About this Abstract |
Meeting |
MS&T22: Materials Science & Technology
|
Symposium
|
Development in Light Weight Alloys and Composites
|
Presentation Title |
Ultrasonically-Induced Microstructural Refinement to Improve Strength of an Al-Si-Mg Casting |
Author(s) |
Katherine Rader, Jens Darsell, Jon Helgeland, Timothy Roosendaal, Ethan Nickerson, Aashish Rohatgi |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Katherine Rader |
Abstract Scope |
Ultrasonic melt processing of aluminum alloys is of interest to improve the mechanical properties of cast automotive components through local microstructural refinement. In this study, ultrasonic vibrations were applied during solidification of a commercial Al-Si-Mg alloy with added Fe content and cast in a graphite mold. Casting with the application of ultrasound changed the morphology of the microstructure from dendritic to non-dendritic, reduced the equivalent grain size of the primary aluminum grains by approximately 80 %, and changed the morphology of β-Al5FeSi phase particles from needle-shaped to rectangular. Iron contamination can be detrimental to mechanical performance. However, the ultrasonically-modified non-dendritic microstructure is expected to be stronger and more ductile than the dendritic microstructures of typical castings. Therefore, casting an Al-Si-Mg alloy with high Fe content with the application of ultrasound can potentially produce microstructures with mechanical properties comparable to an alloy with low Fe content. |