Optimizing the Pouring Temperature for Se

misolid Casting of a Hypereutectic Al–Si Alloy

Using the Cooling Slope Plate Method
Contenido
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Experimental Procedures
3. Results and Discussion
4. Microstructure Investigation
5. Mechanism of the Primary Silicon Refinement by Semisolid Casting
6. Mechanical Properties Evaluation
7. Hardness
8. Wear Resistance
9. Conclusions
10. Publisher's Note
11. References

Texto completo
Listen
This work investigates the optimum pouring temperature during semisolid casting (rheo-casting) of Al–
17%Si alloy (A390) to obtain the best combination of microstructure modification and wear
resistance. Pouring semisolid slurry was done in both metallic and sand molds to observe the effect of
cooling rate on the optimum pouring temperature. The molten metal/slurry was poured into the specified
mold type through a cooling slope plate which was continuously water cooled.
Different pouring temperatures: 670, 690, 710 and 730 °C, were applied, and their influence on the
microstructure and alloy properties was analyzed. Based on the obtained results, the
optimum pouring temperature for semisolid casting was decided for the two mold types.
Conventional casting was conducted at the optimum temperature in both metallic and sand molds for
comparison. It was observed that rheo-casting using the cooling plate is an effective process in microstructure
modification of A390 alloy in terms of refining and redistributing the primary Si and fragmenting the coarse
AlFeMnSi phase. The optimum temperatures to obtain small particle size of primary Si, uniform distribution
and regular shape using the cooling plate technique were 690 °C and 710 °C for the metallic and sand molds,
respectively. This refinement and homogenization of the microstructure enhanced the hardness and wear
resistance of alloy A390.
Keywords: hypereutectic Al–Si alloy; semisolid casting; microstructure; hardness; wear resistance
Introduction
Hypereutectic Al–Si alloys are considered the ideal choice for applications which need distinctive properties
such as high level of wear resistance, good mechanical properties, low thermal expansion coefficient and low
density. These properties are suitable for automotive industry for manufacturing of fuel-efficient vehicles
using lightweight parts as pistons, connecting rods, engine blocks, etc.[ 1],[ 2]
In the conventional casting, these alloys are characterized by coarse primary silicon particles which are
irregular in shape and hence negatively affect the mechanical properties and the alloy resistance to wear. The
morphology of primary Si particles can be found as polygonal, star-like or fish-bone morphology.
The Si particles are hard but brittle, leading to stress concentration at the particles edge and resulting in
originating cracks near the boundary or inside the particles.[ 3],[ 4]
The properties of hypereutectic alloy are highly dependent on size, distribution and morphology of primary
silicon particles and eutectic silicon. Size and distribution of primary silicon are controlled by nucleation rate,
while morphology of eutectic silicon is dependent upon growth behavior during solidification.[ 5] There are
several techniques for enhancing the morphology, distribution and particle size of the primary silicon, and one
of them is chemical treatment via addition of alloying elements or rare earth metals (RE) where both
refinement and modification of primary silicon particles have been occurred.[ 6]–[ 8] The addition of (P) as
refiner to melt is considered the effective and economical method used in the foundries for refinement of
primary silicon particles in the hypereutectic Al–Si alloy (A390), but no effect was observed on the
morphology of eutectic silicon.[ 6] The control of primary Si size to be in the range 10–20 μm by modifying
the alloy with Nd has resulted in a significant improvement in tensile strength and elongation % of Al–
15% Si hypereutectic alloy.[ 7]
Semisolid forming (SSF) is a casting method proposed by Flemings from MIT in the 1970s to cast the alloys
in the semisolid state. Semisolid state exists between solidus and liquidus temperature where several
advantages can be achieved as complex and near-net-shape castings, high production rate, low level of
porosity and less energy consumption. Non-dendritic globular structure obtained by
the semisolid casting process is considered a unique feature that distinguishes it from the other
conventional casting methods. This is due to the thixotropic behavior of the semisolid slurry which
