Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Real-Time Observation of AZ91 Solidification by Synchrotron Radiography

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Magnesium Technology 2017

Part of the book series: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series ((MMMS))

Abstract

The equiaxed solidification of AZ91 has been studied by time-resolved synchrotron radiography of 150 µm thick samples. Primary Al8Mn5 and α-Mg dendrite growth has been observed and analysed during solidification at a cooling rate of 5 K/min. Morphological, compositional and kinetic information of AZ91 solidification has been extracted from quantitative image analysis on synchrotron radiographs combined with thermodynamic calculations. α-Mg dendrites appeared to grow largely independently of the surrounding Al8Mn5 particles. Solute partitioning mainly occurred during the dendrite coarsening stage and Zn/Al solute build-up was studied in a region that remains a liquid channel until a late stage of AZ91 solidification.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. B.L. Mordike, T. Ebert, Magnesium properties—applications—potential. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 302, 37–45 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. E.F. Emley, Principles of Magnesium Technology (Elsevier Science & Technology, Oxford, 1966), pp. 157–159

    Google Scholar 

  3. M. Liu, P.J. Uggowitzer, A.V. Nagasekhar, P. Schmutz, M. Easton, G.L. Song, A. Atrens, Calculated phase diagrams and the corrosion of die-cast Mg-Al alloys. Corros. Sci. 51, 602–619 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. M. Ohno, D. Mirkovic, R. Schmid-Fetzer, Phase equilibria and solidification of Mg-rich Mg-Al-Zn alloys. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 421, 328–337 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. M. Ohno, D. Mirkovic, R. Schmid-Fetzer, Liquidus and solidus temperatures of Mg-rich Mg-Al-Mn-Zn alloys. Acta Mater. 54, 3883–3891 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. S. Biswas, F. Sket, M. Chiumenti, I. Gutiérrez-Urrutia, J.M. Molina-Aldareguía, M.T. Pérez-Prado, Relationship between the 3D porosity and β-phase distributions and the mechanical properties of a high pressure die cast AZ91 Mg alloy. Metall. Mater. Trans. A 44, 4391–4403 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  7. A.V. Nagasekhar, C.H. Cáceres, C. Kong, 3D characterization of intermetallics in a high pressure die cast Mg alloy using focused ion beam tomography. Mater. Charact. 61, 1035–1042 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. M. Yang, S.M. Xiong, Z. Guo, Characterisation of the 3-D dendrite morphology of magnesium alloys using synchrotron X-ray tomography and 3-D phase-field modelling. Acta Mater. 92, 8–17 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. A.K. Dahle, Y.C. Lee, M.D. Nave, P.L. Schaffer, D.H. StJohn, Development of the as-cast microstructure in magnesium-aluminium alloys. J. Light Met. 1, 61–72 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. L. Lu, A.K. Dahle, D.H. StJohn, Heterogeneous nucleation of Mg-Al alloys. Scripta Mater. 54, 2197–2201 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Y. Wang, M. Xia, Z. Fan, X. Zhou, G.E. Thompson, The effect of Al8Mn5 intermetallic particles on grain size of as-cast Mg-Al-Zn AZ91D alloy. Intermetallics 18, 1683–1689 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. C. Simensen, N. Hansen, The effect of silicon upon alloys of Mg-2. 2 wt%Al-Mn. Z. Metallkd. 79, 541–543 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  13. B.C. Oberlander, C.J. Simensen, J. Svalestuen, A. Thorvaldsen, Phase diagram of liquid magnesium–aluminium–manganese alloys, in Magnesium Technology (1986), pp. 133–137

    Google Scholar 

  14. C.J. Simensen, B.C. Oberlander, J. Svalestuen, A. Thorvaldsen, Phase diagram for magnesium-aluminium-manganese above 650 °C. Z. Metallkd. 79, 696–699 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  15. C.J. Simensen, B.C. Oberlander, J. Svalestuen, A. Thorvaldsen, The Effect of Iron on Mg-4 wt.% Al-Mn Alloys. Z. Metallkd. 80, 101–103 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  16. G. Han, X. Liu, Phase control and formation mechanism of Al–Mn(–Fe) intermetallic particles in Mg–Al-based alloys with FeCl3 addition or melt superheating. Acta Mater. 114, 54–66 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. F. Pan, Z. Feng, X. Zhang, A. Tang, The types and distribution characterization of Al-Mn phases in the AZ61 magnesium alloy. Procedia Eng. 27, 833–839 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. B. Sundman, B. Jansson, J.-O. Andersson, The thermo-calc databank system. Calphad 9, 153–190 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Y.W. Riddle, M.M. Makhlouf, Characterizing solidification by non-equilibrium thermal analysis, in Magnesium Technology (2003), pp. 101–106

