The effect of heat transfer on local solidification kinetics of eutectic Al-Si cast alloy

Recently, Fourier thermal analysis (FTA) has been proposed as a suitable technique to obtain information about local solidification kinetics in casting alloys. In this work, FTA was applied to a near-eutectic aluminum-silicon cast alloy in order to seek experimental evidence supporting the solidification kinetics obtained from this method. Also, a heat-transfer/solidification-kinetics model was used to compare predictions with experimental results. The metallographic findings, focused on interlamellar eutectic spacings in different locations within a cylindrical casting, support the solidification kinetics obtained from FTA. The model and experimental outcome including FTA results and metallographic observations suggest that local solidification kinetics depend strongly on local heat transfer, and the analysis of this dependence may be used to explain the observed changes in microstructural characteristics at different locations within castings.