Squeeze casting for metal alloys and composites:An overview of influence of process parameters on mechanical properties and microstructure

Squeeze casting is a well-established and reliable process for fabricating high-integrity metallic alloys,bimetals,and composites.The quality and high performance of squeeze cast components are dependent on optimum casting conditions.Inappropriate selection of parameter values may adversely affect the quality of the casting.The squeeze cast components are generally subjected to secondary processing such as heat treatment,extrusion,and other bulk deformation processes to improve the microstructural features and mechanical properties.Heat treatment further refines the grains and reduces porosity,consequently improving tensile strength,and hardness;however,ductility decreases.This paper provides a comprehensive review on studies concerning the influence of processing parameters on porosity,density,percentage elongation,strength,hardness,wear,and fracture of squeeze casting alloys,aiming to provide sufficient information on the squeeze casting process and the effects of processing parameters on product quality.

A comparative study on Sn macrosegregation behavior of ternary Al-Sn-Cu alloys prepared by gravity casting and squeeze casting

A comprehensive study on Sn macrosegregation behavior in ternary Al-Sn-Cu alloys was carried out by comparative analysis between gravity casting and squeeze casting samples.The microstructure and Sn distribution of the castings were characterized by metallography,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray(EDX)spectroscopy,and a direct reading spectrometer.Results show that there are obvious differences in Sn morphology between gravity casting and squeeze casting alloys.Under squeeze casting condition,the grain size of the casting is smaller and the distribution ofβ(Sn)is uniform.This effectively reduces the segregation of triangular grain boundary as well as the segregation of Sn.The segregation types of Sn in gravity casting and squeeze casting samples are obviously different.The upper surfaces of gravity casting samples show severe negative segregation,while all the lower surfaces have positive segregation.Compared with gravity casting,squeeze casting solidifies under isostatic pressure.Due to the direct contact between the upper surface of the casting and the mold,the casting solidifies faster under higher undercooling degree and pressure.Consequently,the uniform distribution of Sn reduces the segregation phenomenon on the surface of the casting.

Review of Design of Process Parameters for Squeeze Casting

Squeeze casting(SC)is an advanced net manufacturing process with many advantages for which the quality and properties of the manufactured parts depend strongly on the process parameters.Unfortunately,a universal efficient method for the determination of optimal process parameters is still unavailable.In view of the shortcomings and development needs of the current research methods for the setting of SC process parameters,by consulting and analyzing the recent research literature on SC process parameters and using the CiteSpace literature analysis software,manual reading and statistical analysis,the current state and characteristics of the research methods used for the determination of SC process parameters are summarized.The literature data show that the number of pub-lications in the literature related to the design of SC process parameters generally trends upward albeit with signifi-cant fluctuations.Analysis of the research focus shows that both“mechanical properties”and“microstructure”are the two main subjects in the studies of SC process parameters.With regard to materials,aluminum alloys have been extensively studied.Five methods have been used to obtain SC process parameters:Physical experiments,numeri-cal simulation,modeling optimization,formula calculation,and the use of empirical values.Physical experiments are the main research methods.The main methods for designing SC process parameters are divided into three categories:Fully experimental methods,optimization methods that involve modeling based on experimental data,and theoreti-cal calculation methods that involve establishing an analytical formula.The research characteristics and shortcomings of each method were analyzed.Numerical simulations and model-based optimization have become the new required methods.Considering the development needs and data-driven trends of the SC process,suggestions for the develop-ment of SC process parameter research have been proposed.

Effects of macrosegregation on mechanical and tribological properties of squeeze casting immiscible bearing alloys

The macrosegregation behaviors of Al-Sn-Cu ternary immiscible alloy castings and their effects on mechanical and tribological properties were investigated.The results demonstrate that Sn and Cu segregate in the casting simultaneously,and the mass fraction of the two elements has a"U"shaped distribution.Significantly,positive and negative segregation occur in the casting,with positive segregation appearing on the top and lower surfaces and negative segregation on the remaining surfaces,with the 1/2 surface(hot node location)having the highest degree of negative segregation.Furthermore,the results of Vickers hardness,tensile strength,and elongation show that Sn and Cu cooperatively affect the mechanical properties of castings.The higher the mass fraction of Sn and Cu elements,the higher the hardness,the greater the tensile strength,and the better the elongation.The findings of the step-by-step loading tests demonstrate that the segregation of Sn and Cu significantly impacts the tribological characteristics of the castings.The higher the mass fraction of Sn and Cu on the sample surface,the better the tribological characteristics.

