DC Casting Process Research Articles

Research on causes of hot-tearing of AA3003 aluminum billet during DC casting process

AA3003 aluminum alloy made from raw scrap materials that have the advantage of economical use, but hottearing often occurs in the product billets of the direct chill casting process. This study used ANOVA analysis method for determination of chemical composition of AA3003 aluminum billet products to show influence of chemical composition on hot-tearing ability. The evaluation of the microstructure and chemical composition distribution of the elements by optical and scanning electron microscopes combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy showed the existence of impurities such as Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb exceeding the allowable limit in aluminum billets, especially at grain boundary, which can be the main reason for the hot-tearing of cast aluminum billets.

A Study on Hot Tearing in Direct Chill Casting of Al-Mn-Mg Alloys Using a Multi-scale Approach

A multi-scale approach for simulating hot tearing during the DC casting of aluminum alloys is presented. The novelty of this approach lies in the combination of a macro-scale finite element simulation of the DC casting process with direct prediction of hot tears via a meso-scale multi-physics granular model. This approach is capable of simulating hot tearing initiation, growth, and propagation within a representative volume element of the mushy zone. The change of cooling conditions experienced by the DC cast billet as a result of variations in casting speed as well as non-uniformity of heat extraction from different locations of the billet affect the deformation state, cooling rate, and thermal gradient, which further influence the strain rate, grain size, permeability, and feeding coefficient. Considering all the mentioned parameters, the multi-scale approach emphasizes the fact that hot tearing is a phenomenon resulting from the combination of the tensile deformation and restricted feeding of the mushy zone. The developed hot tearing formation maps identify the locations where hot tearing will occur as predicted by the multi-scale approach for two alloys—AA5182 and AA3104—thus demonstrating the approach’s sensitivity to both processing parameters and alloy composition.

Influence of ultrasound irradiation on transient solidification characteristics in DC casting process: Numerical simulation and experimental verification

It is well known that solidification of molten metals occurs under the influence of transient unsteady phenomena, which are difficult to control in actual casting operation. Examples include buoyancy flows, natural heat convection, repeated remelting and solidification in mushy zone and solid shell at the mold interface. This paper presents the results suggesting that ultrasound waves, irradiated into the hot-top mold offers an attractive way to control the transient phenomena in DC casting of aluminum alloy billets. A novel mathematical model was developed to simulate the DC casting with considering transient melt flow, heat transfer, ultrasound propagation, acoustic streaming and solidification. It was found that ultrasound irradiation alters the solidification behavior of melt and sump evolution especially in the earlier stage of casting, however as the billet length increases, the sump profile becomes almost the same for both the ultrasonic and conventional castings. In this condition, the casting speed becomes the key parameter influencing the sump evolution and mushy zone volume. The results reveal that ultrasound-driven acoustic streaming and turbulent oscillations result in a suppression of buoyancy flow in the sump and lead to an increase of frequency of the melt temperature oscillations at the solidification interface. One of the useful results of these phenomena can be a more frequent repetition of remelting/solidification cycle and improvement of the billet quality, particularly the billet surface morphology. The effect of ultrasound irradiation on the billet morphology was verified experimentally using a pilot DC caster.

Effect of Combined Electromagnetic Fields on Microstructure and Properties of Large-Sized Ingot of 2219 Aluminum Alloy

Large-sized 2219 aluminum alloy ingot has wide application prospect in aerospace and military fields. Severe defects, such as coarse grain, the inhomogeneity of structure and macrosegregation occurred in large-sized aluminum ingot produced by normal DC casting. The application of a single magnetic field in DC casting process cannot solve these defects. In this paper, a new method with the combination of electromagnetic fields imposed on bulk melt treatment during DC casting was proposed. And a φ508 mm ingot of 2219 aluminum alloy was prepared in this method. Compared with the normal DC casting, the effect of the combined electromagnetic fields on the microstructure and properties was studied. The experimental results demonstrate that the application of the combined electromagnetic fields significantly refines the grains, and the grain size distribution on the cross section of the ingot tends to be more uniform as well as the mechanical properties are significantly improved. The microstructure and grain size distribution can be significantly affected by different combined electromagnetic fields. It is considered that the appropriate combined electromagnetic fields parameters play an important role in controlling the homogeneity of large-sized ingots.

