Abstract
In this work, the effect of metallurgical parameters (i.e. alloy chemistry and aging parameters) on the mechanical properties of 319 alloys was investigated, with the aim of adjusting these parameters to produce castings of suitable mechanical properties. An attempt has been made to quantify the effects of alloying elements (Mg, Sr, and Ti) and aging parameters on the mechanical properties of heat-treated (T5 and T6) 319 alloys. Exploring the heat treatment differences between T5 and T6 for 319 alloys would help in selecting the metallurgical conditions required to achieve the optimum and maximum mechanical properties. Aging treatments were carried out for 319 alloys in the T5- and T6-condition at 150°C, 180°C, 200°C, 220°C and 250°C for 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h, followed by air cooling. Aging treatment at a lower temperature of 150°C produces fine and dense precipitates having a smaller inter-particle spacing, while at higher aging temperatures, such as 250°C, the precipitates are coarser in size, less dense, and more widely dispersed. For 319 alloys, crack initiate and propagate mainly through the debonding of Si particles from the Al matrix and through the cleavage of β-iron intermetallics. Fracture of intermetallic phases in the interdendritic regions is mostly brittle, with the formation of microcracks at the Si, Cu, Fe-base intermetallics and aluminium interfaces. Experimental correlations of the results obtained from the mechanical properties measurements are analyzed and correlations that relate the alloying additions and heat treatment to the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and total percent elongation (%E) of such alloys are found. Different levels of magnesium content (%Mg), Sr-modification (Sr-ppm), aging parameters (temperature and time) were tested. The effect of alloy additions (Mg, Sr and Ti) and aging heat treatment parameters (Temperature and Time) on the mechanical properties and alloy performance of cast and heat treated 319 alloys are investigated. It was found that the strength of 319 alloys increases with the magnesium content and decreases with the Sr-modification (Sr-ppm) and aging parameters (temperature and time). Increasing the Mg content in primary 319 alloys up to 0.45% enhances the alloy response to heat treatment in the T5 and T6 Tempers, more particularly, the T6 one. Sr-Modification of high Mg content 319 alloy in amounts of ~360 ppm leads to a noticeable decline in alloy strength due to porosity formation which counteracts the beneficial effect of the modification. Sr-modification has a negative effect on the % elongation results of Mg-content 319 alloys due to the Mg-Sr interaction in the aged-T6 conditions. However, grain refining of the Mg and Sr content 319 alloys produce sounder castings with finer grain sizes