Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
~----------------------------D.Apelianand~.Paliwal----------------------------~
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
D. C. Herrschaft
International Lead and Zinc Research Organization, Inc.
New York, New York
SUMMARY
Zi,!c-~ased
alloys have been used for pressure die-casting Table I: Range of Mechanical Propertle. of Different
appl£catwns for decades because of their excellent mechani- Ca.tlng Alloy.
cal properties and economic advantages as compared to
oth~r pressure die-~asting alloys, such as copper-, mag-
nes£um-, and alummum-based alloys. However, recently Tensne Strength Elongation Brinell
Alloy MPa (ksl) % Hardness
there has been a growing interest in the use of zinc-based
alloys as a general purpose foundry alloy. In this article the Gray iron 138-586 20-85 0 100-185
m.etallurgy of the zinc-al'!minum based family of alloys is Ductile iron 379-1103 55-160 1-18 160-302
d£scussed; the pressure d£e casting and gravity casting zinc
Malleable iron 276-758 40-110 1-18 160-302
alloys are fully described in terms of chemical composition
and mechanical properties. Casting with zinc alloys can Steel 345-1379 50-200 5-25 130-400
offer material, processing, and economic advantages; these Aluminum-based
are covered and examples of applications are given. alloys 138-310 20-45 <12 55-145
Though the superiority of zinc-based alloys for pressure Copper-based
die-casting applications vis-ii-vis other die casting alloys alloys 172-1207 25-175 <40 44-150
has always been realized, this has not been the case for the Zinc-based
foundry (gravity cast) alloys. It is shown that the zinc-based alloys 221-448 32-65 <10 80-125
a~lo>:s are viable engineering materials; that they possess
d£stmct 'processing and economic advantages, and exhibit With the availability of high-purity zinc (99.99%), im-
mechamcal properties which are competitive with other proved intercrystalline corrosion resistance became a
traditional casting alloys - both ferrous and nonferrous. reality. Between 1930-40 the Zamak· 3 and 5 pressure die-
casting alloys were introduced. Alloys No.3 and No.5 both
INTRODUCTION contain 4% AI, 0.03% Mg, and different amounts of copper.
In prewar and wartime Germany, gravity-cast zinc-based
Zinc and its alloys have come a long way. Paracelsus
(1493-1541), one of the first to mention and describe the alloys were used in lieu of copper and its alloys because of
metal zinc, states: 1 copper scarcity. In fact, between 1939 and 1943, Germany's
"~oreover there is another metal generally unknown called
use of zinc alloys increased sevenfold, from 7,BOO to 49,000
zmken. It is. of peculiar nature and origin; many other metals metric tons. More specifically, zinc alloys were developed
adulterate It. It can be melted and is not malleable. Its and extensively used in Germany during World War II as
colour is different from other metals and does not resemble bearing material, substituting for bronze. The zinc alloy
others in its growth. Its ultimate matter is not to me yet bearings proved to possess higher affinity for oil, a lower
fully kn~wn .. It admits of no mixture and does not permit of coefficient of friction, superior mechanical properties!.. and
the fabncatwnes of other metals. It stands alone entirely high internal damping characteristics. Thus an early back-
to itself." ground of experience in the use of gravity-cast zinc alloys
It is believed that the manufacturing of zinc originated in was developed in Europe. Table I illustrates the range of
India, and evidence exists that zinc was known to the an- mechanical properties of zinc-based alloy castings compared
cients (prior to 500 B.C.); bracelets made of zinc were found to other casting alloys.
i~ the ruins of Cameros. l Early in the twentieth century,
In the United States, the use of zinc in the casting indus-
zmc. alloys ~er~ first developed and utilized in pressure die try was, until recently, limited principally to pressure die-
c~stmg of pnntmg type as a substitute for tin and lead alloys,
casting alloys. Other important nonferrous alloys used by the
smce the latter lacked strength and tin was expensive. One die-casting industry are either aluminum, magnesium, or
of the earliest alloys developed for this use contained 6% Sn copper based. Of these four alloy systems, the zinc-based
5% Cu, 0.5% AI, and the balance zinc. ' alloys have been favored by the pressure die-casting industry
. The earl~ zinc alloys were not optimally designed and dis- because they exhibit good mechanical properties compared to
l~tegrated m aqueous environments. This was unfortunate
other pressure die-casting alloys (Table ll). In addition
smce adverse reputations are difficult to shed. These early their lower melting point (thus, longer die life and highe;
alloys were found to be susceptible to intercrystalline corro- production rates) make pressure die-casting with zinc alloys
sion and overaging, causing loss of strength and distortion. economically attractive. The zinc-based pressure die-casting
The intercrystalline corrosion of these alloys was found to be alloys thus enjoyed a market protected from the competition
due to im~urities such as tin, lead, and cadmium; whereas, of other alloy systems.
