• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.177-184
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• 2022

The present study aims to investigate the influence of Zn addition on hardness and microstructural characteristics of discontinuous precipitates (DPs) formed by isothermal aging in Mg-9%Al and Mg-9%Al-1%Zn alloys. To obtain large DPs volume fractions in the microstructure, the alloy specimens were solution-treated at 688 K for 24 h followed by water quenching, and then aged at 413 K for 48 h. The aged Mg-9%Al-1%Zn alloy had higher DPs content than the Mg-9%Al alloy, indicating that the Zn addition plays a beneficial role in enhancing age-hardening response. The DPs in the Zn-containing alloy possessed the higher hardness than those of the Zn-free alloy. Microstructural examination revealed that the increased hardness of the DPs resulting from the Zn addition is closely associated with the lower α-(Mg)/β(Mg₁₇Al₁₂) interlamellar spacing and the higher volume fraction of β phase layer of the DPs.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.160-166
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of combined addition of Ca and Y on the precipitation and age-hardening behavior of an extruded AZ91 alloy by conducting the aging treatment at 200 ℃ for hot-extruded AZ91 and AZ91-0.3Ca-0.2Y alloys. In the AZ91 alloy, many Mg₁₇Al₁₂ discontinuous precipitate (DP) bands formed during air cooling immediately after extrusion are present, whereas in the AZ91-0.3Ca-0.2Y alloy, a few DP bands and numerous Al₂Y, Al₈Mn₄Y, and Al₂Ca phase particles are distributed along the extrusion direction. The peak-aging time of the AZ91-0.3Ca-0.2Y alloy is 16 hours, twice that of the AZ91 alloy. Although both alloys have similar hardness before aging treatment, the hardness after peak-aging treatment (i.e., peak hardness) of the AZ91-0.3Ca-0.2Y alloy is higher than that of the AZ91 alloy, as 93.1 and 88.7 Hv, respectively. The microstructures of both peak-aged alloys comprise DPs and continuous precipitates (CPs). However, the peak-aged AZ91-0.3Ca-0.2Y alloy has a smaller amount of DPs and a larger amount of CPs than the peak-aged AZ91 alloy. Additionally, the inter-particle spacings of DPs and CPs in the former are significantly narrower than those in the latter. These results demonstrate that the addition of small amounts of Ca and Y to a commercial AZ91 alloy considerably affects the formation rate, size, and amount of CPs and DPs during aging and resultant age-hardening behavior.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.251-256
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• 2003

Effects of Ca addition on grain refinement, microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ31 Mg alloy were investigated. Due to Ca addition to Mg alloy (AZ31), the microstructure was refined, the quantity of $Mg_{17}Al_{12}$phase was reduced, and new $Al_2Ca$ phase was formed. The tensile property of AZ31 was increased with the minor addition of Ca, but was decreased rapidly over 0.2 wt.% of Ca content. The $Al_2Ca$ phase was considered to be detrimental to the mechanical property of AZ31 Mg alloy.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.480-490
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• 2003

Effects of plasma-nitriding on the pitting corrosion of Fe-30at%Al-5at%Cr alloy containing Ti, Hf, and Zr were investigated using potentiostat in 0.1M HCl. The specimen was casted by the vacuum arc melting. The subsequent homogenization was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 7days and phase stabilizing heat treatment was carried out in Ar gas atmosphere at $500^{\circ}C$ for 5 days. The specimen was nitrided in the $N_2$, and $H_2$, (1:1) mixed gas of $10^{-4}$ torr at $480^{\circ}C$ for 10 hrs. After the corrosion tests, the surface of the tested specimens were observed by the optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). For Fe-30at%Al-5Cr alloy, the addition of Hf has equi-axied structure and addition of Zr showed dendritic structure. For Fe-30at%Al-5Cr alloy containing Ti, plasma nitriding proved beneficial to decrease the pitting corrosion attack by increasing pitting potential due to formation of TiN film. Addition of Hf and Zr resulted in a higher activation current density and also a lower pitting potential. These results indicated the role of dendritic structure in decreasing the pitting corrosion resistance of Fe-30Al-5Cr alloy. Ti addition to Fe-30Al-5Cr decreased the number and size of pits. In the case of Zr and Hf addition, the pits nucleated remarkably at dendritic branches.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.403-407
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• 2022

This research investigated the effect of Si addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties, electric and thermal conductivity of as-extruded Al 6013 alloys. As the content of Si increased, the area fraction of the second phase increased. As the Si content increased, the average grain size decreased remarkably, from 182 (no Si addition) to 142 (1.5Si), 78 (3.0Si) and 77 ㎛ (4.5Si) due to dynamic recrystallization by the dispersed second particles in the aluminum matrix during the hot extrusion. As the Si content increased, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased. The maximum values of yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were 224 MPa and 103 MPa for the 6013-4.5Si alloy. As the amount of Si added increased, the electrical and thermal conductivity decreased. The electrical and thermal conductivity of the Al6013-4.5Si alloy were 44.0 % IACS and 165.0 W/mK, respectively. The addition of Si to Al 6013 alloy had a significant effect on its thermal conductivity and mechanical properties.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.248-253
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• 2002

