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Microstructure and Thermal Stability of A357 Alloy With and Without the Addition of Zr

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Abstract

The principal purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of Zr on the microstructure and thermal stability of an A357 alloy that has been subjected to an aging treatment (T6) and thermal exposure (250 °C). The results show that the addition of Zr had a significant influence on the refinement of the grain size, which enhanced the hardness and tensile strength of the A357 alloy under the T6 condition. During thermal exposure at 250 °C, the rodlike metastable β’-Mg2Si precipitates transformed into coarse equilibrium phase β-Mg2Si precipitates, resulting in a significant drop in the hardness and tensile strength of the T6 heat-treated A357 alloy. However, after thermal exposure, coherent, finely dispersed Al3Zr precipitates were found to be formed in the T6 heat-treated A357 alloy. The addition of 0.1% Zr played a critical role in improving the high-temperature strength. Consequently, the A357 alloy with the addition of Zr demonstrated better mechanical properties at room temperature and high temperature than the alloy without Zr, in terms of both microstructure and thermal stability.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support received from the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology under Contract No. NCSIST-1164-V102 (106).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Power Vehicle and Systems Engineering, CCIT, National Defense University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Yu-Chih Tzeng

  2. Optometry, College of Health Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan

    Vun-Shing Chengn

  3. Materials and Electro-Optics Research Division, National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Jo-Kuang Nieh & Hui-Yun Bor

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Sheng-Long Lee

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  1. Yu-Chih Tzeng
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  2. Vun-Shing Chengn
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Correspondence to Sheng-Long Lee.

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Tzeng, YC., Chengn, VS., Nieh, JK. et al. Microstructure and Thermal Stability of A357 Alloy With and Without the Addition of Zr. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 26, 5511–5518 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2921-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2921-2

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