minimizes porosity and segregation in the products.[ 4] Generally, semisolid forming technology is classified
into two routes: rheo-casting and thixo-casting. Thixo-casting consists of production of feedstock billets then
reheating these billets to the semisolid zone followed by direct injection into the die cavity. On the other
hand, rheo-casting is a semisolid casting process where the semisolid slurry is generated directly from the
liquid and injected into the mold. The branch of rheo-processing includes two different stages: The first stage
is the partial solidification of melt to produce slurry that consists of non-dendritic and globular particle. The
second stage is the complete solidification of the slurry in the mold. Different techniques have been innovated
to obtain slurry with non-dendritic structure whether by melt agitation which includes mechanical stirring,
magnetohydrodynamic stirring, mechanical vibration and cooling slope (CS) methods or without melt
agitation via spray casting, strain-induced melt activation, recrystallization and partial melting and grain
refinement.[ 9]–[12]
One of the most important obstacles that limit the industrial commercialization of the thixo-casting process is
the running cost to produce feedstock with non-dendritic and globular microstructure. Therefore, some
techniques were proposed for production of feedstock billets with globular structure over the recent
years.[12]–[15] One of these methods is cooling slope casting technology which has been developed to reduce
the production cost of feedstock material for thixoformed products.[16]–[19]
Cooling slope casting is a simple and effective method to obtain non-dendritic slurry. In this method, the
molten metal is poured onto inclination plate which is continuously water cooled; hence, the molten metal is
partially solidified on the plate and the slurry is then poured into the mold. This method has some advantages
over the conventional casting, such as good net shape capability, low energy cost, less entrapped gases, low
mold erosion, less shrinkage voids, minimized segregation, less porosity and fine grain size.[20] –[22]
The aim of this work is to study the effects of pouring temperature on the microstructure, hardness and wear
properties of semisolid hypereutectic Al–17%Si alloy (A390) cast in metallic and sand molds.
Materials and Experimental Procedures
Aluminum silicon alloy, A390, with the chemical composition shown in Table 1 was prepared using pure
aluminum. The other additives were charged into the furnace as pure metals include Si, Cu, Mn and Mg,
while Ti was added Al–10 wt% Ti master alloy. Melting was done in 100 kg capacity medium-frequency
induction furnace. The pouring temperatures in the present work were selected relative to the
liquidus temperature of the alloy. According to the differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis shown
in Figure 1, the liquidus temperature is 650 °C.
Table 1 Chemical Composition of the Experimental Alloy (wt%)
Alloy Si Cu Mg Fe Mn Zn Ti Al
Alloy A390
Min. 16.04.0 0.5 – – – – Bal.
Max. 18.05.0 0.650.4 0.1 0.1 0.2
Studied alloy17.43.970.600.220.0760.090.1Bal.
Graph: Figure 1 DSC curves of the A390 alloy.
Rheo-casting of the A390 alloy was done by melting the charge till 800 °C is reached and then pouring at
50–100 °C over the liquidus temperature (TL ≈ 650 °C) in order to facilitate partial solidification on the
cooling plate. Pouring temperature was controlled by inserting a thermocouple in the crucible. The cooling
slope plate (CSP) was constructed of iron in the form of rectangular plate with a groove to allow melt flow.
Two holes were drilled through the plate on the bottom side, as indicated on the schematic diagram, to allow
water circulation on the cooling plate as shown in Figure 2. To avoid the adhesion of the alloy melt on the
cooling plate, a refractory silica coating was applied to pouring. The plate length was 50 cm and was inclined
by 60° relative to the floor.
Graph: Figure 2 Cooling slope casting unit: (a) schematic illustration and (b) experimental setup.
When the melt reaches the desired temperature, the crucible is withdrawn from the furnace to the slope
cooling unit. After the melt cools down on the slope plate, it becomes semisolid at the end of cooling slope
plate. The slurry then fills the mold (metallic or sand) and completely solidifies to produce sample with the
dimensions of 20 mm diameter and 200 mm length. Another set of conventionally cast samples was prepared
for comparison with CSP casts by pouring directly from the crucible into the mold at 710 °C.
