Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402 – 4411

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The effects of production methods on the microstructures and

mechanical properties of an aluminum bronze
M. Kaplan a, A.K. Yildiz b,*
a
Department of Metallurgy, Faculty of Technical Education, Firat University, 23169 Elazig, Turkey
b
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Arts, Firat University, 23169 Elazig, Turkey
Received 7 March 2003; accepted 12 March 2003

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanical properties and microstructures of an aluminum bronze subjected to
some physical treatments. In particular, the solidification structure, the effects of solution treatment, tempering heat treatment
and mold types on the microstructure of the aluminum bronze produced in two different molds are examined. The results
showed that the heat treatments have some interesting effects on the mechanical properties, microstructures and phase
transformation temperatures of the samples. It was obtained that a + h1 and a + h1Vphase transformation were formed depending
on both the die casting and the heat treatments, but in contrast a + h phase was formed in the sand-casting specimen.
D 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Aluminum bronze; Sand casting; Die casting; Heat treatment; Microstructure

1. Introduction improved significantly with heat treatments. For exam-

Al-bronze castings have widely been used for many
purposes in industry such as in chemical places requir-
ing high corrosion resistance and strength, marine
equipments, the body and parts of pumps, valves,
winches and their gears, bearing, ship propellers, and
in the production of some components like threads and
nuts [1,2]. These alloys contain 8 –14% Al and approx-
imately about 2 – 4% Mn, Ni and Fe, and the casting
process is not carried out much easily because they
require much bigger gating systems in comparison with
the others. The mechanical properties of these bronzes
depending on their chemical compositions can be
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +90-424-2370000x6132; fax:
+90-424-2330062.
E-mail address: ayildiz@firat.edu.tr (A.K. Yildiz).
ple, the value of tensile strength subjected to the heat
treatment approaches over 700 MPa. On the other
hand, it is not possible to take a reasonable result from
the heat treatment processes in Al-bronzes consisting
of nearly 8 –9.5% Al when the value of other elements
is less than 2% [3]. The bronzes with 9.5– 11% Al can
be subjected to the heat treatments and if required, Fe,
Ni and Mg can be added too [4– 6].
In general, the properties such as hardness, tough-
ness and elasticity of any Al-bronzes are much higher
than that of Sn-bronzes. Meanwhile, any duplex
(a + h) Al-bronze is much more apt to form Al-oxide
than all a-Al-bronze. But their fatigue limits with
respect to manganese and copper bronzes are much
higher [3]. Although Mn-bronzes have strength of hot
cracking just up to 230 jC, Al-bronzes keep their
strength even over 400 jC in short time interval. For

