Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Materials Today Communications

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/mtcomm

Influence of the dendritic microstructure and β-Al5FeSi phase on the wear

characteristics in a horizontally solidified Al-7Si-0.4Mg-1.2Fe alloy
Angela Vasconcelos a, Hugo Azevedo b, André Barros c, Otávio Rocha b, Mirian Motta Melo a, *
a
Federal University of Itajubá, Institute of Mechanical Engineering-UNIFEI, Itajubá, 37500-903, MG, Brazil
b
Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará-IFPA, Belém, 66093-020, PA, Brazil
c
Department of Manufacturing and Materials Engineering, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, 13083-860 Campinas, SP, Brazil

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: In this work an Al-7Si-0.4Mg-1.2Fe alloy (wt.%) was subjected to a horizontal solidification experiment using a
Horizontal solidification water-cooled solidification device equipped with thermocouples to obtain temperature vs. time data which in
Microstructure turn allowed solidification thermal parameters, such as growth and cooling rates (VL and TR, respectively), to be
β-Al5FeSi phase
determined. In turn, tribological behavior of samples with different secondary dendritic spacing (λ2) and
Wear feature
AlSiMgFe alloys
β-Al5FeSi platelets length (βFe) were assessed by means of dry sliding wear testing performed in a rotating fixed
ball machine, with wear volume and rate (WV and WR, respectively) being the two main investigated wear
parameters. Quantitative metallography by optical and scanning electron microscopy along with energy
dispersive X-ray spectroscopy enabled both as-cast microstructures and worn craters to be characterized. More
significant variations in wear resistance of the investigated alloy were found for ranges of λ2 and βFe that lie
within 12− 20 μm and 14–36 μm, respectively, with the coarsening of the microstructure constituted by Al-rich
primary phase dendrites surrounded by α-Al + Si + θ-Mg2Si + β-Al5FeSi eutectic structures favoring reduced WV
and WR values. For λ2 and βFe values higher than 24 and 48 μm, respectively, both WV and WR stabilize assuming
constant values that depend on the sliding distance. In addition to power type equations relating λ2 and βFe to VL
and TR, mathematical expressions for variations of WV and WR with λ2 and βFe are also proposed. Finally, a
comparative analysis with the literature is presented.

