Effect of alloying elements on the thermal conductivity and casting characteristics of aluminum alloys in high pressure die casting

High pressure die casting is one of the precision casting methods. It is highly productivity and suitable for manufacturing components with complex shapes and accurate dimensions. Recently, there has been increasing demand for efficient heat dissipation components, to control the heat generated by devices, which directly affects the efficiency and life of the product. Die cast aluminum alloys with high thermal conductivity are especially needed for this application. In this study, the influence of elements added to the die cast aluminum alloy on its thermal conductivity was evaluated. The results showed that Mn remarkably deteriorated the thermal conductivity of the aluminum alloy. When Cu content was increased, the tensile strength of cast aluminum alloy increased, showing 1 wt% of Cu ensured the minimum mechanical properties of the cast aluminum. As Si content increased, the flow length of the alloy proportionally increased. The flow length of aluminum alloy containing 2 wt% Si was about 85% of that of the ALDC12 alloy. A heat dissipation component was successfully fabricated using an optimized composition of Al-1 wt%Cu-0.6 wt%Fe-2 wt%Si die casting alloy without surface cracks, which were turned out as intergranular cracking originated from the solidification contraction of the alloy with Si composition lower than 2 wt%.