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Mechanism for Si Poisoning of Al-Ti-B Grain Refiners in Al Alloys

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Abstract

Al-5Ti-1B is the most widely used grain refiner for Al alloys. However, it is not effective for grain refining Al alloys containing more than 3 wt pct Si. This adverse effect of Si is referred to as Si poisoning. In spite of extensive experimental and theoretical investigations in the past decades, the exact mechanism for Si poisoning is still not clear. In this work, the state-of-the-art electron microscopy was performed to investigate the mechanism for Si poisoning. Our experimental results suggest that Si segregates preferably to the TiB2/Al-Si melt interface and the pre-existing Al3Ti 2-dimensional compound (2DC) layer on TiB2 surface dissolves into the Al-Si melt. Based on the experimental results, we have postulated a new mechanism for Si poisoning: interfacial segregation of Si leads to enrichment of Si at the TiB2/Al-Si melt interface, and this in turn makes the pre-existing Al3Ti 2DC on the TiB2 surface unstable and dissolve gradually in the melt, resulting in a loss of TiB2 nucleation potency and hence a decreased total number of potent TiB2 particles available for heterogeneous nucleation and grain initiation and consequently an increased grain size. This mechanism for Si poisoning can explain consistently the experimentally observed phenomenon reported in the literature.

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Acknowledgments

The EPSRC is gratefully acknowledged for providing financial support under grant number EP/N007638 /1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BCAST, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, UK

    Yun Wang, Zhongping Que & Zhongyun Fan

  2. School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Teruo Hashimoto & Xiaorong Zhou

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  1. Yun Wang
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Manuscript submitted April 24, 2020.

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Wang, Y., Que, Z., Hashimoto, T. et al. Mechanism for Si Poisoning of Al-Ti-B Grain Refiners in Al Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 51, 5743–5757 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-05950-7

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