the o.veragmg was due to the high copper content. Because However, during the 19608, part of this market was lost to
of thls. earl~ poor ~erformance, many metallurgists did not injection molded plastics. The need to remain competitive
re.cognlze zmc and lts alloys as viable engineering materials with the plastic industry stimulated research and develop-
wlth excellent properties. ment of thin-wall die castings; thus, optimum process con-
trols and design guidelines were developed. 2 - 4 Concurrently
'Zamak ~s a registered ~rademark a~d these alloys are generally referred to as No.3 and No. alloy research work was being pursued to develop a zinc pres-
5. In thiS paper the zmc alloys Will be referred to by their alloy number designation. sure die-casting alloy with improved creep resistance. While
12 JOURNAL OF METALS • November 1981
this objective was not attained initially, the work resulted The Zn-Al System
in the introduction of Alloy No. 12 (containing 10.5-11.5 The Zn-Al equilibrium phase diagram (Figure 1) exhibits
wt. % Al as the major alloying element).6-s Alloy No. 12 a eutectic transformation at the composition 95 wt. % Zn-5
had creep resistance properties comparable to Alloys No.3 wt. % Al at a temperature of 382°C. The products of the
and No.5, but exhibited excellent properties and gravity- eutectic transformation are the hexagonal close packed zinc-
casting characteristics in a variety of mold materials. rich (1.0 wt. % AI) phase {J, and the face centered cubic
Because of its outstanding castability and mechanical a' phase (17.2 wt. % AI). The solubility of aluminum in
properties, the No. 12 alloy was accepted by the foundry the {J phase (1.0 wt. % Al at the eutectic temperature)
industry. Table m shows the comparative properties of the decreases with temperature, to 0.05 wt. % Al at 20°C. The
sand cast No. 12 alloy and other foundry alloys. This suc- a' phase (17.2 wt. % Al at eutectic temperature) is unstable
cessful application led to the search for other novel zinc- at temperatures below 275°C (a' of 22 wt. % AI) and under-
based alloys. Alloys No.8 and No. 27 (containing 8.0-8.8 goes a eutectoid transformation to a zinc-rich phase of
wt. % and 25.0-28.0 wt. % AI, respectively, as the major approximately 0.6 wt. % Al and an aluminum-rich phase of
alloying element) were thus introduced. s-12 At present approximately 31.6 wt. % Zn.
these newly developed gravity-cast zinc-based alloys are re- The AI-Zn system permits manipulation of the mechanical
placing other nonferrous alloys, gray cast iron, and malleable properties of castings by suitable heat treatment. The alumi-
cast iron in a number of applications as general purpose num-rich a phase is especially suitable for solution harden-
foundry alloys.8.l2-l6 ing since it can be supersaturated by as much as 30 wt. %
Zn. Furthermore, both a and {J phases can be strengthened
ALLOY DEVELOPMENT by precipitation because of decreasing solute solubility
In the early stages of the development of zinc-based with decreasing temperature.
alloys, the benefits of adding aluminum as an alloying ele-
ment were recognized. The addition of aluminum to zinc Copper
results in an increased fluidity of the melt, finer grain size, Copper is used as an alloying element in all Zn-Al alloys
and improved mechanical properties of the castings. 16• l7 as a strengthener and a hardener. The effect of copper addi-
The binary Zn-Al system forms the basis of most of the com- tion on the mechanical properties of zinc alloys containing
mercial alloys developed for the pressure die-casting and various amounts of aluminum is depicted in Figure 2. Copper
gravity-casting industries. Copper and magnesium are the additions of up to 2 wt. % increase alloy tensile strength and
other commonly used alloying elements. For specific appli- lower the tensile elongation. The addition of copper also
cations where creep resistance is desired, chromium and improves the alloy creep and corrosion resistance. Further-
titanium are also used as additional alloying elements, more, copper moderately retards the kinetics of the eutectoid
such as in Alloy No. 16. reaction which occurs at 275°C. For example, Zn-20 wt. %
Table II: Mechanical Propertl•• of Zinc and Other Pre•• ure Die-Casting Alloy.-
Table III: Propertle. of Sand Ca.t Zinc No. 12 and Other Foundry Alloy.13.15
------
granular corrosion.1 6 Besides lead, cadmium, and tin, the
600
~ t -r-- other impurities that are controlled are iron and silicon
.........
