Aluminium is a light, corrosion-resistant and very versatile metallic material, often used in different industries such as automobile, construction and aviation industries. Due to its excellent mechanical qualities, recyclability and high thermal conductivity, it is a key material for numerous high-quality products. Aluminium quality depends on its purity levels, alloy composition and treatment method, which affect its strength, durability and suitability for specific application. High-quality aluminium ensures reliability, long service life and optimal properties of end products.
The main goal of this paper was to assess the quality of AlSi9Cu3 aluminium alloy of three different manufacturers. The samples were acquired in three production stages: the first sample was taken from the input material (ingot), the second from the furnace where ingots of a certain manufacturer were smelted with a circular material of the same manufacturer in 40:60 ratio, while the third sample was acquired from the pan after de-gassing. In addition, we took a sample from the end product of one of the suppliers. The following research methods were used: simple thermal analysis (STA), chemical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermodynamic calculation of thermodynamic and phase equilibria and optimal microscopy.
The chemical analysis showed that alloy 2 contains more silicon, zinc and iron, while alloy 3 contains more manganese and chrome. The Al9Fe2Si2 in Al15Si2M4 phases have the highest curing temperature in alloy 3a. Alloys 1 and 3 have the highest melting enthalpies. The microstructure of alloys of the second manufacturer contained the highest quantity of Al9Fe2Si2 needle iron phase.
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