0167-577X/03/$ - see front matter D 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0167-577X(03)00332-X
 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411
example, Al-bronze’s strength is about 540 MPa at
room temperature, 460 MPa at 260 jC and nearly 400
MPa at 400 jC [5].
Al-bronzes with approximately 8% Al is suitable
for cold forming, and the duplex alloys with 10% Al
are suitable for casting process, and also exhibit high
strength, corrosion resistance and wear behaviors [7].
Although a very significantly soft phase precipitation
in some Mn-bronzes appears during slow cooling
process, a hard precipitation structure range occurs
in Al-bronzes even at narrow temperature range at
480 –565 jC [5,8].
In this study, an aluminum bronze material
(Cu4Ni9Al4Fe) has first been produced in a sand
and die mold, and then the effects of the mold types,
the solution treatment and tempering heat treatment
on the microstructures and mechanical properties have
been investigated by using metallographic and
mechanical testing methods.
2. Experimental
2.1. Material and method
Cu4Ni9Al4Fe material, which is an aluminum
bronze and the chemical compositions are given on
Table 1, was produced by casting into a sand mold and
a die mold consisting of 3.3% C, 1.2% Si, 0.7% Mn,
< 0.1% P and 0.05% S. In particular, in order to hold
the solidification structure differences of die casting
specimens at the minimum, the die molds have been
used after being subjected to preheating at 450 – 500
jC. Furthermore, following the solution heat treatment
at 900 jC for 2 h, some specimens of the sand and die
castings have been tempered at 650 jC for 1 h as
illustrated on Table 2. As the result of these heat
treatments, both a-Cu and a + h (Cu3Al, Cu + NiAl2)
phases have evidently been formed, and during this
process it was also aimed to remove micro-segrega-
tions, internal strengths and local hardness appearing
in casting structure. The places of a-Cu, a + h, Cu3Al,
Table 1
The compositions of Cu4Ni9Al4Fe
Ni Fe Sn P Bi Pb
3.9 4.11 0.25 0.12 0.013 0.102
4403
Table 2
The symbols of specimens and the applied heat treatments
Specimen no. Production methods and applied treatments
S1 Sand mold casting, no treatment
S2 Sand mold casting, solution treatment at
900 jC for 2 h and tempering treatments
applied at 650 jC for 1 h
S3 Die mold casting, without treatment
S4 Die mold casting, solution treatment at
900 jC for 2 h and tempering treatments
applied at 650 jC for 1 h
Cu + NiAl2 (h), Al + FeNiAl9 and Cu3NiAl6 suchlike
phases and compounds with Cu2O etc., contents,
which may be expected to be formed in sand and die
molds with and without the heat treatment, have been
determined on the phase diagram of Al –Cu – Ni, Al –
Fe– Ni and Al – Cu given in Ref. [9].
The preparation of the specimens for the metallo-
graphic investigation, the sand and die mold casting
specimens and those which are subjected to the
heat treatments of the same specimens, first, were
polished with Si-carbur paper for 60, 120, 240, 600,
800, 1000, 1200 Am, respectively, and then they were
perfectly polished with an diamond pasta for 1 – 3 Am
and etched with 10% ammonium persulfate ((NH4)2
S2O8 + 90% distilled water) as pointed out in Refs.
[10 – 12].
Having produced four specimens given on Table 2,
the microstructures were examined with an Olympus
Optic microscopy (OM) and X-JSM-6400 Scanning
Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. The phase
transformation temperatures have been measured by a
Shimadzu type differential scanning calorimeter
(DSC) equipment.
3. Analysis and results
3.1. Metallographic analysis
Sand mold casting specimen (S1), of which the OM
picture is given in Fig. 1, exhibits a dendritic structure
Mn Si S Zn Sb Al Cu
0.002 0.08 0.07 0.176 0.24 8.95 the others
4404 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411

Table 3
The tensile strength and hardness of the specimens
Sample Treatments Tensile Extension Hardness
no. strength (%) (HB)
(MPa)
S1 Sand mold casting, 600 – 610 8 – 12 178 – 185
no treatment
S2 Sand mold casting, 670 – 680 8 – 12 200 – 205
tempered at 650 jC
for 1 h after solution
treatment at 900 jC
for 2 h
S3 Die mold casting, 600 – 670 8 – 12 178 – 200
no treatment
S4 Die mold casting, 740 – 760 8 – 12 210 – 225
tempered at 650 jC
for 1 h after solution
Fig. 1. OM picture of S1. treatment at 900 jC
for 2 h

which contains a little Cu2O black marks with mainly

rough (bulk) grain a-Cu (grey regions) and a + h
(black region). The micrograph of specimen S2 given
in Fig. 2, which was subjected to the solution treat-
ment at 900 jC for 2 h and the tempering heat
treatment at 650 jC for 1 h, shows a-Cu main matrix,
and contains a + h phase distributed homogenously
through. After the heat treatment processes, the hard-
ness and the tensile strength have changed as indicated
on Table 3.
It was determined on the OM picture of the solid-
ification structure of die mold casting specimen (S3)
given in Figs. 3– 5 that thin rounded grains appeared
along outside of the cross section and that long
column grains and big rounded grains appeared inside
of the cross section although a preheating (450 – 500
jC) is applied to the die mold used for the casting.
The microstructure of the casting contains, more
dominantly, FeAl3 + FeNiAl6, a + Cu3Al and a + Cu +
NiAl2 (h) phases, which are distributed finely at the
grain boundaries and in a-Cu main matrix as it
occurred in the sand mold casting.

