Heat treatment optimization of aluminum casting alloys with computational material engineering

Hypoeutectic aluminum-silicon alloys are preferred in automotive and many industrial applications due to their superior physical and mechanical properties. In this context, it is extremely important to reveal the physical and mechanical properties of these alloys with both with both laboratory and virtual environment studies and industrial scale studies. In this study, it is aimed to present a new alloy that can be an alternative to the heat-treated AlSi7Mg0.3 (A356) alloy, which is an Al-Si casting alloy with hypoeutectoid composition and is frequently used in industrial applications. For this purpose, a wheel was produced by low pressure casting process by using Al-5Si and Al-9Si alloy groups with 3 different Mg element ratios and 2 different Si element ratios. Thermo-physical and mechanical properties of spoke region, before and after heat treatment, were investigated with virtual-simulation studies and experimental studies. The master thesis has been planned in four stages as experimental design, computer aided production, pilot production and testing and characterization studies. In order to save time, energy and labor by reducing the number of experiments during the experimental design, Taguchi experimental design was followed and a full factorial experimental design matrix was created. With Computational Materials Engineering (HMM) and experimental studies, the effects of differences in alloy composition and heat treatment parameters on the physical and mechanical properties of alloys before and after heat treatment were numerically demonstrated by Taguchi, ANOVA and regression analyzes. In this thesis, the accuracy of the results obtained with Computational Materials Engineering has been proven by experimental studies and the reliability of these new generation methods has been evaluated. Thus, new alloy compositions and heat treatment parameters have been obtained, which can be an alternative to the A356 aluminum casting alloy used in the production of wheels, which is an automotive product. In addition, within the scope of the thesis, a new product and process that will offer high potential in industrial and academic applications has been revealed.