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Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings

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A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Metal Casting, Forming and Heat Treatment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 18621

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Murat Tiryakioglu

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Guest Editor

School of Engineering and Technology, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL 32211, USA
Interests: production of high quality castings; solidification of aluminium alloys; aluminium castings; quench sensitivity of aluminium alloys
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Prof. Dr. Anders E. W. Jarfors

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Guest Editor

Department of Materials and Manufacturing, School of Engineering, Jönköping University, 55111 Jönköping, Sweden
Interests: casting; aluminium; magnesium; heat treatment; mechanical behavior; fatigue; process microstructure performance; additive manufacturing
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Prof. Dr. Martin Leitner

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Guest Editor

Institute of Structural Durability and Railway Technology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
Interests: fatigue design; technological aspects; high- and low-cycle fatigue assessment; structural durability; fracture behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cast materials are used in most of our products, ranging from simple household appliances to advanced products such as cars, lorries and aircraft. In all these applications, cast materials offer a unique combination of function and performance.

Increasing requirements for lighter, stiffer and stronger materials with increasing requirements for thermal transport properties and corrosion resistance are moving boundaries for material performance further. Aspects critical to delivering improved performance are the alloy content and the microstructure, especially in light weight alloys.

Accordingly, this Special Issue of “Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings” is intended to review and to present the cutting edge state-of-the-art developments in the production of high quality light alloy castings that can meet the ever-increasing performance requirements in today’s applications. The latest developments in the assessment of structural quality will be highlighted. Finally, the effect of processing and structure on the performance of light alloy castings as well as the applicability of traditional and modern approaches for fatigue design will be addressed.

Prof. Dr. Murat Tiryakioglu
Prof. Dr. Anders E. W. Jarfors
Prof. Dr. Martin Leitner
Guest Editors

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Keywords

pores
bifilms
inclusions
stress concentration
oxide films
porosity
fracture
premature failure
performance potential

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 6336 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Al-3Ti-4.35La Master Alloy on the Aggregation and Sedimentation Characteristics of TiC in Al-7Si Alloys

by Long Mu, Jiazhi An, Xudong Tian, Haicun Yu, Haixia Zhang and Wanwu Ding

Metals 2025, 15(4), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15040351 - 23 Mar 2025

Viewed by 67

Abstract

The Al-Ti-C alloy is the most widely used grain refiner for Al-7Si alloys. However, TiC particles in Al-7Si alloys tend to aggregate and settle, thereby reducing their refinement efficiency. In the present paper, a novel Al-3Ti-4.35La master alloy was developed, and its influence on the stability of TiC particles in Al-7Si alloys was investigated by XRD, SEM, and TEM. The results show that when the Al-TiC alloy is added to the Al-7Si alloy, TiC will accumulate and settle obviously after holding the alloy for a certain time (15 min, 30 min, and 60 min). When the Al-TiC alloy and the Al-3Ti-4.35La master alloy are added to the Al-7Si alloy, the aggregation and settlement of TiC are weakened under the same holding time. Additionally, the refinement effect of TiC is enhanced. The Ti and La elements dissolved by Ti₂Al₂₀La in the Al-3Ti-4.35La master alloy are absorbed on the surface of the TiC particles, which improves the wettability between the TiC particles and the aluminum melt, reduces the agglomeration and sedimentation of TiC particles in the aluminum melt, and improves its stability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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15 pages, 8614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructural Modification by Large Pre-Deformation and Post-Aging to Improve Properties in Al-Mg-Li Alloy

by Zeyu Zheng, Peipei Ma, Longhui Chen and Chunhui Liu

Metals 2025, 15(3), 290; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15030290 - 6 Mar 2025

