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DOI 10.1007/s12633-012-9111-5
ORIGINAL PAPER
Received: 20 August 2011 / Accepted: 25 January 2012 / Published online: 25 March 2012
# Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012
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
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