Fracture toughness and corrosion resistance of semisolid AlSi5 alloy

The aim of this work was to investigate fracture toughness and corrosion resistance of semisolid AlSi5 castings, compared to samples obtained from conventional casting operations. In order to have a semisolid microstructure, the melt alloy was treated by means of ultrasound during solidification and then poured into permanent moulds. Mechanical properties of semisolid and conventional castings were compared by means of ultimate tensile strength (R(m)), yield stress (R(p02)) and hardness (HV) measurements. Fracture mechanics tests were carried out on Single Edge Notched Bend (SENB) specimens, machined from castings, and pre-cracked by fatigue. These tests were performed to determine the effect of the microstructure on the J-Integral resistance (J-R) behavior and to deeply understand the ductile fracture behaviour of semisolid parts. The J-Integral versus spaced crack extension (J-Delta a) curves showed an improved resistance of the semisolid microstructure, due to the higher ductility.