Work

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of 6082 Aluminum Alloy via Sc and Zr Addition Combined with Squeeze Casting

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: To enhance the mechanical properties of 6082 aluminum alloy, a novel Sc- and Zr-microalloyed 6082 alloy was fabricated through squeeze casting technology. Microalloying with Sc and Zr substantially refined the microstructure of alloy, achieving an average grain size of 136.36 μm-a 31.7% reduction compared to the baseline 6082 alloy. Furthermore, the addition of Sc and Zr effectively refined the coarse AlFeMnSi intermetallic phases, mitigating their inherent brittleness. The Sc/Zr-modified alloy exhibited delayed age-hardening kinetics, requiring 100% longer aging time to reach peak hardness due to Sc/Zr-induced retardation of β''-phase precipitation. The optimized alloy demonstrated better mechanical properties, showing 10.4%, 8.0%, and 71.8% enhancements in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation, respectively, over the non-microalloyed counterpart. The squeeze-cast Sc/Zr-modified alloy valve body showed yield strength exceeding 300 MPa and elongation above 10% across various sections, which verifies the effectiveness of this integrated microalloying and forming approach.

Source: Materials

DOI: 10.3390/ma18091988

Authors: Yushi Qi, Fangming Wei, Yu Wang, Yu Jin, Xusheng Chang, Gang Chen

Institution: Harbin Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Aluminum Alloy Microstructure Properties

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province