Influence of samarium content on microstructure and mechanical properties of recycled die-cast YL112 aluminum alloys

The influence of Sm （Samarium） content on microstructure and mechanical properties of recycled die-cast YLl12 aluminum alloys was investigated. The results show that many small Sm-rich particles form in the recycled die-cast YLl12 alloys with Sm addition. At the same time, the secondary dendrite arm spacing in the YLl12 alloys modified with Sm is smaller than that of the unmodified alloy. The eutectic Si of recycled die- cast YL112-xSm alloys transforms from coarse acicular morphology to fine fibres. Mechanical properties of the investigated recycled die-cast YLl12 aluminum alloys are enhanced with Sm addition, and a maximal ultimate tensile strength value （276 MPa） and elongation （3.76%） are achieved at a Sm content of 0.6wt.%. Due to the modification of eutectic Si by Sm, numerous tearing ridges and tiny dimples on the fractures of tensile samples are observed.

Feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy

The feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy was studied. The effects of plunger speed, gate thickness, and solid fraction of the slurry on the defects were determined. The defects investigated are gas and shrinkage porosity. In the experiments, semi-solid slurry was prepared by the gas-induced semi-solid （GISS） technique. Then, the slurry was transferred to the shot sleeve and injected into the die. The die and shot sleeve temperatures were kept at 180 ℃ and 250 ℃, respectively. The results show that the samples produced by the GISS die casting give little porosity, no blister and uniform microstructure. From all the results, it can be concluded that the GISS process is feasible to apply in the ADC12 aluminum die casting process. In addition, the GISS process can give improved properties such as decreased porosity and increased microstructure uniformity.

Corrosion performance of high pressure die-cast Al-6Si-3Ni and Al-6Si-3Ni-2Cu alloys in aqueous NaCl solution

The corrosion performance of high pressure die-cast Al？6Si？3Ni （SN63） and Al-6Si-3Ni-2Cu （SNC632） alloys in 3.5%（mass fraction） NaCl solution was investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and microstructural studies revealed the presence of singlephase Si and binary Al3Ni/Al3Ni2 phases along the grain boundary. Besides, the single Cu phase was also identified at the grainboundaries of the SNC632 alloy. Electrochemical corrosion results revealed that, the SNC632 alloy exhibited nobler shift incorrosion potential （φcorr）, lower corrosion current density （Jcorr） and higher corrosion resistance compared to the SN63 alloy.Equivalent circuit curve fitting analysis of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） results revealed the existence of twointerfaces between the electrolyte and substrate. The surface layer and charge transfer resistance （Rct） of the SNC632 alloy was higherthan that of the SN63 alloy. Immersion corrosion test results also confirmed the lower corrosion rate of the SNC632 alloy andsubstantiated the electrochemical corrosion results. Cu addition improved the corrosion resistance, which was mainly attributed to theabsence of secondary Cu containing intermetallic phases in the SNC632 alloy and Cu presented as single phase.

Low-cycle fatigue behavior of permanent mold cast and die-cast Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloys

Fatigue failure is one of the main failure forms of Al-Si-Cu-Mg aluminum alloys. To feature their mechanical aspect of fatigue behavior, the low-cycle fatigue behavior of permanent mold cast and die-cast AI-Si- Cu-Mg alloys at room temperature was investigated. The experimental results show that both permanent mold cast and die-cast AI-Si-Cu-Mg alloys mainly exhibit cyclic strain hardening. At the same total strain amplitude, the diecast AI-Si-Cu-Mg alloy shows higher cyclic deformation resistance and longer fatigue life than does the permanent mold cast AI-Si-Cu-Mg alloy. The relationship between both elastic and plastic strain amplitudes with reversals to failure shows a monotonic linear behavior, and can be described by the Basquin and Coffin-Manson equations, respectively.

Friction self-piercing riveting(F-SPR)of aluminum alloy to magnesium alloy using a flat die

Friction self-piercing riveting(F-SPR)process based on a pip die has been invented to solve the cracking problems in riveting high-strength and low-ductility light metals,such as magnesium alloys,cast aluminum,and 7 series aluminum alloys.In this paper,in order to solve quality issues caused by the misalignment between rivet and pip-die in F-SPR,a flat-die based F-SPR process was proposed and employed to join 1.27 mm-thick AA6061-T6 to 3 mm-thick AZ31B.The results indicate that a 1.0 mm die distance is effective to avoid rivet upset and insufficient flaring.As the feed rate increases,the heat input in the whole process decreases,resulting in a larger riveting force,which in turn increases both the bottom thickness and interlock amount.Besides,solid-state bonding,including Al-Mg intermetallic compounds(IMCs),Al-Mg mechanical mixture,and Al-Fe atom interdiffusion was observed at the joint interfaces.The upper Al layer was softened,but the lower Mg layer was hardened,and both sheets exhibited a narrowed affected region with the increase of feed rate,while the rivet hardness shows no obvious change.Three fracture modes appeared accompanying the variations in lap-shear strength and energy absorption as the feed rate increased from 2 mm/s to 8 mm/s.Finally,the F-SPR process using a flat die was compared to those using a pip die and a flat bottom die to show the advantage of flat die on coping with the misalignment problem.

