Burner effects on melting process of regenerative aluminum melting furnace

According to the features of melting process of regenerative aluminum melting furnaces, a three-dimensional mathematical model with user-developed melting model, burner reversing and burning capacity model was established. The numerical simulation of melting process of a regenerative aluminum melting furnace was presented using hybrid programming method of FLUENT UDF and FLUENT scheme based on the heat balance test. Burner effects on melting process of aluminum melting furnaces were investigated by taking optimization regulations into account. The change rules of melting time on influence factors are achieved. Melting time decreases with swirl number, vertical angle of burner, air preheated temperature or natural gas flow; melting time firstly decreases with horizontal angle between burners or air-fuel ratio, then increases; melting time increases with the height of burner.

Effects of compressing and remelting in SIMA processing on semi-solid structure evolution of an Al-Zn wrought alloy

Structure evolution of an Al-Zn wrought alloy in remelting processing in thestrain induced melt activated (SIMA) serai-solid procedure was observed, and effects of factors, theremelting temperature, the holding time, and the compression strain, on structures and grain sizesof the alloy were investigated. The results show that (1) the proper temperature of remelting is inthe range of 610 to 615℃; (2) the grain size in specimen with greater compression strain is smallerthan that with smaller compression strain in condition of the same remelting temperature andholding time, and the grain size in local area with great local equivalent strain is smaller thanthat with small one; (3) liquid occurs in form of cluster in matrix during remelting and itsquantity increases with remelting time increasing; liquid in specimen with great compression strainoccurs earlier than that with small one, and quantity of liquid in the center of specimen withgreater local equivalent strain is greater than that in the two ends of it; (4) distortion energyafter deforming in matrix of the alloy is the significant factor to activate melting of matrix atlocal area with great local equivalent strain.

Multiple-response optimization for melting process of aluminum melting furnace based on response surface methodology with desirability function

To reduce the fuel consumption and emissions and also enhance the molten aluminum quality, a mathematical model with user-developed melting model and burning capacity model, were established according to the features of melting process of regenerative aluminum melting furnaces. Based on validating results by heat balance test for an aluminum melting furnace, CFD （computational fluid dynamics） technique, in association with statistical experimental design were used to optimize the melting process of the aluminum melting furnace. Four important factors influencing the melting time, such as horizontal angle between burners, height-to-radius ratio, natural gas mass flow and air preheated temperature, were identified by PLACKETT-BURMAN design. A steepest descent method was undertaken to determine the optimal regions of these factors. Response surface methodology with BOX-BEHNKEN design was adopted to further investigate the mutual interactions between these variables on RSD （relative standard deviation） of aluminum temperature, RSD of furnace temperature and melting time. Multiple-response optimization by desirability function approach was used to determine the optimum melting process parameters. The results indicate that the interaction between the height-to-radius ratio and horizontal angle between burners affects the response variables significantly. The predicted results show that the minimum RSD of aluminum temperature （12.13%）, RSD of furnace temperature （18.50%） and melting time （3.9 h） could be obtained under the optimum conditions of horizontal angle between burners as 64°, height-to-radius ratio as 0.3, natural gas mass flow as 599 m3/h, and air preheated temperature as 639 ℃. These predicted values were further verified by validation experiments. The excellent correlation between the predicted and experimental values confirms the validity and practicability of this statistical optimum strategy.

Industrial growth of yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia crystals by skull melting process

We reported the development of a Ф100 cm growth apparatus for skull melting growth of yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia(YSZ) crystals and more than 1000 kg crystals have been grown in the furnace each time.The growth conditions were optimized and the structure of the as-grown crystals was characterized by X-ray diffraction.The transmittance of 15 mol.% yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia crystal was nearly 80% in the range of 400–1600 nm.The refractive indices were measured and fitted the Sellmeier equation whi...

