Die cast aluminum alloys

In aluminum die casting process the molten metal is injected under pressure into the hardened steel
dies. See more alumcasting.com
Different casting processes require the alloy to have different casting characteristics, such as:

Castability
Sludge formation
Alloy fluidity
Machineability
Die soldering
Porosity
Macro segregation

Castability
Castability is the property of an alloy to be cast without formation of defects such as:

cracks,
segregations,
pores or
misruns.

Alloy dependent the phenomena that determine castability, fluidity, macro segregation,
hot tearing and porosity.
Castability of aluminum alloys can also defined such as solidification path, dendrite
coherency, solidification shrinkage and inter dendrite permeability.
Type of aluminum die casting alloys
The standard die casting aluminum alloys are:

A360 Have the best corrosion resistance and pressure tightness.

A380 -- The most common and cost effective of aluminum die casting alloy.
A383 & A384 -- Modifications of 380 alloy. Good die filling. Moderate toughness.
A390 Applyed where high strength, fluidity and wear- resistance and bearing properties
are needed.
A413 (A13) -- Used for maximum pressure tightness and fluidity.

Die soldering
Die soldering is the phenomenon that molten aluminum sticks to the surface of the die material and
remains there after the ejection of the cast part.
Molten aluminum enters in the die with a high velocity and destroys the protective film (coating and
lubricant) on the die surface. The molten aluminum comes in contact with the virgin die surface.
Iron in the die dissolves into the molten aluminum and a layer of inter metallic phases is formed. A
soldering layer is formed over this intermediate layer at an atomic level, which is difficult to
prevent.

Sludge formation
Sludge is made up of primary crystals containing Al, Si, Fe, Mn, Cr, Mg, etc. and having high
melting temperature and high specific gravity.
Factors that affect sludge formation:

Alloy composition.
Melting and holding temperatures
Cooling rate
Sludge factor (SF) . (SF) = (1 x wt % Fe) + (2 x wt% Mn) + (3 x wt % Cr )

Fluidity
Fluidity is a materials ability to flow into and fill a given cavity.
The length of molten liquid metal that can flow through a given mould before freezing.
Fluidity is heavily dependent on heat flow during solidification.
Fluidity of aluminum alloys depends on:

lubricant coatings,
alloying additions,
head pressure, and
temperature of molten metal.

Factors which effect on fluidity:

Alloy chemical composition play a important role in die filling.

Alloying elements that lean to form high temperature compounds, e.g., Fe, Mn, Cr, and Mg,
tend to decrease fluidity.

Porosity
Hydrogen gas dissolve in the liquid molten aluminum alloy from the atmosphere. Its solubility
varies directly with temperature and the square root of pressure.
During the cooling and solidification of molten aluminum, dissolved hydrogen in excess of the
extremely low solid solubility may precipitate in molecular form, resulting in the formation of
primary and secondary voids .
There are two types of hydrogen porosity occur in the die cast. One is the inter-dendritic porosity,
which is encountered when hydrogen contents are sufficiently high that hydrogen rejected at the
solidification due to high pressures above atmospheric.
Secondary (micron-size) porosity occurs when dissolved hydrogen contents are low, and void
formation is characteristically critical.