Enhanced Mechanical Properties of A206 Aluminum Casting Alloy by Addition of Rare Earth Elements

Abstract

Changes in tensile properties of A206 Al-Cu-Mg casting alloys containing trace amount of rare earth(RE) elements up to 0.2% were investigated and discussed in relation to the microstructural evolution. The A206 alloy with 0.1%RE shows higher values of ultimate tensile strength(UTS) and yield strength(YS) than A206 alloy at room and elevated temperatures up to 300oC, whereas no remarkable change is found in elongation with respect to RE addition. In view of X-ray diffractometry(XRD) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM), the improvement of tensile strength in the A206 alloy with 0.1%RE would be caused by higher number density of Al2Cu(q¢) strengthening precipitates.