<p>This work addresses the challenge of poor wettability and agglomeration of cheap silica (SiO₂) particles in aluminum melts, which hinders the production of cost-effective aluminum matrix composites. The aim was to develop a resource-efficient technology for fabricating Al-SiO₂ composites using silicon production waste (amorphous microsilica) as a reinforcement. A hypoeutectic AlSi7 alloy was reinforced with 5-wt% SiO₂ particles via a novel integrated approach combining semi-solid metal casting and squeeze casting, with 1-wt% Mg added as a wettability modifier. The resulting composite exhibited a homogeneous microstructure, significantly reduced grain size (8.2&#xa0;µm), and the elimination of shrinkage porosity. This led to enhanced mechanical properties, including a hardness of 94.5 HB (Hardness Brinell), an ultimate tensile strength of 277&#xa0;MPa and improved corrosion resistance compared to the base AlSi7 alloy. The study highlights the role of Mg in forming MgAl₂O₄ spinel and Mg₁₇Al₁₂ intermetallic, which improve particle–matrix bonding and strength. These composites show high potential for specific applications in lightweight structural components for the transportation and aerospace industries.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>