B,Sr联合处理Al-7Si合金及细化变质效果评估

采用定量金相及化学分析方法研究了B，Sr联合处理对亚共晶Al-7Si合金凝固组织的影响．Al-7Si合金熔体经B，Sr联合处理时，Sr对合金的细化处理效果无明显影响．而B的出现减少了熔体中有效Sr含量，降低了合金的变质处理效果．在此基础上，结合冷却曲线模式识别技术研究了合金熔体状态与冷却曲线凝固段整体形状的关系．随着表征曲线相似程度的综合偏差值仃趋近于零，相应的变质级别差值及晶粒尺寸差值也同时向零收敛．冷却曲线凝固段的整体形状可以表征B，Sr联合处理后合金的熔体状态．通过建立基于大量实验结果累积的数据库，有望实现B，Sr联合处理Al-7Si合金细化变质效果的在线评测．     

变质处理及亚快速凝固对Al-7Si合金组织的影响

通过改变冷却速度及变质处理变质剂的含量对比研究变质处理及亚快速凝固对Al-7Si合金组织的影响。结果表明,亚快速凝固状态下的Al-7Si合金组织得到细化;亚快速凝固条件下,0.02%Sr变质处理效果最佳。     

脉冲电场对Al-5wt%Cu合金熔体的孕育形核作用

对Al-5wt%Cu合金熔体进行了电脉冲处理,采用热分析方法研究了脉冲电场对该合金凝固冷却曲线的影响.结果表明,电脉冲可显著细化Al-5wt%Cu合金的凝固组织,进而改善其热裂倾向.凝固冷却曲线和温变速率曲线揭示了脉冲电场对合金熔体的孕育形核作用.     

Al-20％Si中间合金对Al-Si合金共晶Si变质行为的影响

研究了Al-20％Si中间合金对铸造Al-Si合金显微组织的影响.结果表明:向Al-Si合金熔体中加入1％的Al-20％Si中间合金,Al-7％Si合金中的共晶Si由粗大的板片状变为细密的纤维状或点状,变质效果较好,而对共晶Al- 12％Si合金的变质效果较弱;浇注温度对合金显微组织影响较大,适当降低浇注温度,有利于铸件组织的细化;变质温度越低越有利于颗粒状Si相成为形核核心,抑制枝晶组织的形成长大;在变质温度为650℃时,Al-20％Si中间合金对Al-7％Si合金变质有效时间是3h左右.     

Al-30Cu-3P中间合金组织及其对Al-20Si合金的变质效果

采用熔体混合法制备Al-30Cu-3P中间合金,研究了熔体混合情况下制备的Al-30Cu-3P中间合金凝固组织的演变及其对Al-20Si合金的变质效果。结果表明,Al-30Cu-3P中间合金组织由初生α-Al+(α-Al+CuAl2)共晶+AlP组成。随着熔体搅拌时间延长,Al-30Cu-3P合金的组织中,初生α-Al相数量逐渐减少,AlP数量逐渐增多,尺寸逐渐增大。熔体搅拌时间为20 min时制备的Al-30Cu-3P中间合金中形成的AlP尺寸最小,将其加入到Al-20Si合金中进行变质,初生Si的尺寸由61.36μm细化到20.24μm。     

熔体温度与Sr变质对Al-20Si合金中Si相的影响

研究了熔体温度处理工艺(包括熔体混合及熔体过热处理)与Sr变质对Al-20Si合金中Si相形态的影响.结果表明,在试验条件下,单纯Sr变质对Al-20Si中的初晶Si细化作用较弱,对共晶Si变质效果不明显.经Sr变质的Al-10Si低温熔体与高温Al-30Si熔体按1∶1混合后,Al-20Si熔体中的形核核心数量增加,初晶Si明显细化;在熔体混合的基础上,对熔体进行过热处理,当熔体温度过热至1 000℃时,初晶Si平均尺寸可细化至14 μm,共晶Si也由未变质前的长针状变为短纤维状.     

