Please define "die casting" metal.

[edclark]

Many motorcycle cases are die cast. I just always mindlessly assumed that die cast "aluminum" was a mix of zinc and aluminum. Two questions, three actually:
1) Is die cast material for structural purposes typically zinc and aluminum or are there other components?
2) What is the typical ratio of zinc to aluminum (for structural castings)?
3) Would you characterize structural diecast material as "pot metal" subject to the known difficulties in plating of pot metal? Or, is it rather more like aluminum (subject to the known difficulties of plating of aluminum by the way)?

Thanks for feedback.

[48Buick]

Ed:

Usually if its a motorcycle case it will be cast aluminum. It wont be a mix of zinc and alum.
Zinc (potmetal) parts are mostly zinc but do have about 1-2% other **** metals in it.........hence the name potmetal.
If it is a die cast structural type part I would say its aluminum.
Most zinc parts were ornemental parts on autos and brake/clutch levers on motorcycles.
One way to test alum over zinc is with a dilute amount of nitric acid. Potmetal will fiz or turn black, alum will turn white.
Hope this clears the mud.
48BUICK


Many motorcycle cases are die cast. I just always mindlessly assumed that die cast "aluminum" was a mix of zinc and aluminum. Two questions, three actually:
1) Is die cast material for structural purposes typically zinc and aluminum or are there other components?
2) What is the typical ratio of zinc to aluminum (for structural castings)?
3) Would you characterize structural diecast material as "pot metal" subject to the known difficulties in plating of pot metal? Or, is it rather more like aluminum (subject to the known difficulties of plating of aluminum by the way)?

[Coley]

Pot metal

Most of us that make parts from a zinc alloy like the term ZA (or ZAMAC) alloy instead of "Pot metal".
Za alloys can have as litle as 1 % of aluminum plus small amounts of copper and other metals (mostly trace amounts).
The amount of aluminum in ZA alloys tells the relative strength of the alloy. The higher the #, the stronger the part. Some disc brake castings for ATVs are ZA12 and up to ZA20.
Most of the parts I make are ZA2 or ZA3.
Sometimes the higher amount of aluminum will make it harder to chrome.