Ageless Aluminum-Cerium-Based Alloys in High-Volume Die Casting for Improved Energy Efficiency

Journal Article · 25 April 2018 · JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-018-2861-9 · OSTI ID:1439950

Stromme, Eric T. ^[1]; Henderson, Hunter B.  ^[1]; Sims, Zachary C.  ^[2]; Kesler, Michael S.  ^[1]; Weiss, David ^[3]; Ott, Ryan T.  ^[4]; Meng, Fanqiang  ^[4]; Kassoumeh, Sam ^[5]; Evangelista, James ^[5]; Begley, Gerald ^[6]; Rios, Orlando  ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
3. Eck Industries, Inc., Manitowoc, WI (United States)
4. Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
5. Shiloh Industries, Inc., Plymouth, MI (United States)
6. Tennessee Tool and Engineering, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Strong chemical reactions between Al and Ce lead to the formation of intermetallics with exceptional thermal stability. The rapid formation of intermetallics directly from the liquid phase during solidification of Al-Ce alloys leads to an ultrafine microconstituent structure that effectively strengthens as-cast alloys without further microstructural optimization via thermal processing. Die casting is a high-volume manufacturing technology that accounts for greater than 40% of all cast Al products, whereas Ce is highly overproduced as a waste product of other rare earth element (REE) mining. Reducing heat treatments would stimulate significant improvements in manufacturing energy efficiency, exceeding (megatonnes/year) per large-scale heat-treatment line. In this study, multiple compositions were evaluated with wedge mold castings to test the sensitivity of alloys to the variable solidification rate inherent in high-pressure die casting. Once a suitable composition was determined, it was successfully demonstrated at 800 lbs/h in a 600-ton die caster, after which the as-die cast parts performed similarly to ubiquitous A380 in the same geometry without requiring heat treatment. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the compatibility of Al REE alloys with high-volume die-casting applications with minimal heat treatments.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1439950
• Journal Information: JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Journal Name: JOM. Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 70; ISSN 1047-4838
• Publisher: SpringerCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English