 0.2 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.8 wt%, and 1.0 wt%. The microstructure of Al-6Si-2Cu-Sc alloy was investigated using Optical Microscope, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, Electron Back Scatter Diffraction, and Transmission Electron microscope. The microstructure of Al-6Si-2Cu alloy with scandium added changed from dendrite structure to equiaxed crystal structure in specimens of 0.4 wt% Sc or more, and coarse needle-shape eutectic Si and β-Al₅FeSi phases were segmented and refined. The nanosized Al₃Sc intermetallic compound was observed to be uniformly distributed in the modified Al matrix.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.528-534
• /
• 2021

To confirm effects of natural and artificial aging of precipitate on thermal diffusivity and hardness, the studied Al-Mg-Si alloy were manufactured by gravity casting method with 0.6 wt% and 1.0 wt% additional Cu element. The samples were used for measuring thermal diffusivity and hardness. The addition of Cu, promoted by intermediates such as Q'' and θ'' phases, contributing to the improvement of hardness and high-temperature thermal diffusivity. The natural aging decreased the hardness of the Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloys with increasing time, but did not affect the thermal diffusivity.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.300-306
• /
• 2000

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of SiC particle size(50, 100 ${\mu}m$) and additional elements such as Si, Cu and Ti on aging behavior in Al-5Mg-X(Si,Cu,Ti)/SiCp composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration method using hardness and wear test, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). The peak aging time in Al-5Mg-X(Si, Cu, Ti)/SiCp(50, 100 ${\mu}m$) composites is shorter than Al-5Mg-0.3Si alloy.The peak aging time of 50 ${\mu}m$ SiC particle reinforced Al-5Mg-X(Si,Cu,Ti) composites is shorter than those of 100 ${\mu}m$ SiC particle reinforced of Al-5Mg-X(Si,Cu,Ti) composites. The Al-5Mg-0.3Si-0.1Cu-0.1Ti/SiCp(50 ${\mu}m$) composites aged at $180^{\circ}C$ has higher hardness and better wear resistance than any other aged composite.The aging effect is promoted by the addition of Si and Cu in Al-5Mg/SiCp composites, so the wear resistance of Al-5Mg/SiCp composites with Si and Cu elements is enhanced by the aging treatment.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.419-433
• /
• 2021

Al-Si-Cu alloys benefit from the addition of copper for better hardness and strength through precipitation hardening, which results in remarkably strong alloys. However, the addition of copper expands the solidification range of Al-Si-Cu alloys, and due to this, these alloys become more prone to hot tearing, which is one of the most common and serious fracture phenomena encountered during solidification. The conventional evaluation method of the hot tearing properties of an alloy is a relative and qualitative analysis approach that does not provide quantitative data about this phenomenon. In the present study, the mold itself part of a device developed in Instone et al. was partially modified to obtain more reliable quantitative data pertaining to the hot tearing properties of an Al-Si-Cu casting alloy. To assess the influence of Cu element, four levels of Cu contents were tested (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 wt.%) in the Al-Si-Cu system alloy and the hot tearing properties were evaluated in each case. As the Cu content was increased, the hot tearing strength decreased to 2.26, 1.53, 1.18, and 1.04 MPa, respectively. At the moment hot tearing occurred, the corresponding solid fraction and solidification rate decreased at the same temperature due to the increase in the solid-liquid coexistence range as the Cu content increased. The morphology of the fracture surfaces was changed from dendrites to dendrites covered with residual liquid, and CuAl₂ phases were observed in the vicinity of hot tearing.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.97-103
• /
• 2018

The objective of this study is to develop the mechanical properties of AlSiCu aluminum alloy by the two-step solution heat treatment. The microstructure of gravity casting specimen represents a typical dendrite structure having a secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) of 40 mm. In addition to the Al matrix, a large amount of coarsen eutectic Si phase, $Al_2Cu$ intermetallic phase, and Fe-rich phases are generated. The eutectic Si phases are fragmented and globularized with solution heat treatment. Also, the $Al_2Cu$ intermetallic phase is resolutionized into the Al matrix. The $2^{nd}$ solution temperature at $525^{\circ}C$ might be a optimum condition for enhancement of mechanical properties of AlSiCu aluminum alloy.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.19-24
• /
• 2015

