Quantification of the Impact of Strontium on the Solidification Path of the Aluminum-Silicon-Copper Alloys Using Thermal Analysis Technique

Abstract The impact of strontium on the solidification path of the AlSi6Cu4 aluminium alloy was examined. Strontium levels up to 210 ppm have been considered. The purpose of this study is: (i) to optimize the amount of strontium additions in AlSi6Cu4 melt in order to achieve the necessary degree of silicon modification and (ii) to observe the effects of strontium level on the other characteristic solidification temperatures of this alloy, with special emphasis on the nucleation temperature of copper rich phases. This investigation showed that a strontium level of approximately 140 ppm was sufficient to modify eutectic morphology of silicon in thermal analysis test samples. Increasing the strontium levels up to 210 ppm raises the nucleation temperature of copper rich phases, leading also to the higher area fraction of those phases.