Effects of Sb and heat treatment on the microstructure of Al-15.5wt%Mg₂Si alloy

The modification effects of alloying element Sb and heat treatment on Al-15.5wt%Mg₂Si alloy were investigated by Olympus microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy and energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that Sb plays a significant role in shaping primary Mg₂Si phase and eutectic Mg₂Si phase in Al-15.5wt%Mg₂Si alloy. The Sb addition of about 1.0wt% makes the resultant alloy show the finest primary Mg₂Si phase and the eutectic Mg₂Si phase with well distribution. But further increasing the Sb content decreases the amount of primary Mg₂Si phase, and some segregated phases appear at regions between the grains. In addition, heat treatment can modify the microstructural feature of Sb-modified Al-15.5wt%Mg₂Si alloy in terms of obviously shortening the nodulizing time of primary Mg₂Si phase and eutectic Mg₂Si phase.