Microstructural and mechanical properties characterization of heat treated and overaged cast A354 alloy with various SDAS at room and elevated temperature

Experimental data confirmed the significant role of microstructural coarseness on the tensile behavior of A354 alloy. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure strongly increased with the decrease of SDAS. Moreover, solidification rate influenced other microstructural features, such as the eutectic silicon morphology as well as the size of the intermetallic phases, which in turn also influenced elongation to failure. Coarsening of the strengthening precipitates was induced by overaging, as observed by STEM analyses, thus leading to a strong reduction of the tensile strength of the alloy, regardless of SDAS. Tensile properties of the alloy sensibly decrease at elevated temperature (200 °C) in all the investigated heat treatment conditions.