The characterization of the iron content of industrially cast aluminium

Pure intermetallic phases Al13Fe4, Al6Fe, AlmFe and AlxFe have been extract ed from Bridgman grown model aluminium-iron binary alloys by dissolving the aluminium matrix in butanol. Each phase has a distinct Mossbauer spectrum and variable temperature Fe-57 Mossbauer studies have enabled the Debye tem perature ED of each phase to be determined. Hence, the variation of the rec oil-free fraction f with temperature is determined for each phase. From thi s information it is possible to measure the proportion of each phase, eithe r when the phases are extracted or in situ in aluminium. The results obtain ed can be used in the characterisation of industrially cast aluminium.