Miscibility of Poly(hydroxybutyrate)/Poly(vinyl alcohol)Melt Blends Plasticized With Glycerol

Poly(hydroxybutyrate)/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PHB/PVA)blends plasticized with glycerol were prepared by melt blending of PHB and glycerol plasticized PVA.The PHB/PVA-glycerol compositions were 90:10,75:25 and 50:50 w/w,being the concentration of glycerol in the PVA mixture of 10 wt%.The blends were characterized by infrared spectroscopy,dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis,and scanning electron microscope of the fragile fractured surface.The results showed one single phase blend,indicating miscibility corroborated by the presence of a single glass transition temperature.The blending method proved to be an efficient way to tune PHB properties keeping its biodegradable nature since both PVA and glycerol are fully biodegradable materials.

An Experimental Study on Thermal Characteristics of Laurie Acid as a Latent Heat Storage Material during Melting Process

The objective of this study was to establish the thermal characteristics of the lauric acid (95% purity) as a latent heat storage material filled in the annulus of vertical concentric double pipe during its melting process,The temperature data were used to determine the thermal characteristics,including the temporal temperature variations and the effects of the mass flow rate and the inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid on the heat transfer coefficient and the heat charging fraction during the melting process,The results indicated that the time to reach to heat charging fraction of 1.0 could be altered by changing the mass flow rate and the inlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid.

Effects of strain-induced melt activation treatment on the microstructure and properties of Zn sacrificial anodes

The microstructural properties and electrochemical performance of zinc(Zn)sacrificial anodes during strain-induced melt activation(SIMA)were investigated in this study.The samples were subjected to a compressive ratio of 20%-50% at various temperatures(425-435℃)and durations(5-30 min).Short-term electrochemical tests(anode tests)based on DNV-RP-B401 and potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed in 3.5wt%NaCl solution to evaluate the electrochemical efficiency and corrosion behavior of the samples,respectively.The electrochemical test results for the optimum sample confirmed that the corrosion current density declined by 90% and the anode efficiency slightly decreased relative to that of the raw sample.Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,metallographic images,and microhardness profiles showed the accumulation of alloying elements on the boundary and the conversion of uniform corrosion into localized corrosion,hence the decrease of the Zn sacrificial anode’s efficiency after the SIMA process.

Transition of Y_2BaCuO_5 Phase in Powder Melting Processed YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-x) Superconductors

The morphology and the formation of Y2BaCuO5 phase in powder melting processed YBa2Cu3O7-x superconductors were investigated. The experimental results show the heat treatment can not change the shape of Y2BaCuO5 particles in powder melting processed samples. The formation of round Y2BaCuO5 phase is due to relative content of each constitution of precursor powders in powder melting process. For powder melting process, the excessive liquid phase is eliminated, which restrains the preferred growth of Y2BaCuO5 particles.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TRANSIENT THERMAL FIELD IN LASER MELTING PROCESS

Numerical simulation of thermal field was studied in laser processing. The 3-D finite element model of transient thermal calculation is given by thermal conductive equation. The effects of phase transformation latent are considered. Numerical example is given to verify the model. Finally the real example of transient thermal field is given.

Solute Redistribution in Directional Melting Process

The solute redistribution in directional melting process is theoretically studied. Based on quantitative evaluations, uniform.solute distribution in liquid and a quasi-steady solute distribution in solid are supposed. The discussion on the solute balance comes to a simple model for the solute redistribution in directional melting process. As an example, the variation of liquid composition during melting process of carbon steel is quantitatively evaluated using the model. Results show that the melting of an alloy starts at solidus temperature, but approaches the liquidus temperature after a very short transient process.

Numerical prediction of the incremental melting and solidification process

A mathematical formulation is applied to represent the phenomena in theincremental melting and solidification process (IMSP), and the temperature and electromagneticfields and the depth of steel liquid phase are calculated by a finite difference technique using thecontrol volume method. The result shows that the predicted values are in good agreement with theobservations. In accordance with the calculated values for different kinds of materials anddifferent size of molds, the technological parameter of the IMS process such as the power supply andthe descending speed rate can be determined.

