Properties and Casting Capabilities of Al-Fe-Zn-Cu Alloys for High Conductivity Parts

Abstract

The most widely utilized commercial, aluminum-casting alloys are based on an aluminum-silicon system due to its excellent casting, and good mechanical, properties. Unfortunately, these Al-Si based alloys are inherently poor energy conductors; compared to pure aluminum, because of their high silicon content. This means that they are not suitable for applications demanding high eletrical or thermal conductivity. Therefore, efforts are currently being made to develop new, highly-conductive aluminum-casting alloys containing no silicon. In this research, a number of properties; including potential for castability, were investigated for a number of Al-Fe-Zn-Cu alloys with varying Cu content. As the copper content was increased, the tensile strength of Al-Fe-Zn-Cu alloy tended to increase gradually, while the electrical conductivity was slightly reduced. Fluidity was found to be lower in high-Cu alloys, and susceptibility to hot-cracking was generally high in all the alloys investigated.