Effect of pressure on microstructures and mechanical properties of Al-Cu-based alloy prepared by squeeze casting

A new high-strength aluminum alloy with better fluidity than that of ZL205A was developed. The effect of applied pressure during squeeze casting on microstructures and properties of the alloy was studied. The results show that the fluidity of the alloy is 16% and 21% higher than that of ZL205A at the pouring temperature of 993 K and 1 013 K, respectively. Compared with permanent-mold casting, mechanical properties of the alloy prepared by squeeze casting are much higher. The tensile strength and elongation of the alloy are 520 MPa and 7.9% in squeeze casting under an applied pressure of 75 MPa, followed by solution treatment at 763 K for 1 h and at 773 K for 8 h, quenching in water at normal temperature and aging at 463 K for 5 h. The improvement of mechanical properties is attributed to the remarkable decreasing of the secondary dendrite arm spacing(SDAS) and eliminating of micro-porosity in the alloy caused by applied pressure.