Aging and wear characteristics of A356 alloy with Er and Zr addition

The present work investigates the effect of aging on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear behaviour of the cast A356 alloy with Er and Zr addition. The aged A356-0.25Zr and A356-0.25Er alloys revealed some but not all of the eutectic and columnar structures. The microstructure of A356, A356-0.5Er, and A356-0.5Er-0.25Zr alloys exhibited large alpha-Al grains with discrete eutectic silicon. Various intermetallic types and morphologies were observed after the peak aging. The highest hardness (similar to 120 HV) and the highest tensile strength (similar to 215 MPa) were achieved in the A356-0.25Zr alloy under peak-aged conditions. The A356 alloy revealed the lowest weight loss and friction coefficient, though it had the least hardness. Delamination was the dominant wear mechanism in all alloys.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effect of Er and Zr addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and wear behavior of the cast A356 alloy. Aging of A356-0.25Zr and A356-0.25Er alloys resulted in partial eutectic and columnar structures. A356, A356-0.5Er, and A356-0.5Er-0.25Zr alloys exhibited large alpha-Al grains with discrete eutectic silicon. Different intermetallic types and morphologies were observed after peak aging. The A356-0.25Zr alloy achieved the highest hardness (around 120 HV) and tensile strength (around 215 MPa) under peak-aged conditions. The A356 alloy had the lowest weight loss and friction coefficient, despite having the lowest hardness. Delamination was the dominant wear mechanism in all alloys.