Effect of Lanthanum Addition on Fluidity of Complex Al-11Si-Cu-Mg Cast Alloy

Abstract

This research was to determine the effect of rare earth metal (REM) on the fluidity of eutectic Al-11Si-Cu-Mg cast alloy. The rare earth metal used here is Lanthanum to produce Al-11Si-Cu-Mg-0.1La, Al-11Si-Cu-Mg-0.5La and Al-11Si-Cu-Mg-1.0La alloys. The fluidity was measured by permanent spiral mold, pre-heated at 450°C. The microstructure was characterized by optical microscope. The fluidity of complex Al-11Si-Cu-Mg eutectic alloy decreased with the increase of La addition. The 1.0 % of La addition led to refinement of silica particles, which reduced the fluidity length by 25%.