Fracture Related Mechanical Properties of Aircraft Cast Aluminum Alloy A357

Abstract

Precision casting is currently attracting considerable attention as a reliable manufacturing process for producing aeronautical and automotive aluminum components of complex shape geometries cost efficiently. Inferior mechanical properties, specifically in terms of ductility and toughness, and increased scatter compared to the respective wrought aluminum alloys, represent serious drawbacks for their increased exploitation in aeronautical applications. The tighter controls currently applied during the casting process, as well as the advancements on the casting processes and the better understanding of the physical metallurgy background of the age-hardened aluminum alloys led to an improvement of the material quality and, hence, to an appreciable increase of the competitiveness of aluminum casting products. The most widely used alloy for the above applications is the precision-hardened Al-Si-Mg A357 cast alloy. Alloy A357 with minor modifications in chemical composition has been extensively investigated in recent research projects, e.g. ADVACAST [Anon., Advanced Aluminum Precision Casting For Integrally Stiffened Net - Shape Components (ADVACAST). Final Technical Report of the BRITE Project 4084, Brussels, Belgium, 1996.], YPER [Alexopoulos, N.D., Development of new near net shape cast aluminum alloys with improved mechanical properties. Final Technical Report of the Project YPER 94/274, Greek General Secreriat of Research and Technology, Patra, Greece, (in Greek) 2002.] and PABE [Anon., Production and development of cast aluminum components for aeronautical applications, Final Technical Report of the Project PABE 96BE/219, Greek General Secreriat of Research and Technology, Bolos, Greece, (in Greek) 2000.].