A Metallographic Study of Porosity and Fracture Behavior in Relation to the Tensile Properties in 319.

2 End Chill Castings

A.M. SAMUEL and F.H. SAMUEL A metallographic study of the porosity and fracture behavior in nnidirectionally solidified end chill castings of 319.2 aluminum alloy (A1-6.2 pct Si-3.8 pct Cu-0.5 pct Fe-0.14 pct Mn-0.06 pct Mg0.073 pct Ti) was carried out using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine their relationship with the tensile properties. The parameters varied in the production of these castings were the hydrogen (-0.1 and -0.37 mL/100 g A1), modifier (0 and 300 ppm Sr), and grain refiner (0 and 0.02 wt pct Ti) concentrations, as well as the solidification time, which increased with increasing distance from the end chill bottom of the casting, giving dendrite arm spacings (DASs) ranging from --15 to -95/zm. Image analysis and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were employed for quantification of porosity/microstructural constituents and fracture surface analysis (phase identification), respectively. The results showed that the local solidification time (viz. DAS) significantly influences the ductility at low hydrogen levels; at higher levels, however, hydrogen has a more pronounced effect (porosity related) on the drop in ductility. Porosity is mainly observed in the form of elongated pores along the grain boundaries, with Sr increasing the porosity volume percent and grain refining increasing the probability for pore branching. The beneficial effect of Sr modification, however, improves the alloy ductility. Fracture of the Si, /3-A15FeSi, aAI15(Fe,Mn)3Si2, and A12Cu phases takes place within the phase particles rather than at the particle/A1 matrix interface. Sensitivity of tensile properties to DAS allows for the use of the latter as an indicator of the expected properties of the alloy.

I.

INTRODUCTION

M A N Y variables affect the mechanical properties in aluminum alloy castings: the alloy composition; the metal soundness in terms of gas and shrinkage porosity and inclusions; the solidification rate; the metallurgical characteristics including grain size, dendrite arm spacing (DAS), and the shape, size, and distribution of constituents; and the applied heat treatment. The microstructure is frequently modified and grain refined to optimize the properties. With the aid of special chilling techniques, solidification rates throughout the casting can be varied and correlated to the DAS/cell size and properties. Among popularly used aluminum casting alloys, A356 and 319 are two of the commercially important alloys used in automotive applications. Comparing the two, while A356 has been widely studied over the last 40 years, relatively fewer investigations have been carried out on 319 alloy. The present work forms part of an ongoing research program aimed at investigating the effect of various parameters, i.e., solidification conditions, additives, and heat treatment, on the performance of this alloy. The results presented in this article highlight the relations between the solidification parameters, porosity content, microstructure, tensile properties, and fracture behavior. In particular, the microstructural aspects of the different constituents obtained on solidification are elaborated upon. The tensile properties, having been discussed in detail elsewhere, ]1~are only tabulated in the present article from the point of view

of connecting the microstructural observations with said properties. Wherever relevant, the results have been discussed with respect to A356, for a comparison between the two alloys.
II. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

The 319.2 aluminum alloy used in this study was supplied by Alcan Ingot Alloys Canada, Guelph Works (Guelph, ON, Canada) in the form of 12.5-kg ingots. The chemical composition of the as-received alloy is shown in Table I. The ingots were melted in a silicon carbide crucible of 7 kg capacity, using an electrical resistance furnace. The melting temperature was held at 735 ~ + 5 ~ At this temperature, the molten metal was either degassed using high-purity argon (melt hydrogen content <0.1 mL/100 g A1, designated HI) or gassed (hydrogen content -0.37 mL/100 g A1, designated H3). The melt hydrogen level was monitored using an AIScan unit and was also determined from "Ransley" samples obtained from Ransley mold castings of each melt, using the LECO* vacuum fusion
*LECO is a trademark of LECO Corporation, St. Joseph, MI.

A.M. SAMUEL, Research Associate, and F.H. SAMUEL, Professor, are with the Department of Applied Sciences, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, PQ, Canada G7H 2B 1. Manuscript submitted November 30, 1994. METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

technique (Reference 1 gives details). Melts were also modified with strontium, added up to - 3 0 0 ppm (designated $3) in the form of AI-10 wt pct Sr master alloy, and grain refined by means of A1-Ti-B (Ti:B = 5:1) master alloy to obtain a 0.02 wt pct Ti content (designated T). A rectangular-shaped end chill mold, with dimensions 64 127 254 mm, was used to obtain the end chill castings. Complete details of the mold and casting process are given elsewhere, tim The molten metal was poured into the mold through 8 pores/cm (i.e. 20 ppi (pores per inch)) ceramic foam filter discs fitted into the riser (placed above the sprue
VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995--2359

Table I. ChemicalCompositionof the 319.2 AHoyUsed in the PresentWork*

Element Si Cu Fe Mn 0.14 Mg 0.06 Ti 0.073 Sr 0.0003 Zn 0.08 Ni 0.008 ICP analysis 6.23 3.77 0.46 (wt pct) *Average compositionobtainedfrom ICP analysisof 48 melts.

100

...."" ..'"
7O

10 A~
"

,~..f'~""
..... ::~,

E <
SO

...........

i ; i . ' " ~

e
_Q

C r~
3O

.....

-. . . .

g
i'

.~.~,,,,,,,,,u,,...-..~....~.~"=~ _....-.........'.::~7 ....

