Influence of Natural Ageing on Impact Strength of the EN AC-AlSi9Cu3(Fe) Alloy

Growing market demand, more and more efficient and cleaner vehicles create a challenge for automotive industry. Properties of aluminum, such as: high strength stiffness to weight ratio, high fluidity and castability, easy machinability and weldability and good corrosion resistance make them ideal candidate to replacement of a heavier materials used in vehicles, and the same, have direct effect on fuel consumption. Comparing to steel, titanium or carbon fibers, aluminum alloys are characterized by low impact strength, which can be improved by a heat treatment. In this study one investigated the effect of the heat treatment (natural ageing) on the EN AC-AlSi9Cu3(Fe) alloy modified with strontium. Solution heat treatment temperature’s ranges were selected on the base of heating (melting) curves recorded with use of the thermal derivative analysis (ATD) method. Temperatures of the solution heat treatment were 495°C, 510°C, and 525°C ± 5°C, while the solutioning time ranged from 15 to 105 minutes (15; 60 and 105 min.). Time of the ageing amounted to 1, 3 and 7 days. To determine impact strength of the alloy after performed heat treatment one implemented simplified Charpy test. Maximal values of the impact strength (9,6 J/cm2) were obtained for solutioning temperature 510°C and solutioning time 15 minutes, after seven days of ageing. Obtained results enabled determination of solutioning parameters, which allow obtainment of increased impact strength of the investigation alloy for the T4 heat treatment.