Development of Mg-Al-Sn and Mg-Al-Sn-Si Alloys and Optimization of Super Vacuum
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Development of Mg-Al-Sn and Mg-Al-Sn-Si Alloys and Optimization of Super Vacuum Die Casting Process for Lightweight Applications DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Andrew Daniel Klarner Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering The Ohio State University 2018 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Alan A. Luo, Advisor Dr. Glenn S. Daehn Dr. Michael J. Mills Dr. Gary Kennedy Copyrighted by Andrew Daniel Klarner 2018 Abstract Light weighting of structural components is crucial to lessen environmental impact, lower costs, and to reduce energy consumption. The most popular method to accomplish this is to replace materials, such as steel, with less dense materials such as aluminum or magnesium. However these lighter materials cannot always meet the strength requirements of structural applications, therefore further material development is needed to improve their mechanical properties. This dissertation will summarize the design and development of two new magnesium alloys for use in the high pressure die casting process (HPDC); Mg-Al-Sn (AT) and Mg-Al-Sn-Si (ATS). These alloys were designed to improve upon current HPDC magnesium alloys AM50/60 (Mg-5/6wt.% Al- 0.2wt.% Mn) and AZ91 (Mg-9wt.% Al-1wt.% Zn), which possess limited mechanical properties. The CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) method was used in the development of AT and ATS alloys and to aid in the design of heat treatment schedules. With this method thermodynamic models and limited thermodynamic data are combined to produce predictions of phase equilibria, solidification sequences, and other useful information about multicomponent alloy systems. This allows for a more streamlined and cost effective alloy development process that can be used to design tailored alloy systems. The AT and ATS alloys were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy ii (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterize the microstructure of the alloys in the as-cast condition as well as in multiple heat treated conditions. Mechanical testing was performed on specimens that were produced by the HPDC process to compare the strength and ductility of these alloys to currently used magnesium alloys. The 2nd part of this dissertation explores the development and optimization of super vacuum die casting process for aluminum and magnesium thin-wall castings, using process simulation and experimental validation. High pressure die casting is a processing technique that produces metal components by forcing molten metal into steel molds, called dies, at very high speeds and pressures. There are many advantages to using this process including the ability to produce complex near net shape parts at very high production rates with high repeatability. However because of the need to produce very large castings which have thin wall and also to limit the porosity in the casting, further process development is needed. Super Vacuum Die Casting (SVDC) has been developed recently and is a technique that introduces a vacuum in the die cavity before filling. With the absence of air in the die cavity, the porosity found in castings can be limited and the filling of castings improved. Two experimental dies, i.e., test specimen die and fluidity die, were designed to evaluate the castability of several new Al and Mg alloys and optimize process parameters for these alloys. The process conditions were successfully validated in industrial castings such as a door inner and a side impact beam. iii Dedicated to my Parents iv Acknowledgments I would first like to acknowledge my advisor, Dr. Alan Luo, for his continued support and guidance throughout my time in graduate school. He provided me with many research opportunities to expand my knowledge in alloy development and materials manufacturing. I would like to thank all my colleagues in the Light Metals and Manufacturing Research Laboratory, especially Dr. Weihua Sun and Janet Meier, for their advice and assistance with my research. Bill Tullos and Dr. Jerry Brevick, both of the Integrated Systems Engineering department, were essential in the manufacturing of experimental dies and in operation of the die cast machine, I sincerely thank them for their support and guidance. I would also like to acknowledge the Simulation Innovation and Modeling Center (SIMCenter) and the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) for providing me with the necessary tools to successfully conduct my research. Dr. Jon Carter of General Motors provided support in many aspects which improved the outcome of this research; I am appreciative of his assistance. I would like to thank the Melt5B team, especially the leadership of Mike Zolnowski, for providing great insight in all things related to high pressure die casting as well as Light Weight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) for providing financial support. v In addition, I would like to thank my dissertation committee members, Dr. Michael Mills and Dr. Glenn Daehn for their constructive suggestions and support which made this work more complete. My parents and brothers who supported me throughout my studies and provided constant encouragement for me to achieve my goals, I am truly grateful to have them in my life. I would like to shout out Leadbelly the OSU Ultimate Team, as well as the Columbus Ultimate Community, who kept me physically and mentally young during my time in graduate school. And lastly to all the friends I met during and before Graduate school, I am thankful for your support and to have all of you involved in my life. vi Vita 2008................................................................Farragut High School, Knoxville TN 2012................................................................B.S. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee 2015................................................................M.S. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University 2012 to present ..............................................Graduate Research Associate, Light Metals and Manufacturing Research Laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University Publications 1. A.D. Klarner, W. Sun, J. Meier, A.A. Luo, “Development of Mg-Al-Sn-Si Alloys Using a Calphad Approach”, in Magnesium Technology, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Nashville, TN, 2016, pp. 79-82. vii 2. A.D. Klarner, W. Sun, J. Miao, A.A. Luo, “Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of High Pressure Die Cast Mg-Al-Sn-Si Alloys”, in Magnesium Technology, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, San Diego, CA, 2017, pp. 289-295. 3. A.D. Klarner, E. Cinkilic, Y. Lu, J. Brevick, A.A. Luo, J. Shah, M. Zolnowski, X. Yan, “A New Fluidity Die for Castability Evaluation of High Pressure Die Cast Alloys”, NADCA Die Casting Congress and Tabletop, NADCA, Atlanta, GA, 2017 4. H. Ibrahim, A.D. Klarner, B. Poorganji, D. Dean, A.A. Luo and M. Elahinia, "Microstructural, Mechanical and Corrosion Characteristics of Heat-Treated Mg-1.2Zn- 0.5Ca (wt.%) Alloy for Use as Resorbable Bone Fixation Material", Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, Volume 69, 2017, pp. 203-212. Fields of Study Major Field: Materials Science and Engineering viii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Vita .................................................................................................................................... vii Publications ................................................................................................................... vii Fields of Study ............................................................................................................. viii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... ix List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiv Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Background ....................................................................................................... 4 2.1: Properties of Magnesium ......................................................................................... 4 2.1.1: Strengthening Mechanisms ............................................................................... 7 2.1.2: Magnesium Alloys........................................................................................... 12 2.2: CALPHAD ............................................................................................................. 17 2.3: High Pressure Die Casting ..................................................................................... 20 ix 2.3.1: Cold Chamber Die Casting .............................................................................. 23 2.3.2: Hot Chamber Die Casting