. ~ _ .- *...IS]. --7 . . .................. .........
[L?...0~.Sr L % ~ . S r

. . . . . . . ..~. . . . --~.~ ~..-.~-=-=-:'~ .......... .~.

~ .............

Grain size

DAS

2O

o
200

,,
300

,IT

.....~ ....... . . , . .
I
500 1,000
200

L..1,O~..,,Sr L-~,~.pm.,..Sr

I
300

I
500

I
1.O00

Local solidification time (s)

Local solidification time {a)

(a)

(b)

45

40

35

~2O!

2Oi 84
1$ -

I 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 ~ 220 2 4 0 2 8 0 280 300 3 2 0 3 4 0 360

3BO

Beta phase needle length (urn)

(c)
Fig. 1---(a) Variation m grain size and DAS as a function o f local solidification time for H1, HIT, and H1TS3 alloys. (b) Variation m average Si particle area A (/xm 2) and average Si particle length L (/zm) as a function of local solidification time for various Sr concentrations. (c)/3-AIsFeSi platelet length distribution as a function of distance from the chill in H1TS3 alloy (legend shows the respective distances in millimeters from the chill end).

during pouring) to avoid incident inclusions. The casting arrangement employed produced ingots with solidification rates which decreased with increasing distance from the chill. For each of the 16 conditions studied, three identical castings were prepared, one designated for metallographic observation and the other two for tensile testing purposes. A total of 48 castings were prepared for the entire investigation. In all cases (metallographic or tensile test sheet specimens), the samples were sectioned from the cast blocks in the horizontal orientation at varying heights above the water-chilled copper base. Microstructural changes on polished sample surfaces (2 3 cm, cut from the central portion of the casting, at 5, 10, 20, 40, and 100 mm levels above the end chill bottom) were examined using optical microscopy. The porosity, eutectic silicon (Si), and/3-A15FeSi phase particle characteristics were
2360~VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995

analyzed/quantified using a LECO 2001 image analyzer in conjunction with the optical microscope (Olympus PMG3). One hundred fields at magnification 50 times were required to scan the entire sample surface (the term "field" representing one field of observation in the optical microscope and covering an area of 2.23658 n'llTl_ 2 at magnification 50 times). Dendrite arm spacings were also measured using the image analyzer (in the "direct measurement" mode), where the lengths across several dendrites were noted at different places across the sample surface. Noting the number of dendrites covered in each length span, the DAS was calculated for each measurement and an average taken over the 50 to 60 such measurements performed for each sample. Sheet samples for tensile testing (60-mm long, 20-mm wide, and 3-mm thick) were cut in such a way that their centerlines passed through the 5-, 20-, 40-, and 100-mm levMETALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

Table II. Variation in the 13-Ai~FeSi Platelet Length as a Function of Distance from the Chill End for H1TS3 Alloy

Distance from the Chill End (rnrn) 5 10 20 40 100

Local Solidification Time (s) 172 222 345 593 1222

Average DAS (/zm) 15 28 52 73 95

Average 13Platelet Length (/zm) 20.13 39.23 83.24 137.92 173.30

samples taken from longitudinal sections passing through the fracture surface were also polished and examined to determine the extent of damage beneath the fracture surface. IlL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Microstructure

The effects of modification and cooling rate on the eutectic reactions in aluminum alloys have been studied extensively,t3,4~ The studies carried out by Mulazimoglu et al.t51 on reactions and phases occurring in Sr-treated 319 castings show that the presence of Sr intensifies certain posteutectic reactions (e.g., L --> A1 + AI2Cu + A15FeSi + Si, at 525 ~ and obscures the first postreaction (L --> A1 + A12Cu at 549 ~ by depressing the A1-Si eutectic temperature. The three phases--Si, A12Cu, and fl-A15FeSi--coexist, indicating that they form through a complex eutectic reaction late in solidification. In addition to modification of the Si phase, Sr has a tendency to form more of the primary, blocky AI2Cu phase instead of the fine eutectic A12Cu phase interspersed with aluminum.tsJ Narayanan et al. [6j have measured the variation in aver-

els and then they were heat-treated at 180 ~ for 8 hours and air-cooled. Tensile testing was carried out at room temperature using an Instron universal testing machine at a strain rate of 4 10-4/s. A strain gage extensometer (50-mm range) was attached to the test specimen for measuring the alloy ductility. Tensile properties, namely, yield stress (YS) at 0.2 pct offset strain, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and fracture elongation (EL pct), were derived from the data acquisition system. Fracture surfaces were examined using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) system for element analysis. In addition,

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 2--Microstmctureof H1 alloy obtainedat (a) 5 mm, (b) 100 mm, and (c) 100 mm distance from the chill end. METALLURGICAL ANDMATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A VOLUME26A,SEPTEMBER 1995--2361

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 3--Microstructure of (a) H1S3 alloy--5 mm, (b) H1S3--100 ram, and (c) HITS3--100 m m distance from the chill end.

Table III.

