Evaluation of the Technological Properties of the Al-Si Eutectic Alloy Based on Density Index Test
Abstract
Aluminium-silicon alloys are widely used in industrial practice due to their many advantages, including light weight and relatively high strength. The consumption of these light engineering materials is constantly increasing, especially in the automotive industry, due to new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards. The sustainable development strategy in the foundry industry is related to reducing the amount of waste and pollution generated during the production process. In turn, reducing the number of production shortages and waste requires the production of good quality Al-Si castings, and thus the appropriate selection and monitoring of technological parameters affecting the quality of the liquid alloy, including the level of purity and the degree of its gasification. The main objective of the research conducted to evaluate the technological properties of the AlSi12CuNiMg (AlSi12) alloy was to identify the causes of increased defect rates in piston castings during the production process at the Złotecki Sp. z o.o. The tests were carried out using two Al-Si alloys with silicon content close to eutectic (approx. 12%) used for piston castings, from two different suppliers. Three measurement methods were used to evaluate the technological properties of the tested AlSi12 alloys: thermal analysis, fluidity test and density index for gasification measurement. Based on the analysis of the results, it was concluded that an excessively low-density index level might be the cause of the increased casting defect rates observed in the production of pistons for internal combustion engines and compressors, particularly for castings with significant variations in wall thickness.References
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