Influence of mechanical vibration, mold type, and grain refiner on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of A356 aluminum alloy
Abstract
In aluminum alloys, the final product properties are directly influenced by the solidification process. The microstructure can be modified through the addition of alloying elements and by altering the solidification mechanism. A refined structure is known to result in positive improvements in fluidity, feedability, mechanical properties, fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance of the alloy. Therefore, various methods are applied to enhance the properties of cast aluminum alloys. This study investigates the combined effects of grain refiner addition (0.2 wt.% TiB) and mechanical vibration during solidification on the microstructure and mechanical properties of A356 aluminum alloy cast in sand and plaster molds. The results show that both grain refinement and vibration led to a visibly refined microstructure and enhanced mechanical performance of the A356 alloy. The application of vibration alone increased hardness by approximately 10% compared to the untreated samples, while the addition of a grain refiner led to an improvement of up to 13%. The highest ultimate tensile strength (210 MPa) was achieved with the combined effect of grain refiner and vibration in sand mold castings, representing an increase of about 25% over the base alloy (168 MPa). Optical microscopy confirmed a finer, more uniform grain structure in the modified samples. These findings suggest that the combination of grain refiner and mechanical vibration is an effective method to improve the casting quality and mechanical performance of A356 alloy.
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URN: https://sloi.org/urn:sl:tjoee103371
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