Influence of technical parameters on strength and ductility of AlSi9Cu3 alloys in squeeze casting

An orthogonal test was conducted to investigate the influence of technical parameters of squeeze casting on the strength and ductility of AISigCu3 alloys. The experimental results showed that when the forming pressure was higher than 65 MPa, the strength （ab） of A1Si9Cu3 alloys decreased with the forming pressure and pouring temperature increasing, whereas ab increased with the increase of filling velocity and mould preheating temperature. The ductility （6） by alloy was improved by increasing the forming pressure and filling velocity, but decreased with pouring temperature increasing. When the mould preheating temperature increased, the ductility increased first, and then decreased. Under the optimized parameters of pouring temperature 730 ℃, forming pressure 75 MPa, filling velocity 0.50 m/s, and mould preheating temperature 220 ℃, the tensile strength, elongation, and hardness of A1Si9Cu3 alloys obtained in squeeze casting were improved by 16.7%, 9.1%, and 10.1%, respectively, as compared with those of sand castings.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of semi-solid squeeze casting ZL104 connecting rod

Semi-solid squeeze casting（SSSC） and liquid squeeze casting（LSC） processes were used to fabricate a ZL104 connecting rod, and the influences of the process parameters on the microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. Results showed that the tensile strength and elongation of the SSSC-fabricated rod were improved by 22% and 17%, respectively, compared with those of the LSC-fabricated rod. For SSSC, the average particle size（APS） and the shape factor（SF） increased with the increase of re-melting temperature（Tr）, whereas the tensile strength and elongation increased first and then decreased. The APS increased with increasing the mold temperature（Tm）, whereas the SF increased initially and then decreased, which caused the tensile strength and elongation to increase initially and then decrease. The APS decreased and the SF increased as squeezing pressure（ps） increased, and the mechanical properties were enhanced. Moreover, the optimal Tr, ps and Tm are 848 K, 100 MPa and 523 K, respectively.

Effect of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91D magnesium matrix composites prepared by squeeze casting

The Mg-Zn-Y quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites were prepared by squeeze casting process. The effects of applied pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that squeeze casting process is an effective method to refine the grain. The composites are mainly composed of α-Mg, β-Mg17Al12 and Mg3Zn6Y icosahedral quasicrystal phase（I-phase）. With the increase of applied pressure, the contents of β-Mg17Al12 phase and Mg3Zn6 Y quasicrystal particles increase, further matrix grain refinement occurs and coarse dendritic α-Mg transforms into equiaxed grain structure. The composite exhibits the maximum ultimate tensile strength and elongation of 194.3 MPa and 9.2% respectively when the applied pressure is 100 MPa, and a lot of dimples appear on the tensile fractography. Strengthening mechanisms of quasicrystal-reinforced AZ91 D magnesium matrix composites are chiefly fine-grain strengthening and quasicrystal particles strengthening.

Low cycle fatigue behavior of T4-treated Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys prepared by squeeze casting and gravity die casting

Gravity die casting(GC) and squeeze casting(SC) T4-treated Al-7.0Zn-2.5Mg-2.1Cu alloys were employed to investigate the microstructures,mechanical properties and low cycle fatigue(LCF) behavior.The results show that mechanical properties of SC specimens are significantly better than those of GC specimens due to less cast defects and smaller secondary dendrite arm spacing(SDAS).Excellent fatigue properties are obtained for the SC alloy compared with the GC alloy.GC and SC alloys both exhibit cyclic stabilization at low total strain amplitudes(less than 0.4%) and cyclic hardening at higher total strain amplitudes.The degree of cyclic hardening of SC samples is greater than that of GC samples.Fatigue cracks of GC samples dominantly initiate from shrinkage porosities and are easy to propagate along them,while the crack initiation sites for SC samples are slip bands,eutectic phases and inclusions at or near the free surface.

