Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of the Thixo-Diecast 319s Alloy during Heat Treatment

The evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties during solution and ageing heat treatment process was studied in terms of a thixo-diecast impeller of 319s aluminium alloy. The cast alloy exhibited a microstructure consisting of primary uniformly distributed in α-Al globules and the eutectics. A series of heat treatment studies were performed to determine optimum heat treatment parameters, in order to achieve fine grain structure, fine silicon particles and optimal precipitate size and distribution. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to study the evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties. The results demonstrate that, the full T6 heat treatments are successfully applied to thixo-diecast 319s impellers. A two-step solution heat treatment is employed to prevent porosity due to overheating. The tensile properties of thixo-diecast 319s impellers were substantially enhanced after T6 heat treatment. The plate-shaped θ′ precipitates and lath-shaped Q′ precipitates are the most effective for precipitation strengthening.