Near Net Shaped Casting of 7050 Al Wrought Alloy by CDS Process: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

Controlled diffusion solidification (CDS) involves mixing two precursor alloys at different thermal mass and subsequently casting the resultant mixture into near net shaped cast components. The process enables casting of Aluminum wrought alloys into near net shaped components by circumventing the problem of hot tearing by obtaining a non-dendritic morphology of the primary Al phase. The study presents the favorable process and alloy parameters to enable sound shaped casting of 7050 Al wrought alloy (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) by the CDS process along with the mechanical tensile properties under various heat treatment conditions. The tilt pour gravity casting process was used for this study to demonstrate the ability to cast high integrity components with high strength and ductility.