Manufacturing slurry and rheocasting of hypereutectic Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy

Both rapid and stable semi-solid slurry preparation of hypereutectic Al-14.8%Si-4.5%Cu-1.1%Mg alloy (in mass%) with fine solid granules as well as finely dispersed primary silicon particles was tried using a simple method newly developed, where the low-superheat melt passes through a gap between a rotating regular octagonal rotor and a circumscribed chill block. By examining effects of melt temperature running out from tundish, gap distance and rotational speed of rotor on solidification structure of the semi-solid slurry manufactured, the optimum making condition of the targeted semi-solid slurry was found out. Mean sizes of solid granules and primary silicon particles within the slurry, which had been made quickly with the good reproducibility, were 45μm and 20μm, respectively. Subsequently the obtained semi-solid slurries were rheocast into a cylindrical shape cavity by the use of a high pressure casting machine. It has been shown that the rheocast samples have peak hardness value between the gravity casting and the hot-extrusion, but a good age-hardenability somewhat higher than that of gravity casting.