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Iron is a key component of most aluminum alloys. It increases the strength and Young’s modulus and decreases density and brittleness. It can also be used to improve the grain structure of aluminum to inhibit recrystallization.
However, iron in aluminum alloys can cause complex intermetallic phase formation during solidification, which can lower the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys. These phases can be of different morphologies and may consist of coarse iron-rich intermetallics, nickel-rich intermetallics and a platelet-like iron-rich phase that is particularly detrimental to the mechanical properties of aluminum alloys.
A number of approaches have been reported to neutralize the detrimental effect of iron on aluminum alloys. These include the use of high cooling rate, solution heat treatment and addition of elements such as Mn, Cr, Be, Co, Mo, Ni, V, W, Cu, Sr, or the rare earth elements Y, Nd, La, and Ce to modify the platelet Fe-rich phases.
The iron-containing intermetallic phases can be reduced to a large extent by using a cooling rate that is near-rapid. Moreover, this type of cooling rate can simplify the as-cast microstructures to a large extent.