Title: Effects of reheating temperature and time on microstructure and tensile properties of thixoformed in situ Sip/ZA27 composites

Authors: B. Wang; T.J. Chen; S.Q. Zhang

Addresses: State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Nonferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China ' State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Nonferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China ' State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Nonferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, China

Abstract: The effects of reheating temperature and time on microstructure and tensile properties of thixoformed in situ Sip/ZA27 composites have been investigated. Simultaneously, the effect of the Si particles on the tensile properties has also been studied. The results indicate that the two parameters have similar effects on the composition, fraction and segregation degree of the liquid phase and the size and shape of the Si particles, and thus the solidification behaviour, the resulting microstructure, the fracture regime and the tensile properties. But in contrast, the effects of the reheating temperature are larger than those of the reheating time; the effects of the changes in the Si particle size and shape are smaller than those of the changes in the other factors. The optimum tensile properties, the ultimate tensile strength of 363 MPa and the elongation of 0.97%, can be obtained after being thixoformed under reheating for 70 min at 465°C. The Si particles exhibit two behaviours during tensile testing; namely fragmentation and interfacial de-bonding. This indicates that the load transfer mechanism is the main strengthening mechanism of the Si particles.

Keywords: Sip/ZA27 composites; thixoforming; microstructure; tensile properties; fracture; reheating temperature; time; zinc-aluminium alloys; zinc; aluminium; metal matrix composites; MMC; solidification; silicon particles; silicon particle reinforcement; tensile strength; fragmentation; interfacial de-bonding; load transfer.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2017.080557

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2017 Vol.54 No.1/2/3, pp.126 - 146

Received: 09 May 2015
Accepted: 20 Aug 2015

Published online: 30 Nov 2016 *

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