All the cast specimens were then prepared by cutting and grinding using silicon carbide abrasive disks of
increasing fineness (400–1200 grit) followed by polishing with alumina paste. Etching was done by a solution
of 2% hydrofluoric acid (HF), 3% hydrochloric acid (HCl) and 5% nitric acid (HNO3). The CSP samples were
denoted as A, B, C and D representing pouring at 670,690, 710 and 730, respectively. The microstructures of
the specimens were examined by optical microscopy. Quantitative image analysis was carried out by "Zeiss"
software attached to the microscope. The particle size = 4Aπ1/2 , volume fraction = 4PπA and shape factor
(SF) = P24A of the primary silicon particles were calculated where A is the area of the silicon particle and P is
the perimeter. For further microstructural investigation, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron
microscopy [JSM-7000F FEGSEM and backscattered electrons (BSE)] were used for phases identification
and characterization.
Hardness of the prepared samples was measured to represent the influence of the processed microstructures
on the mechanical properties. Vickers hardness test using 10 kN load was performed. The obtained results
were the average of five readings. Sliding wear tests were carried out for both rheo-casting and
conventional casting ingots using a pin-on-disk-type wear test machine (T-01 M) tribometer, where the pin is
the sample with dimensions (7 * 6 * 6 mm) and the counter disk is made of steel (65 HRC). The test
parameters were adjusted to 30 N load, 0.4 m/s sliding velocity and 2000 m sliding distance for all the
experiments. To obtain wear properties based on the weight loss, the surfaces of the samples were all cleaned
before testing and all the debris from the worn surface was removed prior to weighing the samples after the
test. The test was repeated three times, and the average weight loss was considered. The value of friction force
was monitored during the test through a data acquisition system stored in a PC, which enables the calculation
of friction coefficient as friction force divided by the actual force (30 N). The wear test machine and its
schematic representation are shown in Figure 3. Wear rate λ was calculated with the following
equation: λ = mρl where m is the mass loss, ρ is the density (2.62 g/cm3), and L is the sliding distance.
Graph: Figure 3 A photograph and schematic illustration of the dry sliding wear test.
Results and Discussion
Microstructure Investigation
The phase identification of the investigated A390 alloy is shown in the X-ray pattern of Figure 4. The alloy
microstructure consists mainly of three phases: Al matrix, primary Si and Cu phases.
Graph: Figure 4 XRD pattern of A390 alloy.
The microstructure of A390 alloy cast in metallic mold at different pouring temperatures is shown in Figure
5. The conventionally cast alloy exhibits complex microstructure where primary silicon has large particle size
(88.5 μm) with coarse plate and polygonal shape morphology as remarked in Figure 5a. In the rheo-cast
samples, as shown in Figure 5b–e, the primary silicon displays a variety of morphologies, such as coarse
plate, dendritic and other regular shapes. However, the overall observation is that using the CSP method could
successfully refine the primary Si particles and alter their distribution compared to the conventional casting at
certain pouring temperature. The other microstructural features obtained in the cast samples are shown in
the SEM micrographs of Figure 6 and their corresponding EDX analysis, as shown in Figure 7. It is clear that
the Cu phase segregates as large clusters in case of the conventional casting, while it is homogeneously
dispersed in the matrix as fine particles after rheo-casting, as shown in Figure 6b. Another important
microstructure feature which can be detected from the EDX elemental mapping of Figure 7 is the refined Fe
intermetallic particles in case of casting using the CSP. It was reported that the coarse platelet-like AlFeMnSi
phases can deteriorate the mechanical properties of Al–Si alloys by acting as potential sites of crack
initiation.[23],[24] Several research works were done in order to decrease the size or alter the shape of this
type of intermetallic phases.[25],[26] The fragmented AlFeMnSi phase is believed to affect the mechanical
properties of the CSP cast samples.
Graph: Figure 5 Optical microstructures of the conventional casting at 710 °C (a), CSP casting at (b) 670, (c)
690, (d) 710 and (e) 730 °C.
Graph: Figure 6 SEM micrographs of (a) conventional casting and (b) rheo-casting at 690 °C.
Graph: Figure 7 EDX elemental maps of AlFeMnSi phase in A390 alloy: (a) conventional casting and (b)
rheo-casting at 690 °C.