~ r--- L
which form hard and brittle compounds, thus making ma-
~ chining and finishing operations difficult.
500
.............. "" "",
- ~~382'
400 a rS~~· COMPOSITION, MICROSTRUCTURES, AND
82.8
353-,
9:1 MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF
300 L'"
l-- 275·
61.3'"
""- 99
7 8 - r-99.4
COMMERCIAL Zn-BASED CASTING ALLOYS
The zinc alloys that have traditionally been used for pres-
~ 31.6
I
200 /"" a+8 sure die-casting applications, Alloys No.3 and No.5, have
an aluminum content of 3.9-4.3 wt. %. Alloy No.5 which has
100
AI
/ 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
I
80
(Zn)---
90 Zn
the same composition as No.3, except for the addition of
0.75-1.25 wt. % Cu, has a high tensile strength, hardness,
Weight Percentage Zinc and creep resistance than No.3 but a lower impact strength
at elevated temperatures.
Figure 1. Zinc-aluminum phase diagram. 1.
Pressure die-castings of Alloys No.3 and No.5 exhibit
excellent mechanical properties and have been used satis-
factorily in numerous engineering applications. However,
a 58r------, strength retention of these alloys at elevated temperatures
o (90-150°C) is poor. Alloys development work directed toward
8 54 improving the creep resistance properties of pressure die-
casting alloys led to the introduction of two additional alloys
:r in the mid-1960s: No. 14 (containing 1.0-1.5 wt. % Cu and
t; 50 0.25-0.3 wt. % Ti) and No. 16 (containing 1.0-1.5 wt. % Cu,
Z 0.15-0.25 wt. % Ti, and 0.1-0.2 wt. % Cr). In these alloys,
~ 46 aluminum is only present in trace amounts. Of the two,
~ Alloy No. 16 shows superior properties and presently is the
Cf)
only one used in applications where high creep resistance is
W 42 26% At 30% At required. Alloys No.8, No. 12, and No. 27 have a much high-
...J
en er aluminum content than the pressure die-casting Alloys
~ 38 ~-------'----'-........_I No.3 and No.5. The nominal composition ranges of the
~ zinc casting alloys are summarized in Table IV.
With the exception of Alloy No. 16, all the zinc casting
~ 12 alloys are based on the binary Zn-Al system. Their relative
o mechanical properties can be understood on the basis of
Z 8 their composition (aluminum content) and the resulting
o microstructural features. Both Alloys No.3 and No.5 have
~
C)
similar microstructures. As shown in Figure 5, cored den-
drites of the zinc-rich {3 phase (>99 wt. % Zn) are sur-
is
...J
rounded by the product -phases of the eutectic transforma-
tion. On the other side of the eutectic composition lie
W 0 2402402 4 Alloys No.8, No. 12, and No. 27. The microstructure of the
No. 12 alloy, shown in Figure 6, consists of aluminum-rich
COPPER CONTENT ( Wt. % dendrites surrounded by the eutectic-like structure. Alloy
Figure 2. Effect of copper addition on tensile strength and No.8 has a microstructure similar to Alloy No. 12; however,
elongation of Zn-AI alloys with 22, 28, and 30 wt. % AI.l0 it contains a smaller volume fraction of the aluminum-rich
14 JOURNAL OF METALS· November 1981
dendrites. Alloy No. 27, which has the highest aluminum
content, is composed mainly of a dendritic structure sur-
rounded by a small volume fraction of the eutectic phases
(See Figure 7). Here the aluminum-rich dendrites are highly
cored; the dendrite center having the highest aluminum
content (Figure 7).
For alloy compositions on either side of the eutectic com-
position, increasing the volume fraction of the dendritic
phase improves the mechanical properties of the resultant
castings, particularly the fracture toughness proper-
ties.12.22.23 For alloy compositions lying towards the alumi-
num-rich side from the eutectic composition, an improve-
ment in the mechanical properties is obtained with increas-
ing aluminum content. The commercially available zinc-
based casting alloys, in increasing order of these fracture
toughness, are therefore No.8, No. 12 and No. 27. Typical Figure 4. Grossly contaminated zinc alloy die casting showing
mechanical properties of zinc-based casting alloys (pressure severe cracking as a result of Intercrystalllne corrosion, after
die cast as well as gravity cast in sand or permanent molds) 10 years of servlce. 1'
are summarized in Table V.
