Nanoparticle-Induced Superior Hot Tearing Resistance of A206 Alloy

Al-Cu alloys (such as A206) offer high strength and high fracture toughness at both room and elevated temperatures. However, their widespread applications are limited because of their high susceptibility to hot tearing. This article presents a nanotechnology approach to enhance hot-tearing resistance for A206. Specifically, γ-Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were used, and their effects on the hot-tearing resistance of the as-cast Al-4.5Cu alloy (A206) were investigated. While it is well known that grain refinement can improve the hot-tearing resistance of cast Al alloys, the current study demonstrated that nanoparticles can be much more effective in the case of A206. The hot-tearing susceptibilities (HTSs) of A206 alloy and its Al₂O₃ nanocomposite were evaluated by constrained rod casting (CRC) with a steel mold. Monolithic A206 and M206 (the Ti-free version of A206) alloys with the B contents of 20, 40, and 300 ppm from an Al-5Ti-1B master alloy addition were also cast under the same conditions for comparison. The results showed that with an addition of 1 wt pct γ-Al₂O₃ nanoparticles, the extent of hot tearing in A206 alloys was markedly reduced to nearly that of A356, an Al-Si alloy highly resistant to hot tearing. As compared with grain-refined A206 or M206, the hot-tearing resistance of the nanocomposites was significantly better, even though the grain size was not reduced as much. Microstructural analysis suggested that γ-Al₂O₃ nanoparticles modified the solidification microstructure of the eutectic of θ-Al₂Cu and α-Al, as well as refined primary grains, resulting in the enhancement of the hot-tearing resistance of A206 to a level similar to that of A356 alloy.