Measurements and modelling of air gap formation in Cu-based alloys

Abstract

The formation of an air gap has been experimentally studied during solidification of pure Cu, Cu–Te and Cu–6%Sn in a cylindrical mould. The displacements of the casting and the mould causing an air gap have been measured during solidification and cooling of the casting. The temperature distribution was measured simultaneously. Mathematical modelling has been performed to increase the understanding of the solidification process and the shrinkage of the casting leading to air gap formation. A model, which has been tested in earlier work showing good results for aluminium based alloys, has been applied here to describe air gap formation during solidification of copper based alloys. The model includes the effect of the formation and condensation of vacancies on the solidification process as well as on the material shrinkage resulting in air gap formation. The results from the modelling show a reasonable agreement with the experimental measurements.     

Rapid fabricating process of zinc alloy moulds based on vacuum casting process

Abstract

A rapid fabrication process was developed by combining stereolithography prototype, silicone rubber mould and vacuum casting process for zinc alloy moulds. Transfer coating mould was introduced as casting moulds reproduced from silicone rubber moulds. Vacuum casting process was applied to improve filling ability of complicated mould with fine pattern surface. Vacuum reduces the gas counterpressure in the casting mould cavity and then improves the filling ability.     

Enhanced cooling for solidification of aluminium alloys in permanent moulds using advanced heat pipe solutions

Abstract

In order to obtain sound cast components with good properties, a number of measures must be taken to make parts defect free. It is well recognised by the casting industry that it is essential to control cooling rates of permanent mould castings in order to speed up solidification and control the solidification pattern. Each of the traditional controlled cooling techniques (air or water cooling passages and chill inserts) presents certain disadvantages and none offers optimum thermal management. A new cooling method for permanent moulds is proposed. This new technique is based on heat pipe technology that was developed specifically for the cooling of permanent moulds in the casting of light metals where high heat fluxes are normally encountered. The influence of the conductivity of mould coatings on casting solidification and dendrite arm spacing with heat pipe cooling was investigated. Typical experimental results are also presented.     

Effect of cold flakes on mechanical properties of aluminium alloy die casts

Abstract

The cold flake was detected in aluminium alloy die casts ADC12 by using the scanning acoustic microscope, and was visualised in the acoustic image as bright and dark regions, which were corresponding to the oxide layer and the body of the cold flake respectively. By using the specimen which contains the cold flake, the tensile testing and the fatigue testing were carried out. The in process ultrasonic measurement was also carried out with a water bag in the fatigue testing to detect detachment of the cold flake from the matrix in the fatigue process. From these results, it was found that the cold flake was detached from the matrix in the fatigue process to form a crack, and cold flakes, especially exposed cold flakes, reduce the tensile strength and the fatigue life of die casts. The effect of the cold flake on the strengths was discussed from the point of crack propagation.     

Heat transfer and solidification analysis in the mould region of a horizontal copper alloy billet continuous caster

Abstract

Mathematical modelling has been widely used as a powerful tool for process design and optimisation of the continuous casting process. A three-dimensional heat transfer model was developed to simulate heat transfer and solidification in a horizontal billet continuous casting system. In this model, the air gap formation and its effect on heat extraction from the billet was also modelled and considered. The developed model was run to simulate the heat transfer and solidification for an industrial billet casting machine. The predicted temperature distribution within the mould and billet was compared with those measured on an industrial caster and good agreement was obtained. Parametric studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of different parameters on the temperature distribution and solidification profile within the cast brass billet. Finally, the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) was determined experimentally and a semi-empirical correlation between measured SDAS and corresponding calculated cooling rate was proposed for continuously cast brass billet.     

Compression behaviour of semisolid YL112 die casting aluminium alloy following isothermal heat treatment

Abstract

The semisolid compression deformation behaviour of YL112 die casting aluminium alloy with the non-dendritic and dendritic structures has been compared in tests using a Gleeble-1500 thermomechanical simulator. The non-dendritic structure was obtained by isothermal treatment at 570°C for 120 min. In tests up to compressive strains of 0·8, the semisolid compression stress of the alloy with non-dendritic structure initially increases rapidly with increasing strain, then decreases, before reaching a plateau value. Under different deformation temperatures and deformation rates, the maximum compressive stresses are obtained in all cases at strain values of ～0·07. The semisolid deformation stress decreases with increasing deformation temperature and increases with increasing deformation rate. The compression behaviour of the two types of alloy differs. The semisolid compression stress of the alloy with dendritic structure is higher than that of the alloy with non-dendritic structure; and for strains >0·07, the semisolid compression stress increases and decreases with increasing strain for alloys with dendritic and non-dendritic structures respectively.     