Viewed by 309

Abstract

Al-Mg-Li alloy is an ideal lightweight structural material for aerospace applications due to its low density, high specific strength, and excellent low-temperature performance. This study examines the mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of Al-Mg-Li alloy subjected to cryogenic and room temperature cold rolling, which induces large plastic deformation. Compared with room temperature rolling, cryogenic rolling significantly reduces surface cavity formation, thereby enhancing the alloy’s rolling surface quality. After cryogenic rolling by 80% and subsequent natural aging, the yield strength of artificially aged Al-Mg-Li alloy reaches 560 MPa, delivering a 60% increase compared to the traditional T6 state with a slight reduction in elongation from 6.5% to 4.6%. The specific strength achieves 2.23 × 10⁵ N·m/kg, outperforming conventional Al-Cu-Li and 7xxx-series Al alloys. The depth of intergranular corrosion decreases from 100 µm to 10 µm, demonstrating excellent corrosion resistance enabled by the new method. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that finely distributed δ′ (Al₃Li) is the primary strengthening phase, with high-density dislocations further enhancing strength. However, coarsening of δ′ (from ~2.9 nm to >6 nm) induced by ensuing artificial aging results in coplanar slip and reduced elongation. Lowering the post-aging temperature inhibits δ′ coarsening, thereby improving both strength and elongation. Our results provide valuable insights into optimizing the properties of Al-Mg-Li alloys for advanced lightweight applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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13 pages, 2188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fluidity of Aluminium Foundry Alloys for Thin Wall Castings: Designing an Operating Methodology

by Osama Asghar, Manel da Silva, Raquel Busqué and Franco Bonollo

Metals 2025, 15(3), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15030229 - 21 Feb 2025

Viewed by 402

Abstract

Aluminium thin wall castings are gaining wide acceptance in the automotive industry because of their incomparable design flexibility and higher mechanical properties. For these thin wall castings, fluidity plays a vital role in determining the quality of the final product. The aim of this work is to provide a detailed insight into the development of a multi-channel testing methodology to evaluate the fluidity of aluminium foundry alloys for thin wall applications. AlSi10MnMg foundry alloy has been used to conduct a series of experiments with the aim of designing operative protocols that achieve higher repeatability of the results. The fluidity of the investigated alloy was observed in channels of various cross-sections at three different pouring temperatures, i.e., 680, 710, and 740 °C. The obtained results show that experiments conducted following closely the designed operative protocols, result in achieving higher repeatability. It was also observed that by increasing the pouring temperature, the fluidity and repeatability of the alloy increased greatly. The 3D transient simulations were conducted by means of Altair^® Inspire™ Cast 2021.2 software to study the molten metal behaviour, i.e., solidification temperature and time at the end of each strip for the studied pouring temperatures. The results further reveal that the design methodology, if executed with intrinsic accuracy and precision, will provide a reliable pathway to determine the fluidity of aluminium alloys for various industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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15 pages, 10156 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deformation Behavior and Microstructure Evolution of High-Strength and -Toughness Ti55531 Titanium Alloy

by Yucheng Yang, Tongsheng Deng, Zhi Liu, Hai Liu, Yupeng Yuan and Wei Chen

Metals 2025, 15(2), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15020176 - 10 Feb 2025

Viewed by 468

Abstract

In this paper, constant strain rate compression was carried out by means of an MMS-100 thermal/force simulation tester in a temperature range of 790~940 °C, with a strain rate of 0.01–1 s⁻¹ and a compression volume of 60%. A linear regression method was used to fit the relationship between strain stress, strain rate, and deformation temperature, and the Arrhenius-type constitutive equation of Ti55531 titanium alloy was established; the heat deformation activation energy of Ti55531 titanium alloy was obtained as 211,747.5 kJ·mol⁻¹. A thermal processing map of Ti55531 alloy was established. EBSD results show that after hot compression, the recrystallization volume fraction greatly increased. The original sample recrystallization volume fraction was 23.2%. Under a deformation temperature of 850 degrees Celsius and deformation rate of 0.01, the recrystallization volume fraction rose to 38.5%; after the annealing process, the recrystallization volume fraction further increased to 72.6%. Under the deformation temperature of the thermal compression process, the higher the deformation rate, the larger its recrystallization volume fraction. After annealing, the recrystallization volume fraction further increased. This study can provide a reference and theoretical guidance for the development and optimization of the thermal processing process of Ti55531 titanium alloy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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10 pages, 3122 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of the Minimum Ductility Requirement in Automotive Castings on the Carbon Dioxide Footprint throughout the Useful Life of an Electric Car

by Murat Tiryakioğlu, Anders E. W. Jarfors and Martin Leitner

Metals 2023, 13(3), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13030513 - 3 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2034

