Can I melt 5083 aluminium and then reconstitution into a mould. I would like to know if it is possible to melt down existing 5083 aluminium lp and then pour the molten liquid into a yacht mould of 6mm thickness?
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$\begingroup$ Aluminium is often poured into moulds - what is your issue. $\endgroup$– Solar MikeCommented Jul 23, 2021 at 5:10
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$\begingroup$ looks like marine alloy and appropriate for casting. There may be additives for the process tho, research it... same for thickness in mold design. talk to a sand casting shop, they'll know. $\endgroup$– Pete WCommented Jul 23, 2021 at 15:51
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$\begingroup$ @SolarMike Some alloys have properties going beyond plain chemical composition. Crystalline structure achieved by proper cooling rate, additives separating (e.g. floating to the surface) if not actively mixed in, additives that will simply burn away if allowed oxygen access, or decompose if heated too much, post-processing that introduces extra properties. Classic example: melt and cast damascus steel, see what you get. $\endgroup$– SF.Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 7:29
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$\begingroup$ ...another example: a friend tried to mend a broken, very cheap vise that snapped in half - he tried to weld the parts together. Due to excessive carbon content the vise caught fire and burned down to a small puddle of slag. $\endgroup$– SF.Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 7:32
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$\begingroup$ @SF. perhaps I understood that which was why I was prompting the op to provide more detail..... $\endgroup$– Solar MikeCommented Jul 26, 2021 at 7:39
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2 Answers
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Can you melt 5083 and cast it? yes, this alloy is ok for this role. It is not heat treated, it has somewhat good protection against environment.
I worry more about thin shell casting problem - metal may start to solidify in place before filling the mold with a size of a boat fully. Especially if you plan partial fill, using several pouring steps. And I assume you are not planning to heat up the mold. So, I think this will be the real problem, not the alloy.
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Aluminum is usually melted in a protective atmosphere to reduce oxidation ; even more important with the Mg alloy content. Melting and casting aluminum is not a good backyard project. A charcoal bed on top of the melt and the right flux would make it possible although strength is likely to be reduced by loss of Mg. You would need to research the flux and maybe special treatment of the mold to reduce oxidation. The traditional high silicon alloys ( like 10 % Si ) would be better candidates for armature foundry.
answered Jul 25, 2021 at 15:35