熔体温度处理及变质对Al-20%Si合金凝固组织的影响

采用熔体温度处理(包括熔体混合及过热处理)工艺研究Al-20%Si(质量分数)合金凝固组织,并结合化学变质法进一步细化初生硅相。结果表明,当熔体经混合后过热至900℃时,初生硅的尺寸约为34μm;添加变质剂后再进行熔体混合可以使Al-20%Si中的初生硅相进一步细化,特别是在Al-10%Si和Al-30%Si中分别添加0.2%Al-5Ti-C-3Ce和0.4%Cu-10%P后,再进行熔体过热处理,合金中的初生硅呈小块状弥散分布,且尺寸在10μm以下,材料基体呈现出典型的复合材料特征。熔体温度处理与添加化学变质剂方法对初生硅相有显著的多重变质细化作用;在熔体混合时α(Al)的重新熔化和熔体化学键的重组,增大了合金液在凝固时的过冷度,使初生硅相得到细化;对混合熔体再进行过热处理时,混合熔体中的Si相发生熔断、增殖,从而使合金中初生硅相得到进一步细化。添加细化剂或变质剂会明显增强熔体温度处理对Al-Si合金中初生硅的细化效果。     

基于ProCAST模拟分析水冷铜模制备细晶Al-Si合金的研究

以水冷铜模金属型重力铸造的方法,制备细晶Al-7％Si和Al-17％Si合金,利用ProCAST模拟凝固过程冷却曲线,并通过实测二次枝晶臂间距(SDAS)计算铸件局部冷却速度,结合微观组织形貌分析,研究了冷却速度对初晶硅及共晶硅组织的细化效果.结果表明:模拟的冷却曲线与实测二次枝晶臂间距对应的铸件局部冷却速度变化趋势相符,平均冷却速度属于亚快速凝固范围,随着冷却速度的提高初生相组织越细小,比共晶组织的细化效果更明显.通过实验与计算机模拟相结合更准确地了解冷却速度与铸件组织的关系,为进一步调整浇注工艺优化模具设计从而提高铸件组织性能提供了可行的方案.     

超声场作用下Mg-4Al-1Si合金凝固组织

采用自行研制的镁合金熔体超声处理装置对Mg-4Al-1Si合金熔体进行处理,研究超声处理功率、超声处理时间和超声处理温度对其凝固组织及相形貌的影响。结果表明:超声处理可以显著细化Mg-4Al-1Si合金的凝固组织,适当提高超声功率和处理温度以及适当延长处理时间均可增强细化效果。650℃Mg-4Al-1Si合金熔体经270W超声处理50s可以取得较好的细化效果,平均晶粒尺寸为107μm,为未经超声处理合金晶粒尺寸(383μm)的28%。另外,经超声处理的Mg-4Al-1Si合金中Mg2Si相由未经超声处理时的粗大汉字状转变为细小、弥散分布的颗粒状。     

快速凝固对Al-Si-Mg合金复合变质的影响

Al-Si-Mg合金通过加入细化剂Al-1Ti-1B中间合金或细化剂Al-3Ti-3B中间合金及变质剂Al-9Sr中间合金进行复合变质后,分别在空气中、水中和液氮中冷却凝固.利用扫描电子显微镜,研究凝固速度对共晶Si相、α(Al)树枝晶形态的影响.结果表明:随着试样在空气中、水中及液氮中凝固速度的不断提高,复合变质后共晶Si相进一步细化,α(Al)树枝晶的二次枝晶间距明显减小.     

B对亚共晶Al-7Si合金共晶凝固过程的影响

研究了B含量及保温时间对Al-7Si合金凝固组织和冷却曲线的影响.利用热分析技术测量了冷却曲线共晶凝固段的特征值,利用图像分析技术测量了共晶Si相平均面积、形状指数.结果显示B的加入对Si相形状指数和冷却曲线特征值的影响不大;在一定的晶粒尺寸范围内共晶Si相平均面积随着初晶晶粒尺寸的减小而减小.     

