Thermal Parameters, Microstructure and Porosity During Transient Solidification of Ternary Al–Cu–Si Alloys

Abstract

Solidification of ternary Al-Cu-Si alloys begins with the development of a complex dendritic network typified by primary (λ1) and secondary (λ2) dendrite arm spacings which depend on the chemical composition of the alloy and on the casting thermal parameters such as the growth rate and the cooling rate. These thermal parameters control the scale of dendritic arms, the size and distribution of porosity and intermetallic particles in the casting. In this paper, λ1 and λ2 were correlated with experimental thermal parameters i.e., the tip growth rate and the tip cooling rate. The porosity profile along the casting length has also been experimentally determined. The volumetric fraction of pores increase with the increase in alloying Si and with the increase in Fe concentration at the regions close to the casting cooled surface.