Effect of Main Elements (Zn, Mg, and Cu) on Hot Tearing Susceptibility During Direct-Chill Casting of 7xxx Aluminum Alloys

New 7xxx aluminum alloys with high alloying contents are being designed, which could induce serious hot tearing defects during direct-chill (DC) casting. Among all factors affecting hot tearing of 7xxx alloys, undoubtedly alloying elements play a significant role. In this study, the effect of main alloying elements (Zn, Mg, and Cu) on hot tearing of grain-refined Al-xZn-yMg-zCu alloys was investigated by a dedicated hot tearing rating apparatus simulating the DC-casting process. It was found that the minimum and maximum hot tearing susceptibilities occur for 4 to 6 and 9 wt pct Zn, respectively, indicating the complicated effect of Zn content. The hot tearing resistance of grain-refined Al-9Zn-yMg-zCu alloys is enhanced with increasing Mg content but is deteriorated with increasing Cu content. This can be attributed to the interaction of the thermal stresses, melt feeding, and final eutectics. The observed tendencies of the main alloying elements on hot tearing were also confirmed for four commercial 7xxx alloys. In addition, both the load value at non-equilibrium solidus and the SKK criterion proposed by Suyitno et al. using measured load developments were found to be good indicators in predicting hot tearing susceptibility. This study can provide a beneficial guide in designing 7xxx alloys considering the potential occurrence of hot cracks beforehand.

Controlled Solidification to Obtain Equilibrium Microstructure in DC Cast Rolling Ingot

In 6xxx Al alloys, most of the secondary constituent phases that are formed at the primary aluminum (α-Al) grain boundary or interdendritic region during direct chill casting are brittle “metastable” phases, which complicates the downstream processes of the cast ingot. To overcome this, the cast ingot is usually homogenized and heat-treated before hot rolling. In the current study, we have shown the possibility of casting 6xxx Al alloy ingot with near-equilibrium solidification structure, thereby eliminating the homogenization process. This in turn increases productivity by reducing downstream processing steps. Novel jet stirring and in situ homogenization techniques control the solidifying microstructure, and the microstructural evidences show that the cast ingot has equilibrium structures. The thermal history of the solidifying ingots is found to play a significant role in producing equilibrium microstructure. The setup of a modified DC casting process with a mechanism for the observed microstructure changes as compared to the standard process has been discussed.

Effect of Direct Chill Casting Speed and Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-13.9%Mg<sub>2</sub>Si Composite

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of different casting speed in DC casting process and solution heat treatment of in situ Al-13.9%Mg2Si composite. The increasing of DC casting speed not only makes primary Mg2Si distribute more uniform and restricts segregation of primary Mg2Si particles, but also it reduces primary Mg2Si particle size. The DC casting speed significantly alter the eutectic Mg2Si phase from fibrous to fine dot-like and eutectic phase refines effectively. The results obtained from mechanical testing demonstrated that the increasing of DC casting speed intensifies both hardness and tensile strength values. Then, the billet were subjected to solutionizing at 500oC for holding time of 4h followed by quenching. The results indicate that the morphology of both primary and eutectic Mg2Si changes after heat treatment. Solutionizing leads to the dissolution of the Mg2Si particles and changes morphology from sharp edges to round shape. After solution heat treatment, tensile strength and elongation increase to 238.8MPa and 13.5%.

