Experimental investigation on the effect of microstructure modifiers and heat treatment influence on A356 alloy

Abstract

The use of aluminum and its alloys has grown dramatically due to the demand for increased performance and fuel economy. Cast aluminum alloys are light weight and can be cast into complex shapes and thus they have attracted significant attention as potential replacements for castiron and steel in bulky components. Compared to other aluminum alloys, refined A356 alloy is particularly attractive for various automotive applications. Grain refinement of aluminum gives a number of technical advantages, including reduced cracking, better homogeneity, better mechanical deformation characteristics and improved mechanical properties. Microstructural study is carried out to analyse he mechanical properties of the composite. In the present work, cast A356 alloy with added copper was studied with their unique mechanical behaviour and microstructure. This is carried out in both as cast condition and heat treated condition and properties are investigated.