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On the Enhancement of the Impact Toughness of A319 Alloys: Role of Mg Content and Melt Treatment

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Abstract

The present work was performed on low Fe-low Mg A319 alloys. The results show that the A319-type aluminum alloy with the optimum combination of impact properties consists of a Sr-modified alloy with additions of Mg. The Sr-modification process does not affect the aging behavior of the alloy, while the addition of Mg enhances its response to artificial aging. The strengthening effect observed in the alloy is due mainly to the presence of θ-Al2Cu particles which precipitate in the form of needles and plates. The degree of strengthening that may be obtained depends directly on the amount and homogeneity of the θ-Al2Cu phase. The alloy does not exhibit the common peak-overaging conditions normally found in the literature. This is due to the presence of sequential precipitation of different species during the aging process, whereas hardness is less sensitive to melt treatment conditions, and aging treatment has a significant influence on the alloy hardness. In the non-modified alloy, the Si particles may be cleaved during impact testing resulting in poor toughness. Modification with Sr improves the alloy resistance to fracture during impact testing due to the larger volume fraction of the ductile aluminum matrix compared to non-modified alloys.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Amal Samuel for enhancing the quality of the art work in the present article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada

    F. J. Tavitas-Medrano & F. H. Samuel

  2. General Motors Materials Engineering, Pontiac, MI, USA

    H. Doty

  3. Nemak, S.A., P.O. Box 100, 66221, Garza Garcia, NL, Mexico

    S. Valtierra

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  1. F. J. Tavitas-Medrano
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  2. H. Doty
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  3. S. Valtierra
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  4. F. H. Samuel
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Correspondence to F. H. Samuel.

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Tavitas-Medrano, F.J., Doty, H., Valtierra, S. et al. On the Enhancement of the Impact Toughness of A319 Alloys: Role of Mg Content and Melt Treatment. Inter Metalcast 11, 536–551 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-016-0098-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-016-0098-3

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