Effect of Post Heat-Treatment on the Microstructure, Tensile and Fatigue Properties of Al 3003 Alloy Manufactured by Strip Casting Process

Abstract

Al 3003 alloy was manufactured by strip casting process, and the effect of post heat-treatment on tensile and fatigue properties was investigated. The strip cast Al 300 alloy exhibited a unique globular shaped rapid-cooled solidification structure, and the microstructural characteristic remained after heat-treatment. Asstrip cast (F) and heat-treated (O) alloys were commonly composed of Al matrix and strengthening phases such as Al₆(Mn,Fe), α-Al(Mn,Fe)Si. In the phase analysis and Factsage simulation result, Al₆(Mn,Fe) fraction increased while α-Al(Mn,Fe)Si fraction decreased after heat-treatment. Strengthening phases were more uniformly and finely distributed in the case of O alloy, than F alloy. In the Vickers hardness results, F alloy (measured 59.7 Hv) showed higher hardness than O alloy (measured 53.4 Hv). The yield strengths (YS) and ultimate tensile strengths (UTS) measured 124.8 MPa and 166.4 MPa (F alloy), and 111.2 MPa and 167.2 MPa (O alloy), respectively. F alloy exhibited superior YS compared to O alloy, while UTSs were similar in both alloys. For elongation, the F alloy (19.6%) had a lower value than the O alloy (23.0%). High cycle fatigue tests were performed at room temperature under a stress ratio (R) of 0.1 and frequency (F) of 10 Hz. The F alloy exhibited higher fatigue than the O alloy under all cyclic stress conditions. However, the deviation in the fatigue property of the F alloy was relatively broader than the O alloy. Tensile and fatigue fracture surfaces were examined, and the tensile and fatigue deformation mechanisms of the strip cast Al 3003 alloy were also discussed.