Assessment of modification and formation of intermetallic compounds in aluminum alloy using thermal analysis

In this research, melt of aluminum alloy was modified using Al-10 wt.% Sr masteralloy. Thermal analysis has been used to record the cooling curve of temperature-time for a sample of solidified alloy. Important solidification events have been evaluated using the first derivative-cooling curves. Effect of strontium on the formation temperature and undercooling temperature of intermetallic compounds during pre- and post-eutectic reactions of the alloy has also been investigated using thermal analysis and SEM-EDS. Six reactions in the formation of different phases have been identified by studying first derivative-cooling curves of the alloy. Nucleation temperatures of these phases were studied and compared in both modified and un-modified aluminum alloy. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.