Aluminum alloys are widely applied in automotive, aircraft, food and building
industries. Multicomponent technical AlSi9MgMn alloy is primarily intended
for high cooling rate technology. Controlled addition of alloying elements
such as iron and manganese as well as magnesium can improve mechanical and
technological properties of final casting in dependence from cooling
conditions during solidification. The aim of this investigation is
characterization of AlSi9MgMn alloy microstructure and mechanical properties
at lower cooling rates than those for which this alloy was primarily
developed. Thermodynamic calculation and thermal analyses revealed
solidification sequence in correlation to microstructure investigation as
follows: development of primary dendrite network, precipitation of high
temperature Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 and Al5FeSi phases, main eutectic reaction,
precipitation of intermetallic Al8Mg3FeSi6 phase and Mg2Si as a final
solidifying phase. Influence of microstructure features investigation and
cooling rate reveals significant Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 morphology change from
Chinese script morphology at low, irregular broken Chinese script morphology
at medium and globular morphology at high cooling rate. High manganese
content in AlSi9MgMn alloy together with high cooling rate enables increase
of Fe+Mn total amount in intermetallic Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 phase and encourage
favourable morphology development, all resulting in enhanced mechanical
properties in as-cast state.