Cast components and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Cast components, electronic devices including cast components, alloys for cast components, and methods of forming cast components are disclosed. In an example, a component for an electronic device includes an aluminum alloy including a plurality of silicon particles having spheroidal shapes and a silicon concentration of greater than 1.5 wt %, and a b* value of 0.5 or less.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A component for an electronic device, the component comprising:
 an aluminum alloy comprising:
 a plurality of silicon particles having spheroidal shapes; and 
 a silicon concentration of greater than 1.5 wt %. 
   
     
     
         2 . The component of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon concentration is from 7 wt % to 10 wt %. 
     
     
         3 . The component of  claim 2 , wherein an L* value of the component is at least 65. 
     
     
         4 . The component of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon concentration is 3 wt % or less. 
     
     
         5 . The component of  claim 4 , wherein:
 an L* value of the component is at least 85; and   a b* value of the component is 0.5 or less.   
     
     
         6 . The component of  claim 1 , wherein a mean cross-sectional area of the plurality of silicon particles is at least 1 μm 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The component of  claim 1 , wherein a Vickers hardness value of the component is at least 81. 
     
     
         8 . The component of  claim 1 , wherein the component has a thermal conductivity of at least 180 W/m·K. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 casting a component from an aluminum alloy; and   performing a heat treatment on the component to concentrate silicon in the component into silicon particles having spheroidal shapes, wherein after the heat treatment, the component has an L* value of at least 65.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the aluminum alloy comprises silicon having a concentration of 3 wt % or less. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the component is cast using squeeze casting, sand casting, or die casting. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising anodizing the component after performing the heat treatment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the heat treatment comprises heating the component to a temperature in a range from 450° C. to 480° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the heat treatment comprises heating the component to a temperature in a range from 450° C. to 550° C. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the heat treatment comprises ageing the component at a temperature in a range from 150° C. to 230° C. 
     
     
         16 . An aluminum alloy cast component comprising:
 a plurality of silicon particles having spherical shapes, the silicon particles having a concentration in the aluminum alloy in a range from 1.5 wt % to 3 wt %.   
     
     
         17 . The component of  claim 16 , wherein a mean cross-sectional area of the plurality of silicon particles is from 1 μm 2  to 1.5 μm 2 . 
     
     
         18 . The component of  claim 16 , wherein a mean cross-sectional area of the plurality of silicon particles is from 0.25 μm 2  to 0.75 μm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . The component of  claim 16 , wherein the component has an L* value of at least 87 and a b* value of 0.5 or less. 
     
     
         20 . The component of  claim 16 , wherein the component has a Vickers hardness value of at least 81 and a thermal conductivity of at least 180 W/m·K.