Aluminium–silicon alloys or Silumin is a general name for a group of lightweight, high-strength aluminium alloys based on an aluminum–silicon system (AlSi) that consist predominantly of aluminum - with silicon as the quantitatively most important alloying element. Pure AlSi alloys cannot be hardened, the commonly used alloys AlSiCu (with copper) and AlSiMg (with magnesium) can be hardened. The hardening mechanism corresponds to that of AlCu and AlMgSi. The rarely used in the 4000 series and the predominantly used are standardised in the 40000 series.
AlSi alloys are by far the most important of all aluminum cast materials. They are suitable for all casting processes and have excellent casting properties. Important areas of application are in car parts, including engine blocks and pistons. In addition, their use as a functional material for high-energy heat storage in electric vehicles is currently being focused on.
Alloying elements
Aluminium-silicon alloys typically contain 3% to 25% silicon content. Casting is the primary use of aluminum-silicon alloys, but they can also be utilized in rapid solidification processes and powder metallurgy. Alloys used by powder metallurgy, rather than casting, may contain even more silicon, up to 50%. Silumin has a high resistance to corrosion, making it useful in humid environments.
The addition of silicon to aluminum also makes it less viscous when in liquid form, which, together with its low cost (as both component elements are relatively cheap to extract), makes it a very good casting alloy. Silumin with good castability may give a stronger finished casting than a potentially stronger alloy that is more difficult to cast.
All aluminum alloys also contain iron as an admixture. It is generally undesirable because it lowers strength and elongation at break. Together with Al and Si it forms the -phase AlFeSi, which is present in the structure in the form of small needles. However, iron also prevents the castings from sticking to the molds in die casting, so that special die-casting alloys contain a small amount of iron, while iron is avoided as far as possible in other alloys.
Manganese also reduces the tendency to stick, but affects the mechanical properties less than iron. Manganese forms a phase with other elements that is in the form of globulitic (round) grains.
Copper occurs in almost all technical alloys, at least as an admixture. From a content of 0.05% Cu, the corrosion resistance is reduced. Additions of about 1% Cu are alloyed to increase strength through solid solution strengthening. This also improves machinability. In the case of the AlSiCu alloys, higher proportions of copper are also added, which means that the materials can be hardened (see Aluminum-copper alloy).
Together with silicon, magnesium forms the Mg2Si (magnesium silicide) phase, which is the basis of hardenability, similar to aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloys (AlMgSi). In these there is an excess of Mg, so the structure consists of aluminum mixed crystal with magnesium and Mg2Si. In the AlSiMg alloys, on the other hand, there is an excess of silicon and the structure consists of aluminum mixed crystal, silicon and Mg2Si.
Small additions of titanium and boron serve to refine the grain.
Pure aluminium–silicon alloys
Aluminum forms a eutectic with silicon, which is at 577 °C, with a Si content of 12.5% or 12.6%. Up to 1.65% Si can be dissolved in aluminum at this temperature. However, the solubility decreases rapidly with temperature. At 500 °C it is still 0.8% Si, at 400 °C 0.3% Si and at 250 °C only 0.05% Si. At room temperature, silicon is practically insoluble. Aluminum cannot be dissolved in silicon at all, not even at high temperatures. Only in the molten state are both completely soluble. Increases in strength due to solid solution strengthening are negligible.
Pure AlSi alloys are smelted from primary aluminium, while AlSi alloys with other elements are usually smelted from secondary aluminium. The pure AlSi alloys are medium strength, non-hardenable, but corrosion resistant, even in salt water environments.
The exact properties depend on whether the composition of the alloy is above, near or below the eutectic point. Castability increases with increasing Si content and is best at about 17% Si; the mechanical properties are best at 6% to 12% Si.
The mold filling capacity reaches its maximum at 12% Si, but is also good with other contents. The tendency to form cavities is lowest at 6% to 8% Si and considered low overall. The tendency to hot cracking is low with less than 6% Si.