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Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and microhardness of hypereutectic Al–Ni alloy

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Abstract

High solidification cooling rates during unsteady-state conditions of solidification of Al-based alloys can induce different microstructural length scales or metastable phases, leading to improved properties. The present study aims to characterize the microstructural arrangement of the hypereutectic Al–8 wt%Ni alloy, unidirectionally solidified in unsteady-state heat flow conditions, examining the influence of the cooling rate in the development of the Al–Al3Ni eutectic and the primary phase. A columnar-to-equiaxed macrostructural transition is shown to occur at a solidification cooling rate (Ṫ) of about 4.8 °C/s, with different microstructures associated with each morphological zone. The observation of microstructures of hypoeutectic, eutectic and hypereutectic Al–Ni alloys, has permitted an asymmetric coupled zone diagram to be proposed. The microstructural interphase spacings of the Al–8 wt%Ni alloy are experimentally determined and correlated to Ṫ, and the Vickers microhardness (HV) is shown to decrease with the increase in such spacings. The higher experimental HV profile of the examined hypereutectic alloy as compared to that of the eutectic Al–Ni alloy is attributed to the formation of a supersaturated solid solution of Ni in α-Al.

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Acknowledgements

Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory—LNNano, is gratefully acknowledged for the use of its facilities (XRD equipment).

Funding

The authors are grateful to the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and PIBIC/PRP-UNICAMP program for their financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, 13083-860, Brazil

    A. P. Carrara, R. Kakitani, A. Garcia & N. Cheung

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  1. A. P. Carrara
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Correspondence to N. Cheung.

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Carrara, A.P., Kakitani, R., Garcia, A. et al. Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and microhardness of hypereutectic Al–Ni alloy. Archiv.Civ.Mech.Eng 21, 14 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-020-00159-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-020-00159-2

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