Effect of Higher Iron Content and Manganese Addition on the Corrosion Resistance of AlSi7Mg0.6 Secondary Alloy

The use of secondary aluminium alloys gives manufacturers in many industries the opportunity to produce their products more economically and environmentally friendly. The secondary aluminium alloy production is sustainable in the long term. As aluminium does not lose its excellent properties through recycling, secondary aluminium alloys have the potential to replace primary aluminium in many applications. However, recycled aluminium alloys have the disadvantage of insufficient sorting and thus a higher content of impurities in their chemical composition. The most common undesirable element in Al-Si-Mg cast alloys is iron. It adversely affects mechanical properties, fatigue behaviour and corrosion resistance. The influence of iron can be reduced by the addition of manganese. This paper deals with the effect of manganese on the morphology of Fe-phases and corrosion resistance of AlSi7Mg0.6 secondary alloy with higher iron content (0.75 % and 1.26 %).

Automated summary

The use of secondary aluminium alloys allows manufacturers to produce products more economically and environmentally friendly. However, recycled aluminium alloys have a higher content of impurities due to insufficient sorting. Iron is the most common undesirable element in Al-Si-Mg cast alloys, affecting mechanical properties negatively. The addition of manganese can reduce the influence of iron.