The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Mechanical Properties and Oxidation Resistance of AlSi10Mg Alloy

Abstract

In this study, the microstructure, hardness, tensile strength, and dry wear properties of the cast AlSi10Mg alloy as well as the effects of processing parameters on the oxidation behavior of this alloy were investigated. In this context, AlSi10Mg (wt%) alloy was produced by gravity die casting method, and then, air cooling, quenching, and T6 treatment were applied. The microstructure of the alloy was investigated using an optical microscope, SEM, and EDS. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the effect of processing parameters on the oxidation behavior of the samples. The friction and wear properties of the alloy were investigated using a ball-on-disk wear test device. It was founded that the as-cast AlSi10Mg alloy's microstructure contained phases of α(Al), Si, and β-Mg₂Si. It has been observed that the microstructure of the cast AlSi10Mg alloy gradually turns into a spherical form when quenching and air-cooling heat treatments are applied. Also, T6 heat treatment led to further spheroidization of Si particles, formation of β-Mg2Si precipitates, and elimination of the Chinese script morphology of the β-Mg₂Si phase. It was observed that the yield strength of the AlSi10Mg alloy in the as-cast state decreased negligibly compared to the air-cooled state, while there was an increase of up to 70% in the aging-treated condition. The results show that the tensile strength of the as-cast AlSi10Mg alloy increased by 115% after aging. Additionally, it was found that the AlSi10Mg alloy's wear resistance increased with the aging process.