Enhanced load transfer and ductility in Al–9Ce alloy through heterogeneous lamellar microstructure design by cold rolling and annealing

Al–Ce alloy has attracted much attention due to its outstanding heat resistance and castability. To further improve the performance of Al–Ce alloy, a two-phase heterogeneous lamellar structure was designed with oriented Al11Ce3 particles, fine grains, and coarse grains in layers in Al–Ce hypoeutectic alloy through cold rolling and annealing. Higher strength and better ductility were obtained compared with the as-cast alloy with the same composition. Mechanism of strengthening and ductility were analyzed by experimental findings and theoretical calculations. The results revealed that fine-grained eutectic aluminum in bimodal structure and the load transfer of oriented Al11Ce3 particles contribute much to the alloy strength. The coarse Al grains in the bimodal structure and the lamellar structure lead to good ductility. The idea of strengthening and toughening Al–Ce alloy is provided, and the process discovered here is amenable to large-scale industrial production at low cost.