The calculated particle size of primary Si, shape factor and volume fraction of the different samples as a
function in the pouring temperature are shown in Figure 8. Following the quantitative analysis of the
microstructure features shown in this figure, it is apparent that the primary Si in case of CSP at 670 °C (A)
exhibited different morphologies, such as plate, dendritic and regular shapes with a shape factor of ~ 2.56
compared to 2.13 for the conventional casting. By increasing the pouring temperature, primary Si particles
become smaller in size from ~ 88.5 μm for the conventional casting to 21.7 μm at 690 °C along with regular
and polyhedral shape with a shape factor of 1.79. Further increase in the pouring temperature resulted in
coarsening of the primary Si particles where the particles size increased to 46 μm and shape factor to 2.2 μm.
The volume fraction distribution followed the typical reverse trend to the particle size, where the value
fraction was changed from 8.4 for the conventionally cast samples to 33.9 (sample B) and then reduced again
to 20.2 with increasing the pouring temperature to 730 °C.
Graph: Figure 8 Variations in the particle size, shape factor and volume fraction of the primary silicon
particles at different pouring conditions in metallic molds.
Based on the quantitative analysis of the metallic mold CSP samples, the optimum temperature was chosen
to be 690 °C to achieve the best Si particle characteristics. In contrast to the metallic mold samples, the
optimum temperature in case of the sand cast specimens is found to be 710 °C. Comparing with chemical
modification, the morphology of the Si partially changed from acicular to fibrous by using Sr refiner,[27] but
that of yttrium and Al–5Ti–1B modifiers changed from coarse irregular block-like/plate-shaped structures to
fine block-like structures.[28]
This is due to the difference in the cooling rate which influences the solidification of the slurry in the mold
cavity where significant increase in the cooling rate during the solidification process minimized the variation
of the primary Si crystal size.[29] Figure 9 shows the EDX elemental mapping at the
optimum pouring temperature using the sand mold, and the measurements of Si particles' size, shape factor
and volume fraction distribution are shown in Figure 10. Here, the Si particles reduced in size from ~ 184 to
30 μm and the shape factor increased from ~ 2.4 to 1.95, while the volume fraction increased from 4.3 to 33%
by casting using CSP at 710 °C. Similar to the metallic mold casting, increasing
the pouring temperature resulted in negative effects in terms of Si particles refinement.
Graph: Figure 9 EDX elemental mapping at the optimum pouring temperature (710 °C) using the sand
mold.
Graph: Figure 10 Variation in the particle size, shape factor and volume fraction of the primary silicon
particles at different pouring conditions in sand molds.
Mechanism of the Primary Silicon Refinement by Semisolid Casting
In order to interpret the microstructural changes due to semisolid casting using the CSP, the solidification
mechanism of the molten metal on the cooling plate should be explained. In the scope of Nafasi work,[30]
Figure 11 shows the solidification mechanisms during the rheo-casting process using the cooling slope plate.
Based on the previous literature,[19],[20] the expected refinement of the secondary phases during CSP
process can occur by two steps mechanism:
Graph: Figure 11 Representation of the solidification process using CSP method.[31]
The first step takes place at the upper point of the plate where cooling of the melt dominates. As the molten
material pours over the plate, the temperature drops quickly because of the contacting between the melt and
the cooling slope. As the temperature of the molten metal falls below the liquidus temperature due to the
forced convection, copious nucleation[20] for primary silicon occurs and solid nuclei are formed.
At the second step, when the melt is poured on the slope, the melt near the slope surface first undercooled,
and an enormous number of heterogeneous nuclei are formed on the surface of the plate. As the difference
in temperature between the molten metal and the plate increases, faster cooling rate is obtained which leads
to higher under cooling levels and thus to increased nucleation rate of primary (β-Si) phase which causes a
high grain density. This high grain density, i.e., large number of grain "nuclei" during the initial stage of
solidification, results in increasing the volume fraction of Si.[21] Moreover, the nuclei detached due to shear
force caused by the accelerated melt flow on the CSP, resulting in breaking of the edges of Si grains in the
same fashion of dendrite arm fragmentation in stirring. In the final stage, this strong melt flow washes away
the non-dendritic structures in the shape of slurry which is poured into the mold for complete solidification.