Fig. 2. OM picture of S2. Fig. 3. OM picture of S3.

 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411
Fig. 4. OM picture of solidification structure along a line on the cross section of S3.
On the other hand, a dendritic structure variation
that is formed due to the effect of different solid-
ification speed along a line from outside to inside at
the investigated section of specimen S3 given in Fig. 4
has been removed considerably in S4 specimen. The
Fig. 5. OM picture of S4.
4405
dendritic structure on the OM picture of S4 specimen
is given in Fig. 5. In the specimen, FeAl3 + FeNiAl6,
a + Cu3Al and a + Cu + NiAl2 (h) phases are distrib-
uted much homogenously in a-Cu main matrix and in
the grain boundaries.
The SEM pictures and surface analysis of the certain
regions on the pictures and EDS peak distributions of
S1 are given in Fig. 6. If these results are compared with
Al– Cu – Ni, Al – Fe –Ni and Al – Cu-phase diagrams
given in Ref. [9], it is obvious that the microstructures
of sand mold casting without the heat treatment are not
regular much. Moreover, it is seen in Fig. 7 that, as
determined by means of solution etching, the specimen
S2 contains mainly a-Cu phase, and in this phase
homogenously distributed FeAl3 + FeNiAl6, a + Cu3Al
Al and a + Cu + NiAl2 (h) compounds (dark grey
regions) were formed significantly. It was determined
on the SEM picture of S3 in Fig. 8 taken from vertical
and horizontal cross sections that light regions (the
surface analysis and the EDS peaks) belong to
Al + NiAl3 compound distributed in a-Cu main phase,
and the dark grey colored images distributed along the
grain boundaries belong to FeNiAl6 compound. On the
4406 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411

Fig. 6. SEM image of S1; (a) the EDS peaks for point 1, (b) the EDS peaks for point 2.

other hand it can obviously be said for the specimen S4 tempering heat treatments, and that the structure is
in Fig. 9 that the compounds such as Al + NiAl3 and much stable. The SEM picture of the specimen was
FeNiAl6 are distributed much more homogenously in taken from both the horizontal and vertical section
a-Cu matrix due to the effect of the solution and close to the outer surface of the specimen, on which
 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411 4407

Fig. 7. SEM image of S2; (a) EDS peaks for grain inside of S2, (b) EDS peaks for grain boundary of S2.

grey regions represent mainly a-Cu and black regions Cu3Al and a + Cu + NiAl2 (h) phases were distributed
a + h dendritic phases. On the SEM given in Fig. 9, a more homogenously in a-Cu main matrix and the grain
dendritic region consisting of FeAl3 + FeNiAl6, a + boundaries as the result of the heat treatment.
4408 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411

Fig. 8. SEM image of S3; (a) the EDS peaks for grain inside (vertical cross section), (b) the EDS peaks for grain boundary (horizontal cross
section).
 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411 4409