Abstract

There is a trend in the automotive producers to require that foundries use more secondary aluminum alloy ingots to reduce the CO₂ footprint of car production. The merits of this trend have been investigated in this study. Results have shown that requiring the use of more secondary ingots while simultaneously reducing the elongation requirement of aluminum alloy die castings is counterproductive, i.e., increases the CO₂ footprint of the car over its useful life by not taking advantage of the weight reduction possible. It is recommended that (i) foundries improve their melt handling capabilities to reduce and minimize the entrainment damage made to the melt in the melting and casting process chain, and (ii) automobile producers reduce the weight of die castings by increasing requirements on elongation, to secure a reduced CO₂-footprint in the designs, materials usage and life-cycle of cars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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18 pages, 7132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Failure in Engineered Components and How It Can Be Eliminated: Case Studies on the Influence of Bifilms

by John Campbell and Murat Tiryakioğlu

Metals 2022, 12(8), 1320; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081320 - 6 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3807

Abstract

The fatigue of engineered components involves more than the fatigue of metals as studied in laboratories. The miniscule laboratory test pieces cannot represent the pre-existing macroscopic crack defects in real engineering components. This brief study illustrates five examples in which major cracks are pre-existing as a result of the presence of bifilm defects. The pre-existing defects account for up to 90 per cent of the failure of so-called fatigue failure. The presence of pre-existing bifilm defects is of overwhelming importance. It is, with regret, suggested that the attempts at the elimination of so-called fatigue failures by only studying fatigue is misguided. The so-called fatigue failures of engineering components can be understood and addressed by realizing the major contributions of bifilms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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11 pages, 3205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Ti10Mo8Nb Alloy for Biomedical Applications

by Patricia Capellato, Filipe Bueno Vilela, Andres Henrique Palomo Fontenele, Gilbert Silva, Kerolene Barboza da Silva, João Pedro Aquiles Carobolante, Edwin Gilberto Medina Bejarano, Mirian de Lourdes Noronha Motta Melo, Ana Paula Rosifini Alves Claro and Daniela Sachs

Metals 2022, 12(7), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071065 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2004

Abstract

The growth of the elderly population is urging for more suitable biomaterials to allow the performance of better surgical and implant procedures and accelerate the patient’s healing because the elderly are more vulnerable to orthopedic and dental problems. β-phase Ti alloys can improve the mechanical properties of implants by reducing their elastic modulus and, consequently, the effects of stress shielding within bones. Therefore, the objective of this article is to study a novel ternary β-phase alloy of Ti10Mo8Nb produced by an electric arc furnace and rotary forge. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the Ti10Mo8Nb alloy were investigated in order to evaluate its suitability for biomedical applications and compare its characteristics with those present in Ti-alloys commerced or widely researched for prosthetic purposes. A tensile test, Vickers microhardness test, use of microstructure of optical microscopy for examination of microstructure, X-ray diffraction and hemolysis analysis were carried out. Thus, the Ti10Mo8Nb alloy showed suitable properties for biomedical applications, as well as having the potential to reduce the possibility to occur stress shielding after prosthetic implantations, especially for orthopedics and dentistry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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21 pages, 5536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Crack Initiation on Semi-Solid Al–7Si–Mg Castings

by Jorge Santos, Baiwei Zhu, Caterina Zanella and Anders E. W. Jarfors

Metals 2022, 12(7), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071061 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2051

