ZL101 (ASTM A356) - Aluminum-magnesium-silicon ternary alloy.
Characteristics: Excellent casting properties, high fluidity, no tendency to hot cracking, low linear shrinkage, high airtightness, but a slight tendency to develop concentrated shrinkage and porosity; fairly high corrosion resistance, similar to ZL102 (ASTM A413); can be strengthened by heat treatment and has natural aging ability after quenching, resulting in high strength and ductility; easy to weld, with moderate machinability; low heat resistance; castings can be treated with or without modification.
Applications: Suitable for casting aluminum alloy castings with complex shapes and medium loads. It can also be used for casting parts requiring high airtightness, corrosion resistance, and good weldability. However, the operating temperature should be ≤ 200°C, such as water pump and transmission housings, water-cooled engine cylinder blocks, pump housings, instrument housings, carburetors, etc.
ZL101A
Characteristics: Its composition and properties are essentially the same as ZL101, but it has a lower impurity content and a small amount of titanium added to refine the grain size. Therefore, its mechanical properties are significantly improved compared to ZL101 (ASTM A356).
Applications: Suitable for casting parts with complex shapes and medium loads. It can also be used for casting parts requiring high airtightness, corrosion resistance, and good weldability, but the operating temperature should be ≤ 200°C. Examples include water pump and transmission housings, water-cooled engine cylinder blocks, pump housings, instrument housings, and carburetors. Primarily used for casting high-strength parts.
ZL102 (ASTM A413) - A typical aluminum-silicon binary alloy, it is one of the earliest common silicon-aluminum alloys.
Characteristics: Casting properties are as good as ZL101 (ASTM A356), but concentrated shrinkage cavities are more likely to form in thick sections of the casting, and the casting has a greater tendency to absorb air. It offers high corrosion resistance and can withstand the corrosive effects of humid atmosphere, seawater, carbon dioxide, concentrated nitric acid, ammonia, sulfur, and hydrogen peroxide. It cannot be heat-treated to strengthen its mechanical properties, but the strength decreases slightly with increasing wall thickness. It offers good weldability but poor machinability and low heat resistance. Castings require modification.
Applications: It is often used in the as-cast or annealed state. It is suitable for casting thin-walled parts with complex shapes that bear low loads, as well as parts requiring high corrosion resistance and airtightness, and operating temperatures ≤200°C, such as instrument housings, instrument covers, lids, and ship parts.
ZL104 (ASTM A360) - Aluminum-silicon-magnesium-manganese quaternary alloy.
Characteristics: Good casting properties, high fluidity, no tendency to hot cracking, good air tightness, low linear shrinkage, but high tendency to gas absorption and prone to pinhole formation. Can be strengthened by heat treatment, good mechanical properties at room temperature, but poor high-temperature performance. Good corrosion resistance, but lower than ZL102. Average machinability and weldability; castings require tempering.
Applications: Suitable for casting large, complex-shaped, thin-walled, corrosion-resistant parts subjected to high static and impact loads, such as crankcases, slides, cylinder heads, cylinder blocks, and other critical parts in water-cooled engines. However, it is not suitable for operating temperatures exceeding 200°C.
ZL105 - Aluminum-silicon-copper-magnesium quaternary alloy.
Characteristics: Excellent casting properties, high fluidity, low shrinkage, low gas absorption tendency, good airtightness, and low tendency to hot cracking; simple melting process, eliminating the need for modification or crystallization under pressure; heat-treatable, high room temperature strength, but low ductility and toughness; good high-temperature mechanical properties; good weldability and machinability; fair corrosion resistance.
Applications: Suitable for casting parts with complex shapes subject to high static loads, as well as parts requiring good weldability, high airtightness, or operating temperatures ≤225°C, such as cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, and cylinder covers for water-cooled engines, as well as air-cooled engine heads and crankshafts. This alloy is widely used in the aviation industry.
ZL106 - Aluminum-silicon-copper-magnesium-manganese alloy.
Characteristics: Excellent casting properties, high fluidity, high airtightness, no tendency to thermal cracking, low linear shrinkage, and minimal tendency to form shrinkage cavities and air holes. Can be strengthened through heat treatment, exhibiting high mechanical properties at room temperature and good mechanical properties at high temperatures. Excellent weldability and machinability. Corrosion resistance approaching that of ZL101.
Applications: Suitable for casting parts with complex shapes and high static loads. Also used for casting parts requiring high airtightness or operating temperatures ≤225°C, such as pump bodies and cylinder heads for water-cooled engines.
Post time: Jul-31-2025