The effects of erbium on the microstructure of a semisolid A356 alloy for thixoforming were investigated. Semisolid A356 alloys were prepared using the serpentine channel technique. The results demonstrated that a semisolid A356 alloy could be successfully produced. The addition of erbium refined the size of primary α-Al globules; moreover, the eutectic silicon phase was modified. The thermal analysis results showed that the addition of erbium decreased the amount of nucleation sites for eutectic phases, leading to increased undercooling of the melts. Therefore, erbium delays the nucleation of eutectic phases, resulting in refinement of the eutectic silicon phases. Moreover, the addition of erbium increased the rheocast quality index value of the semisolid A356 alloy, which is beneficial for thixoforming.
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