Abstract
Slip traces reflect the fundamental deformation characteristics in ductile materials with multiple slip systems. They develop gradually on the material surface usually as parallel lines or bands in the microstructure having a certain crystallographic orientation, as plastic deformation proceeds. Cast aluminum alloys present multifaceted microstructures with structural arrangements of different phases and particles based on their chemical composition. The microstructure of a newly-developed Al-Si alloy, namely Silafont®-36 alloy with a low iron content, consists of a dendritic primary a-Al phase along with fibrous/coral-like Al-Si eutectic structure. This composite-like microstructure enables the enhancement of tensile and fatigue properties of the alloy. To understand the effect of such a heterogeneous microstructure on the mechanical properties, the features associated with the difficulty of dislocation motion need to be studied. The objectives of this study were to reveal how the eutectic structure in the Silafont®-36 alloy affects the appearance of slip traces and to predict the surface orientation of the slip traces in such a microstructure under compressive loading via in-situ SEM/EBSD observations and slip trace analyses, focusing on the underlying deformation mechanisms. Details on this study will be presented at the conference.