Effects of Die Steel on Die Soldering of Aluminum Alloy Die Casting

Abstract

This study carried out a die soldering test using both H13 and 1045 steel to investigate the different performances of these two substrate materials with regard to die soldering. Aluminum alloys with various amounts of silicon (0, 4.5, and 9 wt.%) were used to investigate the action of silicon in the soldering reaction, with the 0 wt.% material being commercial pure aluminum. Aluminum alloy samples of varying Si content were melted and held at 680oC and both H13 and 1045 steel were dipped for two hours in the melt. After the dipping test, the specimens were air cooled and analyzed using SEM and EPMA. The reaction layer of the H13 steel and the aluminum alloys were composed of Al3Fe (ɵ), Al5Fe2(η) and Al8Fe2Si (τ5) phase. The reaction layer between the 1045 steel and the aluminum melt was composed AlFe (ζ), Al5Fe2 (η), Al3Fe (ɵ), and Al8Fe2Si (τ5). The reaction layer thickness with the H13 substrate increased with the Si content of the aluminum; it deceased with increased Si content with the 1045 steel substrate.