Influence of cooling speeds on the microstructure and properties of A356 aluminum alloy after squeeze casting

Abstract

The examination focuses on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical attributes of A356 alloy subsequent to squeeze casting performed under varying cooling speeds. The findings reveal that the cooling speeds have no notable impact on the size of the grains in the A356 alloy produced through squeeze casting. However, as the cooling speeds increase, the eutectic Si phase in A356 alloy decreases, transforming it from coarse flakes to small rods or particles, thereby enhancing the mechanical characteristics of the alloy. The water-cooled alloy has the best UTS performance, whose value of A356 alloy after squeeze casting is 287 MPa.