Effect of Sn addition on the fatigue properties of Al-Cu-Mn cast alloy was investigated by low and high cycle fatigue tests. Fatigue life showed the maximum value of 5450cycles in the Al-Cu-Mn alloy containing 0.10%Sn, but decreased rapidly beyond 0.20% of Sn additions. It was found that the fatigue strength was 132MPa and fatigue ratio was 0.31 in the alloy containing 0.10%Sn. Metallographic observation revealed that the fatigue crack initiated at the surface and propagated along the grain boundary. This propagation path was attributed to the presence of PFZ along the grain boundary. The tensile strength increased from 330MPa in 7he Sn-free Al-Cu-Mn cast alloy to 429MPa in the alloy containing 0.10%Sn. But above 0.20%Sn additions, tensile strength was decreased by the segregation of Sn.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.185-190
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• 2014

The influences of small amount of Sn addition on microstructure and creep resistance of AZ91-0.4%Ca alloy have been investigated. The microstructure of the AZ91-0.4%Ca alloy was characterized by ${\alpha}$-(Mg) dendrite cells surrounded by eutectic ${\beta}(Mg_{17}Al_{12})$ and $Al_2Ca$ phases. The 0.5%Sn addition resulted in the formation of rod-shaped CaMgSn particles with the extinction of $Al_2Ca$. The Sn-containing alloy exhibited better creep resistance below $175^{\circ}C$, but the tendency was reversed above $200^{\circ}C$. The reason was discussed in relation to the change in thermal stability of ${\beta}$ phase in response to the Sn addition.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.553-568
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• 2022

This paper explored the viability of utilising titanium alloy bolts in the construction industry through an experimental programme, where a total of sixty-six titanium alloy (Ti/6Al/4V) bolts were tested under axial tension, pure shear and combined tension and shear. In addition, a series of Charpy V-notch specimens machined from titanium alloy bolts, conventional high-strength steel bolts, austenitic and duplex stainless steel bolts were tested for impact toughness comparisons. The obtained experimental results demonstrated that the axial tensile and pure shear capacities of titanium alloy bolts can be reasonably estimated by the current design standards for steel structures (Eurocode 3, AS 4100 and AISC 360). However, under the combined tension and shear loading conditions, significant underestimation by Eurocode 3 and unsafe predictions through AS 4100 and AISC 360 indicate that proper modifications are necessary to facilitate the safe and economic use of titanium alloy bolts. In addition, numerical models were developed to calibrate the fracture parameters of the tested titanium alloy bolts. Furthermore, a design-based selection process of titanium alloy bolts in the structural applications was proposed, in which the ultimate strength, ductility performance and corrosion resistance (including galvanic corrosion) of titanium alloy bolts was mainly considered.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.207-216
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• 2017

This study investigated the effects of the addition of Zn, Ca, and SiC on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Al alloys. The tensile properties of homogenized Mg-xAl (x = 6, 7, 8, and 9 wt.%) alloys increased with increasing Zn content by the solid-solution strengthening effect. However, when the added Zn content exceeded the solubility limit, the strength and ductility of the alloys decreased greatly owing to premature fracture caused by undissolved coarse particles or local melting. Among the Mg-xAl-yZn alloys tested in this study, the AZ74 alloy showed the best tensile properties. However, from the viewpoints of the thermal stability, castability, and tensile properties, the AZ92 alloy was deemed to be the most suitable cast alloy. Moreover, the addition of a small amount (0.17 wt.%) of SiC reduced the average grain size of the AZ91 alloy significantly, from $430{\mu}m$ to $73{\mu}m$. As a result, both the strength and the elongation of the AZ91 alloy increased considerably by the grain-boundary hardening effect and the suppression of twinning behavior, respectively. On the other hand, the addition of Ca (0.5-1.5 wt.%) and a combined addition of Ca (0.5-1.5 wt.%) and SiC (0.17 wt.%) increased the average grain size of the AZ91 alloy, which resulted in a decrease in its tensile properties. The SiC-added AZ92 alloy exhibited excellent tensile properties (YS 125 MPa, UTS 282 MPa, and EL 12.3%), which were much higher than those of commercial AZ91 alloy (YS 93 MPa, UTS 192 MPa, and EL 7.0%). The fluidity of the SiC-added AZ92 alloy was slightly lower than that of the AZ91 alloy because of the expansion of the solid-liquid coexistence region in the former. However, the SiC-added AZ92 alloy showed better hot-tearing resistance than the AZ91 alloy owing to its refined grain structure.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.111-117
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• 2012

The effect of Al addition on the precipitation behavior of a binary Mg-Zn alloy was investigated based on the changes in the morphology, distribution and element concentration of precipitates formed during aging treatment. The as-cast Mg-6.0 mass%Zn (Mg-6Zn) and Mg-6.0 mass%Zn-3.0 mass%Al (Al-added) were homogenized at 613 K for 48 h and at 673 K for 12 h; they were then solid solution treated at 673 K for 0.5 h and 1 h, respectively. The Mg-6Zn and Al-added alloys were aged at 403 K and 433 K. The peak hardness of the Al-added alloy was higher than that of the Mg-6Zn alloy at each aging temperature. Rod-like, plate-like, blocky, and lath-like precipitates were observed in the Al-added alloy aged at 433 K for 230.4 ks, although the rod-like and plate-like precipitates were observed in the TEM microstructure of the Mg-6Zn alloy aged at 433 K for 360 ks. Moreover, the precipitates in the Al-added alloy were refined and densely distributed compared with those in the Mg-6Zn alloy. The Cliff-Lorimer plots obtained by the EDS analysis of the rod-like ${\beta}_1^'$ and plate-like ${\beta}_2^'$ phases in the Al-added alloy peak aged at 433 K for 230.4 ks were examined. It was confirmed that the ${\beta}_2^'$ phases had higher concentration of solute Al atom than was present in the ${\beta}_1^'$ phases, indicating that the properties of precipitates can be changed by Al addition.