The influence of thermal history on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AlSi8Cu2Fe alloy

In this work the influence of cyclic thermal tistory on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AlSi8Cu2Fe alloy was studied. The commercial aluminum alloy was subjected to a special heat treatment dur-ing which the alloy repeatedly changed from a liquid to a semi-solid state. During this process, samples were taken, and the castings were subjected to another study. Gradual changes in the microstructure, chemical com-position of the alloy, hardness and mechanical properties under pressure at normal temperatures have been documented. With the increasing number of cycles, the content of alloying elements, especially magnesium, decreased significantly, the proportion of casting defects increased, especially hydrogen bubbles, microshrinkage and oxide inclusions in the alloy. These changes also led to a decrease in the mechanical properties of the alloy. A series of samples without cyclic heat loading was also prepared for comparison.