In Situ Tensile Deformation and Mechanical Properties of α Platelets TC21 Alloy.

The present study was focused on the relationship between an α platelet microstructure and the properties of TC21 alloy, and the tensile deformation process was revealed by in situ observation. To obtain the α platelet microstructures, the samples were administered a solution treatment (1000 °C for 15 min) and then cooled to room temperature by different cooling methods (furnace cooling (FC), open-door furnace cooling (OFC), air cooling (AC), and water quench (WQ), corresponding to an increased cooling rate). It is found that α platelets become thinner and colonies become narrower with the increase in cooling rate. The formation of the platelet microstructure is based on the preferred Burgers orientation relationship of {110}ß//{0001}α and <111>ß//<112¯0>α. The α platelets orientation changes with the cooling rate. These differences in α platelets thickness and orientation result in the excellent ductility of the sample with thick platelets and the high strength of the samples with thin platelets. During the in situ tensile deformation process, the crack propagation path is deflected in the presence of grain boundaries, α platelets, and α colonies with different orientations. The fracture of the sample with thick α platelets shows better ductility compared to those with thin α platelets.

Revealing the Effect of Local Connectivity of Rigid Phases during Deformation at High Temperature of Cast AlSi12Cu4Ni(2,3)Mg Alloys.

The 3D microstructure and its effect on damage formation and accumulation during tensile deformation at 300 °C for cast, near eutectic AlSi12Cu4Ni2Mg and AlSi12Cu4Ni3Mg alloys has been investigated using in-situ synchrotron micro-tomography, complemented by conventional 2D characterization methods. An increase of Ni from 2 to 3 wt.% leads to a higher local connectivity, quantified by the Euler number χ, at constant global interconnectivity of rigid 3D networks formed by primary and eutectic Si and intermetallics owing to the formation of the plate-like Al-Ni-Cu-rich δ-phase. Damage initiates as micro-cracks through primary Si particles agglomerated in clusters and as voids at matrix/rigid phase interfaces. Coalescence of voids leads to final fracture with the main crack propagating along damaged rigid particles as well as through the matrix. The lower local connectivity of the rigid 3D network in the alloy with 2 wt.% Ni permits localized plastification of the matrix and helps accommodating more damage resulting in an increase of ductility with respect to AlSi12Cu4Ni3Mg. A simple load partition approach that considers the evolution of local connectivity of rigid networks as a function of strain is proposed based on in-situ experimental data.