Microstructure and property of a functionally graded aluminum silicon alloy fabricated by semi-solid backward extrusion process

In this paper, the microstructure and mechanical property of a graded aluminum silicon alloy were investigated and a new preparation method for the graded material was proposed. The cup-shaped sample was fabricated by the backward extrusion process during the semi-solid state of A390 cast alloy. Characteristics and distribution of the primary particles were assessed by the optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) and image analyzer software. The results showed that the content of primary Si gradually decreased from the bottom region to the upper region. The hardness and wear rate of the samples were measured to evaluate the variation in the mechanical properties corresponding to the variation in microstructure. The hardness values and wear resistance along the axis of the cup-shaped sample gradually increased from the upper region to the bottom region and from the inner region to the outer layer, respectively. The maximum average hardness value is 138.7 HB. The observations of fracture surface were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy to understand the fracture mechanism. The results also indicated that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the graded material after T6 treatment are 275 MPa, increases 32.3% compared to the original backward extrusion alloy. Optical microscopy and electron probe micro-analyzer were used to study the distribution of elements and the microstructure of different intermetallic phases formed. Electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) results showed that the content of the prominent elements (Cu, Fe, Mg) in the upper region was higher than for the bottom part of the cup-shaped specimens.