You are on page 1of 2

Silicon (2012) 4:137–143

DOI 10.1007/s12633-012-9111-5

ORIGINAL PAPER

Effects of Temper Conditions and Step-Quenching-Ageing


on the Hardness Characteristics and Yield Strength
of A356.0-type Al-Si-Mg Alloy
M. Abdulwahab & I. A. Madugu & S. A. Yaro &
A. P. I. Popoola

Received: 20 August 2011 / Accepted: 25 January 2012 / Published online: 25 March 2012
# Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Abstract In this paper, the effect of different tempers and 1 Introduction


thermal ageing treatments on the hardness characteristics
and yield strength of A356.0-type Al-Si-Mg alloy has been Hypoeutectic Al-Si-Mg casting alloys have gained accep-
studied. The investigations consist of artificial ageing with- tance over the years in automotive and aerospace appli-
out solution heat treatments (T5), solution heat treated with cations. These have been driven by a number of issues,
artificial ageing (T6), interrupted-quenching-ageing (IQA) in particular weight reduction, fuel efficiency and en-
and step-quenching-ageing (SQA) under artificial ageing hanced mechanical performance [1–5]. An A356 alloy is
condition. The hardness of the SQA alloy aged at 180°C/4 h a group of Al-Si-Mg and their increase in strength is by
and 200°C/1–4 h with respect to double and single precipitation of Mg2Si in the aluminium matrix as reported
thermal ageing treatment and there corresponding yield [6]. The T5, T6 with natural ageing (NA), solution heat
strengths (YS) were computed. The phases in the treated treated with artificial ageing for stabilization (pre-ageing
alloys were identified from the X-ray diffractometry spectrum and artificial ageing) (T7) with NA tempers which are
(XRD). Equally, the hardness behavior was correlated with some of the conventional temper for Al-Si-Mg alloy has
the microstructures using an optical microscope (OPM) and a been compared in this paper with IQA and SQA treat-
scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dis- ments consisting of T6 and T7 tempers. In several works
persive spectroscope (SEM-EDS). The SQA treated alloy [7–12], T7 which is aged at a low temperature followed
has demonstrated improved hardness. The XRD of the by high temperature ageing has been termed to be an
alloy aged at various conditions has been found to con- averaged temper. While some authors [7, 11, 13–17]
tain strengthening phases which contributed to the higher believed this to be a double step ageing; two-stage age-
hardness of the samples within the ageing temperatures and ing treatment resulting in improved hardness and stress
time considered. corrosion cracking. This shows a diverse opinion on the
role of T7 in aluminium alloys. Based on these, combi-
Keywords Hardness measurement . Aluminium alloys . nation of different tempers consisting of T7 and T6 with
Casting . Precipitation . Grain refinement NA were developed in order to further strengthen this
group of aluminium alloys. In Al-Mg-Si alloys, IQA has
been claimed to simultaneously enhance strength and
toughness [17–22]. While SQA treatment has been reported
M. Abdulwahab (*) : I. A. Madugu : S. A. Yaro to enhance stress corrosion cracking and moderate
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering,
strength [23]. The present study examined these temper
Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, Nigeria treatments, IQA and SQA for possible improvement in
e-mail: mabdulwahab@abu.edu.ng the hardness and to obtain an optimal treatment for the
sodium modified A356.0-type Al-Si-Mg alloy using the
M. Abdulwahab : A. P. I. Popoola
optimum range of Risanti et al. [18] for SQA. While for
Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering,
Tshwane University of Technology, the tempers and IQA, the methods reported [23, 24] has
Pretoria, South Africa been adopted.
138 Silicon (2012) 4:137–143

Table 1 Chemical composition


of the produced A356.0-type Al Si Mg Fe Mn Cr Pb+Sn Zn Cu Ti Ni Na
Al-Si-Mg alloy (wt%)
92.14 7.0 0.3 0.08 0.03 0.2 0.03 0.05 0.03 0.11 0.03 0.01

2 Experimental Procedures 2 ml-HF). The XRD pattern of some of the samples was
studied. OPM and SEM machines used were digital light
The samples were produced according to the methods microscope Olympic-Japan (u25LBD) and Joel (JSM-6300),
described elsewhere [25]. The composition of the pro- respectively.
duced A356.0-type Al-Si-Mg alloy is given in Table 1.
The eutectics silicon particles were modified with ele-
mental sodium (0.01%). The samples for hardness and 3 Results and Discussions
microstructure were sectioned from 22 mm by 300 mm
cast alloy. All samples were then solution heat treated for 3.1 Results
1 h at 540°C, then aged at 200°C for various time, 1–
4 h. Some were delayed (NA) for 20 h, 1.5 h before The results of the hardness measurement (HVN) and
ageing at 180°C/4 h and 200°C/2 h. For the samples that computed yield strength (YS) are presented in Figs. 1
were thermally treated in the T7 with NA, pre-ageing and 2. Figures 3 and 4 show hardness variation for the
treatment at 105°C for 24 h and 0.33 h were done. Some step-quenching-ageing (SQA) with respect to double ther-
quenched samples were given an interrupted-quenching- mal ageing treatment (DTAT) and single thermal ageing
ageing consisting of under-ageing at the elevated temper- treatment (STAT). The SEM-EDS and OPM microstruc-
ature of 200°C for 2 h, quenched, then followed by tures of some treated alloys were presented in Figs. 6 and
ageing at a temperature of 105°C for 0.33 h. then cooled 7, respectively. Powdered XRD pattern of some samples
in air (termed as IQA3 in this work). In another sample, are shown in Fig. 5 and there corresponding parameters
after cooling in air (IQA3) further ageing was resumed at are indicated in Table 2. Since the YS has been reported
elevated temperature of 200°C for 2 h and finally cooled to be affected only by artificial ageing and Mg content,
in air (termed as IQA4). For these treatments, the opti- the YS have been computed using equation developed for
mum point of Risanti et al. (2009) and Moller et al. Al-Si-Mg alloy [26].
(2010) were adopted. Equally, samples from the solution
heat treatment temperature were step-quenched to a tem- 3.2 Discussions
perature of 220°C for 10, 20 and 30 s, then quenched in
warm water (SQA). Finally, the quenched samples were 3.2.1 Hardness and Thermal Ageing Treatments for Temper
aged to the STAT and DTAT tempers. The hardness data Conditions, IQA, SQA (T7 and T6) Treatments
was assessed by using a Vickers micro-hardness tester of
500 g load with at least six measurements. The SEM- From the results obtained, the treatments of IQA, SQA
EDS, OPM samples were electro-polished and etched along with T6 and natural ageing (NA)/T7 and NA on
with Keller’s reagent (190 ml-H2O, 5 ml-HNO3, 3 ml-HCl, the alloy studied have been reported. Figure 2 is an alloy

Fig. 1 Hardness-tempers chart 350


for A356.0-type Al-Si-Mg alloy
at different temper conditions 300
250
HVN/YS

200 HVN
150 YS
100
50
0
1

2
A4
T
r

2
1
A3

AT
AT
pe

SH

AT
AT
IQ

IQ
m

DT

ST

DT

ST
Te
F-

Temper conditions

You might also like