A new technique to modify hypereutectic Al–24%Si alloys by a Si–P master alloy

The modification effect of a Si–P master alloy on Al–24%Si alloy was investigated by using electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) and optical microscopy (OM). The dissolution problem of the Si–P master alloys was solved by changing the sequence of addition. When the Si–P master alloy was added into Al melt before the addition of silicon, the best modification effect could be achieved. The modification parameters of the master alloy on Al–24%Si alloy were optimized through designing and analyzing the orthogonal experiment, and their influences on the modification effect were discussed. The results show that the influence of temperature on the modification effect is the greatest, followed by the addition level, and the holding time is the least. The optimized modification parameters are the modification temperature of 810 °C, the addition level of 0.35 wt.%, the holding time of 30 min + 50 min whose meaning is that the Si–P master alloy is added firstly to the molten Al, and silicon is added 30 min later, then holding another 50 min. In addition, the modification mechanism of the Si–P master alloy on Al–24%Si alloy was also discussed.