Comparison of Rheological Models to Simulate Die Filling Process of A356 Semisolid Alloy

Abstract

Semisolid materials with a non-dendritic microstructure have a complex rheological behavior such as pseudo-plasticity and thixotropy. These properties affect filling and solidification processes during, casting; thus, simulation plays a vital role since it avoids limitations improving cast and production performance. In order to study and A356 aluminum semisolid alloy flow, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software (ANSYS) is used to simulate the die filling process in a rectangular mold. Three non-Newtonian constitutive equations are modeled in this work: the Cross equation, the Power-law equation and the Carreau equation. The rheological parameters for each equation were obtained from experimental data reported in the literature. The results showed that the non-Newtonian models predicted better the filling behavior and the pressure distribution than the Newtonian model.