The work presents results of the investigations of effect of intensive cooling of alloy AC-AlSi7Mg with alloy additions on microstructure and mechanical properties of the obtained casts. The experimental casts were made in ceramic molds preliminarily heated to 180°C, into which AC-AlSi7Mg with alloy additions was poured. Within implementation of the research, a comparison was made of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the casts obtained in ceramic molds cooled at ambient temperature and the ones intensively cooled in a cooling liquid. Kinetics and dynamics thermal effects recorded by the TDA method were compared. Metallographic tests were performed with the use of optical microscope and strength properties of the obtained casts were examined: UTS, Elongation and HB hardness.
The study presents the results of the investigations of the effect of Cu, Ni, Cr, V, Mo and W alloy additions on the microstructure and
mechanical properties of the AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy. The examinations were performed within a project the aim of which is to elaborate an
experimental and industrial technology of producing elements of machines and devices complex in their construction, made of aluminium
alloys by the method of precision investment casting. It was demonstrated that a proper combination of alloy additions causes the
crystallization of complex intermetallic phases in the silumin, shortens the SDAS and improves the strength properties: Rm, Rp0.2,HB
hardness. Elevating these properties reduces At, which, in consequence, lowers the quality index Q of the alloy of the obtained casts.
Experimental casts were made in ceramic moulds preliminarily heated to 160 °C, into which the AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy with the additions was
cast, followed by its cooling at ambient temperature. With the purpose of increasing the value of the quality index Q, it is recommended
that the process of alloy cooling in the ceramic mould be intensified and/or a thermal treatment of the casts be performed (ageing)(T6).
Steel and cast-iron products, due to their low price and beneficial properties, are the most widely used among metals; their consumption has become an indicator of the economic development of countries. The characteristics of iron raw materials, in relation to current metallurgical requirements, are presented in the present this article. The globalization of the trade and development of steelmaking technologies have caused significant changes in the quality of raw materials in the last half-century forcing improvements in processing technologies. In many countries, standard concentrates (at least 60% Fe) are almost twice as rich as those processed in the mid-20th century. Methods of quality assessment have been improved and quality standards tightened.
The quality requirements for the most important raw materials ‒ iron ores and concentrates, steel scrap, major alloy metals, coking coal, and coke, as well as gas and other energy media ‒ are reviewed in the present paper. Particular attention is paid to the quality testing methodology. The quality of many raw materials is evaluated multi-parametrically: both chemical and physical characteristics are important. Lower-quality parameters in raw materials equate to significantly lower prices obtained by suppliers in the market.
The markets for these raw materials are diversified and governed by separate sets of newly introduced rules. Price benchmarks (e.g. for standard Australian metallurgical coal) or indices (for iron concentrates) apply. Some raw materials are quoted within the framework of the commodity market system (certain alloying components and steel scrap). The abandonment of the long-established system of multi-annual contracts has led to wide fluctuations in prices, which have reached a scale similar to that of other metals.
The paper discusses issues related to the technology of melting and processing of copper alloys. An assessment was made of the impact of titanium and iron introduced in the form of pre-alloy - Ti73Fe master alloy on the microstructure and selected properties of pure copper and copper-silicon alloy. There are known examples of the use of titanium and iron additive to the copper alloy. Titanium as an additive introduced to copper alloys to improve their properties is sometimes also applicable. In the first stage of the study, a series of experimental castings were conducted with variable content of Ti73Fe master alloy entering copper in quantities of 5 %, 15 %, 25 % in relation to the mass of the metal charge. In the second stage, a silicon additive was introduced into copper in the amount of about 4 % by weight and 0.5 % and 1 % respectively of the initial Ti73Fe alloy. Thermodynamic phase parameters were modelled using CALPHAD method and Thermo-Calc software, thus obtaining the crystallization characteristics of the test alloys and the percentage of structural components at ambient temperature. Experiments confirmed the validity of the use of Ti73Fe master alloy as an additive. The pre-alloy used showed a favourable performance, both in terms of addition solubility and in the area of improvement of strength properties. Changes were achieved in the microstructure, mainly within the grain, but also in the developed dendrites of the solid solution. Changes occur with the introduction of titanium with iron into copper as well as to two-component silicon bronze.