Experimental Study on the Molten Salt at Micron Scale during the Melting Process

The investigation of the melting behaviors of the molten salt at micron scale during the melting process is critical for explaining the solid-liquid phase transition mechanism.In this paper,a novel experimental system and analysis method were proposed to study the melting process with three heating rates in the range of1-10℃/min of the solar salt at micron scale.The solid-liquid boundary morphology and phase transition kinetics of molten salt particles were focused on.Meanwhile,the correlations between liquid fraction,temperature and time under different heating rates were studied.The solid-liquid boundary morphology was depicted by the visualized experimental set-up,and the instantaneous liquid volume fraction during the non-isothermal phase transition was obtained.Then,the correlation between temperature and liquid volume fraction was proposed to reveal the evolution of the solid-liquid boundary with temperature at different heating rates.Furthermore,the non-isothermal phase transition kinetic equation was established by introducing a constant parameter(V_(a,b)),and more kinetic parameters such as 1g V_(a,b) and-lg V_(a,b)/b were studied.The results showed that the exponent b is not sensitive to the heating rate with a range of 3-5 for solar salt particles.However,the heating rate influences the value of V_(a,b) and presents a positive relationship.Besides,the non-isothermal phase transition kinetic equations at different heating rates in the range of 1-10℃/min can be quickly predicted by the proposed improved experimental test method.This study could fill the research insufficiency and provide significant guidance for future research on the solid-liquid transition mechanism of molten salts at micron scale.

Effect of Mn addition and refining process on Fe reduction of Mg−Mn alloys made from magnesium scrap

The Fe reduction,microstructure evolution and corrosion susceptibility of Mg−Mn alloys made from magnesium scrap refining with Mn addition were investigated.The results show that significant Fe content change occurs during near-solid-melt treatment(NSMT)process even in the absence of Mn,because of the high saturation of Fe in the melt.Furthermore,in the NSMT process,even a small amount of Mn addition can lead to a sharp deposition of Mn atoms.The NSMT process can increase the growth rate of the Fe-rich particles,and then accelerate their sinking movement.Nevertheless,the addition of Mn hinders the coarsening process of Fe-rich particles.Besides,the corrosion susceptibility of the alloys is mainly affected by the solubility of Fe,which can be significantly reduced by Mn addition.Moreover,the presence of more Fe-rich particles does not necessarily increase the corrosion susceptibility of the alloy.Consequently,in the refining process of Mg−Mn alloys made from magnesium scrap,on the basis of NSMT process and adding an appropriate Mn content(about 0.5 wt.%),the purity of the melt can be improved,thereby obtaining an alloy with excellent corrosion resistance.

Fabrication and Properties of (Y,Gd)BCO Superconductors

The microstructures and superconducting properties of melt textured(Y_(1-x)Gd_x)BCO bulk samples were studied. It was found that the peritectic decomposition temperature(T_m)of(Y_(1-x)Gd_x)BCO samples increases with increasing x. Large single domain growth in air is readily obtained in all the composites. The results of X-ray distribution maps of x=0.4 composite indicate that the RE123 matrix is homogeneous and Y and Gd elements in the RE site forms a perfect solid solution. The onset T_c values exceeding 91 K with relatively broad transitions are obtained for almost all the samples. Magnetization measurements show no marked indication for the formation of a peak effect in the J_c-B curves, and the highest J_c measured is 3.08×10~4 A·cm^(-2) for x=0.4 sample at 77 K and self-field. The results clearly indicate that Y dominates the superconducting properties of x=0.2 and (0.4) composites.

Production technique of vermicular graphite iron cylinder head of vehicle diesel engine

The 25 years＇ production and application have proved that vermicular graphite iron cylinder heads with vermicularity ≥50% satisfy the machinability and performance demand of diesel engine. The method, in which using cupola-induction furnace duplex melting and pour-over process with rare earth-ferrosilicon or rare earthsilicon compound as vermJcularizing alloy plus rare earth-magnesium-ferrosilicon as stirring alloy, is an optimal vermicularizing process for obtaining satisfied vermicularity. Using top kiss risers, enlarging kissing areas and expanding covering width and making ingates to freeze earlier are the effective measures to eliminate shrinkage, blowhole and oxide inclusions in the vermicular graphite iron cylinder heads.