1. Introduction presumes a detailed understanding of the role of these Fe-rich phases on

Technologies to optimize the benefits of recycling of aluminum al­
loys for casting and mechanical forming processes have been widely
reported in the scientific community mainly due to the fact that the
energy required to recycle is significantly less than that of processes used
to obtain the same amount of primary alloy thus characterizing an
outstanding solution for environmental appeals [1,2]. However, one of
the greatest challenges facing recycling industries refers to the incor­
poration of iron into aluminum scraps which in turn can lead to the
inevitable formation of Fe-intermetallic phases during liquid-solid
transition [3–6]. Indeed, several Fe-rich intermetallic compounds
(IMCs) such as α-Al8Fe2Si or α-Al15(Fe,Mn)3Si2, β-Al5FeSi, Δ-Al4FeSi2,
ω-Al7Cu2Fe and π-Al8Mg3FeSi6 can nucleate and growth during solidi­
fication of recycled Al alloys depending not only on the alloy composi­
tion, but also on the thermal processing conditions [7–11]. Therefore,
the optimized design of recycled Al alloys for a particular application
the resulting properties.
Among the most common Fe-rich IMCs present in the as-cast
microstructure of commercial Al alloys, β-Al5FeSi phase has been
recognized as one of the most undesirable when a superior mechanical
behavior that associates high tensile strength with good ductility is
required [5,12–14]. Commonly with the morphology of needles-like
faceted plates, such microstructural phase favors stress concentrations
at its sharp points. In addition, since β-Al5FeSi particles are brittle and
hard, their presence in microstructure is detrimental to the machin­
ability of castings. Hence, several studies have been dedicated to
continuing to better understand how nucleation of the needles-like
β-Al5FeSi phase and mechanisms of change in its morphology during
solidification can affect the mechanical behavior [22–25]. Basak and
Babu [23], for example, have depicted that morphological change of
β-Al5FeSi-phase and Si could help recovering the strength and ductility
in the recycled Al-Si alloys having high Fe content. According to Li et al.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: mirianmottamelo@unifei.edu.br (M.M. Melo).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2021.102099
Received 8 October 2020; Received in revised form 11 January 2021; Accepted 28 January 2021
Available online 4 February 2021
2352-4928/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Table 1
Chemical analysis of the base A356 alloy used in this work to elaborate the investigated alloy.
Element (wt.%)
Al Si Fe Mg
Balance 6.88 0.153 0.332
[13], although the Fe has a deleterious effect on both ultimate tensile
strength (UTS) and ductility, mainly due to the presence of the β-Al5FeSi
phase, Fe additions up to 0.8 % have increased the yield strength (YS) of
Al7Si3Cu-(Mn;Fe;Sr) alloys, deducing an increase in the hardness.
Studying Al-9Si-xFe alloys (x = 0.1, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 wt.%) processed by
chill casting, Malavazi et al. [14] reported higher UTS and YS values for
Fe contents equal to 0.4 and 0.8 wt.% Fe, respectively, as well as a
greater amount of β-Fe phase to 1.2 wt.% Fe. Ceschini et al. [12] state
that Fe additions up to 0.5 % in Al10Si2Cu alloy (wt.%) besides pro­
moting the presence of the needle-like β phase, also induce a slight in­
crease in fatigue resistance. Additionally, they found that the presence of
α-Al15 (Fe,Mn)3Si2 phase, resulting from Mn addition, has influenced the
crack path, increasing in turn the resistance to fatigue.
Although the deleterious effects on the tensile properties (UTS and
elongation), the wear performance of Al-Si alloys with Fe addition has
attracted the attention of researchers in recent years [15–21]. For
instance, Ji et al. [5] have reported for Al-Mg-Si-Mn and Al-Mg-Si die
cast alloys that the increase in Fe concentration has reduced signifi­
cantly the ductility, but accompanied by an improvement in yield stress
(YS). Taghiabadi et al. [15] analyzed the wear behavior of Al-Si alloys
due to the presence of the needles-like β-Al5FeSi phase, and the results
showed that an increase in Fe from 0.15 wt.% in the base alloy to about
0.7 wt.% increased the hardness and improved wear resistance by about
10 % under applied loads of 20 and 40 N. The Fe addition up to 2.5 wt.%
has increased the hardness, but has decreased wear resistance. The au­
thors [15] have controlled the negative influence of the β phase through
combined effects of high cooling rate (TR) and chemical modification by
Sr. In turn, Taghiabadi and Ghasemi [16], investigating the dry sliding
wear behavior of hypoeutectic Al-Si-(xFe) alloys, noted that as the
amount of Fe was increased to 0.7 wt.%, an improvement of 10 % was
observed in the wear resistance under applied loads of 20, 30 and 40 N.
Fig. 1. (a) Complete scheme of the solidification furnace, with details of the horizontal water-cooled device and (b) positioning of the thermocouples in the ingot.
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
Cu Mn Cr Zn Ti
0.074 0.0005 0.0005 0.0010 0.0020
However, for Fe additional contents up to 1.8 wt.%, the wear resistance
was lowered by about 30, 35 and 55 % under applied loads of 20, 30 and
40 N respectively. Abouei et al. [17] have evaluated the solidification
conditions and Mn addition on the wear behavior of Fe-rich eutectic
Al-Si piston alloy, and reported that the combined effects of high TR with
Mn addition have resulted in the formation of finer α-IMCs and, in turn,
have improved the wear performance of the alloy. Saghafian et al. [19]
have investigated the effects of Fe addition and solidification conditions
on the Al-Si eutectic alloy, and reported that the presence of Fe may give
rise to the formation of a needle-like β-Al5FeSi phase, whose fragile
nature has led to a decrease in the mechanical characteristics of piston
alloys, including wear resistance. However, the addition of Mn/Fe in a
ratio of 1/2 has modified the needle-like β phase in alloys containing up
to 1.2 wt.%.
Bidmeshki et al. [20] have studied the effect of Mn addition on both
Fe-rich IMCs and the wear behavior of Al-17.5 wt.%Si hypereutectic
alloys, and have shown that addition of 1.2 wt.%Fe to the base alloy
increased the wear rate due to the formation of needles-like β-Al5FeSi
intermetallic. On the other hand, the introduction of 0.6 wt.%Mn to the
Fe-rich alloy changed the needles-like β morphology and, as a conse­
quence, reduced the negative effect of Fe, but the Mn addition up to
0.9 wt.% has not prevented the formation of needles-like β [20]. More
recently, Kaiser et al. [21], assessing the mechanical and wear behavior
of hypereutectic in Al-Si-(Fe;Ni;Cr) automotive alloys, have depicted
that Fe addition has improved the hardness of all the studied alloys due
to formation of hard β-Al5FeSi phase, but it has reduced YS, UTS and
wear resistance. Pouladvand et al. [26] have carried out investigation
with Al-xSi-1.2Fe(Mn) (x = 5− 13 wt.%) alloys and according to the
results, in the Si range of 5− 9 wt.%, Fe-impurity promotes the formation
of finely distributed β-Al5FeSi IMCs in the matrix increasing its hardness
and potential to support the tribolayer leading to the improvements in
2
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 2. (a) Schematic representation of the as-cast ingot of the investigated alloy, showing the longitudinal section for microstructural analysis and (b) techniques
applied in the measurement of λ2 and β-Al5FeSi particle length (βFe).
wear characteristics. According to the authors [26], the substitution of
fine β-Al5FeSi platelets by α-Fe Chinese scripts in Al-(5− 9)Si-1.2FeMn
(wt.%) alloys reduces the wear resistance, whereas the formation of star
or polyhedral-like α-Fe compounds in Al-(9–13)Si-1.2FeMn alloys im­
proves the wear resistance.
As can be seen, although the literature presents studies on the wear
characteristics of Fe containing Al-based multicomponent alloys, studies
on directional solidification with AlSiMgFe alloys for recycling purposes
are still scarce in the literature, especially as concerns to thermal and
microstructural analyzes, including the effects of the growth and cooling
rates on the dendritic microstructure and, in turn, on the wear param­
eters. In addition, directional solidification works that perform β-Al5FeSi
particle analyzes are rare in the literature to evaluate the effects of
thermal and microstructural solidification parameters on the length and
distribution of β-Al5FeSi platelets IMCs in the as-cast microstructure of
Al-Si casting alloys.
An important aspect to be considered is about the solidification di­
