Characterization of 8006 Aluminium Alloy Casted by TRC Technology with Steel–Steel and Copper–Copper Roll Pairs

Abstract

Aluminium alloys are widely used in many application areas due to the properties of high thermal conductivity, good formability, high corrosion resistance, and recyclability. Growing demand for aluminium materials leads the aluminium manufacturer to increase the casting productivity. One of the effective way to increase the casting speed in twin-roll casting (TRC) is changing the cooling conditions required for solidification. The shell component of a cast roll contacts with the molten metal ensures solidification by removing the heat from molten metal. Depending on the thermal conductivity of shell material, casting speed and productivity can be increased. However, casting microstructure and other properties of the material can change because of the solidification conditions. In this study, 8006 alloy is casted by TRC method using copper–copper roll pairs as an alternative to conventional steel–steel pairs. Microstructural analysis, electrical conductivity measurements and mechanical properties were investigated comparing with steel–steel casted material.Keywords8XXXSolidificationCopper shellProcess technologyTwin-roll casting