Effects of Al-Ti-C Refiner and Forming Processes on the Microstructure and Properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloys

In this paper, the refinement effect of Al-5Ti-0.2C refiner on Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys was first investigated, and then the effects of three forming processes, i.e., Gravity Casting (GC), Squeeze Casting (SC), and Squeeze Casting after Ultrasonic Treatment (UT-SC), on microstructure and properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys were studied. The results show that the refining effect of Al-5Ti-0.2C refiner is obvious; first, the average grain size of the alloy decreases and then increases with the increase in Ti content from 0.15 wt.% to 0.3 wt.%. The optimal amount of added Al-5Ti-0.2C is 0.2 wt.% Ti content. The good refining effect is attributed to the formation of TiC particles and Al(3)Ti compounds by the refiner, which can all be the nucleus of solidification. The poor refining effect when the Ti content was more than 0.2 wt.% is due to the formation of coarse Al(3)Ti particles. The results of three forming processes that cast Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys under the addition of Al-5Ti-0.2C with 0.2 wt.% Ti content show that the mechanical properties under the UT-SC process are the best; the tensile strength in the as-cast state reaches 367 MPa, and the elongation is 3.84%. The effect of tiny TiC particles in the refiner on the microstructure and properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys is also discussed.