Numerical Simulation of Morphology and Microsegregation Evolution during Solidification of Al-Si Alloy

A stochastic model coupled with transient calculations for the distributions of temperature, solute and velocity during the solidification of binary alloy is presented. The model can directly describe the evolution of both morphology and segregation during dendritic crystal growth. The model takes into account the curvature and growth anisotropy of dendritic crystals. Finite difference method is used to explicitly track the sharp solid liquid (S/L) interface on a fixed Cartesian grid. Two-dimensional mesoscopic calculations are performed to simulate the evolution of columnar and equiaxed dendritic morphologies of an AI-7 wt pct Si alloy. The effects of heat transfer coefficient on the evolution of both the dendrite morphology and segregation patterns during the solidification of binary alloys are analyzed. This model is applied to the solidification of small casting. Columnar-to-equiaxed transition is analyzed in detail. The effects of heat transfer coefficient on final casting structures are also studi

Horizontally Solidified Al-3 wt%Cu-(0.5 wt%Mg)Alloys:Tailoring Thermal Parameters,Microstructure,Microhardness,and Corrosion Behavior

In the present experimental investigation,Al–3 wt%Cu and Al–3 wt%Cu–0.5 wt%Mg alloys castings are produced by a horizontal solidification technique with a view to examining the interrelationship among growth rate(GR),cooling rate(CR),secondary dendrite arm spacing(λ2),Vickers microhardness(HV),and corrosion behavior in a 0.5 M NaCl solution.The intermetallic phases of the as-solidified microstructures,that is,h-Al2Cu,S–Al2CuMg,and x-Al7Cu2 Fe,are subjected to a comprehensive characterization by using calculations provided by computational thermodynamics software,optical microscopy,and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy.Moreover,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization tests have been applied to analyze the corrosion performance of samples of both alloys castings.Hall–Petch-type equations are proposed to represent the HV dependence onλ2.It is shown that the addition of Mg to the Al–Cu alloy has led to a considerable increase in HV;however,the Al–Cu binary alloy is shown to have lower corrosion current density(icorr)as well as higher polarization resistance as compared to the corresponding results of the Al–Cu–Mg ternary alloy.

Microstructure, Microsegregation, and Mechanical Properties of Directional Solidified Mg–3.0Nd–1.5Gd Alloy

The microstructure, microsegregation, and mechanical properties of directional solidified Mg–3.0Nd–1.5Gd ternary alloys were experimentally studied. Experimental results showed that the solidification microstructure was composed of dendrite primary a（Mg） phase and interdendritic a（Mg） · Mg12（Nd, Gd） eutectic and Mg5 Gd phase. The primary dendrite arm spacing k1 and secondary dendrite arm spacing k2 were found to be depended on the cooling rate R in the form k1= 8.0415 9 10-6R-0.279 and k2= 6.8883 9 10-6R-0.205, respectively, under the constant temperature gradient of40 K/mm and in the region of cooling rates from 0.4 to 4 K/s. The concentration profiles of Nd and Gd elements calculated by Scheil model were found to be deviated from the ones measured by EPMA to varying degrees, due to ignorance of the back diffusion of the solutes Nd and Gd within a（Mg） matrix. And microsegregation of Gd depended more on the growth rate, compared with Nd microsegregation. The directionally solidified experimental alloy exhibited higher strength than the non-directionally solidified alloy, and the tensile strength of the directionally solidified experimental alloy was improved,while the corresponding elongation decreased with the increase of growth rate.

In situ selective laser gas nitriding for composite TiN/Ti-6Al-4V fabrication via laser powder bed fusion

Laser-assisted gas nitriding of selective Ti-6Al-4V surfaces has been achieved during laser powder bed fusion fabrication by exchanging the argon build gas environment with nitrogen.Systematic variation of processing parameters allowed microdendritic Ti N surface coatings to be formed having thicknesses ranging from a few tens of microns to several hundred microns,with TiN dendrite microstructure volume fractions ranging from 0.6 to 0.75;and corresponding Vickers microindentation hardness values ranging from^7.5 GPa–9.5 GPa.Embedded TiN hard layers ranging from 50μm to 150μm thick were also fabricated in the laser-beam additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy producing prototype,hybrid,planar composites having alternating,ductile Ti-6Al-4V layers with a hardness of^4.5 GPa and a stiff,TiN layer with a hardness of^8.5 GPa.The results demonstrate prospects for fabricating novel,additively manufactured components having selective,hard,wear and corrosion resistant coatings along with periodic,planar or complex metal matrix composite regimes exhibiting superior toughness and related mechanical properties.

Effects of β-Dendrite Growth Velocity on β→a Transformation of Hypoperitectic Ti–46Al–7Nb Alloy

Solidification characteristics of Ti–46Al–7Nb melts were studied by the electromagnetic levitation technique.A maximum melt undercooling up to 240 K has been achieved. When the undercooling is lower than the critical value DT＊ = 205 K, the alloy possesses typical hypoperitectic solidification characteristic which can be evidenced by a peritectic layer observed in the as-solidified microstructure. However, the Widmansta¨tten structure can be observed at large undercooling regime of DT C DT＊, where peritectic reaction cannot proceed and c lamellar precipitation within a plates is suppressed. Based on the BCT dendrite growth model, the dendrite growth velocities were calculated as a function of undercooling. Theoretical analysis indicates that the growth mechanism of the primary b phase transforms from solutaldiffusion-controlled to thermal-diffusion-controlled in the undercooling range of 188–205 K, which can be attributed to the onset of solute trapping at the critical undercooling. Meanwhile, with increasing undercooling, the solute trapping effect becomes more dominant as a consequence.

Current development in quantitative phase-field modeling of solidification

The quantitative phase-field simulations were reviewed on the processes of solidification of pure metals and alloys.The quantitative phase-field equations were treated in a diffuse thin-interface limit,which enabled the quantitative links between interface dynamics and model parameters in the quasi-equilibrium simulations.As a result,the quantitative modeling is more effective in dealing with microstructural pattern formation in the large scale simulations without any spurious kinetic effects.The development of the quantitative phase-field models in modeling the formation of microstructures such as dendritic structures,eutectic lamellas,seaweed morphologies,and grain boundaries in different solidified conditions was also reviewed with the purpose of guiding to find the new prospect of applications in the quantitative phase-field simulations.