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CAE DS Mould Design

Alloys for High Pressure Die Casting


Tampere University of Technology Tuula Hk The die designer needs mostly information about the thermal properties of each high pressure die casting alloy. The thermal properties are important in designing the gating system, tempering channels and in selecting the scaling factor for the casting. The most important parameters are liquidus temperature, solidification range, shot temperature, thermal expansion coefficient, specific heat capacity and the intensity of heat transfer from the casting to the mould material. The thermal properties are also important in selecting the die steels, but this selection is trivial. The main interest is in the casting temperature and in the intensity of die cooling. Casting designers should be aware of the minimum draft and minimum corner rounding requirements for each alloy group. As these are inseparable details in the casting itself, they are not alterable in the die shop.

Aluminum alloys
The following aluminum alloy groups are suitable for high pressure die casting: aluminum-silicon alloys aluminum-silicon-magnesium alloys aluminum-silicon-copper alloys aluminum-magnesium alloys

The specific heat capacity for all alloys in these groups is 963 J/kg K. Casting temperature varies between 615 705 C. Normally the die cavity needs intensive cooling. Cavity is sprayed rather long periods and if there are narrow projections like ribs, the cooling is intensified. The die parts which are in contact with the cast alloy must be machined to some hot working tool steel. Typical die life is around 100 000 shots, but the estimate is not straightforward. The die life depends on the part shapes and if there are tight casting surface quality requirements, the die is laid aside earlier than if the requirements are loose. In the tables next page there are the names of the alloys in each group with some selected properties.

Alloys for High Pressure Die Casting - 1

CAE DS Mould Design

Table 1. Aluminum-silicon alloys


Casting temperature C * Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 100 C * Al Si12(Fe) Al Si9 B 85 Alloy 413.0 B 85 Alloy A413.0 B 85 Alloy C443.0 635 - 705 635 - 705 635 - 705 635 - 705 635 - 705 577 - 590 577 - 605 577 - 585 577 - 585 577 - 630 20 *** 21 *** 20.4 20.4 22 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 200 C * Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 300 C *

Alloy

Solidification range C **

Density at 20 C, g/cm3 *

2.657 2.657 2.69

21.4 21.4 23

22.4 22.4 24

* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials: Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys ** Determined from Al-Si phase diagram *** EN 1706. Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties

Table 2. Aluminum-silicon-magnesium/copper alloys


Casting temperature C * Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 100 C * Al Si10Mg(Fe) Al Si11Cu2(Fe) Al Si12Cu1(Fe) Al Si8Cu3 Al Si9Cu3(Fe) Al Si9Cu3(Fe)(Zn) B 85 Alloy 360.0 B 85 Alloy 380.0 B 85 Alloy 383.0 B 85 Alloy 384.0 B 85 Alloy 390.0 B 85 Alloy 392.0 B 85 Alloy A360.0 B 85 Alloy A380.0 B 85 Alloy B390.0 580 - 600 ** 560 - 590 ** 575 - 590 ** 580 - 605 ** 565 - 600 ** 565 - 600 ** 580 - 600 ** 570 - 605 ** 565 - 590 ** 555 - 585 ** 650 * 580 - 600 ** 570 - 605 ** 650 * 21 *** 20 *** 20 *** 21 *** 21 *** 21 *** 21 22 21.1 20.8 18 21 21.8 18 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 300 C *

Alloy

Solidus C *

Liquidus C

Density at 20 C, g/cm3 *

635 - 705 635 - 705 615 - 700 615 - 700

555 540 515 515 505 555 540 505

2.630 2.71 2.74 2.823 2.73 2.630 2.71 2.73

23

635 - 705 635 - 705

23

* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials: Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys ** Calculated with the silicon equivalent method from Hernandez, Djurdjevic, Kierkus, Sokolowski: Calculation of the liquidus temperature for hypo and hypereutectic aluminum silicon alloys *** EN 1706. Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties

Table 3. Aluminum-magnesium -alloys


Coefficient of Alloy Casting temperature C * Solidus C * Liquidus C Density at 20 C, g/cm3 * linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 100 C 24 ** 24.1 *

Al Mg9 B 85 Alloy 518.0

535

620

2.57

* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials: Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys ** EN 1706. Aluminium and aluminium alloys. Castings. Chemical composition and mechanical properties