Strengthening technology and mechanism for semi-solid die casting of aluminum alloy

Combined with theoretical evaluation, an optimized strengthening process for the semi-solid die castings of A356 aluminum alloy was obtained by studying the mechanical properties of castings solution treated and aged under different conditions in detail, then, the semi-solid die castings and liquid die castings were heat treated with the optimized process. The results show that the mechanical properties of semi-solid die castings of aluminum alloy are superior to those of the liquid die castings, especially the strengthening degree of heat treated semi-solid die castings is much greater than that of liquid die castings with the tensile strength more than 330 MPa and the elongation more than 10%, and this is mainly contributed to the non-dendritic and more compact microstructure of semi-solid die castings. The strengthening mechanism of heat treatment for the semi-solid die castings of A356 aluminum alloy is due to the dispersive precipitation of the second phase（Mg2Si） and formation of GP Zone.

Machining studies of die cast aluminum alloy-silicon carbide composites

Metal matrix composites （MMCs） with high specific stiffness, high strength, improved wear resistance, and thermal properties are being increasingly used in advanced structural, aerospace, automotive, electronics, and wear applications. Aluminum alloy-silicon carbide composites were developed using a new combination of the vortex method and the pressure die-casting technique in the present work. Machining studies were conducted on the aluminum alloy-silicon carbide （SiC） composite work pieces using high speed steel （HSS） end-mill tools in a milling machine at different speeds and feeds. The quantitative studies on the machined work piece show that the surface finish is better for higher speeds and lower feeds. The surface roughness of the plain aluminum alloy is better than that of the aluminum alloy-silicon carbide composites. The studies on tool wear show that flank wear increases with speed and feed. The end-mill tool wear is higher on machining the aluminum alloy-silicon carbide composites than on machining the plain aluminum alloy.

Opportunities and challenges of Chinese die-casting market

The present status and perspectives of Chinese die-casting market were commented. In 2003, the total output of die castings in the whole country was 708000 tons, in which the outputs of Al-alloy, Zn-alloy, Mg-alloy, Cu-alloy die castings were 474600 tons, 222000 tons, 5800 tons, 5600 tons, respectively, each accounted for 67%, 31.35%, 0.85%, 0.8% of the total. The annual sale volume of die-casting machines was approximately 1800. And the gross output value of dies approached RMB 38 billion, in which die-casting dies accounted for about 10%. In the die-casting industry of the entire country, the foreign capital enterprises, public-run enterprises, township and village enterprises, private enterprises accounted for over 80% of the total die-casting enterprises. Super huge die-casting groups are forming.

Mould filling ability and microstructure of aluminum alloy under electromagnetic die casting

In order to solve the mould filling problem of large thin walled aluminum alloy castings effectively, a new casting technology called electromagnetic die casting has been developed. Emphasis has laid on studying the mould filling ability and microstructure under the mentioned method. The results show that the mould filling ability of A357 is increasing continually with the increasing of the input voltage, that is, the magnetic induction intensity. The pressure head of the molten metal increases from the lowest one at the input of the mould to the highest one at the end of the mould while in a conventional mould the pressure head depends invariably on the sprue height. Under electromagnetic die casting, the grains of A357 alloy are refined, and the pattern of eutectic silicon of alloy changes from rough plate to smooth strip.

Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Pressure on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Die Cast Aluminum Alloys

A study of the effects of pressure on the microstructure and mechanical properties of two aluminum alloys (A1350 and A380) was carried out and subsequent analysis made. Pressure was regulated at various levels in the die cast machine. Samples of both alloys were cast under varying regulated applied pressure. The mechanical properties of both alloy casts were tested and microstructure analysis done and the results compared for both alloys. The results obtained show that hardness, tensile strength, yield strength and impact strengths for both alloy cast samples followed similar pattern in the casting process. The hardness values increased with applied pressure but not too significantly in both alloy casts as pressure rose in the casting process. The yield strength of both alloy casts also increased with applied pressure. The impact strength and elongations also increased with applied pressure in both alloy casts. Also the microstructure analysis carried out on both alloy casts showed similar pattern of structural changes in the morphologies of both alloy casts as grains became fine as pressure rose from 350 to 1400 kg/cm2. Models were developed for the results and for all the models developed, a close relationship with the experimental results were underlying in view of the small errors generated by them and can be used to predict the experimental values.

