journal article·2013-09

Fatigue of an aluminium cast alloy used in the manufacture of automotive engine blocks

Rodrigo González, Alejandro González, José Talamantes-Silva, Salvador Valtierra, Rafael D. Mercado-Solís, Nelson F. Garza-Montes-de-Oca, Rafael Colás

Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract The fatigue resistance of an aluminium alloy used for casting engine blocks was studied. The tests were carried out with specimens machined from the bulkheads of V8 engine blocks cast by the low pressure process. The samples were obtained from two different locations in the bulkheads to evaluate the effect of microstructural refining as the material was cut from regions in which the secondary dendrite arm spacing was within two different sizes, namely 30 and 45 μm. The samples were tested either in their as-cast and heat treating conditions in a computer controlled servohydraulic machine. The tests were fully reversible following staircase schedules. The specimens were fatigued to fracture or up to 107 cycles. The results show that fatigue cracks nucleate in pores located close to the surface of the specimen. It is concluded that the fatigue resistance is affected by heat treating and microstructural refining. The enhancement in fatigue resistance due to microstructural refining is documented. An analysis was carried out to predict the cycles to failure that the material is able to sustain.
Source: openaire · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Aluminum Alloy Microstructure Properties · Aluminum Alloys Composites Properties · Fatigue and fracture mechanics

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

References (40)

Show source-provided references
1. Wickberg A, Gustafsson G, Larsson LE. Microstructural effects on the fatigue properties of a cast Al7SiMg alloy (A356), 1984 SAE Techn. Paper 840121, SAE, Warrendale; 1984.10.4271/840121 ↗
2. Temperature effects on the fatigue behaviour of an aluminium–silicon alloy10.1139/tcsme-1984-0023 ↗
3. Casting defects and the fatigue behaviour of an aluminium casting alloy10.1111/j.1460-2695.1990.tb00594.x ↗
4. Fatigue life assessment of aluminum alloys with casting defects10.1016/0013-7944(93)90108-5 ↗
5. In-service loading of AlSi11 aluminium cast alloy in the very high cycle regime10.1016/0142-1123(93)90380-9 ↗
6. Porosity control and fatigue behavior in A356–T61 aluminum alloy
7. Modeling high-temperature fatigue behavior of cast 319-type aluminium alloys
8. Zhang B, Poirier DR, Chen W. High cycle fatigue crack initiation site distribution in A356.2, In: Das S, editor. Automotive Alloys. TMS, Warrendale; 2000. p. 315–24.10.1002/9781118787601.ch26 ↗
9. The effect of microscopic inclusion locations and silicon segregation on fatigue lifetimes of aluminum alloy A356 castings10.1016/S0921-5093(00)00663-8 ↗
10. The influence of modified intermetallics and Si particles on fatigue crack paths in a cast A356 Al alloy10.1046/j.1460-2695.2000.00239.x ↗
11. Effect of solidification cooling rate on the fatigue life of A356.2-T6 cast aluminium alloy10.1046/j.1460-2695.2000.00299.x ↗
12. The effect of solidification time and heat treatment on the fatigue properties of a cast 319 aluminum alloy10.1007/s11661-003-0147-4 ↗
13. Fatigue crack growth and fracture paths in sand cast B319 and A356 aluminum alloys10.1016/S0921-5093(02)00196-X ↗
14. Oxide films, pores and fatigue lives of cast aluminum alloys10.1007/BF02735010 ↗
15. Effect of macro-porosity on the strength and ductility of cast Al–7Si–0.3Mg alloy10.1016/0036-9748(86)90049-9 ↗
16. Strength and fracture of aluminum alloys10.1016/S0921-5093(99)00649-8 ↗
17. Biloni H, Boettinger WJ. In: Cahn RW, Haasen P, editors. Solidification, physical metallurgy. 4th ed. North Holland, Amsterdam; 1996. p. 669–842.10.1016/B978-044489875-3/50013-2 ↗
18. Campbell · 2000
19. Dendrite cell size
20. Granger DA,Ting E. Structures in directionally solidified aluminum foundry alloy A356, In: Abbaschian GJ, Bayuzick RJ, editors. Solidification processing of eutectic alloys, D.M. Stefanescu.TMS, Warrendale; 1988. p. 105–20.
21. Quantitative description of the microstructures of aluminum foundry alloys10.1080/09534962.1991.11819081 ↗
22. The deformation and fracture behaviour of an Al–Si–Mg casting alloy10.1016/0921-5093(94)09775-5 ↗
23. Effect of solidification rate and heat treating on the microstructure and tensile behavior of an aluminim–copper alloy10.1007/s11663-008-9204-0 ↗
24. Solidification analysis of aluminium engine block10.1179/136404604225022739 ↗
25. Characterization of an aluminium engine block
26. ASTM international, ASTM B557M-94: standard test methods of tension testing wrought and cast aluminum and magnesium alloy products (metric). West Conshohocken; 1994.
27. ASTM international, ASTM E8M-99: standard test methods for tension testing of metallic materials (metric). West Conshohocken; 1999.
28. GM Engineering Standards · 2002
29. Spheroidization of the Al–Si eutectic in a cast aluminum alloy10.1361/105994900770345467 ↗
30. Interpretation of the results of the tensile test by means of the quality index and the probable elastic limit: application to the Al–Si7Mg casting alloys10.1051/metal/197875010051 ↗
31. Interpretation of tensile results by means of quality index and probable yield strength
32. Rice · 1996 · vol. 8
33. Demonstration of an endurance limit in cast 319 aluminum
34. Stephens · 2001
35. Effect of defects, inclusions and inhomogeneities on fatigue strength10.1016/0142-1123(94)90001-9 ↗
36. Small defects and inhomogeneities in fatigue strength: experiments, models and statistical implications10.1023/A:1009976418553 ↗
37. Influence of porosity on the fatigue limit of die cast magnesium and aluminium alloys10.1016/S0142-1123(02)00054-3 ↗
38. A small crack growth law and its related phenomena10.1016/0013-7944(92)90297-R ↗
39. The effect of solidification rate on the growth of small fatigue cracks in a cast 319-type aluminum alloy10.1007/s11661-999-0216-4 ↗
40. Caton MJ, Jones JW, Allison JE. Use of small fatigue crack growth analysis in predicting the S–N response of cast aluminum alloys. In: Newman C, Piascik RS, editors. Fatigue crack growth thresholds, endurance limits and design, ASTM STP 1732. West Conshohocken, PA; 2000. p. 285–303.10.1520/STP13439S ↗