한국주조공학회

Squeeze casting process has been used in the field of a commercial manufacturing method, in which metal is enforcedly solidified under pressure enough to prevent the cast defects such as either gas porosity or shrinkage defect. In this paper, to clarify the relationship between applied pressures and macro ${\cdot}$ 수식 이미지 microstructural behaviors in gravity and direct squeeze casts, specimens were cast by various squeezing pressures during solidification of 7000 series Al wrought alloy in the metal die designed specially. The applied pressures used in this study were 0, 25, 50, and 75 MPa. The microstructural morphologies of squeeze cast were more fine and dense with increasing the applied pressures, because of the greater solidification rate of billet resulting from the applied pressure. A normal segregation phenomenon of an increasing in amount of eutectics towards the center of the billet was observed for squeeze casts, whereas gravity cast showed an inverse segregation phenomenon of an increasing in amount of eutectics towards the edge in the billet. This change in segregation pattern which is normal or inverse is due to a higher radial temperature gradient and reduced time in the semi solid state for squeeze casting.