Effect of the Density of Molten Metal on the Raining Phenomenon in Horizontal Centrifugal Casting

In this work the influence of the density of the molten metal on the emergence of the raining phenomenon in the horizontal centrifugal casting process is numerically studied. Transient 2D numerical simulations were carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics software. Three molten metals with different density, namely aluminum, iron and lead, and three angular frequencies, namely 50, 66 and 77 rad/s were considered. It is found that the density of the molten metal significantly affects the emergence, transient or permanent, of the rain phenomenon. However, the magnitude and duration of the rain phenomenon depend on the angular frequency of the rotating mold. Likewise, since gravitational forces affect the metal according to its density, the value of the critical rotation speed of the mold is also affected.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy cast by metal mould and lost foam casting

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-10.1Gd-3.74Y-0.25Zr （mass fraction, %） alloy （GW104 alloy） cast by metal mould casting （MMC） and lost foam casting （LFC） were evaluated, respectively. It is revealed that different forming modes do not influence the phase composition of as-cast alloy. In the as-cast specimens, the microstructures are similar and composed of α-Mg solid solution, eutectic compound of α-Mg＋Mg 24 （Gd, Y） 5 and cuboid-shaped Mg 5 （Gd, Y） phase; whereas the average grain size of the alloy produced by metal mould casting is smaller than that by lost foam casting. The eutectic compound of the alloy is completely dissolved after solution treatment at 525 ℃for 6 h, while the Mg 5 （Gd, Y） phase still exists after solution treatment. After peak-ageing, the lost foam cast alloy exhibits the maximum ultimate tensile strength of 285 MPa, and metal mould cast specimen 325 MPa at room temperature, while the tensile yield strengths of them are comparable. It can be concluded that GW104 alloy cast by lost foam casting possesses similar microstructure and evidently lower mechanical strength compared with metal mould cast alloy, due to slow solidification rate and proneness to form shrinkage porosities during lost foam casting process.

Best practices for making high integrity lightweight metal castings-molten metal composition and cleanliness control

To make high integrity lightweight metal castings,best practices are required in various stages of casting and heat treatment processes,including liquid metal composition and quality control,casting and gating/riser system design,and process optimization.This paper presents best practices for liquid metal processing and quality assurance of molten metal in both melting and mold filling.Best practices for other aspects of lightweight metal casting will be published separately.

Interfacial heat transfer behavior at metal/die in finger-plated casting during high pressure die casting process

Heat transfer at the metal-die interface has a great influence on the solidification process and casting structure. As thin-wall components are extensively produced by high pressure die casting process(HPDC), the B390 alloy finger-plate casting was cast against an H13 steel die on a cold-chamber HPDC machine. The interfacial heat transfer behavior at different positions of the die was carefully studied using an inverse approach based on the temperature measurements inside the die. Furthermore, the filling process and the solidification rate in different finger-plates were also given to explain the distribution of interfacial heat flux(q) and interfacial heat transfer coefficient(h). Measurement results at the side of sprue indicates that qmax and hmax could reach 9.2 MW·m^(-2) and 64.3 kW ·m^(-2)·K^(-1), respectively. The simulation of melt flow in the die reveals that the thinnest(T_1) finger plate could accelerate the melt flow from 50 m·s^(-1) to 110 m·s^(-1). Due to this high velocity, the interfacial heat flux at the end of T_1 could firstly reach a highest value 7.92 MW·m^(-2) among the ends of T_n(n=2,3,4,5). In addition, the q_(max) and h_(max) values of T_2, T_4 and T_5 finger-plates increase with the increasing thickness of the finger plate. Finally, at the rapid decreasing stage of interfacial heat transfer coefficient(h), the decreasing rate of h has an exponential relationship with the increasing rate of solid fraction(f).

Numerical simulation and experimental verification of large-sized Zr-based bulk metallic glass ring-shaped parts in casting process

An outer ring of 29320 self-aliging roller bearing was used in an experimental study on the casting of Zr_(41)Ti_(14)Cu_(12.5)Ni_(10)Be_(22.5) amorphous alloy.Numerical simulations of mold filling and solidification processes were carried out to determine the velocity fields and temperature fields of the alloy melt during mold filling process as well as the temperature fields and temperature gradient fields in the course of the solidification.According to the results,a cast with a complete shape can be obtained at 1200℃under the condition that the cooling rate is greater than the critical cooling rate.The ring-shaped part with a thickness of 25 mm,an equivalent diameter of 22 mm,and a mass of 1.32 kg was prepared by gravity casting in a copper mold.X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry data revealed that the produced cast had the amorphous structure.

