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Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Mechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Aluminium alloys has seen recent increase usage in the automotive industry. This is due to the global obligation towards carbon emission reduction and fuel efficiency in the transport sector. The good strength-to-weight ratio offered by Al-Si-Cu alloys showed promising results towards the compliance of these environmentally friendly criteria. The enhanced mechanical properties is obtained when the alloy is subjected to the T6 heat treatment process, which cause microstructural changes due to the evolution of intermetallic phases. The process involves solution heat treatment, for dissolving soluble Cu- and Mg-containing phases, the homogenization of alloying elements, and the spheroidisation of eutectic Silicon. It is followed by quenching, for maximum precipitation hardening particle retention in solution, and a further artificial ageing process with the aim to acquire a uniform distribution of small precipitates, for strength improvement. The heat treatment schedule applied in this study was conducted as follows: Solution heat treatment at a temperature of 525°C for 6h Quenching in water of temperature 50°C; Artificial ageing for 8h at a temperature of 175°C, and then after left inside furnace to cool down to room temperature. This is higher than the 520°C, but shorter than the 8-12h, observed in literature. Also, quenching is done at a lower temperature rather than 60°C, and artificial ageing at a higher temperature, rather than the 155°C. This was done to be able to draw a comparison between the MAGMASOFT® simulation, which has this non-adjustable schedule, and the experimental results. The simulated and experimental results were comparable and similar outcomes, but with some discrepancies. Such as the porosity was far more visible and intense in the experimental, than what was predicted by the software. The as-cast and heat treated microstructure revealed the expected evolution of intermetallic particles, such as dissolving of the Al2Cu and the spheroidisation of the eutectic Si phases. Another phase that was identified was the insoluble AlFeSi and other possible Fe-containing phases, which due to the higher solution heat treatment temperature, showed partial fragmentation and dissolution. The study provided practical data about the effect of heat treatment on microstructural evolution and how it affects the properties of the Al-Si-Cu alloy. It also brought to the attention and understanding of how critical pouring temperature is, as it affect the initial nucleation, and cooling rate, and therefore the micro and macro properties.

The effect on microstructure and strength properties of hypereutectic aluminum - 20% silicon alloys of various refining additions has been studied by means of metallographic observations, hardness tests and a quantitative determination of the interparticle spacing for the primary silicon. A mechanism has been proposed to explain the observed coarsening of the eutectic which accompanies primary silicon refinement, and the combined effect of the improvement of primary dispersion and increased eutectic coarseness on strength properties has been discussed. Refining mechanisms for the refining additions used have been suggested and the reasons for the observed effect of the various refining additions on the shape of primary silicon have been presented. An explanation is offered for the increase in primary refinement which results from an increase in the time the alloy is held molten after fluxing with phosphorus penta-chloride. The apparently anomalous behavior of phosphorus-copper refined alloys has been explained on the basis of the degree of dissemination of the phosphorus in the molten alloy. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Single crystals and bicrystals have been used to study pitting corrosion and intergranular corrosion of Al and Al-Cu alloys in 0.5M NaCl solution. The critical pitting potential and pit density were examined as a function of a number of factors. These included crystallographic orientation; the bulk solution chemistry including CI- concentration, NO₃- addition and pH; the effect of Cu alloying; and the effects of homogenizing and aging on the alloy crystals. The susceptibility for pitting corrosion was found to depend on crystallographic orientation in pure Al with {111} showing maximum pitting and {011} and {001} exhibiting progressively less pitting. This crystallographic effect was not observed in the Al-3 wt% Cu alloy. The addition of Cu to pure Al was found to raise the Epit and produce a higher pit density on the surface. The increase of CI⁻ concentration was found to enhance pitting corrosion, producing a higher pit density and lowering the Epit. Addition of NO₃- to the solution decreases pitting corrosion, reduces the pit density and substantially shifts the Epit to a more noble potential. A model of pitting corrosion is proposed, based on a local kinetic balance between the repassivation process and the dissolution process at the bare metal surface at the base of a preexisting oxide flaw on the crystal surface. The model successfully accounts for the observed effects of the Cu alloy addition, and the solution composition variations on pitting corrosion. In the alloy bicrystals, it was observed that pitting corrosion in the grain boundary region was dependent on the composition and thermal history of the crystal. In most of the homogenized Al-Cu bicrystals, the presence of the grain boundary did not influence the pitting corrosion. In a 0.1 wt% Cu alloy with a tilt boundary of 28° about the <001> direction preferential pitting along the grain boundary was observed. The preferential pitting is attributed to nonequilibrium depletion of Cu at the high angle tilt boundary. Preferential attack is also observed at grain boundaries in as-grown and in aged bicrystals. This is attributed to Cu segregation in the crystals and the lower value of Epit associated with the Cu depleted regions. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

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published_or_final_version / abstract / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2003.

Thèse (D.Eng.) -- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2008. / La p. de t. porte en outre: Thèse présentée à l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi comme exigence partielle du doctorat en ingénierie. CaQQUQ Bibliogr.: f. 243-246. Publié aussi en version électronique. CaQQUQ