Variation in YS and UTS Values as a Function of Alloy Composition and Distance from the Chili End
Distance f r o m Chill (mm) 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 YS ksi 19.0 20.5 ----- 1.5 20.5 +-- 1.15 21.0 + 1.4 22.8 21.0 21.0 21.0 19.0 19.0 19.0 19.5 +-_+ _+ +--+ ___ 0.3 0.5 1.7 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 MPa 130.9 141.2 _ 10.3 141.2 ___ 7.9 144.7 + 9.6 157.1 144.7 144.7 144.7 130.9 130.9 130.9 134.4 ___ 2.1 + 3.4 - 11.7 --- 10.3 + + + + 6.9 6.9 6.9 10.3 34.0 31.0 27.8 23.5 ksi + 2.0 + 1.3 _-4- 0.5 --- 1.0 UTS MPa 234.3 213.6 191.5 161.9 ---+ 13.8 --+ 8.96 + 3.4 -+ 6.9

Alloy

H1

HIT

36.0 + 0.5 28.5 + 1.8 25.0 22.0 + 2.7 33.0 --- 1.5 30.5 + 1.0 28.0 + 1.0 25.0 33.6 29.0 25.5 22.8 + + + + 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.2

248.1 ----- 3.4 196.4 + 12.4 172.3 151.6 - 18.6 227.4 _ 10.3 210.1 _ 6.9 192.9 ___ 6.9 172.3 231.5 --- 2.1 199.81 --- 3.4 175.7 --- 5.5 157.1 --- 1.4

H1S3

H1TS3

20.0 20.0 19.0 19.0 __+ 0.5

137.8 137.8 130.9 130.9 _+ 3.4

2362--VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995

METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

Table IV.

Variation in EL Pct as a Function of Alloy Composition, Distance from the Chill End, and Porosity Pet

Alloy H1

Distance from Chill (mm) 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100

EL Pct 4.5 0.5 1.7 _ 0.16 1.1 + 0.3 0.41 4.5 2.5 1.1 0.85 + 0.9 1.0 + 0.8 ___ 0.5

Porosity (Vol Pct) 0.014 0.024 0.212 0.505 0.029 0.115 0.187 0.363 0.027 0.150 0.696 1.183 0.031 0.214 0.347 0.715

Alloy H3

Distance from Chill (mm) 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100 5 20 40 100

EL Pct 0.85 0.30 0.5 _ 0.05 0.4 0.13 1.13 0.55 0.42 0.27 +__0.2 ___ 0.1 ___ 0.05 ___ 0.03

Porosity (Vol Pct) 0.513 1.613 1.795 2.495 0.582 1.974 2.217 2.694 0.892 2.638 2.784 4.830 1.187 2.970 3.226 3.642

HIT

H3T

H1S3

3.8 ___ 0.6 2.5 1.5 0.5 1.0 ___ 0.25 3.7 1.8 1.1 0.63 _ 0.8 ___ 0.3 0.1 0.2

H3S3

1.25 ___ 0.22 0.47 + 0.05 0.34 ___ 0.06 0.28 0.72 + 0.08 0.55 +__0.03 0.4 0.26

H1TS3

H3TS3

age maximum length of/3-A%FeSi as a function of cooling rate in 319 alloy containing 0.2 pct Fe (melt superheated at 750 ~ It is seen to fall from - 4 0 0 /xm at a cooling rate - 2 ~ (DAS - 5 0 / z m ) to almost 20/zm at a cooling rate on the order of 20 ~ (DAS - 1 6 / x m ) . The work of Gustafsson et aL t71 on the influence of Fe and Cr on the microstructure of cast A1-7 wt pct Si-0.3 wt pct Mg alloys reveals that the length of the /3-AlsFeSi platelets and the arms of the a-Alls(Fe,Mn)3Si2 Chinese script phase increase with decreasing solidification rate and increasing Fe content. For a 0.2 wt pct Fe, the/3 length increases from - 5 /zm (DAS - 1 5 /xm) to - 1 0 0 /~m (DAS --85 /zm). The discrepancy in the results reported in these two references may be related to the total local solidification time.

the degradation in the tensile properties, in addition to the degradation resulting from the increase in local solidification time. However, the two effects being interlinked, their individual contributions are not easily determined. The variation in/3-A15FeSi length with increasing distance from the chill end (i.e., DAS) is summarized in Table II. In connection with Figure 1(c), in the case of the H1TS3 sample obtained at 100-mm distance from the chill end, some of the very high /3-platelet lengths noted were obtained from needles that appeared to have resulted possibly from the nucleation of two platelets, one linked to the other (i.e., sympathetic nucleation).

1. Image analysis
Figure l(a) represents the variation in DAS and grain size as a function of local solidification time. The addition of TiB2 (alloy HIT) leads to a significant reduction in both the DAS and grain size, as compared to the base alloy (HI). The increase in DAS and grain size is observed to be relatively slow for distances greater than 40 mm from the chill end. The changes in average Si particle area (surface area as determined by the image analyzer) and length are plotted in Figure l(b). It can be seen that the Si particle size is dependent on the a-aluminum DAS. Apparently, for such a low Si content ( - 6 wt pct), an addition of 90 ppm Sr is sufficient to promote more or less complete modification of the Si particles, even for cooling rates as low as 0.4 ~ (DAS - 9 0 ~m). Figure l(c) shows the /3-platelet size distribution in H1TS3 alloy samples, obtained at the different distances from the chill end, based on an average of 60 readings/sample. This alloy was specifically chosen to ensure that the/3 platelets could be clearly distinguished from the eutectic Si particles (well modified in this case) by the image analyzer. As can be observed, the DAS critically affected the size of the/3 platelets, the latter being indicative of the volume fraction of the phase in the sample. The brittle nature of these needles and their sharp tips create zones of localized stress that are expected to contribute to
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

