Rapidly Solidified Al-6Si-3Cu Alloy

Rapid solidification processes, RSP, are powerful tools to induce microstructural modifications, which may improve mechanical properties of alloys. In this paper the influence of rapid solidification on the formation of the undesirable brittle intermetallic compounds promoted by Si and Fe in Al-6Si-3Cu (A319-type) alloy have been investigated. The alloy have been casted using both conventional method and water-cooled wedge-copper mould. The microstructures have been evaluated by using a combination of X-ray diffraction, optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and by Vickers microhardness. By increasing the cooling rate the length of the intermetallic β-Al5FeSi phase decreased, accompanying the same tendency of the secondary dendritic arm spacing. These results are accompanied by an increasing in hardness. Moreover, the formation and growth of the Al2Cu phase have been suppressed. These microstructural and hardness changes with the rapid solidification might be attributed to the increased solid solution content of the elements in the Al matrix.