Addition of iron for the removal of the β-AlFeSi intermetallic by refining of α-AlFeSi phase in an Al–7.5Si–3.6Cu alloy

Addition of iron into the molten metal for the removal of the β-AlFeSi intermetallic by refining of α-AlFeSi phase has been studied. Solidification conditions and composition determine the final microstructure and mechanical properties of a casting piece. It is known that increasing the iron content will produce an increasing of the α-AlFeSi and β-AlFeSi phases. This phenomenon was confirmed with calculations made by Thermo-Calc™ software and validated with experimental results, however, the technique of iron addition in this study plays an important role on the solidification kinetics of these iron phases because the refining of α-AlFeSi and removal of β-AlFeSi phases can be improved. Final results showed an improvement in mechanical properties by removal and refining of β-AlFeSi and α-AlFeSi phases, respectively. This study shows a new method of removal of β-AlFeSi that could be adopted in the aluminum smelting industry in aluminum alloys with a low cooling rate with a secondary dendritic spacing of about 37 μm.