Semi-solid near-net shape rheocasting of heat treatable wrought aluminum alloys

Flexibility of the CSIR-RCS, induction stirring with simultaneous air cooling process, in combination with high pressure die casting is successfully demonstrated by semi-solid rheocasting of plates performed on commercial 2024, 6082 and 7075 wrought aluminum alloys. Tensile properties were measured for the above mentioned rheocast wrought aluminum alloys in the T6 condition. The results showed that tensile properties were close to or even in some cases exceeded the minimum specifications. The yield strength and elongation of rheocast 2024-T6 exceeded the minimum requirements of the wrought alloy in the T6 condition but the ultimate tensile strength achieved only 90% of the specification because the Mg content of the starting alloy was below the commercial alloy specification. The strengths of rheocast 6082-T6 exceeded all of the wrought alloy T6 strength targets but the elongation only managed 36% of the required minimum due to porosity, caused by incipient melting during solution heat treatment, and the presence of fine intermetallie needles in the eutectic. The yield strength of rheocast 7075 exceeded the required one and the ultimate tensile strength also managed 97% of the specification; while the elongation only reached 46% of the minimum requirement also due to incipient melting porosity caused during the solution heat treatment process.

Influence of dynamic recrystallization on microstructure and mechanical properties of welding zone in Al-Mg-Si aluminum profile during porthole die extrusion

The effect of dynamic recrystallization(DRX)on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 6063 aluminum alloy profile during porthole die extrusion was studied through experiment and simulation.The grain morphology was observed by means of electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)technology.The results show that,at low ram speeds,increasing the ram speed caused an increase in DRX fraction due to the increase of temperature and strain rate.In contrast,at high ram speeds,further increasing ram speed had much less effect on the temperature,and the DRX faction decreased due to high stain rates.The microhardness and fraction of low angle boundaries in the welding zones were lower than those in the matrix zones.The grain size in the welding zone was smaller than that in the matrix zone due to lower DRX fraction.The decrease of grain size and increase of extrudate temperature were beneficial to the improvement of microhardness.

Die Casting Mold Design of the Thin-walled Aluminum Case by Computational Solidification Simulation

Recently, demand for the lightweight alloy in electric/electronic housings has been greatly increased. However, among the lightweight alloys, aluminum alloy thin-walled die casting is problematic because it is quite difficult to achieve sufficient fluidity and feedability to fill the thin cavity as the wall thickness becomes less than 1mm. Therefore, in this study, thin-walled die casting of aluminum （Al-Si-Cu alloy： ALDC 12） in size of notebook computer housing and thickness of 0.8 mm was investigated by solidification simulation （MAGMA soft） and actual casting experiment （Buhler Evolution B 53D）. Three different types of gating design, finger, tangential and split type with 6 vertical runners, were simulated and the results showed that sound thin-walled die casting was possible with tangential and split type gating design because those gates allowed aluminum melt to flow into the thin cavity uniformly and split type gating system was preferable gating design comparing to tangential type gating system at the point of view of soundness of casting and distortion generated after solidification. Also, the solidification simulation agreed well with the actual die-casting and the casting showed no casting defects and distortion.

Mechanism of die soldering during aluminum die casting

Soldering is a unique casting defect associated with die casting or metal mold casting of aluminum al oys. It occurs when molten aluminum sticks or solders the surface of the die steel and remains there after the ejection of the casting, causing a surface defect and dimensional inaccuracy of the castings and increased machine downtime. Soldering occurs easily when a bare die steel mold is used for die casting of aluminum al oys. When molten aluminum comes in contact with the die steel at a temperature higher than a critical temperature, the iron and aluminum atoms diffuse into each other, forming a series of intermetallic phases and a liquid aluminum-rich fcc phase. This liquid phase exists between intermetal ic phases. On cooling, the liquid fcc phase solidiifes on the intermetal ic phases and grows into the casting, resulting in soldering. The critical temperature is the eutectic temperature near the aluminum corner of the phase diagram. If the die is protected using a nonreactive ceramic coating, soldering starts at locations where local coating failure occurs. Molten aluminum comes into contact with die steel through the coating failure locations and eats into the steel matrix, forming smal pits. As these smal pits grow, the coating is gradual y removed and soldering becomes more severe. Details of die soldering step on a bare steel die and on a coated die material are discussed.

Effects of process parameters and die geometry on longitudinal welds quality in aluminum porthole die extrusion process

By using the rigid-visco-plasticity finite element method, the welding process of aluminum porthole die extrusion to form a tube was simulated based on Deform-3D software. The welding chamber height （H）, back dimension of die leg （D）, process velocity and initial billet temperature were used in FE simulations so as to determine the conditions in which better longitudinal welding quality can be obtained. According to K criterion, the local welding parameters such as welding pressure, effective stress and welding path length on the welding plane are linked to longitudinal welds quality. Simulation turns out that pressure-to-effective stress ratio （ρ/σ） and welding path length （L） are the key factors affecting the welding quality, Higher welding chamber best and sharper die leg give better welding quality. When H=10 mm and D=0.4 mm, the longitudinal welds have the best quality. Higher process velocity decreases welds quality. The proper velocity is 10 mm/s for this simulation. In a certain range, higher temperature is beneficial to the longitudinal welds. It is found that both 450 and 465℃ can satisfy the requirements of the longitudinal welds.

