Application and study in aluminum melt degassing technologies

The classification, characteristics and current situation of aluminum melt hydrogen-removal methods and technologies have been summarized. The latest studies and research results of aluminum melt degassing technology have been summed up. The tendency and prospect of aluminum degassing technology was discussed.

Heredity of Aluminum Melt Caused by Electric Pulse Modification (Ⅰ)

The heredity of aluminum melt under the action of pulse electric field was investigated by means of the remelt experiment. A new hereditary criterion under this condition was proposed; in the meantime, the differential transferability of genetic carrier in activated melt among filial generations was validated with the aid of DSC.

Molecular mechanics and dynamics simulation of hydrogen diffusion in aluminum melt

The main impurities in aluminum melt are hydrogen and Al_2O_3,which can deteriorate melt quality and materials performance.However,the diffusion process of H atoms in aluminum melt and the interactions among Al atoms,Al_2O_3 and hydrogen have been studied rarely.Molecular mechanics and dynamics simulations are employed to study the diffusion behaviors of different types of hydrogen,such as free H atoms,H atoms in H_2 and H^+ions in H_2O using COMPASS force field.Correspondingly,force field types h,h1h and h1o are used to describe different types of hydrogen which are labeled as H_h,H_(h1h) and H_(h1o).The results show that the adsorption areas are maximum for H_(h1o),followed by H_(h1h) and H_h.The diffusion ability of H_(h1o) is the strongest whereas H_h is hard to diffuse in aluminum melt because of the differences in radius and potential well depth of various types of hydrogen.Al_2O_3 cluster makes the Al atoms array disordered,creating the energy conditions for hydrogen diffusion in aluminum melt.Al_2O_3 improves the diffusion of H_h and H_(h1o),and constrains H_(h1h) which accumulates around it and forms gas porosities in aluminum.H_(h1o) is the most dispersive in aluminum melt,moreover,the distance of Al-H_(h1o) is shorter than that of Al-H_(h1h),both of which are detrimental to the removal of H_(h1o).The simulation results indicate that the gas porosities can be eliminated by the removal of Al_2O_3 inclusions,and the dispersive hydrogen can be removed by adsorption function of gas bubbles or molten fluxes.

Hydrogen Diffusion in Aluminum Melts: An ab initio Molecular Dynamics Study

The diffusion process of hydrogen in aluminum melts was investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The pair correlation function, first peak position, and coordination number was calculated and differences in the structural properties among Al-H, Cl-H, and Al-Cl pair were examined. The mechanism of chlorine on improving hydrogen diffusion was discussed. From an ab initio molecular dynamics calculations, the diffusivity of hydrogen in liquid aluminum as D（T）=（0.118×10-4 m2/s）exp（-0.316 eV/kT） is obtained, which is in good agreement with the experimental data. Correspondingly the diffusivity with presence of chlorine is promoted as D（T）=（0.09×10-4 m2/s）exp（-0.251 eV/kT）. It can be concluded that the diffusion of hydrogen in aluminum melts can be enhanced in the presence of chlorine.

Dynamic investigation of the finite dissolution of silicon particles in aluminum melt with a lower dissolution limit

The finite dissolution model of silicon particles in the aluminum melt is built and calculated by the finite difference method, and the lower dissolution limit of silicon particles in the aluminum melt is proposed and verified by experiments, which could be the origin of microinhomogeneity in aluminum-silicon melts. When the effects of curvature and interface reaction on dissolution are not considered; the dissolution rate first decreases and later increases with time. When the effects of curvature and interface reaction on dissolution are considered, the dissolution rate first decreases and later increases when the interface reaction coefficient （k） is larger than 10 1, and the dissolution rate first decreases and later tends to be constant when k is smaller than 10-3. The dissolution is controlled by both diffusion and interface reaction when k is larger than 10-3, while the dissolution is controlled only by the interface reaction when k is smaller than 10-4.

REMOVE INCLUSIONS FROM ALUMINUM MELT INELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

Electromagnetic separation of non-metallic inclusions from Al-Si melt is studied by theoretical analysis and experiments on self-designed electromagnetic separation apparatus. Metallographs and LECO Image Analysis System were used to analyze the content of alumina in aluminum alloy before and after electromagnetic separation. It is seen that removal effciency increases with the increase of electromagnetic force (EMF) and diameter of inclusion particles while decreases with the increase of melt velocity and height of separator. All alumina particles with diamete of 14μm have been removed successfully from the melt.

Current Status and Application of Ceramic Foam Filter for Aluminum Melt

The importance of purification for aluminum and aluminum alloy casting was outlined. By comparing ceramic foam filters （CFF） in China and overseas, the existing problems and challenges of China＇ s CFF for aluminum were given. Measures to improve the performance of CFF were put forward based on material, preparation process, utility evaluation, etc.