2. Optical microscopy Figure 2(a) shows details of the microstructure obtained from H1 alloy at 5-mm distance from the end chill. Pockets of (A1 + A12Cu) eutectic (marked A) are seen nucleating along the sides of the Si particles. Signs of the formation of/3 platelets are not visible, which is in accordance with previously reported observations.t7~ Instead, scattered a(bcc)-Chinese script phase particles (marked C) were seen. At 100-mm distance (Figure 2(b)), AI2Cu phase is seen to precipitate in the form of blocky (marked B) and fine (AI + A12Cu) eutectic pockets (marked A). Nucleation of both forms appears to take place on previously existing phases such as Si or/3 platelets (the latter are developed in a considerable amount at such a low cooling rate). The higher magnification micrograph of Figure 2(c) shows that the (AI + A12Cu) eutectic could form at the blocky A12Cu/matrix interface, indicating that it is the last reaction to occur during solidification of this alloy (with a Mg content of about 0.06 wt pct). A 300-ppm level of Sr tends to form more of the blocky AI2Cu phase (marked B), even though the cooling rate is close to 25 ~ (DAS - 1 2 / x m ) (Figure 3(a)), an observation which agrees well with that reported by Mulazimoglu et aLt41 Dispersed pockets of fine (A1 + A12Cu) eutectic (marked A) also form. Segregation of A12Cu (marked B) around the/3 platelets (marked C) is prominent at the 100-mm distance (Figure 3(b)). Addition of TiB 2 to the H1S3 alloy does not alter either the Si morphology or the shape and distribution of the intermetallic
VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995--2363

Fig. 5--Fracture surface of i l l alloy at 5-mm distance from the chill end.

Fig. 4~Fracture surface of a Houndsfield tensile test sample prepared from H3 alloy at 100-mm distance from the chill end.

components, i.e., a-AlLs(Fe,Mn)3Si2,/3-A15FeSi, and A12Cu, as illustrated in Figure 3(c).

B. Tensile Properties

Spear and GardnertSl have investigated the effect of solidification rate and alloy composition on the DAS in 356 alloy. They suggest that the solidification rate is the
2364~VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995

stronger factor affecting the DAS. The DAS correlates with the tensile properties of good quality castings. Therefore, it may be used to define the tensile properties for aluminum cast products. Their results indicate that although the YS is not (or is only marginally) affected by the change in DAS, the UTS values are inversely proportional (linearly) to DAS, while the pct EL-DAS relationship is parabolic. The inter-relation of the microstructure and fracture mode of end-chilled 356 alloy castings has been studied by Frederick and BaileyJ91 They propose that fracture occurs almost exclusively along the dendrite boundaries and initiates in the Si particles present in those boundaries. They also report that the amount of elongation is inversely proportional to DAS and that YS is not a function of DAS, but UTS is controlled by the DAS limitation on elongation. Their results are in good agreement with those obtained in Reference 8 and more recently by Major et al. t1~ for A356T61 and may be generalized for most casting alloys, provided the castings obtained are sufficiently sound. Radhakrishna et aLtO11have reported that the relationships obtained between porosity and the three tensile properties (UTS, YS, and EL pct) are nonlinear. The shape of such nonlinear graphs gives an indication of the pronounced influence of porosity on the properties, especially at lower porosity levels. Even an increase of about 0.5 vol pct in the porosity value can bring down the strength and ductility to dangerously low levels. Among the properties measured, UTS seems to be the one most effected by porosity, followed by YS and EL pct. The work of Pan et al.t~2~ on the effects of solidification parameters on the feeding efficiency of A356 alloy shows, however, that the UTS-porosity pct relationship is linear, whereas the EL pct-porosity pct relation is a logarithmic one. The YS and UTS values obtained for degassed and filtered melt castings of the present alloy, using different melt treatments, are given in Table III. It can be seen that while increasing the DAS from 15 to 90/zm does not bring about significant changes in YS, the UTS shows a nonlinear decrease with the increase in DAS. Compared to the DAS, the modifier or grain refiner has a considerably smaller effect on the UTS. At low hydrogen content (HI), increasing the local solidification time reduces the ductility level considerably, in
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. ~-Fracture surfaces of tensile test samples at 5-mm distance from the chill end, showing (a) H1 alloy---elongated pore, (b) H1 alloy--round pore, and (c) HIS3 alloy--round pore.

a nonlinear fashion. Although the addition of Sr results in an increase in the porosity volume fraction (H1S3, Table IV), the beneficial effect of modification, through a balancing of the negating effect of local solidification time (i.e., DAS) on the porosity, results in an overall improvement in the ductility. Addition of grain refiner (equivalent in amount to a Ti content of 0.02 wt pet) has a marginal effect on the porosity (HIT, Table IV). Nevertheless, a slight improvement in ductility is observed. In the case of H1TS3 alloy, the porosity levels obtained lie in between those observed for the H1T and H1S3 alloys, the effect of strontium on the porosity having more weight. As expected, increasing the hydrogen content (H3) increases the amount of porosity obtained in the casting, more noticeably at the higher distances above the chill end, taking into consideration the solidification rate, pore growth, and gas flotation factors involved. However, while the drop in ductility is magnified, the porosity levels observed with modifier (H3S3) and grain refiner (H3TS3) additions show the same trend as those observed for the H1 alloys. From Table IV, one can also comprehend the interactive nature of the different variables.
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

