@ARTICLE{Miczková_K._Influence_2026,
 author={Miczková, K. and Lichý, P.},
 volume={vol. 26},
 number={No 1},
 pages={147-156},
 journal={Archives of Foundry Engineering},
 howpublished={online},
 year={2026},
 publisher={The Katowice Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences},
 abstract={This study examines the influence of plaster-based flask mould cooling conditions on the as cast structure and properties of AlSi10Mg alloy. The aim was to describe how different combinations of pouring and mould temperatures affect the alloy’s behaviour during solidification. While the effect of pouring temperature on casting properties is well known, this study extends the analysis to explore the impact of mould preheating, providing a broader understanding of how cooling rates influence microstructure, fluidity, linear thermal expansion, and mechanical properties such as tensile and compressive strength. These parameters were assessed under different casting conditions. Microstructure analysis combined optical observation and quantitative SDAS measurement. The results confirmed that lower mould temperatures (25 °C) produced finer-grained structures with fewer shrinkage cavities and porosities, resulting in higher mechanical properties. However, these conditions reduced fluidity and increased thermal expansion. In contrast, moulds preheated to 580 °C improved fluidity and reduced thermal expansion but led to coarser microstructures and lower mechanical properties. The study identified the optimal casting conditions for balancing fluidity, mechanical properties, and thermal stability. Lower mould temperatures (25 °C) combined with higher pouring temperatures (680 °C or 730 °C) helped offset the reduced fluidity caused by rapid cooling, while still maintaining acceptable mechanical properties and relatively low thermal expansion. The results also showed that using extremely high mould temperatures significantly reduces mechanical performance. For practical applications, preheating moulds to more moderate temperatures would provide a better balance across all measured properties. Future research could further refine these temperature ranges to optimize process parameters for geometrically complex and thin-walled castings, as well as other demanding applications.},
 title={Influence of Thermal Conditions During Plaster-based Investment Flask Casting on the Properties of AlSi10Mg Alloy},
 type={Article},
 URL={http://czasopisma.pan.pl/Content/138675/AFE%201_2026_18-Final%20version.pdf},
 doi={10.24425/afe.2026.157981},
 keywords={Aluminium alloys, Plaster flask mould temperature, Castability, Linear thermal dilatation, Microstructure},
}