In situ formed Al₃Ti particles in Al alloy matrix and their effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 7075 alloy

As a promising reinforcement of aluminum alloy, in situ formed Al3Ti particles have attracted more attention in the fabrication of aluminum matrix composites. In our research, in situ Al3Ti/7075 alloy composites were fabricated by adding K2TiF6salt powders into molten 7075 alloy at 750 °C via casting method. The formation of in situ Al3Ti particles and their effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 7075 alloy, including hardness, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and yield strength (YS), were investigated. The results showed that in situ formed Al3Ti particles were rod-like in morphology, with the average length and width of 15 µm and 5 µm, respectively. Due to the nucleating effect of Al3Ti particles, α-Al crystals of 7075 alloy transferred from dendritic to equiaxed structure in morphology, the size of which decreased obviously as well. Compared with 7075 alloy, the hardness, UTS, and YS of in situ Al3Ti/7075 alloy were improved by 14.3%, 18.1%, and 25.8%, respectively.