The Influence of Heat Treatments for Laser Welded Semi Solid Metal Cast A356 Alloy on the Fracture Mode of Tensile Specimens

The CSIR rheo-process was used to prepare the aluminium A356 SSM slurries and thereafter plates (4x80x100 mm3) were cast using a 50 Ton Edgewick HPDC machine. Plates in the as cast, T4 and T6 heat treatment conditions which had passed radiography were then butt laser welded. It was found that the pre-weld as cast, T4 and post-weld T4 heat treated specimens fractured in the base metal. However, the pre-weld T6 heat treated specimens were found to have fractured in the heat affected zone (HAZ).