Effect of different modified semisolid processes on hardness and wear behavior of Al-0.9 Mg-0.7 Si-0.2 Zn alloy

This research aims to study the effect of three different semi-solid processes on the microstructure, hardness, and wear behavior of Al-0.9 Mg-0.7 Si-0.2 Zn alloy. Conventional strain induced melt activation (SIMA), SIMA plus annealing, and a new two-stage SIMA (TSSIMA) were conducted and their effects were evaluated. The results showed that TSSIMA led to the most appropriate microstructure owing to grain refinement, the removal of the eutectic microstructure, uniform distribution of the precipitates, and thin grain boundaries. These, in turn led to the highest hardness and least wear weight loss in this sample. Moreover, it was found that the softening effect of annealing in process 2 (SIMA + annealing) counteracted the positive effect of Conventional SIMA process.