ANALYSIS OF FLUID FIELD OF LIQUID METAL IN ELECTROMAGNETIC CENTRIFUGAL CASTING

Navier-Stokes equation and Lorentz force equation are used to calculate the fluid field of liquid metal of electromagnetic centrifugal casting (EMCC) in this paper. A field equation is given, which shows the azimuthal velocity closely relates to electrical conductivity, magnetic density, viscosity of liquid metal and radius of casting. The results show that the stationary magnetic field can effectively restrain the fluid flow and the relative velocity between liquid metal and casting mould and the velocity gradient at solid / liquid interface increases with rising magnetic density, which has a great effect on the solidification of liquid metal and crystal growth characteristics.

FORMING OF PARTICLES REINFORCED METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES bYCASTING UNDER COUNTER GRAVITY

Dynamiccharacteristicsof forming of particlesreinforced metal matrix compositesbycastingunder counter gravityareanalyzedinthispaper.Itispointed outthatthereexists much dif ferenceinfluiditybetweenthecompositesandthe matrix alloyduetothedifferencein viscosityandequivalentsolidification latent. Filling capability can be greatly improved by adoptingcounter gravity process, andthin walled precision castingscan beshaped .

Fatigue crack growth mechanism in cast hybrid metal matrix composite reinforced with SiC particles and Al_2O_3 whiskers

The fatigue crack growth(FCG) mechanism of a cast hybrid metal matrix composite(MMC) reinforced with SiC particles and Al2O3 whiskers was investigated. For comparison, the FCG mechanisms of a cast MMC with Al2O3 whiskers and a cast Al alloy were also investigated. The results show that the FCG mechanism is observed in the near-threshold and stable-crack-growth regions.The hybrid MMC shows a higher threshold stress intensity factor range, ?Kth, than the MMC with Al2O3 and Al alloy, indicating better resistance to crack growth in a lower stress intensity factor range, ?K. In the near-threshold region with decreasing ?K, the two composite materials exhibit similar FCG mechanism that is dominated by debonding of the reinforcement–matrix interface, and followed by void nucleation and coalescence in the Al matrix. At higher ?K in the stable- or mid-crack-growth region, in addition to the debonding of the particle–matrix and whisker–matrix interface caused by cycle-by-cycle crack growth at the interface, the FCG is affected predominantly by striation formation in the Al matrix. Moreover, void nucleation and coalescence in the Al matrix and transgranular fracture of SiC particles and Al2O3 whiskers at high ?K are also observed as the local unstable fracture mechanisms.However, the FCG of the monolithic Al alloy is dominated by void nucleation and coalescence at lower ?K, whereas the FCG at higher ?K is controlled mainly by striation formation in the Al grains, and followed by void nucleation and coalescence in the Si clusters.

A study of metal/die interfacial heat transfer behavior of vacuum die cast pure copper

High pressure die casting copper is used to produce rotors for induction motors to improve efficiency.Experiments were carried out for a special"step-shape"casting with different step thicknesses.Based on the measured temperature inside the die,the interfacial heat transfer coefficient(IHTC)at the metal/die interface during vacuum die casting was evaluated by solving the inverse problem.The IHTC peak value was 4.5×10^3-11×10^3 W·m^-2·K^-1 under the basic operation condition.The influences of casting pressure,fast shot speed,pouring temperature and initial die surface temperature on the IHTC peak values were investigated.Results show that a greater casting pressure and faster shot speed could only increase the IHTC peak values at the location close to the ingate.An increase of pouring temperature and/or initial die surface temperature significantly increases the IHTC peak values.

Effect of continuous casting speed on mold surface flow and the related near-surface distribution of non-metallic inclusions

For the control of surface defects in interstitial-free(IF) steel, quantitative metallographic analyses of near-surface inclusions and surface liquid flow detection via the nail-board tipping method were conducted. The results show that, at casting speeds of 0.8 and 1.0 m/min, a thin liquid mold flux layer forms and non-uniform floating of argon bubbles occurs, inducing the entrainment and subsequent entrapment of the liquid flux; fine inclusion particles of Al_2O_3 can also aggregate at the solidification front. At higher casting speeds of 1.4 and 1.6 m/min, the liquid mold flux can be entrained and carried deeper into the liquid steel pool because of strong level fluctuations of the liquid steel and the flux. The optimal casting speed is approximately 1.2 m/min, with the most favorable surface flow status and, correspondingly, the lowest number of inclusions near the slab surface.

