Manufacturing Technology 2026, 26(1):95-105 | DOI: 10.21062/mft.2026.008

Influence of High–melting–point Metals on the Mechanical Properties of Selected Al–Si Alloys

Tomáš Vlach ORCID..., Jaromír Cais ORCID..., Veronika Chvalníková ORCID..., Martin Slezák ORCID..., Jiří Brejcha ORCID..., Tomáš Burket ORCID..., Dominik Fink ORCID..., Jan Sviantek ORCID...
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, J. E. Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem. Pasteurova 3334/7, 400 01 Usti nad Labem. Czech Republic

This article is dedicated to exploring the potential enhancement of mechanical properties, such as hardness and tensile strength, in selected Al-Si alloys (AlSi7Mg0.3, AlSi7Cu4, and Al-Si10.5Cu1.2Mn0.8Ni1.2). High-melting-point elements, such as chromium and molybdenum, are rarely utilized as additives in Al-Si alloys. However, the article demonstrates the feasibility of improving the mechanical properties of these alloys through the addition of high-melting-point elements. High-melting-point metals, often referred to as refractory metals, typically have melting points above 2000 degrees Celsius. Common refractory metals include tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, rhenium, and others. These metals exhibit excellent mechanical properties at elevated temperatures and often possess high density and good corrosion resistance. All casts were made using by gravity casting with different heat treatment conditions at 740 °C. The microstructures, hardness, microhard-ness and tensile strenght of the samples were analyzed. Hardness measurements were conducted using two types of hardness testers according to ČSN EN ISO 6506-1 for the Brinell hardness test method and ČSN EN ISO 6507-1 for the Vickers hardness test method. A static tensile test was performed on a universal testing machine, Inspekt 100, in accordance with the standard ČSN EN ISO 6892-1. The measured data demonstrated that high-melting-point metals affect each alloy differently. In some alloys, mechanical properties improved after heat treatment, while in others, a significant deterioration was observed, particularly in tensile strength.

Keywords: Al-Si alloys, Intermetallics, High-melting-point metals, Hardness, Tensile strength
Grants and funding:

This research was supported by grant within Student grant agency at UJEP (UJEP-SGS-2024-48-008-02)

Received: October 13, 2025; Revised: February 16, 2026; Accepted: February 20, 2026; Prepublished online: February 24, 2026; Published: March 21, 2026  Show citation

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Vlach T, Cais J, Chvalníková V, Slezák M, Brejcha J, Burket T, et al.. Influence of High–melting–point Metals on the Mechanical Properties of Selected Al–Si Alloys. Manufacturing Technology. 2026;26(1):95-105. doi: 10.21062/mft.2026.008.
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