Effect of Brazing on Microstructure and Properties of Die-Cast Al–RE Alloys

Compared with traditional Al–Si die-cast alloys, which have good formability and low cost but poor brazeability and inadequate corrosion resistance, high-pressure die-cast (HPDC) Al–RE alloys exhibit superior comprehensive properties. To satisfy the demand for lightweight, high-performance materials in automotive thermal management, a controlled-atmosphere brazing (CAB) furnace was employed in this work to investigate the effect of the complete brazing cycle on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the HPDC Al–RE alloy. In the as-cast state, the eutectic Al11(La,Ce)3 phase presents a lamellar structure. After the simulated brazing process, this phase transforms into dispersed near-spherical particles. Such microstructural evolution directly determines the mechanical and corrosion behaviors of the alloy. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength decrease, while the elongation increases substantially owing to the alleviation of stress concentration. The corrosion resistance of the alloy depends on the service environment. After 960 h of neutral salt spray (NSS) testing, the alloy showed excellent corrosion resistance with only slight corrosion. Nevertheless, severe localized pitting corrosion (maximum pit depth: 0.932 mm) was observed after 480 h of sea water acidified accelerated test (SWAAT) exposure. This pitting phenomenon is directly associated with spheroidized Al11(La,Ce)3 particles. In acidic chloride-containing media, these intermetallic particles undergo preferential anodic dissolution relative to the α-Al matrix, resulting in micro-galvanic corrosion. In conclusion, after simulated brazing treatment, the ductility of the Al–RE alloy is remarkably improved at the cost of a moderate reduction in strength. The Al–RE alloy possesses good corrosion resistance in neutral saline environments. However, severe localized corrosion tends to occur in acidic environments due to the high electrochemical activity of spheroidized intermetallic phases.