Relationship between micro-porosity and tensile properties of 6063 alloy

The micro-porosity is usually present in the as-cast microstructure, which decreases the tensile strength and ductility and therefore limit the application of cast aluminum parts. Although much work has been done to investigate the effects of various casting parameters on the formation of porosity in various aluminum alloys, up to now, little information has been available for the relationship between micro-porosity and tensile properties of 6063 alloy. In this study, the influences of size and area fraction of micro-porosity on the tensile properties and fracture behavior of 6063 aluminum alloy were investigated by means of tensile testing, optical microscopy (OM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile tests were conducted in air at 100 ℃, 200 ℃ and 300 ℃, respectively. Results show that the large micro-porosity with sizes between 100 μm and 800 μm located at the center and top of the ingot, while the small micro-porosity with size between 2 μm and 60 μm distributed at the edge and bottom of the ingot. The area fraction of micro-porosity at the center of the ingot is much bigger than that at the edge of the ingot. When tested at 100 ℃, with the decrease in the area fraction of micro-porosity from the top of the ingot to the bottom of the ingot, the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and the elongation are increased from 82 to 99 MPa, 32 to 66 MPa and 7% to 11%, respectively. When the temperature is no more than 200 ℃, the strain hardening exponent decreases with an increase in the area fraction of micro-porosity; while the deviation disappears when the temperature reaches 300 ℃. The fracture mode of the alloy is greatly influenced by the size and area fraction of the micro-porosity.