Simulation of critical cooling rate and process conditions for metallic glasses in vertical type twin-roll casting

Critical cooling rates for producing metallic glasses were evaluated based on a calculated continuous cooling transformation(CCT)diagram.Temperature distributions of the melt in molten pool in the vertical type twin-roll casting(VTRC)process of metallic glasses were simulated,and cooling rates under different casting conditions were calculated with the simulated results.By comparing the results obtained by CCT diagrams and simulation,the possibility of producing metallic glasses by the VTRC method and influences of casting conditions on cooling rate were discussed.The results reveal that cooling rate with3or4orders of magnitude by the VTRC process can be attained in producing Mg-based metallic glasses,which is faster than the critical cooling rate calculated by the CCT diagram.One side pouring mode can improve the temperature distributions of casting pool.VTRC process has a good ability in continuous casting metallic glassy thin strips.

Microstructure of Zn-Al4 alloy microcastings by micro precision casting based on metal mold

Metal mold micron scale precision casting technology was developed successfully,and three-dimension complicated microgear castings in micron scale were produced.Evolvement regularity of microgear castings were observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope.Compared with conventional casting,microcasting is characterized by typical nonequilibrium solidification,for example,its grain size can be refined significantly,eutectic structure is transformed from lamellar morphology to rod eutectic,and the ratio of primary phase is increased.This kind of microstructure can promote mechanical properties of microcasting.

Effect of Reinforcement Clustering on Crack Initiation Mechanism in a Cast Hybrid Metal Matrix Composite during Low Cycle Fatigue

The reinforcement distribution of metal matrix composites (MMCs) plays an important role in low cycle fatigue. Thus, it is essential to study the effect of reinforcement clustering on the crack initiation mechanism of MMCs. In this study, the effect of reinforcement clustering on the microcrack initiation mechanism in a cast hybrid MMC reinforced with SiC particles and Al2O3 whiskers was investigated experimentally and numerically. Experimental results showed that microcracks always initiated in the particle-matrix interface, located in the cluster of the reinforcements. The interface debonding occurred in the fracture which created additional secondary microcracks due to continued fatigue cycling. The microcrack coalesced with other nearby microcracks caused the final fracture. To validate the experimental results on the microcrack initiation, three dimensional unit cell models using finite element method (FEM) were developed. The stress distribution in both the reinforcement clustering and non-clustering regions was analyzed. The numerical analysis showed that high stresses were developed on the reinforcements located in the clustering region and stress concentration occurred on the particle-matrix interface. The high volume fraction reinforced hybrid clustering region experienced greater stresses than that of the SiC particulate reinforced clustering region and low volume fraction reinforced hybrid clustering region. Besides, the stresses developed on the non-clustering region with particle-whisker series orientation were reasonably higher than that of the non-clustering region with particle-whisker parallel orientation. The high volume fraction reinforced hybrid clustering region is found to be highly vulnerable to initiate crack in cast hybrid MMC during low cycle fatigue.

Preparation of open-cell metal foams by investment cast

Metal foams are a new kind of materials with low densities and novel physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical and acoustic properties. They can be divided into closed and open cell structures. In this paper the open cell structures, called sponges, were treated. A new technique to manufacture sponges by plaster investment casting was described. Experimental results show that it is essential to make a sound plaster mould by casting plaster slurry into the polyurethane foams and infiltrate the open channels of the baked plaster mold by molten metal. The optimal processes include plaster slurry preparation, plaster mold baking, and molten metal infiltration. The sponge sample with porosity of 97% is presented.

Development and application of model for predicting molten metal temperature in continuous casting process

An unsteady mathematical thermal model was developed for predicting the time,molten-steel weight,induction heating power,and temperature changes of the steel from the end of ladle refining to the end of the continuous-casting process of a tundish. The calculations revealed that for a specific strip-casting process,the ladle tonnage should be controlled to about 90 t. If the ladle capacity reaches 130 t,the provision of a 1 500-kW tundish induction heating device is recommended. By comparing the measured and predicted molten-steel temperature values in the Ningbosteel-Baosteel strip casting industrialization demo project( NBS) of a tundish,it was determined that the prediction accuracy of the model could meet the forecasting accuracy requirements for the molten-steel temperature in the tundish during mass production. Simultaneously,the heat flux density on each surface of the tundish was found at about 50 min,which is entirely consistent with the values reported in the related literature,and the tundish had not reached a heat balance during the casting test period. This model can also be applied to calculate the suitable size of a tundish for a specific continuous-casting process,thereby providing a theoretical basis for the design of the continuous-casting tundish.

