Characterization of AA6111 aluminum alloy thin strips produced via the horizontal single belt casting process

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this research, AA6111 aluminum alloy strips, 250 mm wide and ~6 mm thick, were produced via the horizontal single belt casting process. The strip microstructure was analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the measured average grain size was 90 μm. This is significantly smaller than the average grain size of the products produced via direct chill (DC) casting route (i.e., 231 μm). An analysis of intermetallic compounds was also conducted using energy dispersive spectroscopy. These were observed to be distributed within and along the grain boundaries and are enriched in Mg, Si, and Cu. The shear punch test was performed to determine the ultimate tensile strength of the cast strip, which was observed to be 280 MPa. This value is significantly higher than the strength documented in the literature for DC cast products. A 3D profilometer was used to determine the top and bottom surface roughness of the as-cast AA6111 strips. The strip top surface was found to lie within 120 μm range, whilst the bottom surface roughness was less than 30 μm.