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Influence of the Composition on the Solidification Path, Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-Mg Alloys

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Abstract

The influence of the initial composition on the solidification path, microstructure evolution, thermophysical properties and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-Mg alloys was investigated. The solidification paths of the investigated alloys were determined by analyzing the solidification structure, and then the experimentally determined paths were compared with those from the calculated results. Three of the investigated alloys experienced typical ternary eutectic solidification, and the other four alloys experienced quasiperitectic reactions. Due to differences in the initial compositions, different eutectic morphologies were formed during the solidification process. The binary eutectic phases, (α-Al + Al2Cu) and (α-Al + Al6CuMg4), and the (α-Al + Al6CuMg4 + Al8Mg5) ternary eutectic phase tended to exhibit divorced growth, and the (α-Al + Al2CuMg), (α-Al + Al6CuMg4) and (α-Al + Al2Cu + Al2CuMg) eutectic phases tended to exhibit coupled growth. The results indicated that the initial composition, solidification path, microstructure and morphology could greatly affect the melting enthalpy, microhardness and compressive strength of the investigated Al-Cu-Mg alloys.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51604162), the Opening Fund of Hubei Key Laboratory of Hydroelectric Machinery Design and Maintenance (Grant No. 2017KJX12) and the applied basic research projects of Yichang Science and Technology Bureau (Grant No. A18-302-a05). We wish to thank Harbin Institute of Technology for providing the thermodynamic calculation and data of Al-Cu-Mg alloys.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubei Key Laboratory of Hydroelectric Machinery Design and Maintenance, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, China

    GuangWei Zhao

  2. College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, China

    GuangWei Zhao, Jian Chen, Chong Ding & YongSheng Ye

  3. Medical College, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443002, China

    MingChun Gu

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  1. GuangWei Zhao
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Zhao, G., Chen, J., Ding, C. et al. Influence of the Composition on the Solidification Path, Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Al-Cu-Mg Alloys. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 28, 6980–6992 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-019-04409-0

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