Effect of casting thickness on mechanical properties of AlSi5Cu3 Aluminium alloy

The present paper primarily focuses on the influence of casting thickness on the mechanical properties of AlSi5Cu3 Aluminium alloy. The AlSi5Cu3 alloy is selected owing to excellent properties, multiple applications in diverse sectors and better castability. The rectangular shaped castings with the size of 130 mm x 105 mm x 8 mm, 130 mm x 105 mm x 12 mm and 130 mm x 105 mm x 16 mm were produced using sand casting. The microscopic study evidenced that the more refined grain structure is formed in lower thickness due to a higher solidification rate. The grain analysis confirmed that the average grain area is increasing whereas the number of grains is decreasing with increasing casting thickness. The tensile strength is improved by 2.29% and 5.55% for 8 mm thick plate compared to 12 mm and 16 mm thick plates respectively. The hardness for 8 mm thick plate is 7.89% and 13.88% higher compared to 12 mm and 16 mm thick plates respectively. In general, the mechanical properties were improved with decreasing casting thickness because of grain refinement due to instant solidification. Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Materials, Processing & Characterization.

Automated summary

The present paper investigates the influence of casting thickness on the mechanical properties of AlSi5Cu3 Aluminium alloy. The results show that a lower thickness leads to a more refined grain structure, resulting in improved tensile strength and hardness.