A Methodology to Predict the Effects of Quench Rates on Mechanical Properties of Cast Aluminum Alloys

The mechanical properties of age-hardenable Al-Si-Mg alloys depend on the rate at which the alloys are cooled after the solutionizing heat treatment. Quench factor analysis, developed by Evancho and Staley, was able to quantify the effects of quenching rates on the as-aged properties of an aluminum alloy. This method has been previously used to successfully predict yield strength and hardness of wrought aluminum alloys. However, the quench factor data for aluminum castings is still rare in the literature. In this study, the time-temperature during cooling and hardness were used as the inputs for quench factor modeling. The experimental data were collected using the Jominy end quench method. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed on the experimental data to estimate the kinetic parameters during quenching. Time-temperature-property curves of cast aluminum alloy A356 were generated using the estimated kinetic parameters. Experimental verification was performed on a cast engine head. The predicted hardness agreed well with that experimentally measured. The methodology described in this article requires little experimental effort and can also be used to experimentally estimate the kinetic parameters during quenching for other aluminum alloys.