C. Fracture Behavior 1. Scanning electron microscopy examination a. General observations In general, fracture surfaces of alloys obtained at 5-ram distance from the chill (DAS --15 /~m) displayed a transgranular mode of fracture (typical of ductile materials, EL pct --5), whereas at higher distances from the chill, i.e., 100 mm (DAS - 9 3 /zm), the fracture was of intergranular type, customarily associated with brittle, low-ductility materials (EL pet -0.4). A Houndsfield round test bar (60-ram gage length and 7-ram diameter), machined from HlS3 alloy at 100-ram distance, was pulled to rupture and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Figure 4 shows how the crack initiates at the center of the sample (arrow) and propagates by traversing the grain boundaries before reaching the periphery of the sample. (The nature of crack initiation and propagation are discussed in Section 2.) The addition of 300-ppm Sr did not noticeably change the nature of fracture.
VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995--2365

(a)

(a)

(b)
Fig. 7~Fracture surfaces of tensile test samples at 5-mm distance from chill end for (a) H3 and (b) H3T alloys.

(b)
Fig. 8~Fraeture surfaces of tensile test samples at 100 m m from the chill end for (a) H3 and (b) H3TS3 alloys.

b. Porosity form and distribution

Tyneliust2J performed a parametric study of the evolution of microporosity in 356 alloy using end chill castings similar to those used in the present work. In that study, optical and scanning electron microscopic examinations of polished alloy sample surfaces revealed the following. (a) Pore sizes (lengths) existing in a casting with hydrogen content around 0.1 mL/100 g A1 were generally smaller than twice the DAS. At higher Sr content (-258 ppm), the pores appeared to form as small, closely located, unconnected pores. (b) When the hydrogen content was on the order of 0.4 mL/100 g AI and at a 5-mm distance from the chill end, the pores followed the dendritic structure, independent of their size, the pore morphology adopting a rounder shape as the solidification time increased. For solidification times above 200 seconds all pores were round or oval in nature. (c) Elongated pores, typically those appearing to be shrinkage related, could well be gas pores, shaped by the surrounding microstructure. The overall pore parameters in aluminum castings are
236~-VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995

determined by the hydrogen concentration, inclusion content, local solidification time, and thermal conditions during solidification. A quantitative evaluation of pore characteristics in cast 356 and 319 alurninuna alloys was carried out by Shivkumar et aL t~31 on polished surfaces of specimens obtained from end chilled castings. They reported that in unmodified 319 castings, both interdendritic and intergranular porosity may be present, this conclusion being interpreted in terms of the solidification temperature range, - 1 0 5 ~ and fraction of (A1 + Si) eutectic, - 3 0 pct. Hence, shrinkage effects could contribute significantly to the overall porosity, especially at low local solidification times and for low to moderate gas content. In their study of the fracture surfaces of A356 alloy tensile-tested specimens, Pan et al.t~41 noted evidence of the dendrite structure in the shrinkage pores exposed to the fracture surface. They also observed that at higher porosity levels, the number and size of the pores increased, the pore size being about the same as the DAS. The fracture surface of H1 alloy at 5-mm distance from the chill end is shown in Figure 5, where a few small, extremely narrow ( - 1 0 to - 2 0 / z m ) elongated pores can
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

(a)

(a)

(b)
Fig. 9--Fracture of Si particles in (a) unmodified and (b) modified H1 alloys.

(b)
Fig. 10~Fracture of iron-containing phases: (a)/3 platelets (A15FeSi) and (b) a-Chinese script (AI~5(Fe,Mn)3Si2) phase.

be observed (arrowed). At higher local solidification times, i.e., 100 mm from the chill end, irregular pores located along the grain boundaries are clearly visible in the fracture surface, as shown in Figure 6(a). Their widths are apparently larger than the DAS ( - 9 0 to 95 ~m), whereas their lengths are almost three times larger. Occasionally, round pores are found formed in the interdendritic regions (~300- to 400-/zm diameter) between the a-aluminum dendrites, possibly at the grain boundary (Figure 6(b)). No inclusions, however, are seen at their bottom. In H1 $3 alloy (containing - 2 8 0 ppm Sr), and for the same DAS size, large unconnected pores (-300-/zm diameter) are viewed. An example of such a pore is depicted in Figure 6(c). At high hydrogen content, -0.37 mL/100 g A1, and at a short distance from the chill end, i.e., 5 mm, the pores followed the dendritic structure, independent of their size or of the presence of modifier or grain refiner. Figure 7 exhibits different shapes of elongated pores following long, narrow grain boundaries, along which they could expand. Particularly in the non-grain-refined materials (Figure 7(a)),
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

the pores are strongly related to the intergranular structure. As exemplified in Figure 7(b), pores in grain-refined alloy (H3T) could be shallow (marked A), where the dendrite arms extend into the pores, or deep, passing through the boundaries of three grains, i.e., branching (marked B). Contrary to the findings of Shivkumar et al. t131 on 319 alloy, in the present case, as the solidification time increases, i.e., at 100-mm distance from the chill end, the pores have a rounder shape, similar to that reported by Tyneliust2J for 356 alloy (with a solidification temperature range of 60 ~ and 50 pct (AI + Si) eutectic). A round pore in H3 alloy with a diameter (-1300 /xm) approximately equal to the average grain size (Figure 1(a)) is depicted in Figure 8(a). The dendrites are clearly seen extending inside the pore. There is a noticeable difference in pore morphology in H3TS3 alloy compared to the H3 one, where the dendrite arms appear more or less flat, as viewed in Figure 8(b).
c. P h a s e f r a c t u r e There is little information available regarding the fracture behavior of intermetallic phases in aluminum castings. In
VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995--2367

