Definition of Quality in Cast Aluminum Alloys and Its Characterization with Appropriate Indices

In this paper, the issue of “quality” of cast aluminum alloys from various viewpoints is interpreted. Many methods to characterize the quality of materials are available; the methods used currently for the quality evaluation of cast aluminum alloys include nondestructive testing, characterization of the microstructure, and mechanical testing. With regard to mechanical testing, a number of quality indices have been devised to evaluate and characterize the quality of cast aluminum alloys. As these quality indices use different mechanical properties for the quality evaluation, they are expected to lead to different results. In this work, the application of proposed quality indices and their suitability is discussed for a number of situations, including minor variations in chemical composition, different solidification rate, solid solution and artificial aging heat treatments.