Solidification Microstructure of A390 Aluminum Alloy ‎Manufactured by Squeeze Casting Process

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 MSc. Student, Faculty of Materials and Industrial Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Mazandaran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Materials and Industrial Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Mazandaran, Iran.

10.22034/frj.2018.113170.1018

Abstract

The effects of squeeze casting process (SQC) on the as cast microstructure, casting defects and hardness of A390 aluminum alloy were investigated and compared by sand and permanent mold casting processes. The squeeze casting was performed using a hydraulic press and 200°C preheated steel die at 120MPa. The microstructural evaluations and hardness variations were measured. The thermal analyzer technique was used to determine the solidification cooling curve and solidified phases. Result exhibited that the microstructure of the alloy was refined and modified by SQC compered by the sand mold and the permanent mold casting. In addition, the shrinkage defects were severely decreased. The intermetallic phases, the primary silicon and eutectic silicon particles were refined. The quantitative analyses of microstructures showed that the squeeze casting decreased the average area of primary silicon particles and its aspect ratio in amount of 74% and 17% respectively compared with sand casting. Also by using SQC, the hardness of the alloy increased to 30 and 18% compared to sand and permanent casting methods respectively.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1]   Ghomashchi M., Vikhrov A., Squeeze casting: An overview, Journal of Material Processing Technology, 2000, 101(1–3) 1–9.
[2]   Ceschini L., Morri A., Gamberini A, Messieri S., Correlation between ultimate tensile strength and solidification microstructure for the sand cast A357 aluminium alloy, Material and Design, 2009, 30(10) 4525–4531.
[3]   Hu X., Ai F., Yan H., Influences of pouring temperature and cooling rate on microstructure and mechanical properties of casting Al-Si-Cu aluminum alloy, Acta Metullurgica Sinica, 2012, 25(4) 272-278.
[4]   Kapranos P., Carney C., Pola A., Jolly M., Advanced casting nethodologies: Investment casting, centrifugal casting, squeeze casting, metal spinning, and batch casting, Comprehensive Materials Processing, 2014, 5, 39-67.
[5]   Linder J., Axelsson M., Nilsson H., Influence of porosity on the fatigue life for sand and permanent mould cast aluminium, International Journal of Fatigue, 2006, 28, 1752–1758.
[6]   نوری ا.، حسن‌نژاد ح.، بررسی جوانه‌زایی آلیاژهای آلومینیم با افزاودن جوانه‌زایAl5TiB1 ، مجله ریخته‌گری، 1395، 113، 44-40.
 [7]  Haque M.M., Maleque M.A., Effect of process variables on structure and properties of aluminium – silicon piston alloy, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 1998, 77, 122–128.
[8]   Bin S.B., Xing S.M., Tian L.M., Zhao N., Li L., Influence of technical parameters on strength and ductility of AlSi9Cu3 alloys in squeeze casting, Transaction of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 2013, 23(4) 977–982.
[9]   Khodaverdizadeh H., Niroumand B., Effects of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of squeeze cast ductile iron, Material and Design, 2011, 32(10) 4747–4755.
[10] Abou El-khair M.T., Microstructure characterization and tensile properties of squeeze-cast AlSiMg alloys, Materials Letters, 2005, 59(8–9) 894–900.
[11] Yang L.J., The effect of casting temperature on the properties of squeeze cast aluminium and zinc alloys, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2003, 140(1–3) 391–396.
[12] Hekmat-Ardakan A., Liu X., Ajersch F., Chen X.G, Wear behaviour of hypereutectic Al-Si-Cu-Mg casting alloys with variable Mg contents, Wear, 2010, 269(9–10) 684–692.
[13] Ye H., An overview of the development of Al-Si-alloy based material for engine applications, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 2003, 12(3) 288–297.
[14] Savas M.A., Altintas S., Effects of squeeze casting on the wide freezing range binary alloys, Materials Science and Engineering, 1993, 173(1–2) 227–231.
[15] Karbalaei-Akbari M., Mirzaee O., Baharvandi H.R., Fabrication and study on mechanical properties and fracture behavior of nanometric Al2O3 particle-reinforced A356 composites focusing on the parameters of vortex method, Material and Design, 2013, 46, 199–205.
[16] Murat-Lus H., Effect of casting parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of squeeze cast A380 aluminum die cast alloy, Kovove Materialy, 2012, 50(4) 243–250.
[17] Maleki A., Niroumand B., Shafyei A., Effects of squeeze casting parameters on density, macrostructure and hardness of LM13 alloy, Materials Science and Engineering, 2006, 428(1) 135–140.
[18] Smillie M., Casting and analysis of squeeze cast aluminium silicon eutectic alloy, PhD Thesis, University of Canterbury, 2006, 1–237.
[19] Britnell D.J., Pressure Assisted Segregation In Squeeze Cast Aluminium Alloys, Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1996, University of Warwick.
[20] Hekmat-Ardakan A., Ajersch F., Thermodynamic evaluation of hypereutectic Al-Si (A390) alloy with addition of Mg, Acta Materialia, 2010, 58(9) 3422–3428.
[21] Wang R., Lu W., Hogan L.M., Growth morphology of primary silicon in cast Al–Si alloys and the mechanism of concentric growth, Journal of Crystal Growth, 1999, 207(1–2) 43–54.
[22] Li B., Zhang Z.F., Wang Z.G., Xu J., Zhu Q., Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of A390 alloy, Advanced Materials Research, 2013, 654, 1049–1053.
[23] Zamani M., Al-Si Cast Alloys: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties at Ambient and Elevated Temperature Al-Si Cast Alloys, Licentiate Thesis, 2015, 7.
[24] حمیدی ا.، ثقفیان ح.، بررسی ریزساختار و خواص سایشی نانوکامپوزیت  A356/Al2O3 به روش ریخته‌گری هم‌زدنی, پژوهشنامه ریخته‌گری، 1396، 1(1) 68-59.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 14 February 2018
  • Revise Date: 30 March 2018
  • Accept Date: 06 April 2018

Share

How to cite

Statistics