Castability of alloys is a measure of their ability to be cast to a given shape with a given process without the formation of casting defects. This article describes the factors that limit fluidity as well as experimental methods for measuring fluidity of various alloys. Various tests designed for measuring the hot tearing tendency in alloys are discussed. The article also discusses the temperature dependence, criteria, and modeling of hot tearing.

Alloy 296.0 is an aluminum permanent-mold casting alloy with higher silicon than 295.0, which reduces shrinkage and improves fluidity. This datasheet provides information on key alloy metallurgy, fabrication characteristics, processing effects on physical and mechanical properties, and application characteristics of this series alloy. Room-temperature aging characteristics for aluminum alloy 296.0-T4 and 296.0-T6 are also illustrated.

Foundry practices critical to the production of cast irons include melting, alloying, molten metal treatment, pouring, and the design of feeding systems (gating and risering) to allow proper filling of the casting mold. This article reviews these production stages of iron foundry casting, with particular emphasis on the melting practices, molten metal treatment, and feeding of molten metal into sand molds. It discusses the castability factors, such as fluidity, shrinkage, and resistance, of gray iron. Typical cupola charge compositions and the final analyses for class 30 and class 40 gray iron castings are presented in a table. The article describes the induction melting and arc furnace melting used in gray iron foundries. It also reviews the inoculation methods such as stream inoculation and mold inoculation, of gray iron.

Castability of alloys is a measure of their ability to be cast to a given shape with a given process without the formation of cracks/tears, pores/shrinkage, and/or other significant casting defects. This article discusses the factors which affect the fluidity of an iron melt: alloy composition and initial melt condition. Besides the basic alloy properties, the effective castability of high-alloy irons can be significantly improved through casting and casting system design. The article describes the product design and processing factors of high-alloy graphitic irons and high-alloy white irons. It explains the heat treatment of high-silicon irons for high-temperature service and concludes with a discussion on machining and finishing of high-alloy iron castings.

This article begins with an overview of classes and applications of gray iron. It discusses the castability of gray iron in terms of section sensitivity and fluidity. The article provides information on the dimensions of prevailing sections recommended for gray irons and reviews the properties and specifications of test bar. Properties of gray iron, such as fatigue limit, pressure tightness, impact resistance, machinability, and dimensional stability, at both room and elevated temperature, are reviewed. Wear behavior of gray iron castings during sliding contact under conditions of normal lubrication is also discussed. The article evaluates the use of alloys and heat treatment to modify as-cast properties. It concludes with information on the physical properties of gray iron castings.

Although laser stir welding (LSW) is applied to various metallic systems, it is especially appropriate to laser beam welding (LBW) of aluminum, because liquid aluminum possesses significantly less surface tension and viscosity than most common metal alloys, which results in greater fluidity of the molten pool. This article schematically illustrates the keyhole instability in LBW and describes the process details of LSW. Representative macrographs of butt, lap, and fillet welds produced using the LBW and LSW processes are presented. The article discusses the laser welding technologies having a large impact on the ability to apply LSW in production. It concludes with information on the industrial applications of LSW.