SOLIDIFICATION STRUCTURES AND PROPERTIES OF ZINC-ALUMINIUM /SiC (MMC) ALLOYS.

ALICIA ESTHER ARES; .; RUBENS CARAM .; CARLOS ENRIQUE SCHVEZOV.

The Rohatgi Honorary Symposium on Solidification Processing of Metal Matrix Composites.

The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS).

Lugar: San Antonio, Texas - USA.; Año: 2006; p. 1 - 10

The zinc-aluminum (ZA) alloys can be cast using a variety of casting methods; they can also be forged, extruded and laminated. The fabrication cost is competitive and at present it is used in some vehicle components in transmission and suspension systems. In the present investigation zinc - aluminum alloys containing silicon, copper and reinforcing particles of silicon carbide and Al2O3 were cast and analyzed. The analyses were done performing quantitative metallography, microhardness test (HV) and dimensional stability tests. Composition analysis of the different alloying elements along the cast samples were done by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and EDXA (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis). Several correlations between properties, structures and compositions were found, showing the increase in hardness with the increase in the volume fraction of SiC particles. The alloys tested for dimensional stability during 1000 hr at 165 ± 2,5 °C were very stable.