Effect of Hardness on A413 intermetallic Alloy with the influence of typical heat treatment

Treatment is an operation or combination of operations involving typical heating and soaking at a temperature for a period of time and methods. The aim is to obtain a desired predetermined property like hardness. Knowing the hardness of any metal or alloy is important, as this value gives you an indication of its ability to form and maintain a shape and is also a guide to its durability. To ensure that any metal or alloy (AlSi) component is suitable and adequate for the designed purpose, it may need to be exposed to a selected range of typical treatments. The treatments are conducted in such a way so as to ensure that the required combinations of these parameters. A413 is a simple eutectic system with two solid solution phases, fcc (Al) and diamond cubic (Si). The eutectic temperature of Al-Si is around 577 0 C. Considerable interest in replacing cast iron in the automotive industry to improve energy efficiency and meet environmental requirements. A413 alloys have been widely used due to their excellent combination of properties such as low thermal expansion and high wear resistance, corrosive resistance, as well as good castability. Intermetallic elements are added to improve properties and the most commonly alloyed with Titanium, Boron and Strontium. The important outcome of investigation is the fact that aluminium-based alloys, especially Al-Si alloys, which account for their popularity as the chosen materials in wide spread applications, on the hardness of materials under widely varying experimental conditions, a study was therefore planned of the hardness of A413 alloys under typical heat-treated conditions.