Experimental confirmation of physical metal penetration generation and press casting production considering molten metal's pressure control

This paper presents a technique for controlling the pressure of a molten metal when using a new type of iron casting method called sand mold press casting to realize high productivity and obtain high-quality products.The past test results using this method showed a casting yield of 90% to 95%,while conventional methods only show a casting yield of 60% to 70%.Although the press casting method does not require a sprue cup or runner channel casting defects such as metal penetration are often caused by the high pressure in the high-velocity pressing part of this casting process.Therefore,we proposed a pressure control method with a mathematical model of molten metal pressure,and with it we achieved experimental confirmation of the successful production of brake drums at different pressing temperatures.Results show that the proposed pressing control method can realize sound,penetration-free casting production.However,the theoretical analysis and design of this pressing process had not previously been studied sufficiently,and therefore this paper presents the theoretical design algorithm for the process as well as its experimental confirmation.

Microstructure and damping behavior of SiC_p/Gr/2024Al metal matrix composites by squeeze casting technology

SiCp/Gr/2024Al metal matrix composites were processed by squeeze casting technology. The microstructure of composites was observed by SEM and TEM, and the effects of graphite particulates and SiC particulates on the damping behaviors of composites were also investigated. The results show that the microstructure of composites was dense and homogeneous, without any interfacial reactivity among reinforcement/matrix interfaces. Compared with the damping capacity of 2024A1, the damping capacity of composites was enhanced significantly by addition of SiC or graphite particulates. The main damping mechanisms of SiCp/Al composites were ascribed to the dislocation damping, and those of SiCp/Gr/2024Al were attributed to the intrinsic damping and interface damping.

Behavior of Non-metallic Inclusions in Centrifugal Induction Electroslag Castings

In order to know the behavior of non-metallic inclusions in centrifugal induction electroslag castings (CIESC), non-metallic inclusions in 5CrMnMo and 4Cr5MoSiV1 were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The largest size of inclusions in the casting and the thermodynamic possibility of TiN precipitation in steel were also calculated. The results show that sulfide inclusions are evenly distributed and the content is low. The amount of oxide inclusions in CIESC: 4Cr5MoSiV1 steel is close to the ESR steel and lower than that in the EAF steel, and there are some differences along radial direction. Nitride inclusions are fine and the diameter of the largest one is 3-1 mum. With the increase of the centrifugal machine's rotational speed, the ratio of round inclusions increases and the ratio of sharp inclusions decreases. According to the experiment and the calculation results, it is pointed out that the largest diameter of non-metallic inclusions in the CIESC 4Cr5MoSiV1 casting is only 6.6 mum, and [N%][Ti%] in 4Cr5MoSiV1 steel should be controlled less than 4.4x 10(-5) in order to further reduce the amount and size of TiN inclusions.

Analysis of Molten Metal Distribution in the Mold of a Horizontal Centrifugal Casting

It is numerically studied the influence of the angular velocity, the molten metal viscosity, and the mold wall roughness on the molten metal distribution in the mold of a horizontal centrifugal casting process. The undesirable raining phenomenon sometimes arises in horizontal centrifugal casting. It occurs when the molten metal rains or falls from the top of the mold to the bottom while the mold is rotating. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations, the conditions for the emergence of the raining phenomenon were explored in this work. For the system considered, angular velocities less than 77 rad/s cause the emergence of the raining phenomenon and accumulation of the molten metal in the lower part of the mold, whereas angular velocities greater than 77 rad/s produce a constant thickness of the molten metal and prevent raining.

Non-metallic Inclusions in Continuously Cast Aluminum Killed Steels

In aluminum killed steels, the size, shape, quantity and formation of non-metallic inclusions in ladle steel (before and after RH vacuum treatment) and in tundish as well as in slabs were studied by EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis) and by analyzing the total oxygen. The results showed that in the slabs the total oxygen was quite low and the inclusions discovered were mainly small-sized angular alumina inclusions. This indicates that most inclusions have been removed by floating out during the continuous casting process. In addition, the countermeasures were discussed to decrease the alumina inclusions in the slabs further.