An aluminum-silicon lost foam casting alloy having reduced microporosity
and a method for casting the same is herein disclosed. A preferred lost
foam cast alloy consists essentially of 6 to 12% by weight silicon and
preferably 9.0 to 9.5% by weight silicon, 0.035-0.30% strontium, 0.40%
maximum iron, 0.45% maximum copper, 0.49% maximum manganese, 0.60%
maximum magnesium, 3.0% maximum zinc, and the balance aluminum. Most
preferably, the lost foam alloy is free from iron, titanium and boron.
However, such elements may exist at trace levels. Most preferably, the
alloy is lost foam cast with the process that applies at least 10
atmospheres of pressure during solidification. However, the range may be
5 to 60 atmospheres. The strontium addition is greater than 0.005% by
weight and most preferably greater than 0.05% by weight. In accordance
with the present disclosure, alloys having substantially decreased
tensile liquid failure defects and substantially decreased surface
puncture defects in comparison to conventional lost foam cast aluminum
silicon alloys are obtained. Further, hydrogen porosity formation is
substantially completely suppressed and surface porosity defects are
substantially decreased in comparison to conventional lost foam silicon
alloys when casting lost foam cast alloys in accordance with the claims
of the instant disclosure. The instant disclosure further discloses
aluminum silicon alloys that may be utilized in both the lost foam with
pressure and the die casting processes.