ISSN 1067-8212, Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals, 2017, Vol. 58, No. 5, pp. 489–494. © Allerton Press, Inc.

, 2017.

FOUNDRY

Investigation of Spherisation in Microstructures

of Aluminium Casting Alloys for Thixoforging Process1
Kerem Altug Guler, Ridvan Gecu*, Alptekin Kisasoz, and Ahmet Karaaslan
Yildiz Technical University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Davutpasa Campus,
34210, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
*e-mail: ridvangecu@gmail.com
Received December 2, 2016

Abstract—Thixoforging combined with low superheat casting (LSC) is a promising shaping process for alu-
minium casting alloys. LSC process is based on rapid solidification of an alloy which cast with low pouring
temperature. With this method, a feedstock material is produced with non-dendritic microstructure that
ready for spherisation in reheating sequence of further semi-solid process. Al-Si alloys are still castable even
at low temperatures due to their excellent fluidities. This study subjects to present spherisation of A356 and
A380 alloy billets cast with LSC process that provides appropriate beginning material with relatively high
sphericity. Obtained billet parts were reheated for different times at a semi-solid state temperature. Some of
these billets were directly quenched for observing the effects of reheating and the others were thixoforged.
With sufficient reheating time, deformation of thixoforging process did not significantly affect on the spher-
ical microstructure. Unnecessarily long reheating period caused excessive grain growth. A356 alloy had
higher spherisation tendency than A380 alloy under similar process conditions.

Keywords: Thixoforging, low superheat casting (LSC), A356 alloy, A380 alloy

DOI: 10.3103/S1067821217050066

INTRODUCTION nique to produce suitable feedstock without sophisti-

Al-Si casting alloys have been mostly used in auto-
motive components such as wheels, gear boxes, cylin-
der heads and pistons owing to their advantageous
properties like light weight, low thermal expansion
coefficient, high specific strength, good corrosion
resistance and excellent appearance, in some cases
[1–4]. One of the best ways to produce these alumin-
ium alloys with desirable mechanical properties is
thixoforging process which offers to manufacture
complex shaped parts in higher quality than die casting
[5]. Thixoforging is described as a kind of semi-solid
metal (SSM) forming technique where the partially
remelted semi-solid billet with a liquid fraction of less
than 50% is inserted in a preheated die and forged into
near net-shaped product [6]. This technique requires
wide solidification range, continuous transition from
solidus to liquidus temperatures and non-dendritic
microstructure from the material [7–9]. In order to
provide mentioned thixotropic properties of an alloy
for the success of thixoforging process, various meth-
ods have been developed such as cooling slope casting,
spray casting, electromagnetic stirring, strain induced
melt activation (SIMA) and ultrasonic treatment [10].
Low superheat casting (LSC) is an alternative tech-
1 The article is published in the original.
cated devices and thus thixotropic flow behaviour
thanks to the equiaxed microstructure can be achieved
with reduced cost as against other methods [11, 12].
The molten alloy is solidified at just above the liquidus
temperature in LSC process. Equiaxed non-dendritic
structure obtained from LSC spheroidize during
reheating step in thixoforging. Equiaxed grains may be
formed because of the collaboration of low undercool-
ing and high saturation of nucleation sites, according
to Mullins–Sekerka instability criteria [13]. Reducing
the pouring temperature also induces the equiaxed
formation instead of the dendritic structure [14].
A356 and A380 aluminium alloys are thixoforge-
able materials due to their relatively high Al-Si eutectic
volumes and wide solidification ranges [5]. Their flu-
idity and castability features combined with thixo-
tropic properties make these alloys prominent for
thixoforging process. In this work, A356 and A380
alloy billets were prepared by LSC technique and held
for various times at reheating temperature. Some of
the specimens were quenched after reheating while the
other specimens were compressed with 50% deforma-
tion ratio in a preheated die cavity. The spherisation in
microstructures correlated with hardness measure-
ments of both alloys was investigated.