The Effect of Casting Speed on Physical Fields of AZ80 Magnesium Alloy during DC Casting

A comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) mathematical model based on a combination of the commercial finite element package ANSYS and the commercial finite volume package FLUENT was developed to describe the interaction of the multiple physics fields during DC casting process. ANSYS was for calculation of the stress field and FLUENT was for calculation of the fluid flow, heat transfer of the solidification. The results show that: the model is reliable and accurate to simulate the multiple physics of DC casting. Consequently, the position, which was prone to hot tearing, was confirmed and the max velocity, at which the hot cracking might not occur, was determined. The numerical simulations will be very useful for preventing crack, optimizing casting parameters and obtaining high-quality ingots.

Microstructure, Macrosegregation, and Thermal Analysis of Direct Chill Cast AA5182 Aluminum Alloy

The variation in microstructure, macrosegregation, and solidification behavior during aluminum alloy Direct Chill casting is investigated with respect to geometry. Optical microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to study the grain size evolution, distribution of alloying elements, and solidification sequence across the cross section of DC cast AA5182 aluminum alloy. The results show that (1) grain size increases from the surface to center of the ingot, corresponding to a decrease in the heat extraction rate; (2) there is a considerable macrosegregation of Mg, Mn, and Cr, with Mg showing negative segregation at the center and positive segregation at the surface, Mn showing negative segregation both at center and surface and positive segregation elsewhere, and Cr showing positive segregation at the center and negative segregation at the surface; (3) the solidus and the reaction temperatures vary as a function of position due to the local chemical composition and cooling rate. These findings, which show the interconnectivity of grain size, segregation, and solidification sequence, are useful in further analysis of the DC casting process and in predicting casting-related defects, specifically hot tear formation.

Study on Multi-Alloy Ingots Produced Using Hot-Top DC Casting Approach

In this paper, a new approach that using hot-top DC casting process to produce multi-alloy ingots is present. The different type and size of composite and cladding ingots (4045/3004/4045 three-layer composite ingots with section 630mm by 1500mm and 4045/3003 cladding ingot with Φ140mm/Φ110mm in diameter) are fabricated by this approach. The macro-morphologies and microstructures of the ingots, the temperature distribution and the element distribution in the interface zone were investigated, and the interface bonding strength was measured. The results show that the solid supporting layer formed on the cooling plates plays a key role in the casting process of composite ingots. The solid supporting layer can prevent the blending of two melts by resisting the impact of alloy melt, which ensures the stable casting process and casting high quality composite ingots, because the contact height is increased using hot-top DC casting. In addition, fabrication and properties of 4045/3004/4045 three-layer composite ingots with section 630mm by 1500mm are reported in detail.

A New Approach of Casting Aluminium Alloy Bar by Applying Low Frequency Electromagnetic Field

Aluminum is the richest metallic element in the earth, the ingots cast by DC casting process are usually extruded into aluminum bars. When the final products do not require high strength, this process appears to be low efficiency and high cost. We try to design a new technology to cast aluminum bar by horizontal direct chill (HDC) casting process directly. An electromagnetic field is applied during the horizontal continuous casting of 6061 aluminium bar with a diameter of 30mm. The experimental results show the asymmetry of the sump can be overcome by electromagnetic field. Ingot with good upper and lower surface quality is obtained. The structure of ingot is refined and the angle between growth direction and horizontal direction becomes small with increasing casting speed.

A Novel Ultrasonic Casting Process Using Controlled Cavitation and Melt Flow in Hot Top Molds

The present work introduces a novel ultrasonic DC casting process which allows producing billets of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys with greatly refined and uniformly distributed particles of primary Si. In the process, ultrasonic vibrations are introduced into an Al-17Si-0.01~0.03P melt in a hot top positioned on the mold by using a high-amplitude ceramic sonotrode. The hot top design and sonotrode arrangement provided a highly effective cavitation treatment of the melt in the hot top and well-controlled flow in the sump. A simplified model is proposed to explain the obtained results.

