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Abstract Cryogenic treatment has high potential for improving the deformation behavior through the recrystallization at a low temperature. In this work, true stress–strain curves were obtained via compression tests to understand the deformation behavior of an AA7075 under cryogenic conditions. Results showed a significant improvement in the flow stress of AA7075, increasing from 260 to 560 MPa at the yield point. The strain hardening exponent (n) also increased from 0.25 to 0.35 after deformation at cryogenic temperatures. The presence of Al2CuMg phase influenced the deformation texture of the tested aluminum alloy, resulting in more elongated grains and fine sub-grains after deformation at cryogenic temperatures, due to the hindered recrystallization. Microstructure evolution after deformation at room and cryogenic temperatures was investigated using EBSD technique to characterize texture and recrystallized grains. The results indicated that the spacing of the high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) in the sample deformed at room temperature was slightly larger than in the cryogenically treated sample. The alloy deformed at the cryogenic temperature exhibited a higher strain hardening exponent (n = 0.35) compared to room temperature deformation (n = 0.25). Furthermore, finite element analysis supported the experimental findings, showing that the Plastic Equivalent Strain (PEEQ) of the model tested at cryogenic temperature was higher than at room temperature, attributed to grain refinement during low-temperature deformation. The calculated effective stress responses at cryogenic temperatures for the investigated flow stress aligned well with the experimental results. These new aspects and mechanisms of deformation of aluminum alloys at cryogenic temperatures can improve the formability of high-strength alloys in the future production of more complex and integrated lightweight components.

This study explored the consequences of incorporating Sc and Zr into hypoeutectic Al–9Ce cast alloys, specifically investigating their influence on microstructure and mechanical properties. The findings demonstrated the significant reduction in the grain size of the Al–9Ce alloy while successfully maintaining the distinctive shape of the eutectic Al11Ce3 phase through the incorporation of Sc and Zr additions. During aging treatments, Al3(Sc,Zr) coherent precipitates formed both at the interface between the α-Al and Al11Ce3 phases and within the α-Al matrix. Remarkably, this led to optimal hardness achieved within a short duration of 3 h at 350 °C. Peak-aged quaternary Al–9Ce–xSc–yZr alloys showed significantly better tensile strength than the binary Al–Ce alloy at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Overall, the study underscored promising prospects of Al–Ce–Sc–Zr alloys for use in high-temperature applications, as they exhibited enhanced mechanical properties.

The objective of this study was to improve the corrosion resistance of an A535 alloy by removing intermetallics on the alloy surface by alkaline etching to improve the morphologies and properties of the anodic film that was sealed with different sealants. It was found that alkaline etching for 4 min was suitable for dissolving intermetallic particles and simultaneously providing sufficient roughness for the adhesion of an oxide film to the Al matrix. The effect of alkaline etching revealed that a decrease in the intermetallic fraction from 21% to 16% after etching for 2 and 4 min, respectively, corresponded to the increase in the surface roughness, thickness, and consistency of the anodic film. It was also demonstrated that the surface morphology of the anodic films after stearic acid sealing was more uniform and compact than that after nickel fluoride sealing. The electrochemical polarization curves and salt spray test proved that the alloy etched for 4 min and sealed with stearic acid had better corrosion resistance as compared with the aluminum alloy sealed with nickel fluoride.

Enhancing the mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys by refining the primary and eutectic Si morphology is very challenging. In this study, the refinement mechanism of primary and eutectic Si morphologies via the simultaneous addition of P-Ce into the Al-20Si alloy was studied. Microstructural analysis revealed that the primary and eutectic Si morphologies were significantly refined, which increased the tensile strength. Furthermore, the addition of Ce, up to 0.6 wt%, can result in the formation of Ce-rich intermetallic phases, which may lead to a significantly increased tensile strength while retaining the ductility of the alloy. The ultimate tensile strength of the Al-20Si alloy increased from 96 to 175 MPa, and the elongation increased from 1.0% to 1.7% with the addition of P-Ce. Moreover, the wear resistance of the alloy improved. The added P and Ce did not react with each other to form an intermetallic compound; therefore, this method can simultaneously refine primary and eutectic Si.

In the present study, aluminum alloys of the Al-Mg system with titanium diboride particles of different size distribution were obtained. The introduction of particles in the alloy was carried out using master alloys obtained through self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process. The master alloys consisted of the intermetallic matrix Al-Ti with distributed TiB2 particles. The master alloys with TiB2 particles of different size distribution were introduced in the melt with simultaneous ultrasonic treatment, which allowed the grain refining of the aluminum alloy during subsequent solidification. It was found that the introduction of micro- and nanoparticles TiB2 increased the yield strength, tensile strength, and plasticity of as-cast aluminum alloys. After pass rolling the castings and subsequent annealing, the effect of the presence of particles on the increase of strength properties is much less felt, as compared with the initial alloy. The recrystallization of the structure after pass rolling and annealing was the major contributor to hardening that minimized the effect of dispersion hardening due to the low content of nanosized titanium diboride.