Creep resistant pressure cast zinc alloys

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Günter Gottstein; Professor Dr.-Ing. Rainer Schmid-Fetzer
• Subject Area: Thermodynamics and Kinetics as well as Properties of Phases and Microstructure of Materials
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 221580597

In contrast to iron, aluminum or magnesium base materials, zinc alloys have been investigated only marginally so far and therefore, have not been fully evaluated with respect to their potential as structural materials. Because of the low melting temperature of zinc of 420°C, room temperature is already a high homologous temperature; hence thermally activated processes can easily proceed already at ambient temperature and generally cause a softening of a cast part in service. It is the objective of this project to develop a computer guided alloy and process strategy for the selection and optimization of the mechanical properties of zinc alloys, in particular an improvement of the aging and creep resistance. On the basis of predictions of thermodynamic and kinetic computations, alloys will be produced by pressure casting, investigated with respect to their mechanical properties and iteratively optimized.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants