Melting aluminum alloys

Aluminium's properties have been evident since it first appeared among industrial metals at the end of the 19th century: low density, good mechanical properties, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, good corrosion resistance, easy machining, good appearance properties. In its pure state, aluminum is used almost exclusively for electrical applications. But it is most often combined with other metals to form a wide range of alloys that are remarkably well-suited to all molding processes and meet a variety of physical, chemical and mechanical property requirements.

Casting alloys used industrially contain at least 50% aluminum by mass, and are made from pure electrolytic metal or recycled aluminum. The properties of these alloys depend on their composition, their structural state, the forming process used and the heat treatments applied to the parts. In particular, aluminum is highly sensitive to oxidation and requires special precautions when processed in its liquid state.

After defining the nature of aluminum alloys, their properties in terms of casting behavior and their technical characteristics, this article describes all the care to be taken during melting operations to meet the required metallurgical quality criteria.