Effect of colloidal silica addition on compressive strength of frozen mould

Abstract

The frozen mould which is produced by refrigerating the mixture of sand and water has the possibility to improve both the casting cost and the poor working environments such as noise, vibration and dust. The transition of mechanical properties of the frozen mould when it was transforming into thawed and dried states was examined. The compressive strength of the standard frozen mould consisting of only sand and water dramatically decreased when it was thawed and the strength was not recovered by drying. In contrast, the frozen mould produced by substituting colloidal silica solution for water showed some compressive strength even in thawed state and the strength was elevated by subsequent drying. The reusability of the sand mixture with colloidal silica solution was also evaluated. The compressive strengths did not deteriorate with any reclamation. The above results prove that the frozen mould with colloidal silica solution has an excellent industrial potential.     

Effect of controlled forced convection on macrosegregation and structure in direct-chill casting of an aluminium alloy

Abstract

Effects of upward or downward forced flow in the centre of the sump of a 195 mm Al-alloy billet on structure and macrosegregation were studied. Introduction of forced flow in the liquid part of the sump resulted in some changes in the structure and dramatic changes in macrosegregation. Upward flow coarsened the structure and increased negative centreline segregation. Downward flow made the structure finer and more uniform across the billet, and suppressed the macrosegregation. Strong downward flow produced positive macrosegregation in the billet. The results are discussed in terms of macrosegregation mechanisms.     

Influence of die casting process parameters on castability and properties of thin walled aluminium housings

Abstract

The objective of this study is to clarify effects of high pressure die casting process parameters for castability and mechanical properties. So the optimal die casting conditions for producing for thin walled Al component was conducted computational solidification simulation and actual die casting with three different venting systems, four straight, checker and full checker vent. Furthermore, the die casting process parameters, such as die controller temperature, high injection speed and die open time, were experimentally evaluated. The results of computational solidification simulation were found that the control of process parameters could lead to soundness of surface and no defect and improvement of mechanical properties. As increasing the high injection speed from 2˙0 to 4˙0 m s^?1 and die temperature, the castability was increased. The full checker venting system had best castability with good surface quality among the three cast specimens.     

Control of weld composition when welding high strength aluminium alloy using the tandem process

Abstract

A new cost effective process for generating different weld element compositions has been examined. Utilising tandem welding technology, different series aluminium filler wires were mixed in a single weld pool with the result that the composition of the principal alloy elements, copper and magnesium were accurately controlled. Thermodynamic modelling was then used to predict an optimum weld bead composition for eliminating solidification cracking when welding Al2024. In order to validate the predicted target composition, the tandem process was used to control the composition of the weld bead. The presented results show that using this system to deposit a controlled ternary composition weld, solidification cracking was eliminated when welding highly constrained test pieces. In contrast, cracking was evident when using commercially available binary filler wires under the same conditions.     

Effect of pouring temperature,composition, mould strength and metal flow resistance on shrinkage cavities in spheroidal graphite cast iron

Abstract

Under the subject of this study, it was found that the growth of graphite in eutectic solidification is the most important factor. Also, shrinkage cavity increases in hypereutectic composition because the crystallisation volume of graphite in eutectic solidification becomes smaller. In addition, the Al amount contained in spheroidal agent or molten metal works negatively for shrinkage cavity, which could be said the same for P, Mo and Cr. As for the shrinkage cavity in non-alloyed ductile iron, the metal supply resistance P _MSR is the most significant element in regard to the occurrence of shrinkage cavity. For tight mould, there is no relationship between modulus and shrinkage cavity while the P _MSR of a product is the dominant factor. This theory of P _MSR can be applied to final solidification loops of products based on simulation. Based on this, it became possible to make shrinkage cavity free products without a riser.     

铝合金板坯连铸过程的DPIV物理模拟

利用先进的数字粒子图像测速技术（DPIV）对铝合金板坯连铸过程中结晶器内的流场进行研究。分析了操作参数以及浮漂漏斗结构对流场的影响。考虑到液固界面的影响,实验采用与枝晶生长结构相似的天然海绵模拟液固界面。结果表明：随着拉坯速度的增大,表面越不稳定;可通过适当增加出水口向下的倾角来提高拉速;跑道形出水口要优于矩形出水口。     

Effect of holding pressure on density and cooling rate of cast Al-Si alloy during additive pressure casting

The cast Al-Si alloy was fabricated using the Additive Pressure Casting(APC) method. The effects of holding pressure from 50 to 400 k Pa on the density, cooling rate, and mechanical properties of the alloy, and the corresponding mechanism were discussed. The results indicate that the application of high holding pressure(300 k Pa) enhances the feeding ability of the alloy, leading to an increase of the density. Meanwhile, the cooling rate of the alloy is increased by 100%. In addition, the tensile testing results show that the increase of holding pressure from 50 to 300 k Pa improves the tensile strength and elongation of the alloy by 6.2% and 81.3%, respectively. However, excessive holding pressure(400 k Pa) might lower the density and cooling rate of the alloy due to the feeding channels being blocked.     