489
490 GULER et al.
Table 1. Chemical compositions of A356 and A380 aluminium alloys
Si Fe Cu Mn Mg
A356 7.288 0.144 0.011 0.028 0.354
A380 8.220 0.686 3.586 0.189 0.222
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Recycled A356 and A380 alloy ingots were supplied
from a local producer company. Chemical composi-
tions of these alloys were given in Table 1. 1000 g of
both alloys were melted with electric resistant furnace
and cast into cylindrical steel mould to produce billets
with the dimension of 40 mm diameter and 310 mm
height. For LSC process, A356 and A380 alloys were
melted at 635 and 615°C, respectively. Those tempera-
tures represent 20°C above their liquidus temperatures
(615°C for A356, 595°C for A380) [15]. Cast billets
were cut off into parts in 40 mm length and one as cast
specimen was earmarked from each alloy. Reheating
temperatures of alloys were determined 20°C below
liquidus temperatures, thusly, A356 and A380 alloy
billet parts were reheated at 595 and 575°C, respec-
tively. Two billet parts were reheated in 20, 40, 60 and
80 min for each alloy. One of these parts were directly
quenched (in water at room temperature) from reheat-
Fig. 1. From left to right: as cast, 20, 40, 60 and 80 min
reheated then thixoforged round billet specimens.
200 µm
Fig. 2. As cast microstructures of A356 (left) and A380 (right) alloys.
RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF NON-FERROUS METALS
Zn Cr Ni Ti Pb Al
0.008 0.003 0.0031 0.123 0.0117 Bal.
0.952 0.018 0.124 0.037 0.0806 Bal.
ing temperature and the other ones were thixoforged
in a preheated open die by a hydraulic workshop press
with 50% deformation ratio. The macrographs of as
cast and thixoforged specimens were given in Fig. 1.
After grinding and polishing, specimens were etched
with 0.5% HF solution. Microstructural observations
and required measurements were carried out by using
Nikon Eclipse MA100 image analyser assisted light
microscope. Brinell hardness of specimens were also
measured by a universal test device with 62.5 kg load
and 2.5 mm tip diameter.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
LSC process suppresses the dendritic structure of
conventional casting and prevents formation of long
dendrite arms. In Fig. 2, as cast microstructures of
A356 and A380 alloys cast with LSC technique were
given. These alloys are hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys
namely, light areas imply α-Al phase while darker grey
zones imply the Al-Si eutectic structure. Al-Si casting
alloys have sufficient fluidity even under low super-
heat conditions, as a result of this, billet castings were
performed without any pouring problem.
With LSC process, alloys were prepared to further
semi-solid processes by formation of non-dendritic
and relatively spherical microstructure. Post reheating
process increased sphericity gradually. The micro-
structures of quenched and thixoforged A356 alloy bil-
lets, which were reheated at 595°C for 20, 40, 60 and
80 min respectively, were given in Fig. 3. 20 min
reheating time did not change the as cast structure
200 µm
Vol. 58 No. 5 2017
 INVESTIGATION OF SPHERISATION IN MICROSTRUCTURES 491

Quenched Forged

20 min

200 µm 200 µm

40 min

200 µm 200 µm

60 min

200 µm 200 µm

80 min

200 µm 200 µm

Fig. 3. Microstructures of quenched and thixoforged A356 alloy billets.

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF NON-FERROUS METALS Vol. 58 No. 5 2017

492 GULER et al.

Quenched Forged

20 min

200 µm 200 µm

40 min

200 µm 200 µm

60 min

200 µm 200 µm

80 min

200 µm 200 µm

Fig. 4. Microstructures of quenched and thixoforged A380 alloy billets.

