The Effect of Cooling Rate on Properties of Intermetallic Phase in a Complex Al-Si Alloy

The cooling rate is one of the main tools available to the process engineer by means of which it is possible to influence the crystallisation process. Imposing a desired microstructure on a casting as early as in the casting solidification phase widens significantly the scope of technological options at disposal in the process of aluminium-silicon alloy parts design and application. By changing the cooling rate it is possible to influence the course of the crystallisation process and thus also the material properties of individual microstructure components. In the study reported in this paper it has been found that the increase of cooling rate within the range of solidification temperatures of a complex aluminium-silicon alloy resulted in a decrease of values of the instrumented indentation hardness (HIT) and the instrumented indentation elastic modulus (EIT) characterising the intermetallic phase occurring in the form of polygons, rich in aluminium, iron, silicon, manganese, and chromium, containing also copper, nickel, and vanadium. Increased cooling rate resulted in supersaturation of the matrix with alloying elements.