This study explores the profound impact of varying oxygen content on microstructural and mechanical properties in specimens HO and LO. The higher oxygen concentration in specimen HO is found to significantly influence alpha lath sizes, resulting in a size of 0.5-1 μm, contrasting with the 1-1.5 μm size observed in specimen LO. Pore fraction, governed by oxygen concentration, is high in specimen HO, registering a value of 0.11%, whereas specimen LO exhibits a lower pore fraction (0.02%). Varied pore types in each specimen further underscore the role of oxygen concentration in shaping microstructural morphology. Despite these microstructural variations, the average hardness remains consistent at ~370 HV. This study emphasizes the pivotal role of oxygen content in influencing microstructural features, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between elemental composition and material properties.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are characterized by having five or more main elements and forming simple solids without forming intermetallic compounds, owing to the high entropy effect. HEAs with these characteristics are being researched as structural materials for extreme environments. Conventional refractory alloys have excellent hightemperature strength and stability; however, problems occur when they are used extensively in a high-temperature environment, leading to reduced fatigue properties due to oxidation or a limited service life. In contrast, refractory entropy alloys, which provide refractory properties to entropy alloys, can address these issues and improve the hightemperature stability of the alloy through phase control when designed based on existing refractory alloy elements. Refractory high-entropy alloys require sufficient milling time while in the process of mechanical alloying because of the brittleness of the added elements. Consequently, the high-energy milling process must be optimized because of the possibility of contamination of the alloyed powder during prolonged milling. In this study, we investigated the hightemperature oxidation behavior of refractory high-entropy alloys while optimizing the milling time.

Aluminum alloys, known for their high strength-to-weight ratios and impressive electrical and thermal conductivities, are extensively used in numerous engineering sectors, such as aerospace, automotive, and construction. Recently, significant efforts have been made to develop novel aluminum alloys specifically tailored for additive manufacturing. These new alloys aim to provide an optimal balance between mechanical properties and thermal/ electrical conductivities. In this study, nine combinatorial samples with various alloy compositions were fabricated using direct energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing by adjusting the feeding speeds of Al6061 alloy and Al-12Si alloy powders. The effects of the alloying elements on the microstructure, electrical conductivity, and hardness were investigated. Generally, as the Si and Cu contents decreased, electrical conductivity increased and hardness decreased, exhibiting trade-off characteristics. However, electrical conductivity and hardness showed an optimal combination when the Si content was adjusted to below 4.5 wt%, which can sufficiently suppress the grain boundary segregation of the α- Si precipitates, and the Cu content was controlled to induce the formation of Al2Cu precipitates.

This study investigated the growth behavior and characteristics of compounds formed at the interface between a liquid Al-Si-Cu alloy and solid cast iron. Through microstructural analyses, it was observed that various AlFe and AlFeSi phases are formed at the interface, and the relative proportion of each phase changes when small amounts of strontium are added to the Al alloy. The results of the microstructural analysis indicate that the primary phases of the interfacial compounds in the Al-Si-Cu base alloy are Al8Fe2Si and Al4.5FeSi. However, in the Sr-added alloys, significant amounts of binary AlFe intermetallic compounds such as Al5Fe2 and Al13Fe4 formed, in addition to the AlFeSi phases. The inclusion of Sr has a slight diminishing effect on the rate at which the interfacial compounds layer thickens during the time the liquid Al alloy is in contact with the cast iron. The study also discusses the nano-indentation hardness and micro-hardness of the interfacial phases.

This study investigates the melting point and brazing properties of the aluminum (Al)-copper (Cu)-silicon (Si)-tin (Sn) alloy fabricated for low-temperature brazing based on the alloy design. Specifically, the Al-20Cu-10Si-Sn alloy is examined and confirmed to possess a melting point of approximately 520oC. Analysis of the melting point of the alloy based on composition reveals that the melting temperature tends to decrease with increasing Cu and Si content, along with a corresponding decrease as the Sn content rises. This study verifies that the Al-20Cu-10Si-5Sn alloy exhibits high liquidity and favorable mechanical properties for brazing through the joint gap filling test and Vickers hardness measurements. Additionally, a powder fabricated using the Al-20Cu-10Si-5Sn alloy demonstrates a melting point of around 515oC following melting point analysis. Consequently, it is deemed highly suitable for use as a low-temperature Al brazing material.

