Effect of Alloying Additives and Moulding Technology on Microstructure, Tightness, and Mechanical Properties of CuSn10 Bronze

Abstract

Thise research was conducted to determine the impact of the applied casting technology, mould and alloying additives on the tightness of the CuSn10 cast alloy. Under industrial conditions, a series of experimental melts were made that were characterised by varying the concentrations of the main alloying element (Sn) and the introduced alloying additives (Si, Zn, Zr). The mould was made from green sand and used the CO2 moulding process. To assess the influence of the alloying additives, a metallographic analysis of the studied alloy was carried out, and the alloy’s microstructure was examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The introduced alloying additives affected the properties and microstructure of the studied alloy. As alloying additives, zirconium resulted in a visible refinement of the microstructure, while silicon improved the fluidity and quality of the casting’s external surface. The use of alloying additives and moulds made using different technologies is intended to improve the structure of the tin bronze castings produced and to find the best solution to significantly eliminate the lack of leakage of the castings. The castings were subjected to mechanical processing, and a leak test was performed using the pressure drop method. The conducted research allowed us to determine which technology, applied to production, will bring about a reduction in the problem and will inform further investigations.