Alloys for High Pressure Die Casting - 2

CAE DS Mould Design

Magnesium alloys
The high pressure die castable magnesium alloy groups are: Magnesium-aluminum-manganese alloys Magnesium-aluminum-silicon alloys Magnesium-aluminum-zinc alloys

Specific heat capacity of these alloys is 1020 1050 J/kgK. Casting temperature varies between 645 710 C depending on the alloy. Magnesium alloys have low heat content. It is not necessary to cool the die cavity intensively by spraying. Sometimes it is difficult to keep the heat inside the die and it is necessary to heat the die instead of cooling. Typical die life is from 100 000 up to 300 000 shots. The die parts which come into contact with the casting alloy are machined to some hot working tool steel. The die

cavity parts are hardened and annealed to a hardness of about 46-48 HRC.
Table 4. Magnesium-aluminum-manganese, main reference: Westengen, Aune: Magnesium casting alloys
Casting Alloy temperature C 680 - 710 660 - 690 655 - 685 660 - 690 655 - 685 655 - 685 Solidification range C Density at 20 C, g/cm2 1,75 1,77 1,80 1,77 1,80 1,80 Density at solidus, g/cm2 1,65 1,67 Density at liquidus, g/cm2 1,62 1,61 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 - 100 C *

EN MgAl2Mn EN MgAl5Mn EN MgAl6Mn EN MgAl7Mn ASTM B 94 Alloy AM50A ASTM B 94 Alloy AM60A ASTM B 94 Alloy AM60B

420 - 640 420 - 620 420 - 615 420 - 620 420 - 615 420 - 615

1,67 1,67

1,61 1,61

25.6 25.6

Table 5. Magnesium-aluminum-silicon, main reference: Westengen, Aune: Magnesium casting alloys


Casting temperature C 670 - 700 645 - 685 645 - 685 645 - 685 Solidification range C Density at 20 C, g/cm2 1,76 1,77 1,77 1,77 Density at solidus, g/cm2 1,65 Density at liquidus, g/cm2 1,61 26.1 26.1 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 - 100 C *

Alloy

EN MgAl2Si EN MgAl4Si ASTM B 94 Alloy AS41A ASTM B 94 Alloy AS41B

420 - 632 420 - 617 420 - 617 420 - 617

Table 6. Magnesium-aluminum-zinc, main reference: Westengen, Aune: Magnesium casting alloys


Casting temperature C Solidification range C Density at 20 C, g/cm2 Density at solidus, g/cm2 Density at liquidus, g/cm2 Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 - 100 C *

Alloy

EN MgAl8Zn1 EN MgAl9Zn1(A) ASTM B 94 Alloy AZ91A ASTM B 94 Alloy AZ91B ASTM B 94 Alloy AZ91D

640 - 670 640 - 670 640 - 670 640 - 670

420 - 600 420 - 600 420 - 600 420 - 600

1,81 1,81 1,81 1,81

1,71 1,71 1,71 1,71

1,67 1,67 1,67 1,67

26 26 26

Alloys for High Pressure Die Casting - 3

CAE DS Mould Design

Zinc alloys
Melting the zinc casting alloys does not require energy as much as melting of common light metal alloys. The zinc alloy specific heat capacity is only half of the specific heat capacities of aluminum and magnesium alloys. The casting temperature is low. Typically the die for zinc alloy castings lasts up to 1 million shots and it is possible to use the less costly die materials.

Table 7. Zinc alloys


Casting temperature C * 435 - 460 460 - 490 515 - 545 395 - 425 395 - 425 395 - 425 395 - 425 Solidification range C * Density at 20 C, g/cm3 * Solidification shrinkage, % * Specific heat, J / kgK * Coefficient of linear thermal expansion, m/mK, 20 - 100 C * 23.2 24.1 26 27.4 27.8 27.4 27.4

Alloy

B 86 - ZA-8 B 86 - ZA-12 B 86 - ZA-27 B 86 - AC 41A B 86 - AC 43A B 86 - AG 40A B 86 - AG 40B

375 - 404 377 - 432 375 - 484 380 - 386 379 - 390 381 - 387 381 - 387

6.30 6.03 5.00 6.7 6.6 6.6 6.6

1 1.3 1.3 1.17 1.25 1.17 1.17

435 450 525 419 419 419 419

* ASM Handbooks Online, Volume 2, Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials

Alloys for High Pressure Die Casting - 4

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