Grain-refining mechanism in hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy with minor Sr - Sc - La and ultrasonic vibration treatment

The grain-refining mechanism with minor Sr - Sc - La and ultrasonic vibration treatment (UVT) in the hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy were studied. The results demonstrated that the microstructure of the hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy could be refined significantly, further improve its mechanical properties. The desirable refinement of the microstructure was achieved using 0.2% Sr, 0.15% Sc, and 0.3% La under UVT, achieving the highest grain circularity coefficient, hardness, elongation, and area reduction. The tensile strength was the largest with the addition of 0.2% La. The findings of this study provide theoretical and experimental guidelines for the fabrication of structural materials for application in automotive, aerospace, and deep-sea equipment.