%0 Journal Article
%A Goñi, J.
%A Eguizabal, P.
%A Coleto, J.
%A Guridi, J. R.
%A Garitagoitia, I.
%A Garitagoitia, E.
%A Barbarias, E.
%T High pressure die casting (HPDC) of advanced reinforced aluminium alloys
%D 2004
%@ 0026-0843
%U https://hdl.handle.net/11556/2864
%X An advanced material based on a AlSi8Cu3Fe alloy reinforced with 6%wt. of Titanium Diboride (TiB2) particles was employed to produce demonstrator clutch discs and to compare the obtained properties with those of the corresponding non reinforced alloy. The new material was produced through an in-situ reaction in which two salts were incorporated into the aluminium alloy melt to produce the reinforcing particles through an exothermal chemical reaction. The material so formed was first used to obtain samples through the direct Squeeze Casting technology at lab scale. Afterwards, it was also employed to produce some demonstrator prototypes with a conventional industrial High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) equipment. Results obtained with the reinforced material with the Squeeze Casting and HPDC technologies are presented and compared to those obtained with the corresponding non reinforced equivalent. The effect of the TiB2 particles was analysed in terms of enhancement of mechanical properties at high temperatures, thermal properties, processing, etc. Minor changes had to be implemented in the moulds and equipments used to produce the final samples and components. The melt was stirred in order to avoid the settling phenomenon that might have taken place due to the difference of the density of the particles and the alloy. The processing parameters had to be fixed in order to take into account the different viscosity, castability and solidification pattern of the new material. Information on the optimization of the casting processes and properties of the Squeeze Casting and HPDC samples obtained are shown.
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