Abstract

Four-point bending fatigue tests were performed on semi-solid Al–7Si–Mg castings with varying magnesium contents and heat treatment conditions. Additionally, the effect of anodising on the fatigue resistance of semi-solid Al–7Si–Mg castings was evaluated. Fracture surface and microstructure analysis showed that fatigue crack initiation occurred mainly at the periphery of regions of positive macrosegregation at the casting surface, resulting most likely from exudation. The microstructure of these macrosegregation regions was mostly eutectic and was frequently found surrounded by a layer of oxides. This layer of oxides promoted weak bonding between the macrosegregation region and the surrounding material and acted as a crack initiation site. In this study, primary α-Al globule agglomerates at the casting surface and surrounded by a layer of oxides also promoted fatigue crack initiation. Fatigue resistance of semi-solid Al–7Si–Mg castings in the T5 and T6 conditions increased with the increase in the magnesium content of the alloy from 0.3 to 0.45 wt.% due to the higher precipitation hardening response. However, the increase in the magnesium content from 0.45 to 0.6 wt.% resulted in a slight decrease in the fatigue resistance. The oxide layer formed during anodising had no significant effect on the fatigue resistance of the semi-solid Al–7Si–Mg castings in this study due to the dominant effect of the macrosegregation regions on fatigue crack initiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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22 pages, 18914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Probabilistic Fatigue Strength Assessment in AlSi-Cast Material by a Layer-Based Approach

by Matthias Oberreiter, Stefan Fladischer, Michael Stoschka and Martin Leitner

Metals 2022, 12(5), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050784 - 30 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2809

Abstract

An advanced lightweight design in cast aluminium alloys features complexly shaped geometries with strongly varying local casting process conditions. This affects the local microstructure in terms of porosity grade and secondary dendrite arm spacing distribution. Moreover, complex service loads imply changing local load stress vectors within these components, evoking a wide range of highly stressed volumes within different microstructural properties per load sequence. To superimpose the effects of bulk and surface fatigue strength in relation to the operating load sequence for the aluminium alloy EN AC 46200, a layer-based fatigue assessment concept is applied in this paper considering a non-homogeneous distribution of defects within the investigated samples. The bulk fatigue property is now obtained by a probabilistic evaluation of computed tomography results per investigated layer. Moreover, the effect of clustering defects of computed tomography is studied according to recommendations from the literature, leading to a significant impact in sponge-like porosity layers. The highly stressed volume fatigue model is applied to computed tomography results. The validation procedure leads to a scattering of mean fatigue life from −2.6% to 12.9% for the investigated layers, inheriting strongly varying local casting process conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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15 pages, 8156 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine Quaternary Al-Cu-Si-Mg Eutectic Alloy

by Qing Cai, Brian Cantor, Vivian S. Tong, Feng Wang, Chamini L. Mendis, Isaac T.H. Chang and Zhongyun Fan

Metals 2022, 12(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12010007 - 21 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3668

Abstract

The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of quaternary Al-Cu-Si-Mg eutectic alloy prepared via arc melting and suction casting were studied. This alloy exhibits a single endothermic DSC peak with a melting temperature of 509 °C upon heating, suggesting a eutectic reaction. The cast [...] Read more.

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), Si and Al₄Cu₂Mg₈Si₇ (Q), in the eutectic cells and also in the nano-scale anomalous eutectic in the intercellular regions. The eutectic cells show different morphologies in different parts of the sample. Well-defined orientation relationships between the α-Al, Al₂Cu, and Q phases were found in the eutectic cell centres, while decoupled growth of Q phase occurred at the cell boundaries. The bimodal microstructure exhibits excellent compressive mechanical properties, including a yield strength of 835 ± 35 MPa, a fracture strength of ~1 GPa and a compressive fracture strain of 4.7 ± 1.1%. The high strength is attributed to a combination of a refined eutectic structure and strengthening from multiple hard phases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Quality and Its Effects on the Performance of Light Alloy Castings)

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