Publication

Abstract : The present article reviews the development of cast aluminium alloy with highlights on improvement in the morphological, mechanical, tribological, and ageing properties of Sr modified Al–Si and Al–Si–Mg alloys. Aluminium and its alloys find application in the automobile and aviation industries. The main objective of utilizing aluminium alloys for structural application, manufacturing of pistons and engine block for automobile industries is its lightweight and low density. However, the low hardness of these alloys results in a high wear rate. The main factor that affects the properties of aluminium alloys is its microstructure, morphological behaviour, size of the grain and phase distribution. The morphological modification for these alloys is done through different processing techniques like casting, heat treatment, solutionising, and alloying element addition which augments the mechanical, corrosion, and tribological behaviour of these alloys. Of the alloying element additions Sr has proved to a very effective modifier for the alloy, and hence the method of modification was studied in detail. The unwanted effects especially porosity, being one of the main factors for failure of components, were investigated and methods to reduce it according to many researchers were included. Reinforcing the aluminium matrix with ceramic particles and surface modification also enhances the properties of aluminium alloys. The current article reviews the recent techniques to augment the microstructure, value of hardness, tensile properties, tribological properties, and corrosion behaviour of cast Al–Si and Al–Si–Mg alloys by the addition of strontium. Moreover, this review also focuses on the future scope of these aluminium alloys for structural application in automobile and lightweight industries.