Analysis

1. The following shows the graph of the measured hardness vs. aging time.






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1 2 4 8 16 32 64
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Time (min)
Aging Time V Hardness
2. This graph shows the hardness vs. aging time from the data provided in
Table I.












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1 10 100 1000
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Table I Aging Time V Hardening
25
160
230
260
300
3. The hardness of the air-cooled sample was determined to be 51 RF.


4. The following shows the graph of the measured conductivity vs. aging time.






40
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1 2 4 8 16 32 64
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Time (min)
%IACS v Aging Time
Questions
1. For our lab results the under-aging of the Mg2Si occurred from 1-16 minutes.
From the 1 minute to 16 minutes the hardening seems to steadily increase
with time, while the Mg2Si seems to reach a peak hardening at around 16
minutes. After the 16 minutes, the hardness of the Mg2Si dips a small amount
on the graph, and then slowly increases. In our lab we really didnt see a
drop of age hardening, which could occur at some time over 64 minutes in
the solution treatment. From our data, the peak hardening looks to be at
around 16 minutes but the graph dips and then slowly increases, so the peak
hardening could also be at the 64-minute mark. More data would need to be
recorded with more time in the solution treatment to be sure.
a. For the data provided on Table 1, the under-aging, peak, and over-
aging for the solution treatment at 25C cannot be determined. The
data is increasing from 1 minute and continues to do so at 1020
minutes. For the data at 160C, there is under-aging of the Mg2Si until
around 30 minutes, which is the peak hardening time for this
temperature. There is over aging our data from 30minutes until 67
minutes. For the 230C, The peak value is at around 7 minutes, with
under-aging occurring from 1minute to 7 minutes, and over-aging
from 7minutes and after. In the 260C solution treatment, the peak
hardening occurs at around 3.33 minutes, with the under-aging
occurring from 1 minute until the peak hardening, and over-aging
from 3.33 minutes until 20 minutes, which is until where the data is
provided. For the 300C solution treatment, the peak value seems to
occur at 1 minute, and over-ages after this time.
2. The observed trend from our lab in the hardness vs. aging was that the
hardness seems to increase the longer the material undergoes the solution
treatment. We werent able to observe an exact peak hardening or over-
aging, but if enough time passes in the solution treatment, the hardness will
start to decrease. Both the under-aging and over-aging are usually unwanted
and the peak hardening point is usually sought after. For the conductivity vs.
aging time graph, the trend observed was that the conductivity slightly
decreased or dipped at around 8 minutes in the solution, and then started to
increase around 16 minutes. The solution treatment made the conductivity
decrease a small amount and then gradually increase after this time.
Knowing these trends on certain material can greatly help if the material is
desired to fit a certain hardness or conductivity range.
3. Over-aging occurs when too much diffusion occurs in the treatment of the
material. This will cause the particle to be too large and dispersed to interact
with the majority of dislocations.
4. During the solution treatment of the Mg2Si, the diffusion process is sped up,
which is necessary to form the precipitate. We are performing what is called
artificial age hardening, which is the most common method of aging. By
holding several specimens for different times at the aging temperature, we
can determine the effect of aging time on the mechanical properties of the
material.
5. The difference in the age hardening at various temperatures from the given
data does have a trend. The higher the temperature the solution treatment is,
the faster the peak hardening occurs. This in turn also creates a faster time
for over-aging. The highest peak hardening does occur at around 160C, but
it takes a little longer for the hardening to occur. This is why it is important
to determine how long the solution treatment should be implemented and at
what temperature, since both parameters do make a difference.
a. This is due to the fact that as temperature is increased, the thermal
energy increased the diffusion of MG and SI through Al. But diffusion
is, in part, a time and temperature dependent process; the longer the
time and the higher the temperature, the more diffusion of the atomic
species may take place. The diffusion of the atomic species is
necessary to form the precipitate. Again, it is important to determine
the optimal temperature and time needed to produce the needed
hardening of the material.
6. The hardness of the air-cooled specimen is about the same hardness as the
solution treatment material that is the furnace for 1 minute. This hardness is
not the optimal hardness that can be achieved, since the solution treatment
at higher time does increase the hardness of the material.
a. This is due to the fact that at room temperature the state equilibrium
state for the 6061 Al system is +Mg2Si, while at higher temperature
the equilibrium state is the -Al state, where the is the solid
solution. If we slowly cool the -phase from high temperature, Mg and
SI diffuse through the matrix and start to precipitate the Mg2Si phase.
When the room temperature equilibrium is achieved, most of the Mg
and Si is in the form of Mg2Si, with very little remaining in the -Al
state.
b. Quenching, which means when the specimen is removed from a
furnace and immersed in water immediately, causes the temperature
to rapidly drop. This does not allow for adequate diffusion to take
place. In other words, the microstructure at high temperature is
effectively frozen in place by the quenching. This prevents phase
transformations from occurring by only providing a narrow window
of time in which the reaction is both thermodynamically favorable and
kinetically accessible.
7. If the specimen were aged for 24 hours at the same temperature, the
hardness will most likely be relatively low because the peak hardening time
would have passed in under an hour. The extra time for the treatment will
cause the material to greatly over-age, which will decrease the hardness.
8. Since quenching does not allow for adequate diffusion to take place, the
microstructure at high temperature is the solid solution of Al + Mg + Si. So
the post quenched room temperature microstructure is the same, even
though it should the +Mg2Si phase. This is called the supersaturated solid
solution. If left at room temperature, it may take years for enough diffusion to
form the Mg2Si precipitates and adequately enhance the physical properties
of alloy. The hardness isnt expected to increase much if cooled at room
temperature.
9. Together the three elements, Al, Mg, and Si constitute a two-phase Al alloy
since Mg and Si form the single phase or compound Mg2Si that constitutes
1.6wt% of the alloy. This creates a binary system, in which two phases may
coexist. In increasing the temperature starting from room temperature,
depending upon the composition, there exists a certain temperature at which
point the Mg2Si phase dissolves into the Al, forming the -phase. Eventually,
enough thermal energy is provided such that the bodns in the Mg2Si
coumpount completely break down, favoring a distribution of atomic Mg and
Si. The addition of magnesium to aluminum increases strength through solid
solution strengthening and improves their strain hardening ability. The
addition of silicon reduces the melting temperature and improves fluidity.
10.
The treatment started at 550C for 2 hours, this is the -phase and a 1.6 wt.%
composition of Mg2Si. We then quench to the X at 20C, which forms a
supersaturated solid solution. The quenching achieves a binary phase which
is the +Mg2Si phase. On the chart, the intermediate aging temperature is
about 250C, this is why we reheat the samples to about 210C to 230C.
11. Since precipitation hardening is used to increase the yield strength of
malleable materials, it is used in many structural alloys such as aluminum,
magnesium, nickel, titanium, and some stainless steels.