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Aluminum alloys
The following aluminum alloy groups are suitable for high pressure die casting: aluminum-silicon alloys aluminum-silicon-magnesium alloys aluminum-silicon-copper alloys aluminum-magnesium alloys
The specific heat capacity for all alloys in these groups is 963 J/kg K. Casting temperature varies between 615 705 C. Normally the die cavity needs intensive cooling. Cavity is sprayed rather long periods and if there are narrow projections like ribs, the cooling is intensified. The die parts which are in contact with the cast alloy must be machined to some hot working tool steel. Typical die life is around 100 000 shots, but the estimate is not straightforward. The die life depends on the part shapes and if there are tight casting surface quality requirements, the die is laid aside earlier than if the requirements are loose. In the tables next page there are the names of the alloys in each group with some selected properties.
Alloy
Solidification range C **
Density at 20 C, g/cm3 *
21.4 21.4 23
22.4 22.4 24
* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials: Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys ** Determined from Al-Si phase diagram *** EN 1706. Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties
Alloy
Solidus C *
Liquidus C
Density at 20 C, g/cm3 *
23
23
* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials: Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys ** Calculated with the silicon equivalent method from Hernandez, Djurdjevic, Kierkus, Sokolowski: Calculation of the liquidus temperature for hypo and hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys *** EN 1706. Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties
535
620
2.57
* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials: Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys ** EN 1706. Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties
Magnesium alloys
The high pressure die castable magnesium alloy groups are: Magnesium-aluminum-manganese alloys Magnesium-aluminum-silicon alloys Magnesium-aluminum-zinc alloys
Specific heat capacity of these alloys is 1020 1050 J/kgK. Casting temperature varies between 645 710 C depending on the alloy. Magnesium alloys have low heat content. It is not necessary to cool the die cavity intensively by spraying. Sometimes it is difficult to keep the heat inside the die and it is necessary to heat the die instead of cooling. Typical die life is from 100 000 up to 300 000 shots. The die parts which come into contact with the casting alloy are machined to some hot working tool steel. The die
cavity parts are hardened and annealed to a hardness of about 46-48 HRC.
Table 4. Magnesium-aluminum-manganese, main reference: Westengen, Aune: Magnesium casting alloys
Casting Alloy temperature C 680 - 710 660 - 690 655 - 685 660 - 690 655 - 685 655 - 685 Solidification range C Density at 20 C, g/cm2 1,75 1,77 1,80 1,77 1,80 1,80 Density at solidus, g/cm2 1,65 1,67 Density at liquidus, g/cm2 1,62 1,61 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 - 100 C *
EN MgAl2Mn EN MgAl5Mn EN MgAl6Mn EN MgAl7Mn ASTM B 94 Alloy AM50A ASTM B 94 Alloy AM60A ASTM B 94 Alloy AM60B
420 - 640 420 - 620 420 - 615 420 - 620 420 - 615 420 - 615
1,67 1,67
1,61 1,61
25.6 25.6
Alloy
Alloy
EN MgAl8Zn1 EN MgAl9Zn1(A) ASTM B 94 Alloy AZ91A ASTM B 94 Alloy AZ91B ASTM B 94 Alloy AZ91D
26 26 26
Zinc alloys
Melting the zinc casting alloys does not require energy as much as melting of common light metal alloys. The zinc alloy specific heat capacity is only half of the specific heat capacities of aluminum and magnesium alloys. The casting temperature is low. Typically the die for zinc alloy castings lasts up to 1 million shots and it is possible to use the less costly die materials.
Alloy
375 - 404 377 - 432 375 - 484 380 - 386 379 - 390 381 - 387 381 - 387
* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials