한국주조공학회

Microstructure and mechanical properties of the low pressure die-cast Al wheels were investigated by microscope, image analyzer, NDT (non-destructive test), and tensile test. The variation of SDAS (secondary dendrite arm spacing), porosity per unit area, quality grade, and tensile properties with the mold temperatures were examined. SDAS was gradually decreased with a decrease in temperature. However, the lowest value of porosity per unit area was observed at the mold temperature of 405℃ and the optimum mold temperature was found to be 405℃. Besides, from the observation of pore morphology, it was also found that the pore formation was mainly caused by shrinkage during solidification. The tensile strength, elongation, and impact toughness were markedly decreased, however the yield strength was nearly constant. The decrease of mechanical properties is attributed to the increase of porosity.