Effect of friction welding conditions on mechanical properties of A5052 aluminium alloy friction welded joint

Abstract

The present paper describes the mechanical properties of Al–Mg aluminium alloy (A5052) friction welded joints. Two types of A5052 with different tensile properties were used, namely, H112 base metal with 188 MPa tensile strength and H34 with 259 MPa tensile strength. Similar metal specimens were joined using a continuous drive friction welding machine with an electromagnetic clutch to prevent braking deformation. That is, the joints were welded using the 'low heat input' friction welding method developed by the present authors, in which the heat input is lower than in the conventional method. An A5052–H112 joint produced using a friction speed of 27·5 s^?1, friction pressure of 30 MPa, friction time of 2·0 s (just after the initial peak torque), and forge pressure of 60 MPa had approximately 95% joint efficiency. It fractured at the welded interface and in the A5052–H112 base metal. To improve the joint efficiency, an A5052–H112 joint was produced at a forge pressure of 75 MPa, which was the same as the yield strength of the A5052–H112 base metal. It had 100% joint efficiency and fractured in the A5052–H112 base metal. In contrast, an A5052–H34 joint was made using a friction speed of 27·5 s^?1, friction pressure of 90 MPa, friction time of 0·3 s (just after the initial peak torque), and forge pressure of 180 MPa. It had approximately 93% joint efficiency and fractured in the A5052–H34 base metal. This joint also had a softened region at the welded interface and in the adjacent region. To improve the joint efficiency, an A5052–H34 joint was made at a forge pressure of 260 MPa, which was the same as the ultimate tensile strength of the A5052–H34 base metal. Although this joint had a slightly softened region at its periphery, it had approximately 93% joint efficiency. The failure of the A5052–H34 joint to achieve 100% joint efficiency is due to a slight softening at the periphery and the difference in the anisotropic properties of the A5052–H34 base metal between the longitudinal and radial directions.     

25 t铝合金熔铸生产线水冷系统特点

阐述了25 t铝合金熔铸生产线水冷系统的设备布置特点,水冷系统的设备特点,水冷系统的应用特点,水冷系统的不足之处等问题。     

Effect of pouring temperature on cooling slope casting of semi-solid Al-Si-Mg alloy

Present trend of semi-solid processing is directed towards rheocasting route which allows manufacturing of near-net-shape cast components directly from the prepared semi-solid slurry. Generation of globular equi-axed grains during solidification of rheocast components, compared to the columnar dendritic structure of conventional casting routes, facilitates the manufacturing of components with improved mechanical properties and structural integrity. In the present investigation, a cooling slope has been designed and indigenously fabricated to produce semi solid slurry of Al-Si-Mg (A356) alloy and successively cast in a metallic mould. The scope of the present work discusses about development of a numerical model to simulate the liquid metal flow through cooling slope using Eulerian two-phase flow approach and to investigate the effect of pouring temperature on cooling slope semi-solid slurry generation process. The two phases considered in the present model are liquid metal and air. Solid fraction evolution of the solidifying melt is tracked at different locations of the cooling slope, following Schiel s equation. The continuity equation, momentum equation and energy equation are solved considering thin wall boundary condition approach. During solidification of the liquid metal, a modified temperature recovery scheme has been employed taking care of the latent heat release and change of fraction of liquid. The results obtained from simulations are compared with experimental findings and good agreement has been found.     

Effect of mould material on aluminum alloy ingot quality under low frequency electromagnetic casting

F or a semi-continuous aluminum casting process, it is essential to supply high quality aluminum alloy ingot without internal and outside defects. The use of electromagnetic fields to control the size and shape of grains has become one of the most promising methods [1-5] in many engineering applications and tends to be widespread in industries. The application of electromagnetic casting (EMC) technique for improving products quality has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, and…     

Effect of chill cooling conditions on cooling rate,microstructure and casting/chill interfacial heat transfer coefficient for sand cast A319 alloy

A combination of experiments and numerical analyses were used to examine the cooling conditions, solidification microstructure and interfacial heat transfer in A319 cast in a chilled wedge format. Both solid copper chills and water cooled chills, with and without a delay in water cooling, were examined in the study. Various chill preheats were also included. The goal of the investigation is to explore methods of limiting heat transfer during solidification directly beside the chill and increasing cooling rates during solidification away from the chill. Within the range of conditions examined in the study, chill preheat was found to have only a small effect on cooling rates between 5 and 50 mm from the chill/casting interface, pour superheat a moderate effect and water cooling a significant effect. In comparison to the results for the solid chill, the solidification time at 5 mm with water cooling applied at the beginning of mould filling is reduced from 56 to 15 s and at 50 mm from 588 to 93·5 s. Furthermore, the average cooling rate during solidification is increased from 1·9 to 7·06°C s^?1 at 5 mm and from 0·18 to 1·13°C s^?1 at 50 mm. At 50 mm, for example, the increased cooling rate achieved with water translates into a reduction in secondary dendrite arm spacing from 40 to 25 μm or ～40%. Delaying the water cooling by 10 s facilitated slow cooling rates at 5 mm (similar to those achieved with a solid chill) and high cooling rates 50 mm from the chill. A temperature based correlation was found to be suitable for characterising the behaviour of the interfacial heat transfer coefficient in the solid shill castings, whereas a time based correlation was needed for the water cooled castings.