Although the Ti–6Al–4V alloy has been used in the aircraft industry owing to its excellent mechanical properties and low density, the low formability of the alloy hinders broadening its applications. Recently, laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) has become a novel process for overcoming the limitations of the alloy (i.e., low formability), owing to the high degree of design freedom for the geometry of products having outstanding performance used in hightech applications. In this study, to investigate the effect of bulk shape on the microstructure and mechanical properties of L-PBFed Ti-6Al-4V alloys, two types of samples are fabricated using L-PBF: thick and thin samples. The thick sample exhibits lower strength and higher ductility than the thin sample owing to the larger grain size and lower residual dislocation density of the thick sample because of the heat input during the L-PBF process.

In order to broaden the range of application of light weight aluminum alloys, it is necessary to enhance the mechanical properties of the alloys and combine them with other materials, such as cast iron. In this study, the effects of adding small amounts of Cu and Zr to the Al-Si-Mg based alloy on tensile properties and corrosion characteristics were investigated, and the effect of the addition on the interfacial compounds layer with the cast iron was also analyzed. Although the tensile strength of the Al-Si-Mg alloy was not significantly affected by the additions of Cu and Zr, the corrosion resistance in 3.5 %NaCl solution was found to be somewhat lowered in this research. The influence of Cu and Zr addition on the type and thickness of the interfacial compounds layer formed during compound casting with cast iron was not significant, and the main interfacial compounds were identified to be Al5FeSi and Al8Fe2Si phases, as in the case of the Al-Si-Mg alloys.

Soft magnetic powder materials are used throughout industries such as motors and power converters. When manufacturing Fe-based soft magnetic composites, the size and shape of the soft magnetic powder and the microstructure in the powder are closely related to the magnetic properties. In this study, Fe-Si-Al-P alloy powders were manufactured using various manufacturing process parameter sets, and the process parameters of the vacuum induction melt gas atomization process were set as melt temperature, atomization gas pressure, and gas flow rate. Process variable data that records are converted into 6 types of data for each powder recovery section. Process variable data that recorded minute changes were converted into 6 types of data and used as input variables. As output variables, a total of 6 types were designated by measuring the particle size, flowability, apparent density, and sphericity of the manufactured powders according to the process variable conditions. The sensitivity of the input and output variables was analyzed through the Pearson correlation coefficient, and a total of 6 powder characteristics were analyzed by artificial neural network model. The prediction results were compared with the results through linear regression analysis and response surface methodology, respectively.

This research investigated the effect of Si addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties, electric and thermal conductivity of as-extruded Al 6013 alloys. As the content of Si increased, the area fraction of the second phase increased. As the Si content increased, the average grain size decreased remarkably, from 182 (no Si addition) to 142 (1.5Si), 78 (3.0Si) and 77 μm (4.5Si) due to dynamic recrystallization by the dispersed second particles in the aluminum matrix during the hot extrusion. As the Si content increased, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased. The maximum values of yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were 224 MPa and 103 MPa for the 6013-4.5Si alloy. As the amount of Si added increased, the electrical and thermal conductivity decreased. The electrical and thermal conductivity of the Al6013-4.5Si alloy were 44.0% IACS and 165.0 W/mK, respectively. The addition of Si to Al 6013 alloy had a significant effect on its thermal conductivity and mechanical properties.

In this paper, the effect of Ni (0, 0.5 and 1.0 wt%) additions on the microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of cast and extruded Al-MM-Sb alloy is studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy, and a universal tensile testing machine. Molten aluminum alloy is maintained at 750 oC and then poured into a mold at 200 oC. Aluminum alloys are hot-extruded into a rod that is 12 mm in diameter with a reduction ratio of 39:1 at 550 oC. The addition of Ni results in the formation of Al11RE3, AlSb and Al3Ni intermetallic compounds; the area fraction of these intermetallic compounds increases with increasing Ni contents. As the amount of Ni increases, the average grain sizes of the extruded Al alloy decrease to 1359, 536, and 153 μm, and the high-angle grain boundary fractions increase to 8, 20, and 34 %. As the Ni content increases from 0 to 1.0 wt%, the electrical conductivity is not significantly different, with values from 57.4 to 57.1 % IACS.

