Effect of Superheating and Sample Thickness on Behavior and Graded Microstructure for Hypereutectic Al-Cu Alloy Fabricated by Centrifugal Casting

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are a group of inhomogeneous composite materials in which the size, volume fraction and distribution of reinforcement phase have changed continuously and functionally along some directions and result in gradual change in physical, chemical and mechanical properties in those directions. In this article, cylindrical samples with hypereutectic Al-40Wt.% alloy have been prepared in Al-Cu system by horizontal centrifugal casting method and influence of pouring temperature 650, 700, 800 oC and sample thickness on graded microstructure of primary Al2Cu particles were studied. The microstructural analysis indicates that through increasing the superheating or decreasing the sample thickness, the segregation of the primary Al2Cu particles towards the outer sections of the cylindrical speciments is increased.