rection. Upward solidification (with melt on top of the solid) is both
thermally and solutally stable for alloys in which the rejected element at
the solidification front induces a local liquid that is denser than the melt
[27]. In the case of downward vertical solidification, melt convection
arises during the process [27]. On the other hand, when the chill is
placed on the side of the mold (in the horizontal solidification), the solid
grows perpendicularly to gravity and convective flow becomes even
more complex since two-dimensional 2-D (in some cases 3-D) assump­
tions must be considered to formulate the inherent transport phenomena
[28,29]. Under horizontal growth conditions, both thermal and
composition gradients may occur in the melt bath resulting in quite
complex movements by convection within the fluid, thereby leading to
effects that may also have a significant impact on solidification thermal
variables, solid/liquid (S/L) interface morphology, resulting structures,
and segregation [28,29].
Thus, this work aims to present a study on the roles of the thermal
parameters, dendritic microstructure length scale (represented by the
secondary dendritic spacing - λ2) and β-Al5FeSi phase feature on the
wear resistance in a horizontally solidified Al7Si0.4Mg1.2Fe alloy.
3
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
2. Experimental procedure
The Al7Si0.4Mg1.2Fe (wt.%) alloy investigated in this work was
prepared from the as-cast ingot of a base alloy whose chemical
composition furnished by the Brazilian Military Material Industry
(IMBEL) is shown in Table 1. It has been carried out by an optical
emission spectroscopy, SpectroMaxx model. Fe powder of high purity
was added to the base alloy in the stoichiometric proportion to achieve
the desired Fe solute content (1.2 wt.%). The investigated alloy has been
subjected to thermal analysis through a slow cooling in the crucible to
check the liquidus and solidus temperatures. The results will be presented
and analyzed in the Results and Discussions section.
Fig. 1a presents a complete scheme of the furnace used in the so­
lidification experiments to obtain the as-cast ingot of the investigated
alloy, as well as the details of the water-cooled horizontal solidification
device and the positioning of thermocouples (5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 70 e
90 mm), type K, from the heat transfer surface (mold plate) of the hor­
izontal ingot mold, as seen in Fig. 2b. The data generated by reading the
thermocouples have been processed by software OriginPro 2020 and
used to determine the transient thermal parameters during horizontal
solidification. Two transient thermal parameters were studied herein,
which are: tip growth rate (VL) and solidification cooling rate (TR).
Whereas VL represents the rate of advance of the liquidus isotherm into
the liquid, TR expresses the first time-derivative of the thermal profiles
provided by the thermocouples (slope of the cooling curve) at the liq­
uidus temperature. Temperature-time data acquired during solidifica­
tion considering the centerline corresponding to the longitudinal axis of
the casting were used to generate a plot of position from the metal-mold
interface as a function of time corresponding to the liquidus front
passing by each thermocouple. A curve fitting technique on such
experimental points generates power functions of position as a function
of time. The first time-derivative of this function yields values for VL.
The TR profile was determined using thermal data recorded immediately
after the passing of the liquidus front by each thermocouple, so that
calculations of the slope of the cooling curve at the liquidus temperature
could be performed. More details on the canting assembly applied as
well as the working principle have been described in previous studies
[28–31].
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 3. (a) Schematic representations of: (a) wear machine and (b) obtaining worn craters in as-cast samples from the heat transfer surface [32–38].
The casting ingot of Al7Si0.4M1.2Fe (wt.%) alloy, obtained from the
horizontal solidification experiment, was sectioned longitudinally,
sanded to # 600 and then immersed in regal water (HNO3 + HCl) to
reveal the macrostructure, as shown in Fig. 2a. Removal of samples for
microstructural analysis can be seen in Fig. 2b. The microstructure was
revealed using the Keller reagent (10 mL of HF, 15 mL of HCl, 25 mL of
HNO3 and 50 mL of distilled water).
Measurements of λ2 and β-Al5FeSi phase length (βFe) were performed
in selected longitudinal sections of as-cast samples from the cooled base
at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 mm. Next, all the average
values of λ2 and βFe, in turn, were correlated with VL and TR. Image
processing MOTIC system and the Image J software were used to mea­
sure λ2 and βFe (~20) independent readings for each selected position. In
addition, microstructural characterization was carried out using a
scanning electron microscope (SEM TESCAM, VEGA LMU) coupled to an
energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS, AZTec Energy X-Act,
Oxford).
In order to perform tribological analysis by correlating the thermal
and microstructural parameters with the wear parameters, such as the
volume and wear rate (WV and WR), micro-abrasive wear tests on as-cast
samples of the investigated alloy were carried out, as shown in Fig. 3.
The wear machine used in the experiments is a dry rotary ball type,
widely used in recent studies [32–38], as seen in Fig. 3a. The samples for
the tests were selected in positions 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 70, and 90 mm
from the cooled base, with dimensions of 15 × 20 mm in cross-sectional
Fig. 4. Thermal analysis resulting from the transient horizontal solidification of the investigated alloy: (a) thermal profiles for 8 thermocouples and (b) ther­
mal parameters.
4
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
area, as shown in Fig. 3b. Before testing, the samples were sanded to
1200 # and polished in diluted alumina to 1 μm. The operating principle
of the machine as well as the operational conditions to carry out the tests
have been detailed in recent works [32–38].
During dry sliding testing, the rotating sphere composed of
AISI52100 microalloyed steel with hardness of 850 HV and diameter of
25.4 mm is in direct contact with the surface of the samples. The sliding
speed used (W) was 0.49 m/s (or W = 370 RPM) and the normal contact
load applied to the tested part was 0.2 N. The tests were carried out
under dry sliding, that is, without an abrasive solution to avoid the
presence of any interfacial element external to the surface of the sam­
ples. In total, each as-cast sample was tested four times, due to the four
times (t) assumed for the tests, equal to 7, 14, 21 and 28 min [37,38].
This has generated caps in the form of worn craters.
After the tests of all samples were completed, the DIGILAB stereo­
scope was used to analyze the craters and using ImageView image
capture software the images of the worn craters were obtained. In turn,
the craters diameters (D) were measured by the ImageJ software, and
from these measurements, the WV and WR wear parameters were
calculated using Eqs. 1 and 2, respectively.
π D4
WV = (1)
64R
WV
WR = (2)
SD
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 5. Typical solidification structures for the Al7Si0.4Mg1.2Fe alloy (wt.%), resulting from the unsteady-state horizontal solidification process.
Fig. 6. Experimental laws of secondary dendritic growth as a function of
thermal solidification parameters.
Where D is the worn crater diameter, as seen in Fig. 3b, and R is the ball
radius. The diameter was measured four times for each worn crater
along different radial positions. SD is the sliding distance, which has
been calculated by: SD = W.t.2πR, for the four assumed test times were:
207 m, 413 m, 620 m and 827 m [32–38].
It is important to highlight that in order to avoid interference in the
results caused by any irregularities in the observed wear craters, du­
plicates of the tests were carried out and the final diameter for each of
the positions and times analyzed was determined using the arithmetic
mean of the results. In cases where there is a large disparity between the
first test and its duplicate, a triplicate was performed, and the crater
whose diameter showed the greatest deviation was discarded.
5
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Thermal and microstructural analysis
Fig. 4 a presents the results of the thermal analysis of the unsteady-
state horizontally solidified Al7Si0.4Mg1.2Fe (wt.%) Alloy. The thermal
data generated by the 8 thermocouples, as shown in Fig. 4a, were used to