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 11--Fracture of A12Cu phase particles: (a) fine (A1 + AI2Cu ) eutectic, (b) coarse (A1 + A12Cu) eutectic, and (c) blocky AI2Cu particles.

this section, therefore, examples of the rupture of the Si, iron-containing, and A12Cu phases will be demonstrated. In order to have a sufficiently large phase particle for elemental analysis by the EDX system, only the fracture surfaces of test samples taken at 100 mm from the chill end of H1 alloy were examined. The work of Beumler et al.t~5] on unmodified 319 alloy shows that fractured as-cast test bars exhibit essentially a brittle fracture surface, which would indicate poor ductility. In the present work, as the Si particle morphology is changed by increasing the Sr content, the fracture mode changes from brittle to more ductile. Consequently, an improvement in the elongation is expected in this study. The fracture mode of A356 alloyE~4]is characterized by a microvoid coalescence dimpled rupture regardless of whether the eutectic Si is modified. Thus, the fracture of the alloy is govemed by the Si phase itself. Microcracks are initiated in the Si phase and then grow and coalesce until complete fracture occurs. The initiation of these microcracks in the Si phase is attributed to the fact that the cohesive force between the Si particles and the aluminum matrix is stronger than the bonding force among the Si atoms within the Si phase.
2368--VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995

Figure 9(a) displays the fracture mode of the unmodified alloy (HI). The fracture surface reveals the brittle/cleavage rupture nature of the Si flakes (EL pct --0.4 pct, Table 4). Initiation of cracks is found to mostly take place in the Si phase rather than at the aluminum/silicon interfaces. The modified alloy (H1S3) reveals a more ductile rupture (EL pct - 1 pct, Table 4), as shown in Figure 9(lo). Fracture of /3 platelets (A15FeSi) is viewed in Figure 10(a). As can be seen, the cracks propagate along the long axis of the platelets, followed by lateral branching. In the same micrograph, the fracture of the a-aluminum matrix is mainly ductile, as evident from the dimple formation. Figure 10(b) displays the rupture of a-Alls(Fe,Mn)3Si2 Chinese script phase. In all cases studied, the cracks were seen to initiate at the a-Chinese script phase/a-A1 matrix interface (arrow), followed by propagation along the a-Chinese script phase dendrite arms. The A12Cu phase fractures in different ways, depending on its original morphology. In unmodified alloy, HI, AI2Cu exists either in the form of small pockets of (A1 + A12Cu) eutectic or in blocky shape, as discussed previously. The fracture of (A1 + A12Cu ) eutectic depends on the AI2Cu interlamellar spacings. Two different spacings are illusMETALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

Co~t:

cxtOI )

OQUaXgS (XIOI)

10.

s:
4-

8-

8.

~2
Z-

I2

$ 8~OSe

IP
I luaV ,J

o:1 . ~ . . . . .
0 Z ! 9 Q I~n~

10
IAoV)

(a)
Co~t8
~10=) Az
k

(b)
i i

10-

f 10

$ -!

'L
"
o

i
f

s~

II

~,Jnlle

I0 ( luiu l

,l

Io

(c)
CO~tt~ (XIO ~ )

(a9

I0 RetuS4 ( k o V J

(e)
Fig. 12--EDX analysis of fracture samples of H1 alloys (at 100-mm distance from the chill end) corresponding to (a) aluminum matrix, (b)/3-A15FeSi, (c) a-Alls(Fe,Mn)3Si2, (d) (AI + AI~Cu) eutectic, and (e) blocky AI2Cu phases.

trated in Figures ll(a) and (b). In both cases, the fractured AI2Cu is observed in the form of thin parallel plates that appear to grow in a certain direction, not necessarily along the solidification direction. These plates are separated by the aluminum matrix. The fracture of blocky A12Cu is demonstrated in Figure 11 (c), where the cracks are observed to take place inside the particles and propagate from one particle to another (arrows), indicating the brittle nature of this phase.
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

d. EDX analysis Figure 12 shows the EDX analysis of the various phases observed on the fracture surface of the H1 alloy tensiletested specimens (at 100-mm distance from the chill end) described in Section c. Elemental analysis of the matrix (Figure 12(a)) reveals the presence of A1 and Si lines as the main elements, with weak reflections from Fe and Cu. It should be borne in mind that the intensities of these lines are determined by the topography of the fracture surface,
VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995--2369

(a)

(a)

(b)
Fig. 13--Microstructure beneath the fracture surface of H1 alloy: (a) 5mm, and (b) 100-mm distance from the chill end.

