Investigation on microstructure heterogeneity of the HPDC AlSiMgMnCu alloy through 3D electron microscopy

•Morphology of various phases of the HPDC AlSiMgMnCu alloy in 3 zones were revealed and quantitatively analyzed by SBFSEM.•The α-Fe and β-Mg2Si phases in the segregation band and central zone are rotated and fragmentized by the shearing stress.•The morphology of the Q and θ phases are mainly determined by the morphology of the α-Al and eutectic Si phases.