Probe microscopy and other methods in the investigation of aluminium alloys

• Published in: IOP conference series. Materials Science and Engineering 2018-11, Vol.443 (1), p.12029
• Main Authors: Shcherbakova, O O, Muravyeva, T I, Bobrov, Yu A, Zagorskiy, D L, Shkalei, I V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alloying elements; Alloys; Aluminum base alloys; Electrical resistivity; Heat conductivity; Heat transfer; Heat treating; Heat treatment; Heterogeneity; Mechanical properties; Microscopy; Phase composition; Physical properties; Scanning probe microscopy; Thermal conductivity
• ISSN: 1757-8981; 1757-899X; 1757-899X
• DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/443/1/012029

The work is devoted to the study of the surface of anti-friction aluminium alloys. The influence of alloying elements and heat treatment on the physical and mechanical properties of the surface, its thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity was estimated. It is shown that the addition of a number of elements (Pb, Bi, Cd, and In) to the base alloy Al-5Si-4Cu and subsequent heat treatment lead to an increase in physical and mechanical properties (so, the greatest hardness value has an alloy with cadmium). Thermal conductivity at the macrolevel was estimated from the measurement of electrical conductivity; it is shown that doping and heat treatment in most cases bring to a little change of these parameters. A complex method of microscopy (scanning electron microscopy with elemental analysis and scanning probe microscopy) was used to study the surface of the samples. Various modes of scanning probe microscopy were used: topography, spreading currents, and surface temperature were measured independently. It is shown that the values of electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity measured at the microlevel are correlated well enough. A significant heterogeneity in the surface thermal conductivity of the cast sample is found, which correlates with the corresponding phase composition of the impurities.