Quantitative analysis of main precipitate alloying elements in aluminum alloy 6063 cast billets made in horizontal continuous casting machine for the extrusion process

Main Article Content

Hernán Alberto Navas Moscoso http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4059-3926
Wilson Henry Vaca Ortega http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4321-5864
Juan Gilberto Paredes Salinas http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3118-9323
Fabián Rodrigo Morales Fiallos http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0655-8684
Diego Fernando Núñez Núñez http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5248-4084

Abstract

Lack of  in situ studies about horizontal continuous casting process applied in production of aluminum alloy 6063 cast billets, promotes to investigate the direct influence of: temperature, velocity and raw material. Applying spectrometric tests to quantify the weight percent of main alloying elements such as Magnesium and Silicon. These elements precipitate to form magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) during homogenization process. For this study it was necessary to produce billets with normal and experimental alloy levels to demonstrate an inverse relation between magnesium silicide and Brinell hardness. Equally important, the effect of reduction of the material tensile strength due to low levels of magnesium silicide.