Abstract:The effects of vacuum assistance on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-pressure die cast AZ91D alloy at different slow shot speeds were evaluated. Plate-shaped castings of AZ91D alloy were carried out on a TOYO BD-350V5 cold chamber die casting machine incorporated with a self-improved TOYO vacuum system. It was found that the vacuum pressure in the die cavity at the beginning of mold filling increases with the increase of slow shot speed, following a cubic polynomial curve, resulting in a decline in the porosity-reduction ability of vacuum assistance with the increase of slow shot speed. The externally solidified crystal (ESC) contents in conventional and vacuum die castings behave similar against the slow shot speed. The tensile properties of vacuum die castings were strongly influenced by the ESC content at relative low slow shot speeds. With the increase of slow shot speed, the influence of the gas porosity level in vacuum die castings would get prominent.

Key words: vacuum die casting; slow shot speed; porosity; externally solidified crystals