Continuous electromagnetic separation of inclusion from aluminum melt using alternating current

A novel scheme about the continuous electromagnetic purification of aluminum melt was put forward based on the utilization of a square separation pipe and a 50 Hz alternating current to produce electromagnetic force. It is experimentally found that with electrical current of 400 A/cm2, it takes only 10 s to remove 95% inclusion from aluminum melt. Comprehensive numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the dynamics mechanisms behind the process. The results show that the removal of inclusion is attributed to the cooperative effects of electromagnetic buoyancy and the secondary flow induced by the rotational electromagnetic force, and the removal efficient increases with the size of inclusion and the electrical current imposed. Theoretical predictions on the distribution and removal efficiency of inclusion were supported by the experiments.

Separation of inclusions from aluminum melt using alternating electromagnetic field

Effects of processing variables such as frequency of imposed magnetic field, imposed magnetic flux density, processing time, diameter of inclusions, and value of r 1/δ on the electromagnetic separating(EMS) removal efficiency were analyzed theoretically. The higher the frequency, the wider the range of r 1/δ will be. Removal efficiency reaches the maximum while r 1/δ ranges from 1.5 to 2. And the experimental results on aluminum melt show that higher frequency and magnetic flux density make for higher removal efficiency, matching well with the theoretical results. When f is 15.6 kHz, B e is 0.1 T , and imposed time is 10 s, more than 80% inclusion particles with 6 μm diameter can be removed.

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 °C.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.

Numerical Simulation of Magnetic Field Distribution in Aluminum Melting Furnace With Electromagnetic Stirring

In metallurgical processing,effective and reliable electromagnetic stirring of the melt is one of the prerequisites for higher productivity and improved process performance.Reasonable structure and electrical parameters of the stirrer are greatly significant on improving and enhancing the stirring quality.In this paper,ANSYS software is used to research the effect of stirrer parameters on magnetic field distribution in aluminum melting furnace.The results show that magnetic flux density distributes as two humps at the direction(X)of metal length.Magnetic flux density distributes as a hump at the direction(Z)of metal width,reaches its maximum at the pool center and decays gradually toward the edge.It is also demonstrated that magnetic flux density increases by 2.65mT,as kilo-ampere-turns increase by 2.The center distance between two coils changes the distribution of magnetic flux density rather than its magnitude,while the distance from coils to the bottom of molten aluminum changes the magnitude of magnetic flux density but no change of distribution.

Electrochemical Deposition and Nucleation of Aluminum on Tungsten in Aluminum Chloride-Sodium Chloride Melts

Electrochemical deposition and nucleation of aluminum on tungsten electrode from AlCl3-NaCl melts were studied by cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry. Cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry analyses showed that Al （Ⅲ） was reduced at 200℃ in two consecutive steps in an electrolyte of molten AlCl3-NaCl system with a composition 52：48 molar ratio. The current-time characteristics of nucleation aluminum on tungsten showed a strong dependence on overpotentials. Chronoamperometry showed that the deposition process of aluminum on tungsten was controlled by an instantaneous nucleation with a hemispherical diffusion-controlled growth mechanism. The results could lead to a better understanding of the AlCl3-NaCl melt system that has technological importance in electrodeposition of metals as well as in rechargeable batteries.

Electromagnetic separation of primary iron-rich phases from aluminum-silicon melt

The difference of conductivity between primary iron-rich phases and aluminum melt has been used to separate them by electromagnetic force (EMF) which is induced by imposing a direct electric current and a steady magnetic field in molten Al-Si alloy. Theoretical analysis and experiments on self-designed electromagnetic separation indicates that primary needle-like β phases are difficult to separate; while primary α iron-rich phases can be separated by electromagnetic separation. Primary iron-rich phases have been removed from the melt successfully when the molten metal flows horizontally through separation channel. The iron content is reduced from 1.13% to 0.41%.

Influence of melt-treatment on material constants of aluminum sheet used for easy-open can during hot deformation

The isothermal compression test at elevated temperature was carried out for aluminum sheets prepared by different melt-treatment methods with aid of dynamic hot/mechanical simulation experimental technology. The material constants of hot deformation have been solved by multivariate regression directly. Influence of metallurgy factors on the constants was analyzed. The results show that at some strain, the relationship of sheets’ flow stress with deformation temperature and strain rate can be expressed more suitably with Arrhenius equation modified by hyperbolic sine function. Structure factor A1, stress-level coefficient α, strain rate sensibility exponent m and deformation activation energy Q all increase with increment of strain, while stress exponent n decreases gradually. The bigger α value or the smaller n value is, the more obvious the dynamic softening is, but the α value will increase for the metallurgy defects existing in the sheets. Influence of melt-treatment on Q depends upon the synthesis effect of all kinds of metallurgy defects. The Q and n values of the sheet prepared by high-efficient melt-treatment are the least, while the m value is the biggest, and the sheet can deform easily and evenly.