Microstructure evolution and tensile mechanical properties of thixoformed AZ61 magnesium alloy prepared by squeeze casting

A novel process that combines squeeze casting with partial remelting to obtain AZ61 magnesium alloy with semi-solid microstructures was proposed. In this route, the squeeze casting was used to predeform the magnesium alloy billets to obtain small dendritic structures. During subsequent partial remelting, small dendritic structures transform into globular grains surrounded by liquid films. The results show that the squeeze casting AZ61 alloy after partial remelting produces more ideal, finer semi-solid microstructure compared with as-cast AZ61 alloy treated by the same isothermal holding conditions. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the thixoformed AZ61 alloy prepared by squeeze casting plus partial remelting are better than those of the thixoformed alloy prepared by conventional casting plus partial remelting.

Microstructural characteristics of Al-20Si-2Cu-0.4Mg-1Ni alloy formed by rheo-squeeze casting after ultrasonic vibration treatment

A swash plate for air conditioning compressor of cars was formed by rheo-squeeze casting with semi-solid Al-Si alloy slurry prepared by ultrasonic vibration process, and the microstructure of this alloy was investigated. Besides the microstructures of primary Si particles and α(Al)+β-Si eutectic phases, non-equilibrium α(Al) particles or dendrites are discovered in the microstructure of the Al-20Si-2Cu-0.4Mg-1Ni alloy. Rapid cooling generated by squeeze casting process rather than the pressure is considered as the main reason for the formation of non-equilibrium α(Al) phase. The sound pressurizing effect of ultrasonic vibration also enables the non-equilibrium α(Al) phases to form above eutectic temperature and grow into non-dendritic spheroids in the process of semi-solid slurry preparation. Non-equilibrium α(Al) phases formed in the hypereutectic Al-Si alloy with ultrasonic vibration treatment, consist of round α(Al) grains formed above the eutectic temperature and a small amount of fine α(Al) dendrites formed under the eutectic temperature. The volume fraction of primary Si particles is decreased significantly by the effect of ultrasonic vibration through increasing the solid solubility of Si atoms in α(Al) matrix and decreasing the forming temperature range of primary Si particles. The average particle diameter and the volume fraction of primary Si particles in microstructure of the swash-plate by rheo-squeeze casting are 24.3 μm and 11.1%, respectively.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.8Cu alloy prepared by squeeze casting and solid hot extrusion

Al-6Zn-2.5Mg-1.8Cu alloy ingots were prepared by squeeze casting under different specific pressures,and the fresh ingot with best mechanical properties was solid hot extruded.With the increase of the specific pressure from 0 to 250 MPa,the dendrites became round and small.Because the applied pressure increased the solid solubility of alloying elements,the number of MgZn2 phases decreased.When the specific pressure increased from 250 MPa to 350 MPa,the grain size increased.After solid hot extrusion,the a（Al） grains were refined obviously and the MgZn2 phases were uniformly dispersed in the microstructure.After solid hot extrusion,the ultimate tensile strength was 605.67 MPa and the elongation was 8.1%,which were improved about 32.22%and15.71%,respectively,compared with those of the metal mold casting alloy.The fracture modes of the billet prepared by the metal mold casting and by squeeze casting were intergranular and quasi-cleavage fractures,respectively,whereas,that of the solid hot extrusion was mainly dimple fracture.The refined crystalline strengthening was the main reason to improve the strength and elongation of alloy.

Research progress on squeeze casting in China

Squeeze casting is a technology with short route,high efficiency and precise forming,possessing features of casting and plastic processing.It is widely used to produce high performance metallic structural parts.As energy conservation and environmental protection concerns have risen,lightweight and high performance metal parts are urgently needed,which accelerated the development of squeeze casting technology over the past two decades in China.In this paper,research progress on squeeze casting alloys,typical parts manufacturing and development of squeeze casting equipment in China are introduced.The future trend and development priorities of squeeze casting are discussed.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and properties of semi-solid squeeze casting AZ91D

