Effects of ZnS modification on primary Si in hypereutectic Al-Si alloy

A new modifying agent, ZnS, was used as a refiner to modify primary silicon in hypereutectic Al-Si alloy. The factors affecting the modification results, including addition level of ZnS and holding time, were investigated. The results showed that the average size of the most effectively modified primary silicon was 28.5 μm when the ZnS mixed powder addition was 0.15wt.% with a holding time of 10 min. More important, the average size of primary silicon could remain below 40 μm despite the holding time extending to 120 min, which means ZnS is a promising modifying agent of primary Si in industrial applications.