ISOTHERMAL PRECISION FORGING PROCESS OF ALUMINUM ALLOY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING

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Forward hot extrusion forming process of 4-lobe aluminum alloy helical surface rotor

The 4-lobe aluminum alloy helical surface rotors are widely applied in industry,such as superchargers.Generally,the conventional manufacturing processes of aluminum alloy helical surface are time consuming and costly.To make the manufacturing processes more flexible and economical,the forward hot extrusion process is proposed to form the 4-lobe aluminum alloy helical surface rotors.In this work,we implement both simulations and experiments to the forming process of the helical surface,of which the material is 6063 aluminum alloy.The forward hot extrusion process is simulated with finite element method in DEFORM-3D.Based on the simulation method,the influences of different extrusion parameters,such as extrusion temperature,extrusion speed and extrusion ratio,on the extrusion process are studied.According to the numerical simulation results,the optimal case is chosen to carry out the experiment.Furthermore,the experimental results show that the surface is smooth;the toothed fill is full;the twist angle in the length direction is evenly distributed;the value of twist angle is roughly in line with the design angle,which is mainly due to the modified die structure,having a positive and significant effect on the increment of twist angle.Therefore,the twist angle has an increase of about 76%,which verifies the modified die structure.

Strength and ductility optimization of HPDC AlSi8MgCuZn2 alloys by modifying pre-aging treatment

Considering the components produced by high pressure die casting(HPDC)process usually with ultra-large sizes and complex morphologies,high temperature solid solution treatment is not a suitable method to further improve their mechanical properties.In this study,two-stage aging treatment with different pre-aging times was designed and employed to further improve the mechanical properties of HPDC Al8SiMgCuZn alloy.The characteristics of precipitates were evaluated by a transmission electron microscope(TEM),and the precipitation strengthening mechanism was discussed.The results reveal that the strengthening is mainly contributed by the precipitation ofβ″phase after two-stage aging,and the number density and size of the precipitates are significantly depended on the pre-aging time.The number density of precipitates is increased with the pre-aging time prolonged from 0 h to 4 h,and then decreases with the further increase of pre-aging time from 4 h to 6 h.The precipitates with the highest density and smallest size are observed after pre-aging for 4 h.After pre-aged at 100℃for 4 h and then artificial aged at 200℃for 30 min,the yield strength of 207 MPa,ultimate tensile strength of 325 MPa and elongation of 7.6%are achieved.

Finite element analysis for die casting parameters in high-pressure die casting process

The gating system and the overflow system were designed according to the casting structure during high pressure die casting(HPDC) process. The simulation was carried out by ProCAST software to visualize the injection chamber pre-crystallization and the flow of molten metal. The main work is to research four die casting process parameters, i.e. injection temperature, low-pressure velocity, high-and low-pressure velocity’s switching position, and high-pressure velocity. Experimental results show that the higher injection temperature and lowpressure velocity can mitigate the pre-crystallization of the injection chamber. However, when the low-pressure velocity exceeds 0.2 m·s-1, the air entrapment in the chamber occurs. Besides, when the high-pressure velocity is greater than 2.5 m·s-1, the overflow channel at the final filling position is covered by the liquid metal too early. Finally, the injection temperature of 650 °C, the low-pressure velocity of 0.2 m·s-1, the high-and low-pressure velocity’s switching position of 320 mm and the high-pressure velocity of 2 m·s-1 are obtained as the optimal parameters by the software simulation, which has been verified by actual production.

Application of Photon-Counting X-ray Computed Tomography to Aluminum-Casting Inspection

One of the issues in the aluminum-alloy die casting industry is the space occurring inside the casting, and the improvement of the verification technology is expected. The purpose of this research is to seal holes inside the aluminum metal by resin and verify them by photon-counting X-ray computed tomography (CT) using an energy-discrimination 64-channel cadmium-telluride (CdTe) line detector. Moreover, it is important to estimate the image of the effective atomic number and the electronic density by the energy mapping of the attenuation coefficient utilizing photon-counting X-ray CTto distinguish both the aluminum metal and the resin filler in the aluminum hole. As a result, the energy discrimination of the resin filler in the space of aluminum casting has been attained. We could observe the atomic number image utilizing dual-energyX-ray CTmethod with the 64-channel CdTe photon-counting detector.