Fig. 9. SEM image of S4; (a) the EDS peaks for grain inside (vertical cross section), (b) the EDS peaks for grain boundary (horizontal cross
section).
4410 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411
3.2. DSC analysis
Fig. 10 shows the DSC peaks corresponding to the
phase transformation temperatures of the specimens.
It can be understood from the peaks that a + h1Vphase
transformation has occurred at 230 – 300 jC, a + h1
phase at 300– 500 jC, and a + h1 at about 500 –560
jC. It was also determined from the peaks that the
mold type, the solution and tempering heat treatments
changed considerably the phase transformation tem-
peratures and its modifications. In particular, in con-
trast to the sand casting the other modifications of
a + h phase such as a + h1V and a + h1 in the die
casting were formed since there was not enough time
for the formation of a + h phase. We however note
that the modifications such as a + h1Vand a + h1 were
determined from the phase diagram given in Ref. [4].
3.3. Tensile experiment and hardness measurement
results
The effects of the mold types, solution and temper-
ing heat treatments on the mechanical properties such
as the tensile strength and hardness of Al-bronze
material are given on Table 3. The results on the table
were obtained from the average of eight measured
values taken randomly in various regions of the speci-
mens. It was seen from these results that the tensile
strength and hardness of die casting specimens sub-
jected to the solution and tempering heat treatments
were increased in comparison with the specimens
having no treatment. It was, meanwhile, understood
from the results of OM and SEM analysis that the
Fig. 10. DSC peaks of the specimens.
compounds such as FeNiAl9 and Al + NiAl3 were
distributed finely in a + h phase formed in a narrow
region at between 550 and 1000 jC, which can be seen
in Ref. [9], in the specimens subjected to the solution
treatment at 900 jC for 2 h and to the tempering heat
treatment at 650 jC for 1 h. The formation of such
phases causes to form a harder and more resistant
structure by tightening the main structure.
4. Conclusion
According to the results of the experiment, the
metallographic structure of the aluminum bronze mate-
rial is heterogeneous in the preheated die casting
specimen before the treatments, but homogenous in
the sand casting. After the solution and tempering heat
treatments, the structure of the material became con-
siderable homogenous, and the hardness and tensile
strengths were increased significantly. The main rea-
son for the increase of the mechanical properties is
possibly due to the formation of a + h phase compound
and homogenously the distribution of compounds such
as FeNiAl9 and Al + NiAl3 in these phases as the result
of the heat treatments. In other words, new phase
formations caused to form a harder and more resistant
structure by tightening the main matrix. Moreover, the
DSC phase transformation temperatures of the speci-
mens subjected to the treatments were decreased as
compared with that of having no treatments. We
believe that such a decrease has occurred due to the
formation of FeNiAl9 and Al + NiAl3 phases during the
tempering heat treatments.
It has been observed that the structure of the sand
mold casting contains fine rounded grains along out-
ermost cross section and lengthwise inclined column
grains towards inside and big grains innermost. Con-
sidering such grain structure, it can be suggested that
die mold before casting should be preheated up to
450 – 500 jC to remove the negative effects of heter-
ogeneous solidification structure on the use of the
material for technological purposes.
We also emphasize that it was not possible to obtain
exactly the solidification at every point in the same
time due to the effect of nondissolved dirty elements or
compositions remaining in the structure at the casting
temperature. However, it, in general, is possible to
obtain fine proper grains with the scientific techniques
 M. Kaplan, A.K. Yildiz / Materials Letters 57 (2003) 4402–4411
such as implant techniques, solidification homogenous
by means of cooling speed and the direction control.
Furthermore, we also note that the casting process of
aluminum bronze is very difficult since the melting
temperatures of the contents are quite different and its
casting requires the systems having bigger riser and
sprue in comparison with the other casting bronzes.
Moreover, the gas bubbles confined in the structure
after melting and solidification in the liquid metal have
exhibited itself as the formation of porosity and internal
strengths. This negativeness can be removed partially
by purifying the raw materials from the remaining
elements causing the formation of gas during melting
and the casting process. It is also possible to prevent
partly the formation of harmful compositions of inter-
metallic phases by quenching at convenient temper-
atures and by cooling carefully the specimen in die
mold and the proper heat treatments to be done later.
Finally, it was observed that the production of
Cu4Ni9Al4Fe aluminum bronze casting in a sand
and die mold which are being cold or hot during the
casting and with/without the application of the heat
treatments affected the mechanical properties and
microstructure of casting.
4411
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