Commercial AM60 alloy for semisolid processing: Alloy optimization and thermodynamic analysis

Semisolid processing is now a commercially successful manufacturing route to produce net-shape parts in automotive industry. The conspicuous results of alloy optimization with thermodynamic simulations for semisolid processing of commercial AM60 alloy were present. The results indicate that the available processing temperature range of AM60 alloy is 170 °C. The temperature sensitivity of solid fraction decreases with increasing solid fraction or with decreasing temperature above eutectic reaction temperature of AM60 alloy. When the solid fraction ϕs is 0.4, corresponding processing temperature is 603.8 °C and the sensitivity -dϕs/dT is 0.0184. The effects of various alloying elements on the solidification behavior and SSM processability of AM60 alloy were calculated with Pandat software.