Effect of micro-structural modifier on the morphology of silicon rich secondary phase and strain hardening behavior of eutectic Al-Si alloy

Eutectic Al-Si alloys find their applications in moderate to severe tribological conditions, for example: pistons, casings of high speed pumps and slide sleeves. The higher hardness, so the better tribological properties, are originated by the formation of a silicon rich secondary phase, however, the morphology of the secondary phase drastically influence the toughness of the alloy. Microstructural modifiers are used to control the toughness which modifies the Si rich secondary phase into dispersed spherical structure instead of needle-like network. In the present study, a mixture of chemical fluxes was used to modify the Si phase. The alloy was cast into a sand mold and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, hardness testing and tensile testing. It was found that the morphology of the Si phase was altered to acicular structure due to the modification process. In comparison, the un-modified alloy contained Si phase in needle-like structure. The effect of modifier was also pronounced on the mechanical properties, where increase of 50% in yield strength, 56% in tensile strength and 200% in elongation occurred. A discernable raise in strain hardening component indicated the improved strain harden ability and formability of the modified alloy.