Thermal Properties of Al-50%Si Alloys

In order to prepare a hypereutectic Al-Si alloy with low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), Al-50%Si alloy was produced by powder metallurgy (P/M) and ingot metallurgy (I/M). P/M specimen was prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) and pulsed electric-current sintering (PECS). The microstructures of specimens were characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Vickers microhardness and CTE measurements were performed. The grains in the P/M specimen were refined with increasing MA time. Primary Si and eutectic Si in the I/M specimen were remarkably refined by adding minute amounts of Sr. The CTE of P/M and I/M specimens were estimated as T.SxlO"6 and 10.7xlO"6, respectively. These values were as same as a CTE of AlaOs ceramics.