The Effect of Cooling Rate on the Microstructure and Physical Properties of Hypereutectic Al-Ce Alloys

College of Engineering & Applied Science, Materials Science & Engineering, Mentor, Outstanding Presentation Award, Poster Presentation, Project, Rohatgi, Pradeep, School and College, Student, Van Hoogstraten, Jenna

Jenna Van Hoogstraten, “The Effect of Cooling Rate on the Microstructure and Physical Properties of Hypereutectic Al-Ce Alloys”
Mentor: Pradeep Rohatgi, Materials Science & Engineering
Poster #178

The present study investigated the effect of cooling rate on the solidification of hypereutectic Al-Ce alloys, where varying cooling rates were obtained using a step casting mold. The thinner section sizes led to higher cooling rates, leading to a decrease in grain size. The microstructure, density, hardness, and phase composition of the alloy samples were observed and analyzed. The results showed that a high cooling rate led to a reduction in the size of the intermetallic particles while improving the hardness of the alloy. The phase identification showed that the phases consisted of eutectic Al, eutectic Al11Ce3, and primary Al11Ce3.