(b)
Fig. 14--Microstrueture beneath the fracture surface of H1S3 alloy: (a) 5-ram, and (b) 100-mm distance from the chill end.

and hence, the stoichiometry may not be exactly representative. Figures 12(b) and (c) both show the presence of a strong Fe reflection, indicating an iron-containing phase. The Mn reflection in the latter case is, however, much stronger, corresponding to the a-Chinese script phase. As the A I z C u phase is the last to solidify, it generally nucleates on the pre-existing Si and iron phases, which explains the Cu reflections observed in Figures 12(b) and (c). An EDX image taken from an area containing (A1 + AIzCu ) eutectic (Figure 12(d)) indicates strong reflections from AI and Si, corresponding to the matrix separating the A12Cu plates. These reflections are not observed in Figure 12(e), taken from the blocky AlzCu phase.
2. Optical microscopy

The influence of microstructure on crack initiation and propagation behavior in unmodified A1-Si casting alloy (A356.0) has been studied by Voigt and Bye5161From their studies, they conclude that crack initiation begins with initial fracture of the eutectic Si particles at low values of strain. Continued strain results in localized plastic defor2370--VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995

mation of the a-aluminum matrix concentrated around the fractured Si particles, which eventually leads to the formation of microcracks in the eutectic region. The pre-eutectic a-aluminum regions are very fracture resistant and ultimately rupture only after considerably more strain has been applied. The work of DasGupta et al.V71 on the fracture behavior of A356 alloy as a function of modification level shows that unmodified samples essentially exhibit a brittle fracture. This brittle mode of fracture is attributed to the presence of a plate/rodlike silicon eutectic structure. Gangulee and Gurland vS~ have shown that fracture in AI-Si alloys occurs in three stages: (a) crack initiation at the Si particles, (b) propagation of the crack in the interdendritic regions, and (c) rupture of the matrix. The interdendritic region has been observed by Crepeau et aLt19~ to fail first. Dendritic cells on the fracture surface form ligaments that become aligned in the loading direction and necked to pinpoints. The microstructural analysis reported by Pan eta/. t141 indicates that cracks are prone to initiate and propagate along the coarse and flaky eutectic silicon phase that is present in unmodified alloy. The fracMETALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

(a)

(a)

(b)
Fig. 15--Microstructure beneath the fracture surfaces of (a) H3 and (b) H3S3 alloy at 5-ram distance from the chill end.

(b)
Fig. 16~Microstrucmre beneath the fracture surface of H3 alloy at 100mrn distance from the chill end: (a) high-magnification micrograph showing the tip of a dendrite arm and (b) section immediately underneath (a).

ture mode, in general, is characterized by a microvoid coalescence dimple fracture. Figure 13(a) represents the microstructure beneath the rupture surface of H1 alloy at 5-ram distance from the chill end (arrow at the top comer indicates the loading direction in this and subsequent figures). Close examination of the edge of the sample confirms that crack initiation occurs inside the Si particles and other intermetallic phases such as A12Cu and the iron-containing phase. Due to high plastic deformation (EL pet --5), damage is not confined strictly to the fracture surface. In Figure 13(a), the damage is seen to extend through microcrack formation in all hard phases. Obviously, the depth of the damage depends on the maximum attainable strain. The a-aluminum fractures by the mechanism described by Crepean et al.U91 Increasing the local solidification time (i.e., at 100-ram distance from the chill end) does not alter the fracture behavior of the intermetallic phases or the a-aluminum dendrites, as can be seen from Figure 13(b). Modification of the alloy with Sr, i.e., H1S3 alloy, appears to improve the resistance of the Si particles to fracture (Figure 14(a)). Instead, the fracture takes place through the
METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A

Fig. 17--Microstructure beneath the fracture surface of H3S3 alloy at 100mm distance from the chill end, showing shearing of a/3 platelet without propagation of the crack into the soft a-aluminum matrix. VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER 1995--2371

interdendritic regions lying in the crack propagation plane. Undemeath the fracture surface, plastic deformation results in cracking of the blocky A12Cu particles over several dendrites; the crack may or may not propagate into the adjacent interdendritic regions. As shown in Figure 1(b), addition of 300-ppm Sr produces a well-modified structure over the entire range of solidification rates studied. At 100-ram distance from the chill end (Figure 14(b)), the microstructure clearly demonstrates the damage of intermetallic phases, in particular,/3 platelets and blocky A12Cu particles, near and beneath the fracture surface. As shown in Table IV, higher hydrogen contents -0.37 mL/100 g A1 result in rapid reduction of the alloy ductility to reach values around or below 0.2 pct for longer solidification times. Microstructures beneath the rupture surface (at 5-ram distance from the chill end) oftmmodified (Figure 15(a)) and modified (Figure 15(b)) H3 alloy (corresponding EL pct values for the H3 and H3S3 alloys being 0.88 and 1.23 pct, respectively) reveal that in both cases, the damage is confined to regions in the neighborhood of the fracture surface. Cracks in unmodified Si particles and blocky A12Cu phase are observed to take place normal to the loading axis. Two main features are noted on examining the microstructure beneath the rupture surface at 100-mm distance from the chill end for the unmodified H3 alloy. (a) Though the a-aluminum dendrites rupture by the pinpoint mechanism, the height of the pinpoints (which is a function of the ductility, -0.23 pct) is very small (open arrow in Figure 16(a)). (b) All Si particles and /3-platelets are fractured, whereas the A12Cu phase offers better fracture resistance (Figure 16(b)). An examination of H3S3 alloy sectioned similarly (Figure 17) reveals that the crack shears a/3 platelet lying in the fracture surface and then propagates into the a (bcc)Chinese script phase formed at the/3-platelet tip, without further propagation into the soft aluminum matrix, an observation which agrees well with those of Voigt and Bye. It61 IV.
CONCLUSIONS