In the flux used in the batch galvanizing process, the effect of the component ratio of NH₄Cl to ZnCl₂ on the microstructure, coating adhesion, and corrosion resistance of Zn-Mg-Al ternary alloy-coated steel is evaluated. Many defects such as cracks and bare spots are formed inside the Zn-Mg-Al coating layer during treatment with the flux composition generally used for Zn coating. Deterioration of the coating property is due to the formation of AlClx mixture generated by the reaction of Al element and chloride in the flux. The coatability of the Zn-Mg-Al alloy coating is improved by increasing the content of ZnCl2 in the flux to reduce the amount of chlorine reacting with Al while maintaining the flux effect and the coating adhesion is improved as the component ratio of NH4Cl to ZnCl2 decreases. Zn-Mg-Al alloy-coated steel products treated with the optimized flux composition of NH₄Cl•3ZnCl₂ show superior corrosion resistance compared to Zn-coated steel products, even with a coating weight of 60 %.

In this study, the following conclusions were obtained after friction stir welding of Al 6061-T651. 1) The organization of the welding unit is largely divided into four parts, the Stir zone, themal-mechanical affected zone, heat affected zone, it was confirmed that it is clearly separated into the material portion. 2) As a result of observing the hardness test results of the welding unit, the minimum hardness value was about 45Hv, which was significantly lower than the hardness of the base material about 72Hv. 3) The tensile strength of the welding part was about 2/3 compared to the tensile strength of the base material.

The cutting quality of abrasive water jet cutting of aluminum alloy(Al-5083) for shipbuilding is affected by the surface roughness, cutting pressure, cutting speed, and the distance between nozzle and material. The cross-section of water jet cutting is formed a V-shape as the cutting speed increase. The upper width(kerf width) is wide and the lower surface is narrow. The width of cutting cross-sections are effected in the order of cutting speed, cutting pressure, and distance between nozzle and material. From the experimental results, to improve of cutting quality of abrasive water jet cutting of aluminum alloy(Al-5083) for shipbuilding, the optimal cutting conditions to improve the surface roughness and kef width are proposed and discussed.

The process optimization of directed energy deposition (DED) has become imperative in the manufacture of reliable products. However, an energy-density-based approach without a sufficient powder feed rate hinders the attainment of an appropriate processing window for DED-processed materials. Optimizing the processing of DEDprocessed Ti-6Al- 4V alloys using energy per unit area (Eeff) and powder deposition density (PDDeff) as parameters helps overcome this problem in the present work. The experimental results show a lack of fusion, complete melting, and overmelting regions, which can be differentiated using energy per unit mass as a measure. Moreover, the optimized processing window (Eeff = 44~47 J/mm2 and PDDeff = 0.002~0.0025 g/mm2) is located within the complete melting region. This result shows that the Eeff and PDDeff-based processing optimization methodology is effective for estimating the properties of DED-processed materials.

The precipitation effect of Al-6%Si-0.4%Mg-0.9%Cu-(Ti) alloy (in wt.%) after various heat treatments was studied using a laser flash device (LFA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Solid solution treatment was performed at 535 oC for 6 h, followed by water cooling, and samples were artificially aged in air at 180 oC and 220 oC for 5 h. The titanium-free alloy Al-6%Si-0.4%Mg-0.9%Cu showed higher thermal diffusivity than did the Al-6%Si-0.4%Mg-0.9%Cu-0.2%Ti alloy over the entire temperature range. In the temperature ranges below 200 oC and above 300 oC, the value of thermal diffusivity decreased with increasing temperature. As the sample temperature increased between 200 oC and 400 oC, phase precipitation occurred. From the results of DSC analysis, the temperature dependence of the change in thermal diffusivity in the temperature range between 200 oC and 400 oC was strongly influenced by the precipitation of θ'-Al2Cu, β'-Mg2Si, and Si phases. The most important factor in the temperature dependence of thermal diffusivity was Si precipitation.

Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is being considered as a technology to replace the conventional manufacturing process of titanium alloys. However, coarse β grains, which can extend through several deposited materials, result in strong textures and anisotropy. As a solution, we study the plastic deformation effects of ultrasonic needle peening (UNP) on the microstructure. UNP treated materials deform plastically and the dislocation density increases. Fine α+α' grains with low aspect ratio are observed in the UNP treated specimens. UNP treated WAAM Ti-6Al-4V alloys have higher strength and lower elongation than those characteristics of WAAM Ti-6Al-4V alloys. Due to UNP treatment, the z-axis directional specimens exhibit a greater effect of reducing elongation than do the x-axis directional specimens. The UNP treatment produces fine grains in proportion to the number of times UNP is performed, thereby increasing strength. UNP processes produce a large number of dislocations in the WAAM Ti-6Al-4V alloys, with the most dislocations being formed at the surface.

In this study, high temperature wetting analysis and AZ80/Ti interfacial structure observation are performed for the mixture of AZ80 and Ti, and the effect of Al on wetting in Mg alloy is examined. Both molten AZ80 and pure Mg have excellent wettability because the wet angle between molten droplets and the Ti substrate is about 10° from initial contact. Wetting angle decreases with time, and wetting phenomenon continues between droplets and substrate; the change in wetting angle does not show a significant difference when comparing AZ80-Ti and Mg-Ti. As a result of XRD of the lower surface of the AZ80-Ti sample, in addition to the Ti peak of the substrate, the peak of TiAl3, which is a Ti-Al intermetallic compound, is confirmed, and TiAl3 is generated in the Al enrichment region of the Ti substrate surface. EDS analysis is performed on the droplet tip portion of the sample section in which pure Mg droplets are dropped on the Ti substrate. Concentration of oxygen by the natural oxide film is not confirmed on the Ti surface, but oxygen is distributed at the tip of the droplet on the Mg side. Molten AZ80 and Ti-based compound phases are produced by thickening of Al in the vicinity of Ti after wetting is completed, and Al in the Mg alloy does not affect the wetting. The driving force of wetting progression is a thermite reaction that occurs between Mg and TiO2, and then Al in AZ80 thickens on the Ti substrate interface to form an intermetallic compound.

Effects of Sc addition on microstructure, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the as-cast and as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5 wt%) alloys are investigated. The average grain size of the as-cast Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg alloy is 2,334 μm; however, this value drops to 914 and 529 μm with addition of Sc element at 0.25 wt% and 0.5 wt%, respectively. This grain refinement is due to primary Al3Sc phase forming during solidification. The as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg alloy has a recrystallization structure consisting of almost equiaxed grains. However, the asextruded Sc-containing alloys consist of grains that are extremely elongated in the extrusion direction. In addition, it is found that the proportion of low-angle grain boundaries below 15 degree is dominant. This is because the addition of Sc results in the formation of coherent and nano-scale Al3Sc phases during hot extrusion, inhibiting the process of recrystallization and improving the strength by pinning of dislocations and the formation of subgrain boundaries. The maximum values of the yield and tensile strength are 126 MPa and 215 MPa for the as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-0.25Sc alloy, respectively. The increase in strength is probably due to the existence of nano-scale Al3Sc precipitates and dense Al2Cu phases. Thermal conductivity of the as-cast Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc alloy is reduced to 204, 187 and 183 W/MK by additions of elemental Sc of 0, 0.25 and 0.5 wt%, respectively. On the other hand, the thermal conductivity of the as-extruded Al-2Zn-1Cu-0.3Mg-xSc alloy is about 200 W/Mk regardless of the content of Sc. This is because of the formation of coherent Al3Sc phase, which decreases Sc content and causes extremely high electrical resistivity.

The effect of precipitation and dissolution of Si on the thermal diffusivity in the Al-Si alloy system is reported in this study and solution heat treatment followed by aging treatment is carried out to determine the effects of heat treatment on the thermal characteristics. The solution treatment is performed at 535 oC for 4 and 10 h and then the specimens are cooled by rapid quenching. The samples are aged at 300 oC for 4 h to precipitate Si solute. The addition of 9 wt% silicon contents makes the thermal diffusivity decrease from 78 to 74 mm/s2 in the cases of solid solution treated and quenched samples. After quenching and aging, the Si solute precipitates on the Al matrix and increases the thermal diffusivity compared with that after the quenched state. In particular, the increase of the thermal diffusivity is equal to 10 mm/s2 without relation to the Si contents in the Al-Si alloy, which seems to corresponded to solute amount of Si 1 wt% in the Al matrix.