experimentally determine the solidification thermal parameters, VL and
TR, as can be seen in Fig. 4b. From the intersection of the isotherm
represented by the liquidus temperature (TL) (Fig. 4a), a set of ordered
pairs (t, P) were obtained. This allowed generating a power type
adjustment curve, given by the expression P = 1.65(t)0.75, which was
the best possible fit in the points observed experimentally. The growth
rates were calculated using the d(1.65 t0.75)/dt derivative, resulting in
the expression VL = 2.89(P)− 0.57. The cooling rates were determined by
the dT/dt derivative at the times corresponding to the intersections of TL
with the temperature profiles generated by each thermocouple.
Evidently, the cooling water imposed high values of VL and TR close to
the heat transfer surface, which decrease along the length of the ingot
due to the formation of the solid layer during horizontal solidification, as
can be seen in Fig. 4b.
Figs. 5 shows the typical solidification structures of the investigated
alloy, in macro and micro-scales. A microstructural evolution along the
ingot shows that the observed dendritic microstructure is constituted by
a dendritic network. Therefore, finer dendritic microstructures are
observed for as-cast samples analyzed from the heat transfer interface.
Fig. 6 shows the results of the interconnection of the secondary dendritic
spacings (λ2) with the transient solidification thermal parameters. As
expected, VL and TR have a high influence on the λ2 values, since that
lower λ2 can be observed for positions (P) in the as-cast ingot where VL
and TR come to be higher. Power mathematical expressions that corre­
late λ2 as a function of VL and TR were generated, represented by general
equations given by λ2=Constant(VL)− 2/3 and λ2=Constant(TR)-1/3,
respectively, which characterize λ2 dependence as a function of solidi­
fication thermal parameters, as shown in Fig. 6. It is observed that the
exponents 1/3 and -2/3 are absolutely in agreement with the experi­
mental predictions from the literature [4,39], as well as with the theo­
retical prediction of Bouchard-Kirkaldy [40] which proposed a
mathematical approach of λ2=f(VL) for binary alloys. It can be also
noted that the determined power-type equations for the growth λ2 as a
function of solidification parameters are inside the range reported in
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 7. (a) Pseudo binary phase diagram for the Al7Si0.4MgxFe alloy and (b) experimental cooling curve of the investigated alloy under slow cooling.
Fig. 8. Scanning electron microscopy with EDS element mapping for two as-cast samples of the investigated alloy in the following positions from the cooled base: (a)
5 mm e (b) 40 mm.
literature.
In order to observe the phase transformations that occur in the so­
lidification path of the Al7Si0.4Mg1.2FE alloy (wt.%), in this work, the
pseudo binary phase diagram of the Al7Si0.4MgxFe alloy (wt.%) was
plotted by the means of the Thermo-Calc computational thermodynamic
software, as shown in Fig. 7a, as well as the experimental cooling curve
was generated by slow cooling during solidification of the investigated
alloy inside the crucible, as seen in Fig. 7b. A comparative analysis be­
tween the main points of phase transformation, represented by the
processes (1) to (4) in both figures, shows the microstructure evolution
during the cooling. The inflection points of the derivative of the exper­
imental curve represent the beginning of precipitation phases new, as
shown in Fig. 7b. It can be noted that the final microstructure of the
investigated alloy is constituted by a primary phase (Alα) consisting of a
dendritic network (see Fig. 5) and by a mixture of eutectic phases within
the interdendritic regions composed by the following Mg2Si + β-Al5FeSi
6
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
intermetallic phases plus eutectic Si.
Fig. 8 shows two scanning electron micrographs with element
mapping by EDS, for two as-cast samples, from the heat transfer surface.
A concomitant comparative analysis between Figs. 7 and 8 confirms that
the final microstructure of the investigated alloy consists of a primary
phase (Alα) and a mixture of interdendritic eutectic phases composed of
Alαeutectic + Si + (Mg2Si + β-Al5FeSi) IMCs. It is observed fine eutectic
β-Al5FeSi particles within the interdendritic regions surrounded by
eutectic Si particles for high VL and TR and lower λ2, as shown in Fig. 8a.
In addition, for such conditions, fibrous and spheroidal-like eutectic Si
has been noted. This is in agreement with the results from the literature
[28,30,41]. On the other hand, for low VL and TR and higher λ2, the
eutectic Si undergoes from a “spheroidal + fibrous” morphology, to
acicular morphology, as well as needle-like β-Al5FeSi phase come to
precipitate out of interdendritic regions and over the primary dendritic
phase, as secondary and primary eutectic reactions, respectively, as can
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 9. (a) and (b) Fe particle length (βFe) dependence as a function of the position in the as-cast ingot and thermal parameters (VL and TR), respectively, and (c) SEM
micrographs, showing the βFe variation.
be seen in Fig. 8b. Malavazi et al. [14] have depicted that both
increasing the Fe content and decreasing the cooling rate encouraged
the platelets-like β-Al5FeSi phase to crystallize independently of silicon.
They have also reported that the particles formed by the primary
eutectic reaction are bigger that those formed by the secondary eutectic
reaction.
As reported, β-Fe IMCs have a strong influence on the mechanical
performance of Al-Si-based casting alloys, thus, knowing the formation
of their microstructural characteristics, such as length and distribution
in the as-csat microstructure, it is of fundamental importance to estab­
lish the best morphological control process. In this sense, an analysis of
needle-like β-Al5FeSi phase of the unsteady-state horizontally solidified
Al7Si0.4Mg1.2Fe alloy (wt.%) has been carried out and the results
shown in Figs. 9 and 10. As a highlight of the present work, mathe­
matical expressions have been proposed which characterize of βFe`s
dependence on VL, TR and λ2, as seen in Fig. 9a and b. SEM micro­
structures, seen in Fig. 9c for three positions in the ingot from the cooled
base, show that fine and smaller βFe have been observed for higher VL
and TR values and smaller λ2, as found by Malavazi et al. [14] and
Rakhmonov et al. [7].
The occupation of needle-like β-Al5FeSi phase in the final micro­
structure of the investigated alloy, under the assumed solidification
conditions, has been determined by the fraction of occupied area (%), as
shown in Fig. 10a. Fraction of occupied area values have been obtained
by binarization of as-cast microstructures, using Image J software [30,
38]. The images shown in Fig. 10b refer to the original and binarized
7
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
microstructures for three positions from the heat transfer interface. It is
verified that there is no linear behavior of β-ICMs occupation on the
microstructure, since the occupied fraction presents an inverse variation
up to the 40 mm position, assuming minimum and maximum values in
positions 5 and 40 mm, respectively. From the 40 mm position, the
fraction of needles-like β phase grows again until 80 mm, as can be noted
in Fig. 10a. Rakhmonov et al. [7] and Narayanan et al. [43] showed that
high cooling rates also cause increase in the number density of β-Fe
needles. It was attributed to the displacement of the nucleation tem­
perature of β-Fe towards lower temperatures with increasing cooling
rate, thus reducing the time available for the growth of β-Fe [7,42].
3.2. Wear behavior analysis
Fig. 11a and b show the results of worn volume (WV) with the
variation of the sliding distance (SD) and the worn caps (craters) for all
samples tested under the assumed conditions. As expected, diameters of
worn craters and, consequently, wear volumes have been greater for
longer test times. It is important to highlight that several scientific re­
searches [32,38,43–45] have used the micro-abrasion wear with
rotating sphere due to the practicality of the test as well as the fact that it
allows to analyze the wear mechanisms acting in the tribological system,
as well as possible transitions in the performance of the formed film in
the contact between the body and the counter-body. The sphere when
rotated produces an impression in the shape of a cap on the surface of the
worn sample, as can be seen in Fig. 11b. This cap or crater is evaluated
A. Vasconcelos et al. Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099