Semi-solid AZ91D magnesium alloy billets were prepared by near-liquidus heat holding.Semi-solid squeeze casting was conducted at 575,585 and 595℃,respectively,with 1 mm·s^-1 squeeze speed.The semisolid squeeze casting AZ91D samples were heat treated by T4(solution at 415℃for 24 h)and T6(solution at 415℃for 24 h+220℃for 8 h)processes,respectively.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy in different states were investigated by means of OM,SEM and tensile testing machine.The results show that compared to as-cast alloy,the grain size of the semi-solid squeezed AZ91D decreased significantly,and with the increase of semi-solid squeeze temperature,the grain size of AZ91D increased.The grains of the alloy were refined by T4 treatment,and further refined by T6 treatment.T6 treatment greatly improved the tensile strength,elongation,and hardness,but did not significantly improve yield strength.After 575℃squeeze casting and T6 treatment,the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)reached 285 MPa,the elongation reached 13.36%,and the hardness also reached the maximum(106.8 HV),but the yield strength(YS)was only 180 MPa.During the process of semi-solid squeeze casting and heat treatment,the matrix grain was refined and a large number of precipitated and secondary precipitated phases of Mg17Al12 appeared.Both the average size of matrix grain and secondary precipitated phase decreased,while the volume fraction of secondary precipitated phase increased.All these resulted in high tensile strength,elongation and hardness.

Evaluation of the mold-filling ability of alloy melt in squeeze casting

The mold-filling ability of alloy mclt in squceze casting process was evaluated by means of the maximum length of Archimedes spiral line. A theoretical evaluating model to predict the maximum filling length was built based on the flowing theory of the incompressible viscous fluid. It was proved by experiments and calculations that the mold-tilling pressure and velocity are prominent influencing factors on the mold-filling ability of alloy melt. The mold-filling ability increases with the increase of the mold-filling pressure and the decrease of the proper mold-filling velocity. Moreover, the pouring temperature relatively has less effect on the mold-filling ability under the experimental conditions. The maximum deviation of theoretical calculating values with experimental results is less than 15%. The model can quantitatively estimate the effect of every factor on the mold-filling ability.

Mechanical and corrosion behaviour of hydroxyapatite reinforced Mg-Sn alloy composite by squeeze casting for biomedical applications

Magnesium alloys have gained increasing attention for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and the biodegradability.Hydroxyapatite(HA)is known to be a highly bioactive because of its similar chemical and crystallographic structures to bone.Therefore,HA is believed to be a potential ceramic material for the fabrication of Mg based composites,to combine the advantages of both Mg and HA.But,in general,the composites known to be more susceptible to corrosion attack than the matrix alloy.Hence,in the present work,Sn is used as an alloying element to evaluate its effect on mechanical as well as corrosion properties of Mg/HA composites.Mg with 5 wt%HA and Mg-1 wt%Sn-5 wt%HA composites were prepared separately by stir assisted squeeze casting route.The phase analysis and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscope(SEM)coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS)respectively.Mechanical properties were evaluated by conducting the compression and micro hardness tests.Corrosion properties of as-cast composites were studied by linear polarization,Tafel and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)techniques.The results of both XRD and SEM-EDS revealed that the main constitutional phases of as-cast Mg/HA composites were a-Mg and HA whereas,in Mg-Sn/HA composites,the phase Mg^Sn was observed along with fine distribution of HA particles.In both the cases,no interfacial reactions observed.The yield strength,ultimate compression strength and hardness were found to be increased with the addition of Sn in Mg/HA composites.Furthermore,the addition of Sn also played an important role in increasing the corrosion resistance of the Mg/HA composites which was attributed the refinement of grain size and the formation of Mg2Sn phase along the grain boundaries.Hence,it was concluded that the addition of Sn improves both mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg/HA composites.

Aluminum-zinc alloy squeeze casting technological parameters optimization based on PSO and ANN

This paper presents a kind of ZA27 squeeze casting process parameter optimization method using artificial neural network (ANN) combined with the particle swarm optimizer (PSO). Regarding the test data as samples and using neural network create ZA27 squeeze casting process parameters and mechanical properties of nonlinear mapping model. Using PSO optimize the model and obtain the optimum value of the process parameters. Make full use of the non-neural network mapping capabilities and PSO global optimization capability. The network uses the radial direction primary function neural network,using the clustering and gradient method to make use of network learning,in order to enhance the generalization ability of the network. PSO takes dynamic changing inertia weights to accelerate the convergence speed and avoid a local minimum.