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF NON-FERROUS METALS Vol. 58 No. 5 2017

 INVESTIGATION OF SPHERISATION IN MICROSTRUCTURES 493

260 1.0
240 A356 A356
0.9 A380
220 A380
0.8
Average grain size, µm

200

Index of sphericity
180 0.7
160 0.6
140
0.5
120
100 0.4
80 0.3
60 0.2
40
20 0.1
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 0 20 40 60 80
(as cast) Time, min (as cast) Time, min

Fig. 5. Average grain sizes of as cast and quenched speci- Fig. 6. Sphericity indexes of as cast and quenched speci-
mens. mens.

completely. However, it provides more homogenous
eutectic distribution. Breaking down of α-Al grains
was started after 20 min reheating and gradually
increased with holding time. Spherisation of α-Al
became remarkable after 40 min heating and spherical
light grains were prominent at 60 and 80 min holding
times. In 80 min reheating time, higher spherisation
and grain coarsening were apparent. Up to 80 min
reheating time, thixoforging in 50% ratio changed
microstructures significantly and the deformation tex-
tures can be observable. However, the spherisation in
microstructure of 80 min reheated specimen was
changed slightly by the effect of the forging process.
This situation is an evidence of complete remelting of
the eutectic structure in reheating and its flow among
α-Al grains during forging. The increment in liquefac-
tion during reheating period caused increasing of billet
fragmentation which can be obviously seen from
Fig. 1.
The micrographs of A380 billets reheated at 575°C
were given in Fig. 4. Microstructural evolution of
A380 billets under both quenched and thixoforged
conditions were very similar with A356 billets in many
ways. However, spherisation of A380 alloy was rela-
tively lower than A356 alloy. Also unlike to A356 alloy,
cumulative increasing in grain size of A380 alloy was
higher than A356 alloy under similar reheating condi-
tions.
Brinell hardness results of all specimens were given
in Fig. 7. Except 20 min reheating time, gradually
decreasing of hardness was apparent according to
measurements. Moreover, decreasing of A380 speci-
mens was more remarkable. This situation was com-
patible with grain size changes. Grain size increment
in 20 min reheating time was very limited even it
slightly decreased in A356 alloy. More important from
this, homogenous redistribution of refined eutectic
structure increases hardness of 20 min reheated spec-
imens. Another remarkable fact in these results is that
the hardness of quenched specimens were higher than
deformed ones. Cooling speed difference was the main
reason of this findings. Quenched specimens were
directly cooled from reheating temperature while
A380-50% deformation
115 A380-quenched
110 A356-50% deformation
A356-quenched
105
100
Hardness (HB)

spherisation did not increase from 60 min reheating to 95

80 min. Normally, A380 alloy has more intricate 90
microstructure because of higher alloying element 85
contents like Cu and Fe. These elements can form 80
complex intermetallic compounds with Al and Si. 75
70
Average grain sizes and sphericity indexes of as cast 75
and quenched specimens of both alloys were given in 65
Figs. 5 and 6, respectively. These results were consis- 60
tent with visual observations. In heating at elevated
temperatures, increasing of grain size is a natural phe- 0 20 40 60 80
(as cast) Time, min
nomenon which is also known as Ostwald ripening
[16]. On the other hand, increasing ratio may differ for
each alloy. In this study, it was demonstrated that Fig. 7. Brinell hardness of all specimens.

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF NON-FERROUS METALS Vol. 58 No. 5 2017

494 GULER et al.
deformed samples were air cooled after forging pro-
cess. Rapid cooling shows modification effect on
eutectic structure that cause increase in hardness of
Al-Si alloys.
CONCLUSIONS
For increase efficiency of LSC process, the casting
temperature was chosen as low as possible. This pro-
cess has great potential on semi-solid processing of
Al‒Si casting alloys. A356 and A380 alloy billets were
cast at just 20°C over their liquidus temperatures
which cannot be applicable for conventional gravity
net shape castings. With its simple nature, LSC pro-
cess may be the easiest and the cheapest technique to
manufacture semi-products for thixoforming pro-
cesses. The most important property of a semi-solid
process was producing the spherical microstructure.
Firstly, this study gradually shows spherisation process
of billets cast with LSC during reheating and the effects
of thixoforging on these billets. It was clear that both
alloys were suitable for shaping by thixoforging com-
bined with LSC process. However, A356 alloy came
one step ahead with higher spherisation property.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The work has been supported by the Yildiz Techni-
cal University Scientific Research Projects Coordina-
tion Department. Project Number 2015-07-02-
GEP03.
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