Comparison of the semisolid shear behaviour of Al-7Si-0.35Mg alloys produced by two casting methods

Al-7%Si-0.35%Mg alloys, with and without grain refiner addition, were produced by casting into cylindrical moulds. Their microstructure and shear behaviour in the semisolid state were compared with a standard thixotropic 356 alloy that was produced by electromagnetic stirring (EMS). The as-cast microstructures of the cast materials consisted of equiaxed grains with rosette-dendritic morphology, while the EMS material was made up of very fine and rosette-like grains but with a significant number of large grains or agglomerates. After partial remelting and isothermal holding, the cast materials lost their dendritic nature and became globular. The EMS material continued to contain large globular particles after isothermal holding. The shear behaviour of the semisolid materials was measured by a direct shear test. The shear resistance was high if the material had a dendritic microstructure, and was reduced after a globular microstructure developed during isothermal holding. The shear strength for the three alloy conditions studied varied with isothermal holding time and this was related to microstructural differences between the alloys