Effect of the addition of cerium on the microstructure evolution and thermal expansion properties of cast Al-Cu-Fe alloy

Abstract

The evolution of the microstructure and the variation in the thermal expansion properties of the Al 63 Cu 25 Fe 12 alloy by the addition of different amounts of cerium (Ce) are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Herein, a new series of quasicrystal alloys containing Ce are prepared. Results revealed that the Al 63 Cu 25 Fe 12 alloy contains icosahedral quasicrystal phase (I-phase), λ − Al 13 Fe 4 phase, β − Al 0.5 Fe 0.5 phase and Al 2 Cu 3 phase. The addition of Ce is confirmed to lead to grain refinement, formation of the Al 13 Ce 2 Cu 13 phase, disappearance of the λ − Al 13 Fe 4 phase. Furthermore, the area fraction of the I-phase in the alloy is confirmed to reach the maximum value, and the linear expansion coefficient of the alloy is the lowest due to the addition of Ce of up to 1 at%. The addition of Ce can reduce the linear expansion coefficient of the Al 63 Cu 25 Fe 12 alloy by ∼20%. The contribution of Ce will render better prospects for the application of Al-Cu-Fe-Ce materials.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and thermal expansion properties of as-cast (Al63Cu25Fe12)99Ce1 alloy

“…At the same time, according to our previous research [16], when preparing quasicrystal alloy by con-ventional casting method, adding Ce known as industrial vitamin on the basis of Al 63 Cu 25 Fe 12 alloy can increase the formation of I-phase to a certain extent. Especially when the content of Ce in the alloy is 1 at.%, the content of the I-phase in the alloy is higher.…”

Microstructure and Properties of Al-Cu-Fe-Ce Quasicrystalline-Reinforced 6061 Aluminum Matrix Composites after Aging

“…A subsequent thermal process yielded an alloy consisting predominantly of the I phase, alongside a minor presence of the Al 13 Ce 2 Cu 13 phase. Detailed methodologies for the synthesis and thermal processing of the I phase have been expounded upon in earlier scholarly works [13,22]. Figure 1 shows the microstructure morphology of 1Ce-IQC reinforcement with average particle sizes of 120 µm and 60 µm, respectively.…”

“…Combined with related literature [8][9][10][11], it can be seen that some quasicrystalline intermediate alloys are often added as reinforcing phases to solve the above problems. This is because, among the many particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites, the quasicrystalline particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites have unique advantages [11][12][13]. Firstly, during the process of preparing the composites, because quasicrystals have a certain metal crystal structure (that is, quasi-periodic translational ordering), the quasicrystalline particles can be wetted with the metal liquid [10,14,15], so as to prevent other reinforcers from not being wetted with the metal liquid or from reacting with the matrix metal to produce an undesirable interface [16,17].…”

Effect of Combined Addition of CeLa and GdY on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of As-Cast Al-Cu-Mn Alloys

“…Adding small amounts of rare earth (RE) such as Ce [5][6][7], La [8][9][10], Sm [11][12][13], Sc [14,15], Gd [16][17][18], and Er [19][20][21] has been proven to play a good role in the purification and densification of aluminum alloy melt, reducing casting defects and making the microstructure more dense [22][23][24]. At the same time, the addition of RE can refine the grain size of the as-cast alloy by promoting composition overcooling [25].…”