A 3-phase model for mixed columnar-equiaxed solidification in DC casting of bronze

A three-phase Eulerian approach is used to model the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET) during solidification in DC casting of technical bronze. The three phases are the melt, the solidifying columnar dendrites and the equiaxed grains. They are considered as spatially interpenetrating and interacting continua by solving the conservation equations of mass, momentum, species and enthalpy for all three phases. The so defined solidification model is applied to a binary CuSn6 DC casting process as a benchmark to demonstrate the model potentials. Two cases are studied: one considering only feeding flow and one including both feeding flow and equiaxed sedimentation. The simulated results of mixed columnar and equiaxed solidification are presented and discussed including the occurrence of CET, phase distribution, feeding flow, equiaxed sedimentation and their influence on macrosegregation.

Production of super-high strength aluminum alloy billets by low frequency electromagnetic casting

The effects of low frequency electromagnetic field on the macro-physical fields in the semi-continuous casting process of aluminum alloys and the microstructure and crack in the billets were studied and analyzed by the numerical and experimental methods. Comparison of the results for the macro-physical fields in the low frequency electromagnetic casting (LFEC) process with the conventional DC casting process indicates the following characters due to the application of electromagnetic field: an entirely changed direction and remarkably increased velocity of melt flow; a uniform distribution and a decreased gradient of temperature; elevated isothermal lines; a reduced sump depth; decreased stress and plastic deformation. Further, the microstructure of the billets is refined remarkably and the crack in the billets is eliminated in LFEC process because of modification of the macro-physical fields induced by the application of low frequency electromagnetic field.

Analysis of the impact of macrosegregation on hot tearing conditions during DC casting of aluminium alloys

It is well known that the chemical composition has a strong impact on the hot tearing susceptibility of aluminium alloys. Macrosegregation formation during DC casting of aluminium may lead to large variations of the alloy composition. Assessments of the cracking susceptibility during DC-casting do not take into account composition variations within the ingot. A two-phase model where the main phenomena associated with the formation of hot tears are accounted for, i.e., the lack of feeding at the late stages of solidification and the localization of viscoplastic deformation, has recently been proposed by the authors. In the present study, the two-phase model is extended to allow for the computation of macrosegregation and its interaction with hot tearing formation. The impact of macrosegregation on mechanical fields often associated with the cracking tendency is assessed through case studies where both macrosegregation and the mechanical analysis are computed simultaneously. The case studies are carried out for the start-up of the DC casting process.

Mechanical Properties and Metallurgical Qualities of Magnesium Alloy Sheets Manufactured by Twin-Roll Casting

This paper is concerned with a manufacturing process and technology to facilitate the economical manufacture of high-quality magnesium alloy sheets. Magnesium alloys AZ31, AZ61, AM60 and AZ91 were used to investigate the appropriate anufacturing conditions for use in twin-roll strip casting. Temperatures of the molten materials and roll speeds were varied to find the appropriate manufacturing conditions. The effects of manufacturing conditions on possible forming were clarified in terms of roll speeds and roll gaps between upper and lower rolls. In addition, microscopic observation of the microstructure of the finished casting was performed. It was clarified that a magnesium sheet of 2.5 to 4.5mm thickness could be produced at a speed of 20 m/min by a horizontal copper roll caster. It was also found that the cast magnesium sheet of AZ31, AZ61, AM60 and AZ91 manufactured by roll strip casting could be used for plastic forming if the appropriate magnesium sheets were produced after the roll casting process. By a warm deep drawing test, it also demonstrated that a limiting drawing ratio of 2.4 was possible in the case of AZ91 sheet that was difficult to be manufactured by conventional extrusion process or DC casting and hot-rolling process for magesium alloy sheets with high aluminium contents.

