Defect and Diffusion Forum Vol. 403

Abstract: In this study, the effect of the β-Al₅FeSi phases on fracture surfaces in secondary AlSi7Mg0.3 cast alloys with common and higher amount of iron was investigated. Iron addition caused the formation of different Fe-rich intermetallic phases in aluminium alloys. Components made of secondary aluminium alloys commonly have a higher amount of such phases. Sharp needles as β-Al₅FeSi phase lead to initiate stress tension, thereby contributing to increased risk of micro-cracks formation on the fracture surfaces. To determine the effect of β-Al₅FeSi to fracture surfaces of AlSi7Mg0.3 cast alloy, SEM microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to study the amount of needles phases, their morphology and violation wave. It was found that increasing Fe content increased the size and the number of Al₅FeSi phases. The fractographic analysis of fracture surfaces shows an increasing amount of cleavage fracture in materials with a higher amount of iron, too.

Abstract: Microstructural characterization of ledeburitic tool steel Vanadis 6 after sub-zero treatment and tempering has been examined. The samples were heat treated using following schedules: heating to the austenitizing temperature (T_A = 1050 °C) in a vacuum furnace, hold at the final temperature for 30 min. and nitrogen gas quenching (5 bar). The sub-zero treatments consisted of immediate (after quenching) immersion of the material into the liquid helium (-269 °C), hold at the soaking temperature and removal the samples to be heated to a room temperature. Double tempering has been performed at the temperatures from the range 170 – 530 °C, whereas each tempering cycle was realized with a hold of 2 h. Typical heat treated microstructure of ledeburitic steels consists, besides of the martensitic matrix with certain amount of retained austenite, of several types of carbides – eutectic, secondary and small globular carbides. In sub-zero treated steel the amount of retained austenite is significantly reduced. The population density of small globular carbides increase as a result of sub-zero treating. Tempering of the material resulted in decrease in population density of small globular carbides with increasing the tempering temperature. The hardness of sub-zero treated material is higher than that of conventionally quenched one. Also, this tendency is preserved when the steel is low-temperature tempered. On the other hand, the hardness of conventionally quenched steel becomes higher than that of SZT one when tempered at the temperature of secondary hardening.