Figure 12 describes the above-mentioned explanation of the proposed solidification mechanisms and slurry
formation in the current experiments based on the published works.[17]–[20]
Graph: Figure 12 Formation mechanism of the slurry on the CSP.
Mechanical Properties Evaluation
Hardness
Figure 13 shows the hardness measurements of the samples solidified under the
optimum pouring temperatures in different mold materials using the CSP method. It is remarkable here that
the hardness of the rheo-cast samples is higher than those of the conventional cast ones regardless of the mold
type. This is a result of the pre-mentioned reduction in the average particle size and the uniform distribution
of Si particles and other microstructure phases. The faster cooling rate provided by the metallic increased the
hardness at the optimum condition from ~ 89 to 95 Hv; this value was further enhanced to 114 Hv
by casting using the CSP and pouring at 690 °C.
Graph: Figure 13 Hardness of the optimum condition using CSP method compared to the
conventional casting.
Wear Resistance
Since the resistance to wear is well related to hardness in Al–Si alloys, the samples prepared using CSP are
expected to show better resistance to wear. Figure 14 shows the tribological performance in terms of weight
loss and coefficient of friction, respectively, of the highest hardness values. It can be seen that
the semisolid cast alloy B (metallic mold) achieved lower weight loss compared to the sample C (sand mold)
and the conventionally cast specimens in metallic mold. The microstructure refinement due
to semisolid processing which appeared in increasing the volume fraction of Si particles and hence well
distributing the load supporting elements (Si particles) is responsible for the enhanced wear resistance in the
CSP samples. Besides, the fragmentation of the coarse Fe intermetallic particles decreased the chances of the
localized failure while moving in contact with the counter disk. The increased values of friction coefficient, as
shown in Figure 15, in case of the CSP samples further confirm this observation. The coefficient of friction is
proportionally related to the friction force[32]; hence, the harder the sample, the higher is the friction force
(considering the same counter disk) and the larger is the friction coefficient.
Graph: Figure 14 Weight loss at different conditions for sand and metallic molds.
Graph: Figure 15 Friction coefficient at different conditions for sand and metallic molds.
Figure 16 represents the worn surface morphology of the wear tested samples. It is clear that samples B
(metallic mold) and C (sand mold) prepared by CSP method have worn surface with lower distortion
compared to the conventional casting. According to Ojha et al.[33] and Anasyida et al.,[34] the presence of
coarse secondary phase particles in the microstructure which do not have enough bonding with the matrix
creates interfacial areas that becomes then sites for microcracking upon exposure to friction loading. This
means the larger the particle size, the higher the chance for microcracking during the wear test.
Graph: Figure 16 Worn surface morphology of the samples poured in metallic and sand molds, respectively,
from the left side, where (a), (b) are conventional casting and (c), (d) are CSP.
Conclusions
The influence of the semisolid casting temperature using the cooling slope plate method on the
microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of hypereutectic Al–Si alloy (A390) was investigated, and the
following conclusions were driven:
• Rheo-casting using the cooling slope plate is an effective method in refining and uniformly
distributing the primary Si, intermetallic phase Cu2Al and fragmenting the large AlFeMnSi
phase.
• The optimum temperatures to obtain small Si particle with uniform distribution and regular
shape using the CSP at inclination angle 60° and plate length 500 mm are 710 °C in the sand
mold and 690 °C in the metallic mold.
• The refinement and homogenization of the microstructure enhanced the alloy properties by
decreasing the size of primary Si to 70%, increasing the hardness by 20% and decreasing
consequently the weight loss by 50% compared to the conventionally cast sample.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional
affiliations.
References
1 Chen C, Yang C, Chao C. A novel method for net-shape forming of hypereutectic Al–Si alloys by
thixocasting with powder performs. J. Mater. Process. Technol. 2005; 167: 103-109.
1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXnslOqsro%3D. 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2004.10.001
2 Wu YP, Wang SJ, Li H, Liu XF. A new technique to modify hypereutectic Al–24%Si alloys by a Si–P master
alloy. J. Alloys Compd. 2009; 477: 139-144. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXltleisL8%3D.