Influence of Adding Ti Powder in Preform on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al_2O_3p/Steel Composites by Squeeze Casting

To improve the mechanical properties of alumina particulates reinforced steel matrix composite, Ti powder was added into the alumina preform, a 5140 steel matrix composite was fabricated by squeeze casting, and the influences of Ti powder on the microstructure, hardness and bending strength of the composite were investigated, compared with the composite without adding Ti powder. Applied Ti powder and alumina particulates were 10-25 μm and 100-180 μm in size, respectively. Both composites were successfully fabricated, however Ti powder addition increased the infiltration thickness of the composite. In the Ti contained composite, a TiC film in micron scale is formed on the surface of alumina particles, many TiC aggregates are dispersed in the steel matrix without obvious remaining Ti powder. The hardness and the three-point bending strength of the composite reach 49.5 HRC and 1 018 MPa, respectively, which are 17.9% and 52.4% higher than those of the composite in the absence of Ti addition. Fracture morphology shows that the debonding of alumina particulates is eliminated for the composite in the presence of Ti addition. Sessile drop test shows the average wetting angle between 5140 steel and that of Ti coated Al2O3 is about 82.15°, much lower than the wetting angle 150° between steel and pure Al2O3. Therefore, the increase in the mechanical properties of the composite is attributed to the improvement of Al2O3 p/steel interface wetting and bonding by adding Ti powder in the preform.

Squeeze casting of aluminum alloy A380: Microstructure and tensile behavior

A380 alloy with a relatively thick cross-section of 25 mm was squeeze cast using a hydraulic press with an applied pressure of 90 MPa. Microstructure and tensile properties of the squeeze cast A380 were characterized and evaluated in comparison with the die cast counterpart. Results show that the squeeze cast A380 possesses a porosity level much lower than the die cast alloy, which is disclosed by both optical microscopy and the density measurement technique. The results of tensile testing indicate the improved tensile properties, specifically ultimate tensile strength(UTS: 215.9 MPa) and elongation(Ef: 5.4%), for the squeeze cast samples over those of the conventional high-pressure die cast part(UTS: 173.7 MPa, Ef: 1.0%). The analysis of tensile behavior shows that the squeeze cast A380 exhibits a high tensile toughness(8.5 MJ·m-3) and resilience(179.3 k J·m-3) compared with the die cast alloy(toughness: 1.4 MJ·m-3, resilience: 140.6 k J·m-3), despite that, during the onset of plastic deformation, the strain-hardening rate of the die cast specimen is higher than that of the squeeze cast specimens. The microstructure analyzed by the scanning electron microscopy(SEM) shows that both the squeeze and die cast specimens contain the primary α-Al, Al2 Cu, Al5 Fe Si phase and the eutectic Si phase. But, the Al2 Cu phase present in the squeeze cast alloy is relatively large in size and quantity. The SEM fractography evidently reveals the ductile fracture features of the squeeze cast A380 alloy.

HIGH STRAIN RATE SUPERPLASTICITY IN A SiC_w/2024Al COMPOSITE MADE BY SQUEEZE CASTING

In this paper,the superplastic characteristics of the beta-SiC whisker reinforced 2024aluminum composite, fabricated by squeeze casting and hot-rolling after extrusion were investigated. The compsite had a fine grain size of about 2μm, and exhibited a strain rate sensitivity of about 0.35 and a maximum elongation of 350% at an initial strain rate of 1.1×10-1s-1 at 803K. In addition, the superplastic deformation mechanisme of the composite were also examined.

Measurement of temperature inside die and estimation of interfacial heat transfer coefficient in squeeze casting

As an advanced near-net shape technology, squeeze casting is an excellent method for producing high integrity castings. Numerical simulation is a very effective method to optimize squeeze casting process, and the interfacial heat transfer coefficient(IHTC) is an important boundary condition in numerical simulation. Therefore, the study of the IHTC is of great significance. In the present study, experiments were conducted and a "plate shape" aluminum alloy casting was cast in H13 steel die. In order to obtain accurate temperature readings inside the die, a special temperature sensor units(TSU) was designed. Six 1 mm wide and 1 mm deep grooves were machined in the sensor unit for the placement of the thermocouples whose tips were welded to the end wall. Each groove was machined to terminate at a particular distance(1, 3, and 6 mm) from the front end of the sensor unit. Based on the temperature measurements inside the die, the interfacial heat transfer coefficient(IHTC) at the metal-die interface was determined by applying an inverse approach. The acquired data were processed by a low pass filtering method based on Fast Fourier Transform(FFT). The feature of the IHTC at the metal-die interface was discussed.