Precipitation of Sc-containing phases in Al-Si-Sc alloys

Aluminium alloys are increasingly gaining importance in the automotive and aerospace sectors due to their good combination of properties and lightweight. The development of new lightweight alloys holds the potential to improve its fuel efficiency and ultimately the CO2 emission level leading to clean air. This inspired us for the lab-scale development of a new lightweight aluminium alloy containing scandium. The nano-sized coffee bean shaped particles were formed, which are the main cause of the improved mechanical performance of the alloy. Special manufacturing practice, which involves controlled thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatments, was adapted to form this desired microstructure in the said alloy. Various characterisation techniques were utilised to understand the structural, chemical, and physical characteristics of the scandium-containing phases in the alloys.