Joint properties of electric control unit (ECU) module using Sn-Cu-(X)Al(Si) lead-free solder alloy were investigated for automotive electronics module. In this study, Sn-0.5Cu-0.01Al(Si) and Sn-0.5Cu-0.03Al(Si) (wt.%) lead-free alloys were fabricated as bar type by doped various weight percentages (0.01 and 0.03 wt.%) of Al(Si) alloy to Sn-0.5Cu. After fabrications of lead-free alloys, the ball-type solder alloys with a diameter of 450 um were made by rolling and punching. The melting temperatures of 0.01Al(Si) and 0.03Al(Si) were 230.2 and $230.8^{\circ}C$, respectively. To evaluation of properties of solder joint, test printed circuit board (PCB) finished with organic solderability perseveration (OSP) on Cu pad. The ball-type solders were attached to test PCB with flux and reflowed for formation of solder joint. The maximum temperature of reflow was $260^{\circ}C$ for 50s above melting temperature. And then, we measured spreadability and shear strength of two Al(Si) solder materials compared to Sn-0.7Cu solder material used in industry. And also, microstructures in solder and intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were observed. Moreover, thickness and grain size of $Cu_6Sn_5$ IMC were measured and then compared with Sn-0.7Cu. With increasing the amounts of Al(Si), the $Cu_6Sn_5$ thickness was decreased. These results show the addition of Al(Si) could suppress IMC growth and improve the reliability of solder joint.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2022

In this study, dissolution and melting phenomenon of the Al₂Cu was studied for the high-strength Al-Si-Cu aluminum alloy in automobile component. The Solution heat treatment was performed at 480℃ and 510℃ for 4hours. Microstructure analysis of the specimen was performed using the optical micrograph and scanning electron microscope for qualitative and quantitative analysis of various phases, the chemical composition of secondary phases was achieved by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron probe micro analysis (EPMA). As a result of the electron probe micro analysis, a plate like Al₂Cu phase was observed, and eutectic Si phase was observed of a coarsen plate shape. At a temperature of 510, necking phenomenon occurs in a specific part of plate like Al₂Cu, and it is segmented and dissolved in the Al matrix. When the temperature of the alloy exceeds the melting point of Al₂Cu, incipient melting occurs at the grain boundary of undissolved Cu particles

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.89-96
• /
• 2000

The effects of modification processing on the refinement of primary Si and the wear behavior of hyper-eutectic Al-Si alloys have been mainly investigated. Refining effects of primary Si in Al-17%Si alloy was more efficient than that of B.390 alloy. Optimum condition of getting the finest primary Si microstructure was when AlCuP modifier is added into the melt at $750^{\circ}C$ and held it at $700^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. Wear loss in the specimens of as-cast condition decreases as the size of primary Si decreases, in the order of B.390 alloy, B.390 alloy with AlCuP addition, Al-17%Si alloy and Al-17%Si alloy with AlCuP addition. Wear loss in the aged condition of Al-17%Si alloy, B.390 alloy and B.390 alloy with AlCuP addition decreased due to the increase of compressive residual stress in the matrix by the aging treatment. While, wear loss increased in the aged specimens of Al-17%Si alloy with AlCuP addition and Hepworth addition in which compressive residual stress decreases by the aging treatment. Therefore, it is assumed that higher compressive residual stress in the matrix can reduce the wear loss in composite materials such as hyper-eutectic Al-Si alloys.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.223-227
• /
• 2009

The precipitates, hardness, and tensile properties of Al-6.2Si-2.9Cu AC2B alloy were investigated with respect to solution treatment time at $500^{\circ}C$. $Al(Cu)-Al_2Cu$ eutectic, Si, ${\theta}-(Al_2Cu)$, and $Q-(Al_5Cu_2Mg_8Si_6)$ phases were observed in the as-cast specimen. With increasing the solution treatment time at $500^{\circ}C$, the $Al(Cu)-Al_2Cu$ eutectic and ${\theta}-(Al_2Cu)$ phases were gradually reduced and finally almost disappeared in 5 h. The mechanical properties, such as hardness, tensile strength, and elongation, were improved with solution treatment time until about 5 h due to the dissolution of the $Al_2Cu$ particles. With further holding time, the mechanical properties did not change much. The solution treated specimens for over 5 h at $500^{\circ}C$ exhibit almost the same tensile properties even after aging at $250^{\circ}C$ for 3.5 h. Accordingly, the optimal solution treatment condition of the Al-Si-Cu AC2B alloy is considered to be 5 h at $500^{\circ}C$.