particles at the pore edges. The depth of damage below the fracture surface is dependent on the alloy ductility. 4. The local solidification time and, hence, DAS significantly influence the ductility at low hydrogen contents. The effect of strontium appears mainly in increasing the porosity volume percent; however, due to the beneficial effects of modification (of the eutectic Si particles), the degradation in ductility is reduced. The addition of grain refiner slightly increases the porosity levels obtained for the base (unmodified) alloy but does not negate the beneficial effect of Sr in the modified alloy. Increasing the hydrogen content magnifies the drop in ductility due to the increase in porosity but does not change the trend observed with additions of modifier and/or grain refiner. 5. The sensitivity of the tensile properties to the DAS shows that as in the case of 356 alloy (A1-7 pct Si-0.35 pct Mg), the DAS can be used as a good indicator of the expected properties of 319 alloy castings.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Dr. J.F. Major of the Kingston R&D Centre, Alcan International Limited, for helpful discussions, and Dr. H. Liu for assistance with the SEM work. Financial support received from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Centre qurbrcois de recherche et de d~veloppement de l'aluminium (CQRDA) is gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
1. A.M. Samuel and F.H. Samuel: a~ Mater. Sci., 1995, vol. 30, in press. 2. K.E. Tynelius: Ph.D. Thesis, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 1992. 3. J. Charbonnier, J. Maurice, and R. Portallier: AFS Int. Cast Met. J., 1979, Sept., pp. 39-44. 4. L. Backerud and G. Sigworth: Am. Foundrymen's Soc. Trans., 1989, vol. 97, pp. 459-64. 5. M.H. Mulazimoglu, N. Tenekedjiev, B.M. Closset, and J.E. Gruzleski: Cast Met., 1993, vol. 6, pp. 16-28. 6. L.A. Narayanan, F.H. Samuel, and J.E. Gruzleski: Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 1994, vol. 25A, pp. 1761-73. 7. G. Gustafsson, T. Thorvaldsson, and G.L. Dunlop: Metall. Trans. A, 1986, vol. 17A, pp. 45-52. 8. R.E. Spear and G.R. Gardner: Am. Foundrymen "s Soc. Trans., 1963, vol. 71, pp. 209-15. 9. S.F. Frederick and W.A. Bailey: Trans. AIME, 1968, vol. 242, pp. 2063-67. 10. J.F. Major, A. Makinde, P.D. Lee, B. Chamberlain, T. Scappaticci, and D. Richman: Int. Congr. Expos. on Vehicle Suspension System Advancements', Detroit, MI, Feb. 28-Mar. 3, 1994, pp. 117-28. 11. K. Radhakrishna, S. Seshan, and M.R. Seshadri: Trans. Ind. Inst. Met., 198l, vol. 34, pp. 169-71. 12. E.N. Pan, C.S. Lin, and C.R. Loper, Jr.: Am. Foundrymen's Soe. Trans., 1990, vol. 98, pp. 735-46. 13. S. Shivkumar, L. Wang, and R. Lavigne: Light Metals 1993, S.K. Das, ed., TMS, Warrendale, PA, 1993, pp. 829-38. 14. E.N. Pan, H.S. Chiou, and G.J. Liao: Am. Foundrymen's Soc. Trans., 1991, vol. 99, pp. 605-21. 15. H. Beumler, A. Hammerstad, R. Weiting, and R. DasGupta: Am. Foundrymen's Soc. Trans., 1988, vol. 96, pp. 1-12. 16. R.C. Voigt and D.R. Bye: Am. Foundrymen's Soc. Trans., 1991, vol. 99, pp. 33-50. 17. R. DasGupta, C.G. Brown, and S. Marek: Am. Foundrymen's Soe. Trans., 1988, vol. 96, pp. 297-310. 18. A. Gangulee and J. Gurland: Trans. AIME, 1990, vol. 239, pp. 60521. 19. P.N. Crepeau, S.D. Antolovich, and J.A. Worden: Am. Foundrymen "s Soc. Trans., 1990, vol. 98, pp. 813-22. METALLURGICALAND MATERIALSTRANSACTIONSA

Based on an analysis of the results obtained from the present study, the following may be concluded. 1. Strontium modifies the eutectic Si, results in the formation of the more massive blocky form of the A12Cu phase, and increases the porosity. However, it improves the alloy ductility, as evidenced by the resistance to degradation in ductility with increasing solidification time. 2. Hydrogen has a more pronounced effect (porosity related) on the drop in ductility than does the solidification rate. Porosity is observed mainly in the form of elongated pores that form at the grain boundaries due to the long freezing range of the alloy, the pores becoming rounder for higher local solidification times. Grain refinement increases the possibility of obtaining pores spread over several grains, or pore branching. 3. Under tensile loading, fracture of the Si,/3-A15FeSi,aAI~5(Fe,Mn)3Si2, and A12Cu phases takes place within the phase particles rather than at the particle/Al matrix interface, with the ductile matrix resisting crack propagation. This process is independent of the solidification parameters or alloy chemistry. Pores deform plastically, leading to fracture of the intermetallic phase
2372~VOLUME 26A, SEPTEMBER1995