Fig. 10. (a) Area fraction of occupied area by needle-like β-Al5FeSi particle in as-cast samples from the cooled base and (b) original and binarized SEM micro­
structures for three positions form the cooled base.

Fig. 11. (a) Variation of the worn volume with the sliding distance and (b) worn craters for the four assumed test times.

qualitatively and quantitatively, generating data that identify the wear
resistance of the tested sample.
Figs. 12 and 13 show the wear volume (WV) and rate (WR) de­
pendences on the secondary dendritic spacings and the of the Fe phase
length (βFe). Similar behavior of the WV and WR variations have been
observed, since for all test times an inverse mathematical relationship
has been found between (WV;WR) x λ2 and (WV;WR) x βFe for worn
samples closer to the cooled base, for λ2 and βFe values that lie within the
ranges 12− 20 μm and 13.8–35.8 μm, respectively. This allowed to
propose mathematical expressions that characterize the WV and WR
variations as a function of λ2 and βFe, as shown inside Figs. 12 and 13. It
is important to note that excellent determination coefficients (R2> 0.7)
were achieved for the mathematical equations obtained in the tests
times equal to 7− 21 min, which suggests that the proposed expressions
for these times represent well the trend of the scattered experimental
data. In turn, both WV and WR stabilize assuming constant values for λ2
and βFe varying from 14 to 35.8 μm and 46.8–98 μm, respectively. From
a concomitant analysis with Figs. 10 and 12, it is observed that finer and
smaller needle-like β-Al5FeSi particles are present in greater quantity in
the microstructure, that is, in a greater fraction of occupied area (see
Fig. 10a), significantly influencing the lower wear resistance observed in
samples closer to the cooled base. Even thpough the spherical/fibrous-

8
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 12. Correlation between worn volume and microstructural parameters: (a) λ2 and (b) βFe.
Fig. 13. Correlation between worn rate and microstructural parameters: (a) λ2 and (b) βFe.
like eutectic Si present in the finer microstructure, as noted in Fig. 8a,
this was not able to improve the wear resistance.
Different wear characteristics have been reported by Azevedo et al.
[38] for the horizontally solidified Al7Si0.3Mg0.15Fe alloy, as can be
seen in Fig. 12a. It can be deduced from the comparative analysis that
the investigated alloys with Fe contents equal to 1.2 wt.% (This work)
and 0.15 wt.% [38] show the same wear resistance for times of 7 min
and 14 min, while for longer times (21 and 28 min) the
Al7Si0.4Mg1.2Fe alloy (wt.%) alloy presents low wear resistance (high
WR), probably due to the comparatively higher amount of the
needle-like β IMCs and higher βFe values, as shown in Fig. 13a and b.
Under these conditions, when the as-cast surface is subjected to the
micro-abrasive wear, the caused sliding deformations, the fragile and
hard Fe particles are fragmented and removed, promoting the instability
of the tribolayer and, as a consequence, increasing the wear volume and
rate. Pouladvand et al. [26] have depicted that the β-platelets are brittle
in nature and exhibit weak faceted interface with the matrix and, thus,
when subjected to the sliding-induced surface strains, they are easily
fragmented and/or decohered from the matrix, especially for high Si
alloys. On the other hand, it is seen that the wear resistance of the
investigated alloy in this work stabilizes for λ2 and βFe values varying
from 14 to 35.8 μm and 46.8–98 μm, respectively, while in the other
[38] it decreases with the λ2 variation, as seen in Figs. 12a.
In fact, λ2 alone cannot explain the improvement in wear resistance.
However, there is a direct relationship between λ2 and the length of the
Al5FeSi phase [22], as the results found in this investigation also reveal,
as seen in Fig. 9b. Thus, it can be suggested the use of λ2 as a key
parameter to quantitatively represent the refinement of the micro­
structure length scale. Experimental equations that relate the
9
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
quantitative wear parameters to λ2 have also been proposed in previous
investigations that involved the tribological characterization of Al-based
alloys [46,47].
The wear futures have been analyzed on worn craters surface by the
Figs. 13 to 16, wich show SEM micrographs with elements microanalysis
by EDS for three solidified samples in positions from the heat transfer
surface, considering two test times, 7 and 28 min, which represent the
lesser and greater severity conditions, indicated by points 1 and 2 in the
corresponding figures, respectively. It is observed, from the worn cra­
ters, the presence of the wear adhesive and abrasive mechanisms acting
simultaneously for the two investigated times, with predominance of the
adhesive wear, since more severely worn regions have been observed on
the surfaces of the craters, obviously for the longest test time (28 min),
as can be seen in Figs. 14b, 15 b and 16 b. Severe wear marks have been
observed on worn crater surfaces in as-cast samples with coarser mi­
crostructures, i.e, low TR and higher λ2, as noted in Figs. 15 and 16.
Additionally, an oxide film layer that provides a grease effect is expected
to form on the sample/sphere interface as a result of the increase in
temperature as sliding distance increases [49,50].
Initially, harder particles in greater quantity, present in the as-cast
microstructure, such as needle-like β IMCs, are pulled out (or broken),
causing severe wear on the surface, and at the same time transferred to
the test sphere. In this case, adhesive wear has been characterized by
high wear rates. It is important to note from the element tables, for all
cases analyzed, high Fe amounts in the regions represented by severe
wear (points 2). In turn, the hard particles that have welded to the
surface of the sphere and, with their rotating movement, scratches or
parallel juices have been produced on the surfaces of the worn out
craters, thus characterizing the abrasive wear. Azevedo et al. [38] have
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Fig. 14. Wear characteristics and SEM/EDS analysis for as-cast samples at a position equal to 5 mm from the cooled base in the following test times: (a) 7 min and
(b) 28 min.
suggested for the as-cast samples of the horizontally solidified
Al7Si0.3Mg0.15 (wt.%) alloy the occurrence of a wear mechanisms
transition from adhesive to abrasive, and they have indicated that the
abrasive wear mode prevails for high TR and lower λ2, that is, for finer
microstructures. A transition of wear mechanism from adhesive to
abrasive has also been found by Botelho et al. [37] for horizontaly so­
lidified Al3Ni1Bi (wt.%) alloy.
For commercial alloys it has been well known that the β-Al5FeSi
phase is hard and fragile compared with the primary Al-rich phase, so
that the presence of β particles in the microstructure is expected to lead
to a general reduction of tensile properties such as ductility and ultimate
tensile strength (UTS) [48]. It can also be deduced that the ductility may
have an inverse behavior with the increase of the β phase. Besides,
10
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
longer intermetallics and coarser dendrite arm spacing formed during
solidification of high Fe content Al alloys are directly related to a
reduction of the tensile properties. For an as-cast 356-based alloy with
similar composition of the one studied herein, Dong et al. [51] have
reported UTS values equal to 200 ± 11 MPa and 180 ± 4.9 MPa for λ2
values of 26.4 ± 3.6 μm and 46 ± 7.3 μm, respectively. As found in this
work, for λ2 < 20 μm wear resistance decreased as microstructure
became finer. With this in mind, it can be deduced that wear resistance
and tensile strength may show an opposite behavior. However, for λ2
higher than 24 μm, both wear volume and rate (WV and WR, respec­
tively) assume constant values for each sliding distance. Consequently,
the optimized design of recycled Al alloys assumes a detailed under­
standing of the role of these Fe-rich phases on the resulting properties.
A. Vasconcelos et al. Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099

