Effects of High-Intensity Ultrasound on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 2195 Aluminum Ingots

Abstract

The microstructural refinement of 2195 aluminum alloy ingots is particularly important for improving their industrial applications and mechanical properties. Combined with vacuum casting and inert gas protection, scalable high-strength ultrasonic melt processing (USMT) technology was used to manufacture 2195 aluminum alloy cylindrical ingots. Then, the influence of USMT on the main microstructural components (primary α-Al grains, secondary phase network, and precipitated particles) was studied. Our experiments show that the main microstructure of the ingot was improved after the introduction of ultrasound. Compared to the ingot formed without USMT, the size and morphology of the primary α-Al phase were optimized. The agglomeration of coarsening secondary phases can be alleviated, and the large layered secondary phase network becomes discontinuous throughout the ingot under USMT. At the same time, the mechanical properties of the solidified aluminum alloy ingots were also tested, and comparisons were made between samples formed with and without USMT. The results show that the stress concentration caused by the large area of coarse secondary phase in the ingot leads to the decrease of mechanical properties.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of TiB2/2195 composites fabricated by ultrasonic-assisted in-situ casting

“…In the remelted 2195 matrix ( Fig. 6 a), the white second phase has a smooth structure and clear outline and is continuously distributed along the α-Al grain boundary in a network [20] . The agglomeration at the grain boundary connection is accentuated, and a small amount of spherical second phase particles are dispersed in the α-Al grains.…”

Management Control and Integration Technology of Intelligent Production Line for Multi-Variety and Complex Aerospace Ring Forgings: A Review

“…Guan et al [64] made use of signal processing and statistical techniques to represent near-surface defect information, providing an important technology for automatic full-coverage non-destructive testing of large ring forgings. Additionally, ultrasound could reduce the coarse second phase in the aluminum alloy ingot, which was beneficial for improving the mechanical properties and elongation [65].…”