Assessment of solidification characteristics of carbon-inoculated Mg-3%Al melt by thermal analysis

The Mg-3%Al melt was inoculated by carbon with different holding time. The effect of holding time on grain refining efficiency was evaluated. The solidification characteristics of the carbon-inoculated Mg-3%Al melt with different holding time were assessed by computer-aided cooling curve analysis. The results showed that Mg-3%Al alloy could be effectively refined by carbon inoculation. Slight fading phenomenon occurred with increasing the holding time to 60 min. Carbon inoculation could significantly influence the shape of cooling curves of Mg-3%Al melt. The nucleation starting and minimum temperatures increased. The recalescence undercooling and duration decreased to almost zero after carbon inoculation. The grain refining efficiency of carbon inoculation could be assessed by the shape of the cooling curve and solidification characteristic parameters including nucleation starting and minimum temperatures, recalescence undercooling and duration.     

Computer-aided cooling curve analysis of A356 aluminum alloy

Computer aided cooling curve analysis (CA-CCA) is very useful in the foundry industry for easy and fast evaluation of a variety of properties. Typical applications include the prediction of the temperatures and amounts of different phases appearing during solidification and monitoring of the quality of melt in terms of Si- modification, grain refinement, inoculation, and graphite spheoridization. The use of cooling curve analysis can be extended to many other areas of solidification also, assuming the calculated values are reasonably accurate. The calculation of zero curve, which is vital in cooling curve analysis, offers many problems however. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the problems of zero curve calculation and a new method is suggested to minimize calculation errors. An in-house developed computer program was used for a complete analysis of aluminum alloy A356 to determine the latent heat and solid fraction values.     

Microstructure refinement of AZ91D alloy solidified with pulsed magnetic field

The effects of pulsed magnetic field on the solidified microstructure of an AZ91D magnesium alloy were investigated. The experimental results show that the remarkable microstructural refinement is achieved when the pulsed magnetic field is applied in the solidification of AZ91D alloy. The average grain size of the as-cast microstructure of AZ91D alloy is refined to 104 μm. Besides the grain refinement, the morphology of the primary α-Mg is changed from dendritic to rosette, then to globular shape with changing the parameters of the pulsed magnetic field. The pulsed magnetic field causes melt convection during solidification, which makes the temperature of the whole melt homogenized, and produces an undercooling zone in front of the liquid/solid interface by the magnetic pressure, which makes the nucleation rate increased and big dendrites prohibited. In addition, primary α-Mg dendrites break into fine crystals, resulting in a refined solidification structure of the AZ91D alloy. The Joule heat effect induced in the melt also strengthens the grain refinement effect and spheroidization of dendrite arms.     

Microstructure refinement of AZ31 alloy solidified with pulsed magnetic field

The effects of a pulsed magnetic field on the solidified microstructure of an AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated. The experimental results show that the remarkable microstructural refinement is achieved when the pulsed magnetic field is applied to the solidification of the AZ31 alloy. The average grain size of the as-cast microstructure of the AZ31 alloy is refined to 107 μm. By quenching the AZ31 alloy, the different primary α-Mg microstructures are preserved during the course of solidification. The microstructure evolution reveals that the primary α-Mg generates and grows in globular shape with pulsed magnetic field, contrast with the dendritic shape without pulsed magnetic field. The pulsed magnetic field causes melt convection during solidification, which makes the temperature of the whole melt homogenized, and produces an undercooling zone in front of the liquid/solid interface, which makes the nucleation rate increased and big dendrites prohibited. In addition, the Joule heat effect induced in the melt also strengthens the grain refinement effect and spheroidization of dendrite arms.     