Fig. 15. Wear characteristics and SEM/EDS analysis for as-cast samples at a position equal to 30 mm from the cooled base in the following test times: (a) 7 min and
(b) 28 min.
Fugure 16. Wear characteristics and SEM/EDS analysis for as-cast samples at a position equal to 90 mm from the cooled base in the following test times: (a) 7 min and
(b) 28 min.

Thus, in order to find an optimum combination of wear resistance and
mechanical properties, we can deduce that: if λ2 > 24 μm, mechanical
strength assumes dominance since wear response is constant; but in the
case of λ2 values lower than this one, wear response variation becomes a
factor that should be taken into account and the experimental expres­
sions proposed in this study can be used as a reference.
4. Conclusion
The following major conclusions were obtained from the present
experimental investigation:
(1) The typical solidification microstructure has been formed by an
Al-rich primary phase, consisting of a dendritic network, and by a
mixture of interdendritic eutectic phases composed of Alαeutectic +
eutectic Si + (Mg2Si + β-Al5FeSi) IMCs. It has been observed fine
eutectic β-Al5FeSi particles within the interdendritic regions
surrounded by fibrous and spheroidal-like eutectic Si particles for
high TR and lower λ2.
(2) While the needle-like β-Al5FeSi IMCs length (βFe) dependence has
been characterized by inverse mathematical expressions with VL
and TR, the increase in βFe values with increasing λ2 was shown to

11
A. Vasconcelos et al. Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099

Fig. 16. Wear characteristics and SEM/EDS analysis for as-cast samples at a position equal to 90mm from the cooled base in the following test times: (a) 7min and
(b) 28min.

be directly proportional, that is, smaller βFe were found for higher
VL and TR, and smaller λ2.
(3) An inverse mathematical relationship has been found between
(WV;WR) x λ2 and (WV;WR) x βFe for worn samples closer to the
metal/mould surface, for λ2 and βFe values varying from 12 to
20 μm and 13.8–35.8 μm, respectively. On the other hand, con­
stant values of WV and WR have been observed for λ2 and βFe
values varying from 14 to 35.8 μm and 46.8–98 μm, respectively.
(4) From the analysis of the worn crater surfaces, it has been noted
the presence of the wear adhesive and abrasive mechanisms
acting simultaneously, with predominance of the adhesive wear.
(5) Finer as-cast microstructures have shown lower wear resistance
due to the presence of the largest fraction of area occupied by
needle-like β-Al5FeSi IMCs for higher VL and TR values, and lower
βFe. On the other hand, with the decrease in VL and TR, as well as
for higher λ2 and βFe values, the wear resistance decreases and
stabilizes as the wear volume and rate values reach constant
values.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by IFPA -