铝基材料水解制氢技术研究进展

氢能是全球公认的清洁能源,被认为是化石能源的理想替代品,具有广泛的市场前景。铝价格低廉、密度较低且能量密度高,铝水解产氢是一种有效提供氢能的方法。简述了铝水反应的原理,介绍了目前国内外主流的3种铝基材料水解制氢技术(纯铝与酸碱溶液反应、机械球磨法制备铝基复合材料、熔铸法制备铝基低熔点合金)的研究进展,并探讨了不同技术的反应原理、不同添加物的作用机理,对比了各种技术的特点,提出熔铸法制备低熔点合金将成为日后研究的重点,最后对未来熔铸法制备铝基低熔点合金的前景进行了展望。

电工圆铝杆的铝熔体炉内精炼工艺现状与展望

近年来随着电力行业的飞速发展,普通圆铝杆已经无法满足电力行业的实际需要,亟需生产具备高强度、高导电率等优异性能的电工圆铝杆,以助力电力行业的发展。铝熔体的炉内精炼是生产高品质电工圆铝杆的基础及技术关键,但受限于熔体中夹杂的去除、杂质元素(Fe、Si、Mn、Ti、V、Cr等)、除气装备、测夹杂和测氢能力等影响因素,无法很好地满足生产高品质产品的需要。当前,许多学者致力于研究高效环保的新型精炼剂和更为先进的精炼装备与技术,目的是改善传统炉内精炼技术存在的精炼效果不好、对环境产生负面影响、精炼自动化程度低等问题。而未来铝熔体炉内精炼技术的发展也应该呈现为更加安全、环保、高效的趋势。重点介绍了铝熔体的炉内熔剂和气体精炼原理、炉内精炼技术现状、铝熔体中夹杂和氢的检测方法及其他杂质元素的去除现状,同时还对传统炉内精炼技术的不足及改进方向提出建议和展望,旨在为炉内铝熔体的高品质精炼和后续高质量电工圆铝杆的生产提供参考。

Structure of Liquid Aluminum and Hydrogen Absorption

The hydrogen content in aluminum melts at different temperature was detected. The structure in aluminum melts was investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The first peak position of pair correlation function, atomic coordination number and viscosity of aluminum melts were calculated and they changed abnormally in the same temperature range. The mechanism of hydrogen absorption has been discussed. From molecular dynamics calculations, the interdependence between melt structural properties and hydrogen absorption were obtained.

SDHA和DVA钢抗铝液熔损性能研究

采用静态浸泡和动态搅拌法,研究了SDHA与DVA钢在650~800℃的ADC12铝液中的抗熔损性能。采用光学显微镜、X射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜和能谱仪,观察和分析了熔损后试样表面及截面形貌、物相组成,用质量损失法评定了试样的抗熔损性能,并探讨了这两种钢的熔损机制。结果表明:在650~800℃,两种钢与熔融铝液反应均生成了Al_(8)Fe_(2)Si相,SDHA和DVA钢中Al_(8)Fe_(2)Si相的生长激活能分别为94.50和72.59 kJ/mol。因此,DVA钢中的Al_(8)Fe_(2)Si相更易形核长大。当熔损时间从10 min增加到30 min时,SDHA钢的质量损失率从3.9%增加到14.0%,DVA钢的质量损失率从4.2%增加到12.7%。随着熔损时间的延长,SDHA钢发生了晶间腐蚀,导致基体剥落,质量损失率增大。

选区激光熔化成形铝合金材料体系研究进展

铝合金是工业生产中运用最为广泛的金属材料,高比强度、良好的耐蚀性使其适用于生产各种复杂结构件。选区激光熔化技术不仅具有定制化成形能力,高加工精度与短生产周期也可大幅推进铝合金构件的成形与应用。本文介绍了近年来选区激光熔化铝合金的研究进展,简述了选区激光熔化技术所生产铝合金的工艺缺陷及形成机理,聚焦于不同合金的组织演变和力学性能,着重分析不同合金体系下元素对微观形貌的影响及强化效应。针对选区激光熔化铝合金的应用现状与存在壁垒,指出实现普及的关键在于通过成分设计实现成形性能与力学性能的平衡。