Feasibility study of twin roll casting process for magnesium alloys

Abstract This paper is concerned with the development of a strip casting technology for manufacturing magnesium alloy sheets. The aim of the work is to establish a manufacturing process and technology to facilitate the economical manufacture of high-quality magnesium alloy sheets. Magnesium alloy AZ31, AZ61, AM60 and AZ91 were used to investigate the appropriate manufacturing conditions for use in twin roll strip casting. Temperatures of the molten materials and roll speeds were varied to find the appropriate manufacturing conditions. The effects of manufacturing conditions on possible forming were clarified in terms of roll speeds and roll gaps between upper and lower rolls. In addition, microscopic observation of the microstructure of the finished casting was performed. It was clarified that a magnesium sheet of 2.5–4.5 mm thickness could be produced at a speed of 20 m/min by a horizontal copper roll caster. Mill stiffness and a method of predicting the cast sheet's thickness were investigated to determine the appropriate manufacturing conditions. It was also found that the cast magnesium sheet of AZ31, AZ61, AM60 and AZ91 manufactured by roll strip casting could be used for plastic forming if the appropriate magnesium sheets were produced after the roll casting process. By a warm deep-drawing test, it also demonstrated that a limiting drawing ratio of 2.4 was possible in the case of AZ91 sheet that was difficult to be manufactured by conventional extrusion process or DC casting and hot-rolling process for magesium alloy sheets with high aluminium contents.

Coupled modeling of electromagnetic field, fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification during low frequency electromagnetic casting of 7XXX aluminum alloys: Part 1: Development of a mathematical model and comparison with experimental results

A comprehensive mathematical model has been developed to describe the interaction of the multiple physics fields during the conventional DC casting and low frequency electromagnetic casting (LFEC) process. The model is based on a combination of the commercial finite element package ANSYS and the commercial finite volume package FLUENT, with the former for calculation of the electromagnetic field and the latter for calculation of the magnetic driven fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification. Moreover, the model has been verified against the temperature measurements obtained from two 7XXX aluminum alloy billets of 200 mm in diameter, during the conventional DC casting and the LFEC casting processes, respectively. There was a good agreement between the calculated results and the measured results. Further, comparison of the calculated results of the LFEC process with that of the conventional DC casting process indicated that velocity patterns, temperature profiles and the sump depth are modified remarkably by the application of a low frequency electromagnetic field during the DC casting.

Coupled Modeling of Electromagnetic Field, Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer and Solidification during Conventional DC Casting and Low Frequency Electromagnetic Casting of 7XXX Aluminum Alloys

A comprehensive mathematical model has been developed to describe the interaction of the multiple physics fields during the conventional DC casting and LFEC (low frequency electromagnetic casting) process. The model is based on a combination of the commercial finite element package ANSYS and the commercial finite volume package FLUENT, with the former for the calculation of the electromagnetic field and the latter for the calculation of the magnetic driven fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification. Moreover, the model has been verified against the temperature measurements obtained from two 7XXX aluminum alloy billets of 200mm diameter, cast during the conventional DC casting and the LFEC casting processes. In addition, a measurement of the sump shape of the billets were carried out by using addition melting metal of Al-30%Cu alloy into the billets during casting process. There was a good agreement between the calculated results and the measured results. Further, comparison of the calculated results during the LFEC process with that during the conventional DC casting process indicated that velocity patterns, temperature profiles and the sump depth are strongly modified by the application of a low frequency electromagnetic field during the DC casting.

Effect of low frequency electromagnetic field on casting crack during DC casting superhigh strength aluminum alloy ingots

Super high strength aluminum alloys are very important materials to the aerospace industries, however, cracks often occur during the DC casting process because of their high alloying element content. In this paper, a new low frequency electromagnetic casting (LFEC) process is used to study the possibility of eliminating casting cracks. The results show that a low frequency electromagnetic field eliminates cracks effectively. Under a low frequency electromagnetic field, temperature gradients in the mould are smaller, elements distributions are more uniform, sump depth is lower, and the grains are finer and have a more uniform spherical shape, so the internal stress in ingots is lower than that of ingots processed by conventional DC casting. The LFEC decreases the grain size, constituent size, and area fraction of grain boundary eutectics, which is helpful for thinning the liquid film between grains and improving high-temperature plasticity and strength. These factors improve the cracking resistance of the alloy. Decreasing internal stress and increasing cracking resistance eliminate cracks in DC cast ingots.