Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance

Secondary Al-Si alloys typically encompass several impurities that substantially influence the materials’ microstructure and mechanical performance. This study employed a composite addition of chlorinated salt fluxing and an aluminum–boron master alloy to reduce the levels of the impurity elements m...

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Main Authors: Wei Gu, Huixin Jin, Xue Wang, Jiajun Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Metals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/5/556
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author Wei Gu
Huixin Jin
Xue Wang
Jiajun Jiang
author_facet Wei Gu
Huixin Jin
Xue Wang
Jiajun Jiang
author_sort Wei Gu
collection DOAJ
description Secondary Al-Si alloys typically encompass several impurities that substantially influence the materials’ microstructure and mechanical performance. This study employed a composite addition of chlorinated salt fluxing and an aluminum–boron master alloy to reduce the levels of the impurity elements magnesium (Mg), titanium (Ti), and vanadium (V) in secondary Al-Si alloys. The investigation of the performance mechanism revealed that the distribution of alloys’ grain orientation and the ratio of small-angle grain boundaries were modified via synergistic purification, leading to the refined microstructure and mechanical performance of secondary Al-Si alloys. The removal rates of impurity elements under these optimal refining conditions were 89.9% for Mg, 68.9% for Ti, and 61.5% for V. The refined alloy exhibited a 45.5% decrease in grain size and a 28.7% improvement in tensile strength compared to the raw material. These findings demonstrate that fluxing can improve the extraction of Ti and V from secondary Al-Si alloy melts of aluminum–boron master alloys, providing a new cost-effective strategy for the removal of impurities and the optimization of the properties of secondary Al-Si alloys.
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spelling doaj-art-67cc5ece6790476dbb0054ba12f977042025-08-20T03:47:58ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012025-05-0115555610.3390/met15050556Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical PerformanceWei Gu0Huixin Jin1Xue Wang2Jiajun Jiang3School of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaSchool of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaSchool of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaSchool of Materials and Metallurgy, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaSecondary Al-Si alloys typically encompass several impurities that substantially influence the materials’ microstructure and mechanical performance. This study employed a composite addition of chlorinated salt fluxing and an aluminum–boron master alloy to reduce the levels of the impurity elements magnesium (Mg), titanium (Ti), and vanadium (V) in secondary Al-Si alloys. The investigation of the performance mechanism revealed that the distribution of alloys’ grain orientation and the ratio of small-angle grain boundaries were modified via synergistic purification, leading to the refined microstructure and mechanical performance of secondary Al-Si alloys. The removal rates of impurity elements under these optimal refining conditions were 89.9% for Mg, 68.9% for Ti, and 61.5% for V. The refined alloy exhibited a 45.5% decrease in grain size and a 28.7% improvement in tensile strength compared to the raw material. These findings demonstrate that fluxing can improve the extraction of Ti and V from secondary Al-Si alloy melts of aluminum–boron master alloys, providing a new cost-effective strategy for the removal of impurities and the optimization of the properties of secondary Al-Si alloys.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/5/556secondary Al-Si alloysfluxingaluminum–boron master alloyorganizationtensile properties
spellingShingle Wei Gu
Huixin Jin
Xue Wang
Jiajun Jiang
Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance
Metals
secondary Al-Si alloys
fluxing
aluminum–boron master alloy
organization
tensile properties
title Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance
title_full Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance
title_fullStr Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance
title_short Impact of Melt Refining on Secondary Al-Si Alloys’ Microstructure and Tensile Mechanical Performance
title_sort impact of melt refining on secondary al si alloys microstructure and tensile mechanical performance
topic secondary Al-Si alloys
fluxing
aluminum–boron master alloy
organization
tensile properties
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/15/5/556
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AT huixinjin impactofmeltrefiningonsecondaryalsialloysmicrostructureandtensilemechanicalperformance
AT xuewang impactofmeltrefiningonsecondaryalsialloysmicrostructureandtensilemechanicalperformance
AT jiajunjiang impactofmeltrefiningonsecondaryalsialloysmicrostructureandtensilemechanicalperformance