10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.10.015
3 Haga T, Sakaguchi H, Inui H, Watari H, Kumai S. Aluminum alloy semisolid strip casting using an unequal
diameter twin roll caster. J. Achiev. Mater. Manuf. Eng. 2006; 14: 157-162
4 Jiang Q, Xu C. Morphologies of primary silicon in hypereutectic Al–Si alloys with melt
overheating temperature and cooling rate. Mater. Sci. Eng. A. 2006; 437: 451-457.
10.1016/j.msea.2006.08.063
5 Haizhi Y. An overview of the development of Al–Si-alloy based material for engine applications. J. Mater.
Eng. Perform. 2003; 12: 288-297. 10.1361/105994903770343132
6 Gruzlesk J, Closset B. The treatment of liquid aluminium–silicon alloys. 1990: Des Plaines; AFS: 107-126
7 Shi W, Gao B, Tu G, Li S, Hao Y, Yu F. Effect of neodymium on the primary silicon and mechanical
properties of hypereutectic Al–15%Si alloy. J. Rare Earths. 2010; 28: 367-370. 10.1016/S1002-
0721(10)60363-8
8 Chen C, Liu Z, En B, Wang MX, Weng Y, Liu Z. Influences of complex modification of P and RE on
microstructure and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al–20Si alloy. Trans. Nonferr. Met. Soc. China.
2007; 17: 301-306. 10.1016/S1003-6326(07)60089-2
9 Ning ZL, Wang H, Sun JF. Deformation behavior of semisolid A356 alloy prepared by
low temperature pouring. Mater. Manuf. Process. 2010; 25: 648-653. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhtFSlurrJ.
10.1080/10426910903447279
Martinez RA, Flemings MC. Evolution of particle morphology in semisolid processing. Metall. Mater. Trans.
A. 2005; 36: 2205-2210. 10.1007/s11661-005-0339-1
Khalifa W, Tsunekawa Y, El-Hadad S. Ultrasonic rheo-die casting of A383 aluminum alloy. Solid State
Phenom. 2016; 256: 282-287. 10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.256.282
Guo HM, Luo XQ, Zhang AS, Yang XJ. Trans. Nonferr. Met. Soc. China. 2010; 20: 1361-1366.
1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXht1GjtbfJ. 10.1016/S1003-6326(09)60305-8
Haga T, Suzuki S. Casting of aluminum alloy ingots for thixoforming using a cooling slope. J. Mater.
Process. Technol. 2001; 118: 169-172. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XmtVKhsQ%3D%3D. 10.1016/S0924-
0136(01)00888-3
Haga T, Kapranos P. Simple rheocasting processes. J. Mater. Process. Technol. 2002; 130–131: 594-598.
10.1016/S0924-0136(02)00819-1
Khalifa W, Tsunekawa Y, El-Hadad S. Microstructure characteristics and tensile property of ultrasonic
treated-thixo cast A356 alloy. Trans. Nonferr. Met. Soc. China. 2015; 25: 3173-3180.
1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2MXitV2ks7bN. 10.1016/S1003-6326(15)63949-8
Kund NK, Dutta P. Numerical study of influence of oblique plate length and cooling rate on solidification and
macro segregation of A356 aluminum alloy melt with experimental comparison. J. Alloys Compd. 2016; 678:
343-354. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC28XmtVOls70%3D. 10.1016/j.jallcom.2016.02.152
Gao L, Cao F, Chen Z, Xu J, Wang T, Cao Z, Li T. Mechanism of alloy Microstructure globularization during
cooling slope process. Material Research Innovations. 2014; 18: 412-417.
1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2cXhs1agtLnJ. 10.1179/1433075X13Y.0000000166
Das P, Samanta SK, Chattopadhyay H, Dutta P. Microstructural evolution of A356 Al alloy during flow
along a cooling slopes. Trans. Indian Inst. Met. 2012; 65; 6: 669-672.
