Effects of Si and Mg as main elements on interface reaction between tool steel and molten Al alloy at 700°C were investigated. Pure aluminum and Al-10mass%Mg alloy showed relatively simple interfacial layers, whereas thicker, multi-layered reaction bonds were found in the diffusion couple of A380 alloy. The diffusion of a large amount of Fe into Al matrix throughout the interfacial layer led to the formation of Al-Fe based intermetallic particles in the Al base metals. The diffusion couple of Al-10mass%Mg alloy showed a similar intermetallic layer as that of pure Al, indicating that 10mass%Mg in the Al melt rarely affected the formation of Al-Fe intermetallic layers. However, A380 alloy showed much expanded soldering area and increased thickness of intermetallic layers. Based on the phase diagram calculated, the solubility of Fe in liquid Al increased significantly with increasing Si content up to apploximately 5mass%, while, in the case of 10mass%Mg addition, the Fe solubility gradually decreased with increasing Mg content. Al-10mass%Mg alloy also showed the same tendency as that of pure Al in the formation and distribution of intermetallic compounds. However, in the Al-12mass%Si alloy, two types of Al-Fe-Si ternary compounds are present on the Al-rich side.

In this study, precipitation of Ca in Al-Mg alloys containing a trace of Ca during homogenization was investigated using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and calculated phase diagrams. TEM result indicated that the Ca-based particles found in the examined sample are Ca7Mg7.5Si14. From the calculation of Scheil-Gulliver cooling, it was found that the Ca was formed as Al4Ca and C36 laves phases with Mg2Si and Al13Fe4 from other impurities phase during solidification. No Ca-Mg-Si ternary phase existed at the homogenization temperature in the calculated phase diagram. From the phase diagram of Al-Al4Ca-Mg2Si three-phase isothermal at 490℃, it was shown that Ca7Mg6Si14 phase co-exists with Al, Mg2Si and Al4Ca in the largest region and with only Al and Mg2Si in Al4Ca-poor regions. It was thought that the Ca7Mg6Si14 ternary phase was formed by the interaction between Mg2Si and Al4Ca considering that the segregation can occur throughout the entire microstructures.