The Effect of the β-Al5FeSi Phases on Microstructure, Mechanical and Fatigue Properties in A356.0 Cast Alloys with Higher Fe Content without Additional Alloying of Mn

Secondary-cast aluminum alloys have increasing industrial applications. Their biggest deficiency is their impurity content, especially Fe, which has low solubility in Al and almost all the content creates intermetallic phases. This work examines the effect of higher Fe content on the microstructure and properties of A356.0 alloy. At the same time, no other possibility existed to affecting the brittleness of the formation of the beta phases. The calculation of Fe-crit, ratio of Mn/Fe, quantitative and computed tomography analysis of porosity and Fe plate-like phases, measurement of mechanical and fatigue properties, and fractography analysis were performed in this study. The results show that gravity die casting into a sand mold, and the non-usage of Mn addition or heat treatment, do not have a negative effect on increasing the size of the Fe-rich plate-like phases. The longest Fe-rich phases have limited the pore growth and ratios, but their higher thickness led to greater porosity formation. The mechanical and fatigue properties correlate with the Fe-crit level and the highest were for the experimental alloy with 0.454 wt.% of Fe. The experimental results confirmed the fact that if the Fe plate-like phases have a length of up to 50 mu m, the fatigue properties depend more on the size of porosity. If the length of the Fe needles is more than 50 mu m, then the properties are mainly affected by the length of these Fe phases.

Automated summary

This study investigated the impact of higher Fe content on the microstructure and properties of A356.0 alloy, showing that Fe-rich plate-like phases can limit pore growth but lead to increased porosity formation with higher thickness. Mechanical and fatigue properties were found to correlate with Fe-crit level, with the best performance seen in the experimental alloy with 0.454 wt.% Fe content.