Effect of copper addition and solution heat treatment on the mechanical properties of aluminum alloy using formulated bio-quenchant oils

摘要

Addition of copper and use of solution heat treatment solution with bio-degradable vegetable oils as quenchants has great potential to improve the mechanical properties of aluminum and its alloys. In this study, copper was added to as-received Al-Si-Mg alloy to produce Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy. The specimens were quenched with blended bleached bio-quenchant oils and a petroleum-based oil after solution heat treatment. The alloy was heat treated at 500, soaked for 20 minutes in a muffle furnace before quenching in the formulated bio-quenchant oils. The cooling properties, mechanical properties and microstructure of the solution treated specimens were determined. Blended bleached melon (BBM) oil was observed to have offered a higher cooling rate of 49.3 ?s-1 compared to the petroleum-based (PB) oil with a cooling rate of 25.8 ?s-1. Blended bleached melon oil exhibited the highest quench severity value of 1.0074 m-1, while petroleum-based oil was 0.6133 m-1. The as-received alloy and as-cast alloy specimens exhibited tensile strength values of 125.33 and 131.37 N?mm-2, respectively, while a higher tensile strength value of 139.30 Nmm-2 was obtained using the blended bleached melon oil. The highest Rockwell hardness number, 61.00 HRB, was obtained using blended bleached melon oil. The overall mechanical properties of specimens improved after the addition of copper and heat treatment in various bio-quenchant oils.