Aluminum-silicon casting alloys : an atlas of microfractographs

This atlas provides an in-depth understanding of the metallurgy and fracture behavior of aluminum-silicon casting alloys, which are used in a wide variety of automotive, aerospace, and consumer product applications. The atlas includes over 300 high-definition microfractographs of fracture profiles and fracture surfaces, accompanied with detailed descriptions and analysis of the fracture features and their significance in the selection, processing, properties, and performance of the alloy. The microfractographs are described and classified according to criteria described in detail in the introductory chapters in the book. The factors determining the fracture mechanism in these alloys, on the basis of their physical and mechanical properties and fracture mechanics, are described and analyzed. The set of micrographs in this atlas include several unique features: classification according to the alloy and its processing history, detailed analysis of selected microregions of the fracture surface, reference of the fracture features to the phase constituents of the alloy, and high resolution and high microscopic magnification of the SEM images. This book will be of great value to anyone involved in the selection, processing, application, testing, or evaluation of aluminum-silicon castings. The target audience includes metallurgists, foundry personnel, failure analysts, purchasers of castings, researchers in physical and mechanical metallurgy, students, and educators. Warmuzek (Foundry Research Institute, Poland) compiles b&w fracture images seen under a microscope during laboratory testing of mechanical properties, plus relevant descriptions of images, in this atlas documenting aluminum-silicon alloys. A set of images covers hypoeutectic, eutectic, and hypereutectic cast aluminum-silicon alloys. Surface fractures visible under high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are shown together with subsurface effects on metallographic specimens normal to the fracture plane, observed with light microscopy. The book also deals with the physical, crystallographic, and microstructural aspects of the formation of aluminum-silicon cast alloys as they relate to mechanical properties. The criteria of fracture classification are established along with a set of the most important data on the morphology of the basic types of fractures that occur in metals used in structures. The book was first published in Polish in 2000. Annotation 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Provides an in-depth understanding of the metallurgy and fracture behaviour of aluminum-silicon casting alloys, which are used in a wide variety of automotive, aerospace, and consumer product applications. The atlas includes over 300 high-definition microfractographs of fracture profiles and fracture surfaces, accompanied with detailed descriptions and analysis of the fracture features.