CASTING PRACTICES
The zinc alloys surpass other alloys when their versatility
in terms of casting flexibility is considered. The zinc alloys
can be either pressure die cast, or gravity cast in a variety of
stationary or rotating (centrifugal) mold materials. In pres-
sure die-casting, the mold material used is typically P-20
die steel, although H-13 die steel is sometimes used for
specific mold components (such as ejector pins, etc.) that
require the use of a higher strength material. When pressure
die-casting with Alloys No.3 and No.5, a "hot chamber"
machine should be used to maximize the production rate.
However, when pressure die-casting Alloys No.8, No. 12,
and No. 27, it is mandatory to use a "cold chamber" die-
-
.~
Q.
Figure 5. Microstructure of pressure die-cast zinc Alloy No.3.
o
o
-t;
Q
X 54
Z
lIJ
a:: 50
t;
~ 46
-it 12
- 8
BASE ALLOY: Zn- 27% Al
AGED
4
Allo;r Designation
Element No.3 No.5 No.8 No. 12 No.i6 No. rr
Cu 0.10 0.75-1.25 0.8-1.3 0.5-1.25 1.0-1.5 2.0-2.5
AI 3.9-4.3 3.9-4.3 8.0-8.8 10.5-11.5 0.01-0.04 25.0-28.0
Mg 0.025-0.05 0.03-0.06 0.015-0.03 0.015-0.03 <0.02 0.01~0.02
Fe <0.075 <0.075 <0.1 <0.075 <0.04 <0.1
Pb <0.004 <0.004 <0.004 <0.004 <0.005 <0.004
Cd <0.003 <0.003 <0.003 <0.003 <0.004 <0.003
Sn <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.002 <0.003 <0.002
Ti 0.15-0.25
Cr 0.10-0.20
Zn Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance Balance
'''Engineering Properties of Zinc Alloys," 2nd Edition, International Lead and Zinc Research Organization, New York, April 1981. 21
No. 12 No. 27
Properties No.3 No.5 No.8
P.D.C.· P.D.C.· Perm. Mold Sand Perm. Mold P.D.C." Sand Sand (H.T.)·· P.D.C.·
Tensile strength
MPa 283 328 221-255 276-310 310-345 434 400-441 310-324 448
ksi 41 47.6 32-37 40-45 45-50 63 58-64 45-47 65
Yield strength
MPa 207 207 214 317 365 255 393
ksi 30 30 31 46 53 37 57
Elongation, % 10 7 1-2 1-3 1-3 2 3-6 8-11 1
Brinell hardness 82 91 80-90 105-125 105-125 110-125 110-120 90-100 110-125
Specific gravity, g/ cm 3 6.64 6.7 6.37 6.03 6.03 6.03 5.01 5.01 5.01
Melting range, °C 387-381 386-380 375-404 377-432 377-432 377-432 376-493 376-493 376-493
Table VI: Dimensional and Weight Llmlts* for Pressure Die Castings In Different Alloys 24
55 3.5
---Zn-27AI
50 0.08
3.0 - - - - - - Zn-12 AI
20 fpm
- - - 660 Bronze
45 0.07 /
~
2.5
/
40
006 " /
~
E
35
E
E
so /
Z
~ ~ 005
~
Q 2.0 /
30 ~ ~ I
~
Vi 25
Vi 4
'"c 0.04
~
~ 1.5 / 83 fpm
'"S §
.~
/
so'" 0 "
~
CD
20
15
"
CD 3
'-.., ......
...... - _-----
........
---\J~
III 0.03
002
~
CD 1.0
05
/
10 0.01
0 0
100
0 0 Sliding Distance, feet
0 10 20 so
Bearing-Shaft Surface Sliding Speed. Itlmin
I 100
I I
1000
I 10,000
0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 030 0.35 0.40 045
Sliding Distance, meters
Bearing-Shalt Surface Sliding Speed, m/s
Figure 8. Comparison of operating limits for zinc-based alloys Figure 9. Bearing wear comparison for 8.89 MPa (1,000 psi)
and one commonly used leaded bronze alloy.21 bearing stress. 2S
Figure 10. Sectioned zinc Alloy No. 12 (right) and bronze bushings after 4100 h service In a scoop tram. (Courtesy of TexasGulf Inc.)
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