Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-18T21:36:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 5 Gisele Fabiane Costa Almeida1.pdf: 1559852 bytes, checksum: e3b64fa01d9ed0c356ae71c2a82587a7 (MD5) Gisele Fabiane Costa Almeida2.pdf: 1613261 bytes, checksum: 3e72985f0d62cd4fa325c96f8006249d (MD5) Gisele Fabiane Costa Almeida3.pdf: 3272753 bytes, checksum: 0b5a3898ec5da9039eac14745eea284c (MD5) Gisele Fabiane Costa Almeida4.pdf: 3370583 bytes, checksum: 7f72a8ed429e200e2f55f2d29cc98be5 (MD5) Gisele Fabiane Costa Almeida5.pdf: 1976497 bytes, checksum: dbd9cfe819655d89788c98248e292c2c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-08-12 / In this paper the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy (7%Si) casted in a green sand mold were investigated. About 90% of the aluminum alloys have presented the silicon as the main element. The process of green sand casting is largely used due to its facility, versatility and low cost. However, to reach a more refined microstructure and component phases with expected morphology, it is necessary to use aluminum α grain refiners and the eutectic β silicon modifier. The aim of this paper is to identify the effects of the aluminum grain refinement and the eutectic silicon modification at the mechanical properties of the alloy Al-7%Si. There were made several additions of the Nucleant 100 (titanium and boron based) and TiBAl refiner (5/1) and sodium salt based and the SrAl 10% alloy modifiers. The alloy with no eutectic silicon modifiers addition presented the eutectic silicon as a plate-like structure. The addition of grain modifiers, both sodiumbased and strontium based, promotes a change in the eutectic silicon morphology, making it have a less angular and more rounded appearance. The overage of sodium in the modification leads to a reduction in the alloy ductility. Strontium modified alloys present a mild reduction in the yield strength with a significant improvement in the tensile strength and elongation. These properties are strictly connected with the alloy modification rate. The addition of grain refiners, not only the Nucleant 100 but also the TiBAl improves the yield and ultimate strength and elongation, with or without the modifier addition. / Neste trabalho foram investigadas a microestrutura e as propriedades mecânicas da liga Al-Si hipoeutética (7%Si) fundida em molde de areia verde. Dentre as ligas de alumínio, cerca de 90% tem o silício como principal elemento de liga. O processo de fundição em areia verde é amplamente utilizado devido a ser um processo simples, versátil e de baixo custo. Contudo, para se obter um controle da microestrutura e das fases constituintes é necessário a utilização de refinadores de grão do alumínio α e modificadores do silício eutético β. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar os efeitos do refino de grão do alumínio e da modificação do silício eutético nas propriedades mecânicas da liga Al-7%Si. Foram feitas adições diversas dos refinadores Nucleant 100, à base de titânio e boro, e TiBAl (5/1) e dos modificadores à base de sais de sódio e a liga SrAl 10%. A liga sem adições de modificadores apresentou o silício eutético na forma de plaquetas. A adição dos modificadores de grão, tanto à base de sódio como estrôncio, acarretou uma mudança na morfologia do silício eutético, tornando-o com uma aparência menos angular e mais arredondada. O excesso de sódio na modificação conduz a uma diminuição da ductilidade da liga. As ligas modificadas com estrôncio apresentam uma leve diminuição no limite de escoamento e um aumento mais significativo do limite de resistência e do alongamento. Estas propriedades estão diretamente relacionadas com o grau de modificação da liga. A adição de refinadores de grão, tanto o Nucleant 100 como o TiBAl melhoram os limites de escoamento e de resistência e o alongamento da liga, com ou sem adição de modificador.

Sand mold casting is a manufacturing method that has been used for thousands of years. In recent years additive manufacturing has, among other things, enabled production of sand molds with complex geometry resulting in castings with geometry that would have been very hard, if not impossible, to produce with conventional sand mold casting or machining procedures. Since this manufacturing method is relatively new, knowledge gaps exist regarding the benefits and drawbacks of the method as well as when it should be used. The purpose of this study has been to explore casting molds produced by additive manufacturing, how they can be used and what effect they have on the manufactured product. For this purpose, a existing product has been redesigned to be cast in one of these molds instead of traditionally being machined from large aluminium blocks. The design work has been supplemented with calculations on the parts structural integrity, interviews and material sample tests. The redesign was made on behalf of Vattenfall AB and the studied component was a part of a test rig for a hydro power plant called spiral casing. The result of the study is a new design of the spiral casing with a lower weight and volume, made with stainless steel instead of aluminium, and other improvements. Testing of cast samples have shown that the mechanical properties of steel cast in 3D-printed and conventionally manufactured sand molds do not differ significantly. The sample cast in a 3D-printed mold did have a finer surface finish however.  Production volume, product complexity, material and lead time are all factors that determine when additive manufacturing should be used in the creation of sand molds. Further studies are required to better determine where the breakeven points are.