Effect of Porosity on the Mechanical Properties of Die cast Aluminum Engine Block

Casting defects especially porosity in Aluminum alloy engine block plays a major role in determining the mechanical properties. To investigate the approximate content of porosity and to compare their mechanical properties, an experimental study was carried out on the samples taken from thick and thin sections of an Al 384.1 engine block. The section thicknesses of thick and thin sections were 20 mm and 5 mm, respectively. Mechanical testing of these samples was carried out to show the effect of section thickness on ductility and ultimate strength. It was found that thin sections have higher UTS and ductility as compare to thick sections The three-dimensional porosity of the engine block was analyzed through CT scan. Volumetric porosity for thin sections was lesser within the range of 0.0875% to 0.15%, while that for the thick sections it was within the range of 0.24% to 0.35%