12
A. Vasconcelos et al.
Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará, and
CNPq - National Council for Scientific and Technological Development
(Grant 302846/2017-4 and 308021/2018-5), FAPEMIG - Minas Gerais
Research Foundation (Grant APQ-01301-15). CAPES− Coordenação de
Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil-Finance Code 001.
References
[1] K. Das, W. Yin, The worldwide aluminum economy: the current state of the
industry, J. Miner, Met. Mater. Soc. 59 (2007) 57–63, https://doi.org/10.1007/
s11837-007-0142-0.
[2] G. Gaustad, E. Olivetti, R. Kirchain, Improving aluminum recycling: a survey of
sorting and impurity removal technologies, Resour. Conserv. Recy. 58 (2012)
79–87, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2011.10.010.
[3] C.M. Dinnis, J.A. Taylor, A.K. Dahle, As-cast morphology of iron-intermetallics in
Al-Si foundry Alloys, Scr. Mater. 53 (2005) 955–958, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
scriptamat.2005.06.028.
[4] R. Chen, Y. Shi, Q. Xu, B. Liu, Effect of cooling rate on solidification parameters and
microstructure of Al-7Si-0.3Mg-0.15Fe alloy, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 24
(2014) 1645–1652, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(14)63236-2.
[5] S. Ji, W. Yang, F. Gao, D. Watson, Z. Fan, Effect of iron on the microstructure and
mechanical property of Al–Mg–Si–Mn and Al–Mg–Si diecast Alloys, Mat. Sci. Eng.
A 564 (2013) 130–139, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2012.11.095.
[6] B. Kim, S. Lee, S. Lee, H. Yasuda, Real-time radiographic observation of
solidification behavior of Al-Si-Cu casting alloys with the variation of Iron content,
Mater. Trans. 53 (2012) 374–379, https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.F-
M2011834.
[7] J. Rakhmonov, G. Timelli, F. Bonollo, Influence of grain refiner addition on the
precipitation of Fe-rich phases in secondary AlSi7Cu3Mg alloys, Int. J. Metalcast.
11 (2017) 294–304, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-016-0076-9.
[8] S. Ji, W. Yang, F. Gao, D. Watson, Z. Fan, Effect of iron on the microstructure and
mechanical property of Al-Mg-Si-Mn and Al-Mg-Si diecast Alloys, Mat. Sci. Eng. A
564 (2013) 130–139, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2012.11.095.
[9] A.M. Samuel, H.W. Doty, S. Valtierra, F.H. Samuel, Beta Al5FeSi phase platelets-
porosity formation relationship in A319.2 type alloys, Int. J. Metalcast. 12 (2018)
55–70, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-017-0136-9.
[10] A.M. Samuel, F.H. Samuel, H.W. Doty, Observations on the Formation of β-Al5FeSi
phase in 319 type Al-Si alloys, J. Mater. Sci. 31 (1996) 5529–5539, https://doi.
org/10.1007/BF01159327.
[11] W. Khalifa, F.H. Samuel, J.E. Gruzleski, Iron intermetallic phases in the Al corner of
the Al-Si-Fe system, Metall. Mater. Trans. A 34 (2003) 807–825, https://doi.org/
10.1007/s11661-003-0116-y.
[12] L. Ceschini, I. Boromei, A. Morri, S. Seifeddine, I.L. Svensson, Effect of Fe content
and microstructural features on the tensile and fatigue properties of the Al-Si10-
Cu2 alloy, Mater. Des. 36 (2012) 522–528, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
matdes.2011.11.047.
[13] Z. Li, N. Limodin, A. Tandjaoui, P. Quaegebeur, P. Osmond, D. Balloy, Influence of
Sr, Fe and Mn content and casting process on the microstructures and mechanical
properties of AlSi7Cu3 alloy, Mat. Sci. Eng. A 689 (2017) 286–297, https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.msea.2017.02.041.
[14] J. Malavazi, R. Baldan, A.A. Couto, Microstructure and mechanical behaviour of
Al9Si alloy with different Fe contents, Mater. Sci. Technol. (2014) 1743–2847,
https://doi.org/10.1179/1743284714Y.0000000659.
[15] R. Taghiabadi, H.M. Ghasemi, S.G. Shabestari, Effect of iron-rich intermetallics on
the sliding wear behavior of Al–Si alloys, Mat. Sci. Eng. A 490 (2008) 162–170,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2008.01.001.
[16] R. Taghiabadi, H.M. Ghasemi, Dry sliding wear behaviour of hypoeutectic Al– Si
alloys containing excess iron, Mater. Sci. Technol. 25 (2009) 1017–1022, https://
doi.org/10.1179/174328408X302468.
[17] V. Abouei, H. Saghafian, S.G. Shabestari, M. Zarghami, Effect of Fe-rich
intermetallics on the wear behavior of eutectic Al− Si piston alloy (LM13), Mater.
Des. 31 (2010) 3518–3524, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2010.02.015.
[18] C. Lin, S. Wu, S. Lü, J. Zeng, P. An, Dry sliding wear behavior of rheocast
hypereutectic Al− Si alloys with different Fe contents, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc.
China 26 (2016) 665–675, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(16)64156-0.
[19] H. Saghafian, S.G. Shabestari, S. Ghadami, M.H. Ghoncheh, Effects of Iron,
manganese, and cooling rate on microstructure and dry sliding wear behavior of
LM13 aluminum alloy, Tribol. Trans. 60 (2017) 888–890, https://doi.org/
10.1080/10402004.2016.1227513.
[20] C. Bidmeshki, V. Abouei, H. Saghafian, S.G. Shabestari, M.T. Noghani, Effect of Mn
addition on Fe-rich intermetallics morphology and dry sliding wear investigation of
hypereutectic Al-17.5%Si alloys, J. Mater. Res. Technol 5 (2016) 250–258, https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2015.11.008.
[21] M.S. Kaiser, S.H. Sabbir, M.S. Kabir, M.R. Soummo, M.A. Nur, Study of mechanical
and wear behaviour of hyper-eutectic Al-Si automotive alloy through Fe, Ni and Cr
addition, Mater. Res. 21 (2018) 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5373-mr-
2017-1096.
[22] X. Cao, J. Campbell, Morphology of β-Al5FeSi phase in Al-Si cast alloys, Mater.
Trans. 47 (2006) 1303–1312, https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.47.1303.
[23] C.B. Basak, N.H. Babu, Morphological changes and segregation of β-Al9Fe2Si2
phase: a perspective from better recyclability of cast Al-Si Alloys, Mater. Des. 108
(2016) 277–288, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2016.06.096.
13
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
[24] S.G. Shabestari, The effect of iron and manganese on the formation of intermetallic
compounds in aluminum-silicon Alloys, Mat. Sci. Eng. A 383 (2004) 289–298,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2004.06.022.
[25] M. Mahta, M. Emamy, X. Cao, J. Campbell, Overview of β-Al5FeSi phase in Al-Si
Alloys, Mat. Sci. Res. Trends (2008) 251–271.
[26] S. Pouladvand, R. Taghiabadi, F. Shahriyari, Investigation of the Tribological
Properties of AlxSi-1.2Fe(Mn) (x = 5-13 wt.%) Alloys, J. Mater. Eng. Perform. 27
(2018) 3323–3334, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3420-9.
[27] J.E. Spinelli, I.L. Ferreira, A. Garcia, Evaluation of heat transfer coefficients during
upward and downward transient directional solidification of Al–Si alloys, Struct.
Multidiscipl. Optim. 31 (2006) 241–248, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-005-
0562-9.
