results of the experiment, focusing on homogenization time and temperature, iron level and cooling rate. T ey also discussed work intended to improve the castability of 6061 via casting pro- cess optimization, among other things. Following is an overview of their study “Solidifi cation and Heat Treatment of 6061 and 6082 Alloys for Use in Shape Casting.”
Question Can wrought alloys 6061 and 6082
be cast with mechanical properties com- parable to their wrought equivalents?
1
Background According to the re-
searchers, casting wrought alloys long has been a goal of the metalcasting industry.
However, most wrought alloys have a low eutectic point and do not withstand stresses that build up in
ADDING IT ALL UP
Study: Solidifi cation and Heat Treatment of 6061 and 6082 Alloys for Use in Shape Casting Researchers: B. Bourassa, D. Jean, A. Lemieux , J. Langlais and F. Major, Rio Tinto Alcan, Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada Background—Casting wrought alloys long has been a goal of the metalcasting industry, but a single solution has not been found to make the process production ready.
2 3
1
Procedure—Each alloy was cast and studied for metallography and mechanical properties. A hot tearing study was conducted, and semi-solid casting was tested against diecasting.
Results and Conclusions—Wrought alloys can be cast into intri- cate shapes if the chemistry, casting process and heat treatment are optimized.
the mold cavity. T is leads to defec- tive castings. A review of previously published
articles indicated the problem can be overcome through process or alloy
manipulation, according to the re- searchers. However, a solution has not been found for the typical metalcast- ing facility looking to fi ll a customer’s wrought iron requirements.
Fig. 1. Shown is a comparison of alloys 6061 and 6082 after six hours at 986F (530C), the typical solutionizing temperature for the alloys.
Fig. 2. Shown is a comparison of alloys 6061 and 6082 after six hours at 1,058F (570C), the typical homogenizing temperature for the alloys.
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