    Google Scholar 

  20. R.H. Mathiesen, L. Arnberg, X-ray radiography observations of columnar dendritic growth and constitutional undercooling in an Al-30 wt%Cu alloy. Acta Mater. 53, 947–956 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. W.U. Mirihanage, K.V. Falch, I. Snigireva, A. Snigirev, Y.J. Li, L. Arnberg, R.H. Mathiesen, Retrieval of three-dimensional spatial information from fast in situ two-dimensional synchrotron radiography of solidification microstructure evolution. Acta Mater. 81, 241–247 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. L. Arnberg, R.H. Mathiesen, The real-time, high-resolution X-ray video microscopy of solidification in aluminum alloys. JOM 59, 20–26 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. T. Nagira, C.M. Gourlay, A. Sugiyama, M. Uesugi, Y. Kanzawa, M. Yoshiya, K. Uesugi, K. Umetani, H. Yasuda, Direct observation of deformation in semi-solid carbon steel. Scripta Mater. 64, 1129–1132 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. A.B. Phillion, R.W. Hamilton, D. Fuloria, A.C.L. Leung, P. Rockett, T. Connolley, P.D. Lee, In situ X-ray observation of semi-solid deformation and failure in Al-Cu alloys. Acta Mater. 59, 1436–1444 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. G. Reinhart, N. Mangelinck-Noël, H. Nguyen-Thi, T. Schenk, J. Gastaldi, B. Billia, P. Pino, J. Härtwig, J. Baruchel, Investigation of columnar-equiaxed transition and equiaxed growth of aluminium based alloys by X-ray radiography. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 413–414, 384–388 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. H. Yasuda, I. Ohnaka, K. Kawasaki, A. Sugiyama, T. Ohmichi, J. Iwane, K. Umetani, Direct observation of stray crystal formation in unidirectional solidification of Sn-Bi alloy by X-ray imaging. J. Cryst. Growth 262, 645–652 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. C.M. Gourlay, K. Nogita, A.K. Dahle, Y. Yamamoto, K. Uesugi, T. Nagira, M. Yoshiya, H. Yasuda, In situ investigation of unidirectional solidification in Sn-0.7Cu and Sn-0.7Cu-0.06Ni. Acta Mater. 59, 4043–4054 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. G. Zeng, S.D. McDonald, C.M. Gourlay, K. Uesugi, Y. Terada, H. Yasuda, K. Nogita, Solidification of Sn-0.7Cu-0.15Zn solder: in situ observation. Metall. Mater. Trans. A 45, 918–926 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. H. Yasuda, T. Nagira, M. Yoshiya, N. Nakatsuka, A. Sugiyama, K. Uesugi, K. Umetani, Development of X-ray Imaging for Observing Solidification of Carbon Steels. ISIJ Int. 51, 402–408 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. S. Shuai, E. Guo, A.B. Phillion, M.D. Callaghan, T. Jing, P.D. Lee, Fast synchrotron X-ray tomographic quantification of dendrite evolution during the solidification of MgSn alloys. Acta Mater. 118, 260–269 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. D. Casari, W.U. Mirihanage, K.V. Falch, I.G. Ringdalen, J. Friis, R. Schmid-Fetzer, D. Zhao, Y. Li, W.H. Sillekens, R.H. Mathiesen, α-Mg primary phase formation and dendritic morphology transition in solidification of a Mg-Nd-Gd-Zn-Zr casting alloy. Acta Mater. 116, 177–187 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. N. Otsu, A threshold selection method from gray-level histograms. Automatica 11, 23–27 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was conducted within the EPSRC Future LiME hub with grant number EP/N007638/1 Experiments were performed on BL20B2 at the SPring-8 synchrotron in Hyogo, Japan, under grant number 2014A1540 and 2014A1541.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    G. Zeng, S. Belyakov, J. W. Xian & C. M. Gourlay

  2. NS CMEM, School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    K. Nogita & S. D. McDonald

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    K. V. Yang

  4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kyoto University, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    H. Yasuda

Authors
  1. G. Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Nogita
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Belyakov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. W. Xian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. D. McDonald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. V. Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. H. Yasuda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. C. M. Gourlay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Zeng .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona, USA

    Kiran N. Solanki

  2. Lund University , Lund, Skåne Län, Sweden

    Dmytro Orlov

  3. Structural Materials Unit, National Inst for Materials Sci Structural Materials Unit, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Alok Singh

  4. IND LLC , South Jordan, Utah, USA

    Neale R. Neelameggham

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

About this paper

Cite this paper

Zeng, G. et al. (2017). Real-Time Observation of AZ91 Solidification by Synchrotron Radiography. In: Solanki, K., Orlov, D., Singh, A., Neelameggham, N. (eds) Magnesium Technology 2017. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52392-7_82

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation