Modification Performance of WC Nanoparticles in Aluminum and an Al-Si Casting Alloy

The influence of a modifier based on tungsten carbide (WC) nanoparticles is investigated first using 1 kg of bulk aluminum and then in a real industrial process using a commercial Al-Si casting alloy. The modifier is prepared by two different approaches, and its influence is investigated in pure aluminum and in commercial aluminum alloy A356. Microstructural studies show that the mean grain size in pure aluminum is reduced by 11.5 pct. Such a change usually causes an improvement in the mechanical properties of metals. Accordingly, the mechanical properties of the A356 alloy modified with WC nanoparticles are determined after T6 heat treatment and compared with unmodified specimens of the same alloy. The results obtained in the modified A356 alloy reveal unusual behavior of the mechanical properties, where the elongation of the alloys improved by 32 to 64 pct, while the tensile strength and yield strength remained unchanged. This behavior is attributable to a grain-size strengthening mechanism, where strengthening occurs due to the high concentration of grain boundaries, which act as obstacles to the motion of dislocations in the lattice.