1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXpvVGgtbg%3D. 10.1007/s12666-012-0208-8
M. Ramadan, N. Fathy, Solidification microstructure of rheocast hyper-eutectic Al–18Si alloy. J. Metall. Eng.
2, 149–154 (2013)
Samanta P, Dutta P. Microstructure evolution and rheological behavior of cooling slope processed Al–Si–
Cu–Fe alloy slurry. Metall. Mater. Trans. A. 2016; 47: 2243-2256. 10.1007/s11661-016-3356-3
Flemings MC, Martinez RA. Principles of microstructural formation in semi-solid metal processing. Solid
State Phenom. 2006; 116–117: 1-8. 10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.116-117.1
S. Deepak Kumar, A. Mandal, M. Chakraborty, Cooling slope casting process of semisolid aluminum alloys:
a review. Int. J. Eng. Res. Technol. 3, 269–283 (2014)
M.N. Mohammed, M.Z. Omar, M.S. Salleh, K.S. Alhawari, P. Kapranos, Semisolid metal processing
techniques for non-dendritic feedstock production. Sci. World J. (2013). https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/752175
Alhawari KS, Omar MZ, Ghazali MJ, Salleh MS, Mohammed MN. Evaluation of the microstructure and dry
sliding wear behaviour of thixoformed A319 aluminium alloy. Mater. Des. 2015; 76: 169-180.
1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2MXlsl2qur4%3D. 10.1016/j.matdes.2015.03.057
W. Khalifa, S. El-Hadad, Y. Tsunekawa, Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of sono
processed-thixo cast AC4C billets, in 71st World Foundry Congress on Advanced Sustainable Energy, 19–21
May 2014, Bilbao, Spain (2014)
Hassas-Irani SB, Zarei-Hanzaki B, Roostaei A. Microstructure evolution and semi-solid deformation
behavior of an A356 aluminum alloy processed by strain induced melt activated method. Mater. Des. 2013;
46: 579-587. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXit1yqtLo%3D. 10.1016/j.matdes.2012.10.041
Haghdadi N, Zarei-Hanzaki A, Heshmati-Manesh S, Abedi HR, Hassas-Irani S.
The semisolid microstructural evolution of a severely deformed A356 aluminum alloy. Mater. Des. 2013; 49:
878-887. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXmslaitb8%3D. 10.1016/j.matdes.2013.02.051
H. Tahiri, A.M. Samuel, H.W. Doty, S. Valtierra, F.H. Samuel, Effect of Sr–grain refiner–Si interactions on
the microstructure characteristics of Al–Si hypereutectic alloys. Inter. Metalcast. 12, 307–320 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-017-0164-5
Q. Li, B. Li, J. Liu, J. Li, D. Liu, Y. Lan, T. Xia, Modification of hypereutectic Al–20%wt Si alloy based on the
addition of yttrium and Al–5Ti–1B modifiers mixing melt. Inter. Metalcast. 13, 367–383 (2019).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-018-0242-3
W. Kasprzak, M. Sahoo, J. Sokolowsk, H. Yamagata, H. Kurita, The effect of the melt temperature and the
cooling rate on the microstructure of the Al–20% Si alloy used for monolithic engine blocks. Int. J. Met. Cast.
(2009)
Nafisi S, Ghomashchi R. Semi-solid metal processing routes: an overview. J. Can. Metall. Q. 2005; 44; 3:
289-303. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXmsFaqtLY%3D. 10.1179/cmq.2005.44.3.289
Harun M, Talib IA, Daud AR. Effect of element additions on wear property of eutectic aluminium–silicon
alloys. Wear. 1996; 194: 54-59. 1:CAS:528:DyaK28XjsFOkt7k%3D. 10.1016/0043-1648(95)06707-8
Ojha KV, Tomar A, Singh D, Kaushal GC. Shape, microstructure and wear of spray formed hypoeutectic Al–
Si alloys. Mater. Sci. Eng. A. 2008; 487: 591-596. 10.1016/j.msea.2007.10.032
Anasyida AS, Daud AR, Ghazali MJ. Dry sliding wear behavior of Al–12Si–4Mg alloy with cerium addition.
Mater. Des. 2010; 31: 365-374. 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXhtV2ktr%2FL. 10.1016/j.matdes.2009.06.007
~~~~~~~~
By M. M. Shehata; S. El-Hadad; M. E. Moussa and M. El-Shennawy
Reported by Author; Author; Author; Author

International Journal of Metalcasting is a copyright of Springer, 2021. All Rights Reserved.