[28] C.R. Barbosa, J.O.M. Lima, G.M.H. Machado, H.A.M. Azevedo, F.S. Rocha, A.
S. Barros, O.F.L. Rocha, Relationship between Aluminum-Rich/Intermetallic
phases and microhardness of a horizontally solidified AlSiMgFe alloy, Mater. Res.
22 (2019) 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5373-mr-2018-0365.
[29] A. Barros, C. Cruz, A.P. Silva, N. Cheung, A. Garcia, O. Rocha, A. Moreira,
Horizontally solidified Al-3 wt%Cu-(0.5 wt%Mg) alloys: tailoring thermal
parameters, microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion behavior, Acta Metall.
Sin. 32 (2019) 695–709, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40195-018-0852-z.
[30] I.A. Magno, F.A. Souza, M.O. Costa, J.M. Nascimento, A.P. Silva, T.S. Costa, O.
L. Rocha, Interconnection between the solidification and precipitation hardening
processes of an AlSiCu alloy, Mater. Sci. Technol. 35 (2019) 1743–2847, https://
doi.org/10.1080/02670836.2019.1591028.
[31] M.L.N. Melo, C.L. Penhalber, N.A. Pereira, C.L. Pelliciari, C.A. Santos, Numerical
and experimental analysis of microstructure formation during stainless steels
solidification, J. Mater. Sci. 42 (2007) 2267–2275, https://doi.org/10.1007/
s10853-006-0827-8.
[32] K.S. Cruz, E.S. Meza, F.A. Fernandes, J.M. Quaresma, L.C. Casteletti, A. Garcia,
Dendritic arm spacing affecting mechanical properties and wear behavior of Al-Sn
and Al-Si alloys directionally solidified under unsteady-state conditions, Metall.
Mater. Trans. A 41 (2010) 972–984, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-009-0161-2.
[33] E.S. Freitas, J.E. Spinelli, L.C. Casteletti, A. Garcia, Microstructure– wear behavior
correlation on a directionally solidified Al–In monotectic alloy, Tribol. Int. 66
(2013) 182–186, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2013.05.009.
[34] E.S. Freitas, A.P. Silva, J.E. Spinelli, L.C. Casteletti, A. Garcia, Inter-relation of
microstructural features and dry sliding wear behavior of monotectic Al–Bi and
Al–Pb alloys, Tribol. Lett. 55 (2014) 111–120, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-
014-0338-8.
[35] T.A. Costa, M. Dias, E.S. Freitas, L.C. Casteletti, A. Garcia, The effect of
microstructure length scale on dry sliding wear behaviour of monotectic Al-Bi-Sn
alloys, J. Alloys. Compd. 689 (2016) 767–776, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jallcom.2016.08.051.
[36] R.V. Reyes, V.E. Pinotti, C.R. Afonso, L.C. Casteletti, A. Garcia, J.E. Spinelli,
Processing, As-Cast microstructure and wear characteristics of a monotectic Al-Bi-
Cu alloy, J. Mater. Eng. Perform. 28 (2019) 1201–1212, https://doi.org/10.1007/
s11665-018-3851-3.
[37] T.M. Botelho, H.M. Azevedo, G.H. Machado, C.R. Barbosa, F.S. Rocha, T.A. Costa,
O.L. Rocha, Effect of solidification process parameters on dry sliding wear behavior
of AlNiBi alloy, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 30 (2020) 582–594, https://doi.
org/10.1016/S1003-6326(20)65237-2.
[38] H.M. Azevedo, T.M. Botelho, C.R. Barbosa, A.P. Sousa, T.A. Costa, O.L. Rocha,
Study of dry wear behavior and resistance in samples of a horizontally solidified
and T6/Heat‑treated automotive AlSiMg alloy, Tribol. Lett. 68 (2020), https://doi.
org/10.1007/s11249-020-01302-z.
[39] J.O. Lima, C.R. Barbosa, I.A.B. Magno, J.M. Nascimento, A.S. Barros, M.C. Oliveira,
F.A. Souza, O.L. Rocha, Microstructural evolution during unsteady-state horizontal
solidification of Al-Si-Mg (356) alloy, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. Chin. 28 (2018)
1073–1083, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1003-6326(18)64751-X.
[40] D. Bouchard, J.S. Kirkaldy, Prediction of dendrite arm spacings in unsteady and
steady-state heat flow of unidirectionally solidified binary alloys, Metall. Mater.
Trans. B 28 (1997) 651–663, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-997-0039-x.
[41] R. Chen, Q. Xu, H. Guo, Z. Xia, Q. Wu, B. Liu, Correlation of solidification
microstructure refining scale, Mg composition and heat treatment conditions with
mechanical properties in Al-7Si-Mg cast aluminum alloys, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 685
(2017) 391–402, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2016.12.051.
[42] L.A. Narayanan, F.H. Samuel, J.E. Gruzleski, Crystallization behavior of iron-
containing intermetallic compounds in 319 aluminum-alloy, Metall. Mater. Trans.
A 25 (1994) 1761–1773, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02668540.
[43] R.C. Cozza, D.K. Tanaka, R.M. Souza, Friction coefficient and abrasive wear modes
in ball-cratering tests conducted at constant normal force and constant pressure -
preliminary results, Wear 267 (2009) 61–70, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
wear.2009.01.055.
[44] Y.H. Cheng, T. Browne, B. Heckerman, Mechanical and tribological properties of
CrN coatings deposited by large area filtered cathodic arc, Wear 271 (2011)
775–782, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2011.03.011.
[45] R.V. Camerini, R.B. Souza, F. Carli, A.S. Pereira, N.M. Balzaretti, Ball cratering test
on ductile materials, Wear 271 (2011) 770–774, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
wear.2011.03.013.
[46] B.P. Reis, M. M.Lopes, A. Garcia, C.A. Santos, The correlation of microstructure
features, dry sliding wear behavior, hardness and tensile properties of Al-2wt% Mg-
Zn alloys, J. Alloys. Compd. 764 (2018) 267–278, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jallcom.2018.06.075.
[47] C. Ache, M. Lopes, B. Reis, A. Garcia, C. Santos, Dendritic Spacing/Columnar grain
diameter of Al–2Mg–Zn alloys affecting hardness, tensile properties, and dry
A. Vasconcelos et al.
sliding wear in the As Cast/Heat treated conditions, Adv. Eng. Mater. (2020),
https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.201901145.
[48] S. Seifeddine, S. Johansson, I.L. Svensson, The influence of cooling rate and
manganese content on the β-Al5FeSi phase formation and mechanical properties of
Al–Si-based alloys, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 490 (1-2) (2008) 385–390, https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.msea.2008.01.056.
[49] İ. Şimşek, D. Özyürek, Investigation of the effects of Mg amount on microstructure
and wear behavior of Al-Si-Mg alloys, Eng. Sci. Technol. an Int. J. 22 (2019)
370–375, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jestch.2018.08.016.
14
Materials Today Communications 26 (2021) 102099
[50] I. Sağlam, D. Özyürek, K. Çetinkaya, Effect of ageing treatment on wear properties
and electrical conductivity of Cu-Cr-Zr alloy, Bull. Mater. Sci. 34 (2011)
1465–1470, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-011-0344-5.
[51] J.X. Dong, P.A. Karnezis, G. Durrant, B. Cantor, The effect of Sr and Fe additions on
the microstructure and mechanical properties of a direct squeeze cast Al-7Si-0.3
Mg alloy, Metall. Mater. Trans. A 30 (1999) 1341–1356, https://doi.org/10.1007/
s11661-999-0283-6.