Thermal analysis as a microstructure prediction tool for A356 aluminium parts solidified under various cooling conditions

Thermal analysis technique has been used for a long time,in both ferrous and nonferrous industries for evaluating the metallurgical quality of the liquid metal before casting.However,obtaining a proper microstructure in a standard cup does not ensure that the microstructure is correct in real parts which may solidify at very different cooling rates.For this study,alloy A356 with different metal quality in terms of modification and grain refinement was tested.Different cooling rates were obtained by using cylindrical test samples with various diameters cast in sand and metallic moulds.The correlation between microstructure features such as grain size,modification rate and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) measured in the standard thermal analysis cup with those obtained in the cylindrical test parts has been investigated.Thus,knowing the thermal modulus and the mould type it is possible to establish the required grain size and modification rate in the standard cup in order to get a desired structure in a real part.Corrective actions can then be taken in order to improve the metallurgical quality before casting the part.

Effect of process parameters on tensile strength of friction stir welded cast A356 aluminium alloy joints

A356 is a high strength aluminium-silicon cast alloy used in food,chemical,marine,electrical and automotive industries.Fusion welding of this cast alloy will lead to many problems such as porosity,micro-fissuring,and hot cracking.However,friction stir welding（FSW） can be used to weld this cast alloy without above mentioned defects.An attempt was made to study the effect of FSW process parameters on the tensile strength of cast A356 aluminium alloy.Joints were made using different combinations of tool rotation speed,welding speed and axial force.The quality of weld zone was analyzed by macrostructure and microstructure analyses.Tensile strengths of the joints were evaluated and correlated with the weld zone hardness and microstructure.The joint fabricated using a rotational speed of 1000 r/min,a welding speed of 75 mm/min and an axial force of 5 kN showed a higher tensile strength compared to the other joints.

Wear and corrosion resistant coatings on surface of cast A356 aluminum alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation in moderately concentrated aluminate electrolytes

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of a cast A356 aluminum alloy was carried out in aluminate electrolytes to develop wear and corrosion resistant coatings. Different concentrations of 2, 16 and 24 g/L NaAlO2 solutions and a silicate electrolyte （for comparison） were employed for the investigation. Wear performance and corrosion resistance of the coatings were evaluated by WC （tungsten carbide） ball-on-flat dry sliding tests and electrochemical methods, respectively. The results show that the coating formed for a short duration of 480 s in 24 g/L NaAlO2 solution generated the best protection. The coating sustained 30 N load for sliding time of 1800 s, showing very low wear rate of -4.5×10^-7 mm3/（N· m）. A low corrosion current density of -8.81×10^-9 A/cm2 was also recorded. Despite low α-Al2O3 content of the coating, the compact and nearly single layer nature of the coating guaranteed the excellent performances.

Effect of Ablation Casting on Microstructure and Casting Properties of A356 Aluminium Casting Alloy

Recently the Ablation Casting Technology was invented as a new casting process to improve foundry products quality. In this study, the effects of processing variables on the porosity content, rnicrostructure and feedability of A356 casting alloy were investigated. Secondary dendrite arm spacing （SDAS） and eutectic silicon mor-phologies were studied to evaluate the influence of Ablation Casting on the rnicrostructure. Casting density was measured in order to identify porosity content and feedability of ablated and non-ablated specimens. In addition, solidification behavior of the samples was investigated by using thermal analysis technique. The cooling curves and the first derivative curves were plotted and compared with each other. Results showed the ablation process could increase solidification rate significantly. In addition, the microstructural evidences revealed that Ablation Casting process results in more fine and homogeneous structure compared to the non-ablated casting. The feedability improved, SDAS reduced to 35% and porosity content decreased to 3.84 vol.% by implementing this process. It concluded the Ablation Casting is an effective process to gain higher quality in aluminum foundry.