Enhanced Coarsening Resistance of Q-phase in Aluminum alloys by the addition of Slow Diffusing Solutes

Here, we design thermally stable microstructures of Al3Cu2Mg9Si7 (Q) precipitates based on commercial aluminum alloy (AS7GU) for automotive applications utilizing low-diffusivity solutes in aluminum. We find that the newly developed alloys show a ~ 20% enhancement in mechanical properties at 300 °C compared to the baseline AS7GU alloy.