Fluidity of Aluminum Piston Alloy with Different Amount of Pouring Temperature

Abstract

One of the principal attributes of the aluminum-silicon alloys is their excellent fluidity, or the ability to fill a mold cavity. Fluidity is a complex characteristic that is influenced by surface tension, viscosity, alloy freezing range, melt, cleanliness, superheat, and solidification conditions. Chemical modifiers are generally considered to be detrimental to fluidity despite the fact that all the chemical modifiers commonly in use decrease surface tension. This investigation has been carried out to study the influence of pouring temperature of aluminum piston alloy on casting fluidity and microstructure defects. A strip type of fluidity testing mould was used in this study, and optical microscope to find microstructure defects. The results showed that higher the pouring temperature greater the casting fluidity. Otherwise, the overheating caused porosity, solidification shrinkage, and dross formation into the microstructure of the alloys melted at temperature higher than 760 C°.