Effect of section thickness and modification on thermal analysis parameters of A357 alloy

Abstract

Thermal analysis technique relies on the cooling curve obtained when the sample is cooled in a sampling cup. This may not represent the cooling behaviour of the real casting. The microstructure developed during solidification depends not only on the nucleation and modification potential of the melt but also on the thermal gradient imposed during solidification by the mould. The factors affecting the thermal gradient are the mould material and casting section thickness. In the present investigation the effect of modification melt treatment, cooling rate and casting section thickness on the thermal analysis parameters of A357 alloy was studied. It is found that the dimensionless heat flux parameter is high for small section thickness castings. The metal/mould interfacial heat flux is high in a copper mould. Thermal analysis parameters of A357 alloy are found to be affected significantly by the combined action of modification, chilling and section thickness.     

Formation of grain refined and non-dendritic microstructure of an aluminum alloy under angular oscillation

A new technique to achieve sound semi-solid slurry by introducing angular oscillation during the earlier stage of solidification is reported. The effects of melt superheat and oscillation intensity on the grain refinement and morphology of primary Al particles in aluminum alloy A356 were investigated. Results confirmed that a fully grain refined and non-dendritic microstructure could be obtained using proper processing conditions, and the superheat of melt could be increased to a higher level. The primary Al particle had average diameter of 58 μm and average shape factor of 0.84, and featured zero entrapped eutectic.     

Mechanisms of grain refinement by intensive shearing of AZ91 alloy melt

It has been demonstrated recently that intensive melt shearing can be an effective approach to the grain refinement of both shape casting and continuous casting of Mg alloys. In the present study, the mechanisms of grain refinement by intensive melt shearing were investigated through a combination of both modelling and experimental approaches. The measurement of the cooling curves during solidification, quantification of grain size of the solidified samples, and image analysis of the MgO particle size and size distribution in the pressurized filtration samples were performed for the AZ91 alloy with and without intensive melt shearing. The experimental results were then used as input parameters for the free growth model to investigate the mechanisms of grain refinement by intensive melt shearing. The experimental results showed that, although intensive melt shearing does not change the nucleation starting temperature, it increases the nucleation finishing temperature, giving rise to a reduced nucleation undercooling. The theoretical modelling using the free growth model revealed quantitatively that intensive melt shearing can effectively disperse MgO particles densely populated in the oxide films into more individual particles in the alloy melt, resulting in an increase in the MgO particle density by three orders of magnitude and the density of active nucleating MgO particles by a factor of 20 compared with those of the non-sheared melt. Therefore, the grain refining effect of intensive melt shearing can be confidently attributed to the significantly increased refining efficiency of the naturally occurring MgO particles in the alloy melt as potent nucleation sites.     

Refinement mechanism of low voltage pulsed magnetic field on solidification structure of silicon steel

The grain refinement of a silicon steel solidified with a low voltage pulsed magnetic field (LVPMF) was investigated by experiments and modeling. The experiment results show that complete fine equiaxed grains are acquired by applying the LVPMF. The effects of process parameters, such as the melt cooling rate and superheating on the solidification structure, were also studied. Complete fine equiaxed grains can be obtained under a larger range of cooling rate or superheating when the LVPMF is applied. The magnetic force and the melt flow during solidification were modeled and simulated to reveal the grain refinement mechanism. The simulation results show that the LVPMF has a double role in electromagnetic convection and electromagnetic vibration on the alloy melt. We propose the refining mechanism: The melt vibration and convection can promote nucleus multiplication, which contributes to heterogeneous nucleation enhancement and leads to a high nucleation rate and grain refinement.     

不同熔体热处理工艺后Al-Cu-Ti合金的晶粒细化及力学性能改善

本文研究了添加细化剂和不同热处理工艺（过热处理和热速处理）对Al-Cu合金的改性。分析了Al-Cu-Ti合金的相组成、凝固微观组织和力学性能。此外,采用差示扫描量热法（DSC）研究了Al-Cu-Ti合金在不同熔体热处理工艺后的熔体结构转变行为。实验结果表明,热速处理极大地细化了Al-Cu-Ti合金晶粒,且力学性能得到有效改善。通过对热力学相变分析,发现Al-Cu-Ti合金经过热处理和热速处理后的熔化潜热随着界面能的增大而变小,从而在一定程度上细化了合金的微观组织。