Effect of compression ratio on microstructure evolution of Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy prepared by SIMA process

A new Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy with non-dendritic microstructure was prepared by strain induced melt activation(SIMA)process.The effect of compression ratio on the evolution of semisolid microstructure of the experimental alloy was investigated.The results indicate that the average size ofα-Mg grains decreases and spheroidizing tendency becomes more obvious with the compression ratios increasing from 0 to 40%.In addition,the eutectic Mg2Si phase in the Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy transforms completely from the initial fishbone shape to globular shape by SIMA process.With the increasing of compression ratio,the morphology and average size of Mg2Si phases do not change obviously.The morphology modification mechanism of Mg2Si phase in Mg−10%Al−1%Zn−1%Si alloy by SIMA process was also studied.

TiAl ALLOYS FOR INDUSTRIAL USE

Gamma titanium aluminide (γ-TiAl)intermetallic compounds are spotlighted as lightweight heat-resistant materials, and have been investigated extensively to aiming commercial use.Fundamental approaches in which phase diagrams of Ti -Al -Cr and TiAl -Nb have been studied based on the experimental data and calculations , have been performed in the national project For industrial approach, ingot process and direct casting process have been developed to provide sheet form of TiAl. By these approaches, γ-TiAl base ,intermetallic compounds show a great possibility to apply in the variety of fields .However, a more detailed understanding of phase equilibrium in Ti-Al -X and the relationship between the mechanical properties and microstructure will be necessary

Thermal Stability of Poly (acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate) Copolymers

Poly (acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate) copolymer was synthesized by water depositing polymerization and has a typical feed ratio of 85/15. And then 1-3 wt% lauryl alcohol maleic anhydride (LAM) was adopted as stabilizer to mix with the acrylonitrile based copolymer. The mixtures were characterized by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), optic microscope and Ubbelohde viscosimetryr etc. The melting point (Tm) and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the 85/15 AN/MA copolymer mixed with LAM all decrease with the increase of stabilizer content. The lowest Tg and Tm were 116.1℃ and 209.1℃ respectively at the heating rate of 100℃/min when the content of LAM is 2 wt%. The 85/15 AN/MA copolymer mixed with 1-3 wt% LAM possess good thermal stability up to 30 min at 220℃.

Biocomposites Based on Thermoplastic Starch and Granite Sand Quarry Waste

Granite stone is a by-product of the rock crushing manufacturing.An industrial waste in powder form that causes health problems and environmental pollution.Fine particles fraction can be used as a partial replacement of sand in concrete manufacture.In this work,an alternative exploitation of this waste fraction is proposed.Granite sand(GS)with particles mean size of ~1μm was employed as thermoplastic starch(TPS)filler at different concentrations.Biocomposites were obtained by melt-mixing and thermo-compression,achieving translucent and easy to handle films.A good GS dispersion within the matrix was evidenced by SEM.Mineral presence induced a shift of starch’s melting point to higher values and a better thermal resistance.TPS UV absorption capacity was increased ~90% by GS addition.An increment in TPS Young’s modulus and maximum tensile stress of 5 and 3 times,respectively was observed by adding 5%w/w GS.

Tailoring the Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Mg-Zn Matrix Composite via the Addition of Al Element

The semi-solid stir casting method is adopted to prepare 10 wt%SiC_(p)/Mg-6Zn-0.5Ca-xAl(x=0,1,3 and 5 wt%)composites,and the microstructure evolution and mechanical property of composites with various Al content are investigated.The results show that the addition of 3 wt%Al improves the distribution of SiC_(p),whereas the SiC_(p) cluster occurs again with Al content greater than 3%.An abnormal phenomenon of twinning is observed in the cast composites in this work.The SiC_(p)/Mg-6Zn-0.5Ca composite possesses the highest twin content of~23%,for which tension twins(TTW)and compression twins(CTW)account for~19%and~3%,respectively.The CTW is only observed in ZXA600 composite.The addition of Al has an inhibiting effect for the generation and growth of twins.The content of twin decreases firstly and then increases with increase of Al content.The lowest twin content is obtained as Al increases to 3 wt%.It is found the existence of twin is detrimental to the mechanical property of composites.As-cast SiC_(p)/Mg-6Zn-0.5Ca-3Al composite with the lowest twin content exhibits the optimal mechanical property of yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation for 100 MPa,188 MPa and 4.4%,respectively.The outstanding mechanical property is attributed to the uniform distribution of SiC_(p),the low twin content and the well-distributed fine second phases.