Morphological Evolutions of Ni-Rich Phases in Al-Si Piston Alloys during 250–400 °C Thermal Exposure Processes

The thermal stability of the Al-Si alloys during the thermal exposure process from 250 °C to 400 °C was systematically investigated. The relationships between the morphological evolution and the mechanical changes of the alloys were determined through the Vickers hardness test and materials characterization method. Initially, the alloys exhibited similar thermal degradation behavior. For example, the exposure process of the alloy at 300 °C can be divided into two stages according to the changes of the alloy hardness and the matrix micro-hardness. In detail, the first stage (0–2 h) exhibited a severe reduction of the alloy hardness while the second stage showed a more leveled hardness during the following 98 h. There are three identified morphological characteristics of Ni-rich phases in the alloy. Furthermore, the differences in both composition and the micro-hardness between these Ni-rich phases were confirmed. The underlying relationships between the morphological transformation of the Ni-rich phases and hardness fluctuation in the alloy were correlated and elucidated. The observed alloy hardness increase when the exposure temperature was 400 °C was unexpected. This behavior was explained from the perspectives of both Ni-rich phases evolution and dispersoid formation.