A novel Al–3 wt-% VN master alloy, mainly consisting of α-Al and VN phases, was successfully prepared by stir casting. The grain refinement performance of the master alloy on A356 alloy was then investigated. The results showed that the α-Al grain size of A356 alloy refined by Al–3 wt-% VN master alloy was 350 ± 95 µm while that of A356 alloy treated by traditional Al–5Ti–B master alloy was 570 ± 105 µm. Moreover, for A356 alloy with Al–3 wt-% VN addition, the good grain refining efficiency did not fade significantly within 30 min. The effectiveness of grain refinement might be attributed to VN particles, which acted as the heterogeneous nuclei of α-Al grains. Owing to the refinement strengthening, the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation of A356 alloy were improved.
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V(CN) 
[influence of Ti(CN) and V(CN) refiner on refining effect of commercial pure aluminium]