Simulation of microstructures in solidification of aluminum twin-roll casting

Based on the research on the solidification of twin-roll continuous casting aluminum thin strip, the analytical model of heterogeneous nucleation, the growth kinetics of tip （KGT） and columnar dendrite transformation to equiaxed dendrite （CET） of twin-roll continuous casting aluminum thin strip solidification was established by means of the principle of metal solidification and modem computer emulational technology. Meantime, based on the cellular automaton, the emulational model of twin-roll continuous casting aluminum thin strip, solidification was established. The foundation for the emulational simulation of twin-roll casting thin strip solidification structure was laid. Meanwhile, the mathematical simulation feasibility was confirmed by using the solidification process of twin-roll continuous casting aluminum thin strip.

Microstructure of asymmetric twin-roll cast AZ31 magnesium alloy

The microstructural distribution along thickness of asymmetric twin-roll cast AZ31 magnesium alloy slab was investigated. It was found that the microstructure along the thickness of the slab was significantly inhomogeneous. There were many deformed bands with flow form near the upper surface of twin-roll cast plate. Very few deformed bands could be seen in the central part of the plate where the dendrites were thick. Fine dendritic structures dominated near the lower surface of the twin-roll cast strip. It is concluded that the shear strain caused by linear velocity difference between surfaces of upper and lower rolls results in the deformed bands of the twin-roll cast slab. Aluminum, zinc and manganese segregate to the boundary of dendrites, while silicon distributes inside the α-Mg solid solution.

Homogenization of twin-roll cast A8006 alloy

Microstructure and hardness of twin-roll casting （TRC） process and direct-chill casting （DC） for A8006 alloy with and without homogenization were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction analysis and Vickers hardness measurement. The results show that the eutectic phase of the homogenized TRC alloy becomes fine as the microstructure of the as-cast TRC alloy is refined. The short rodlike eutectic phase of the as-cast TRC alloy is dispersed homogeneously, which is similar to the morphology of eutectic phase of the homogenized DC alloy. After homogenization, elements Fe and Mn in DC and TRC alloys are diffused from eutectic phase to A1 matrix, resulting in the decrease of microhardness. The formability of the as-cast TRC alloy is superior to that of the homogenized DC alloy. For TRC A8006 alloy, the homogenizing cycle can be removed from the subsequent processing.

Numerical Simulations of Polymer Melt Conveying in Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extruder

The 3 D non isothermal flow of non Newtonian viscous polymer melt in a co rotating twin screw extruder is modeled. The distributions of the velocity, temperature, pressure and the viscous dissipation in the flow domain are presented by using a fluid dynamics analysis package (Polyflow). The numerical results show that the temperatures are high in the intermeshing region and on the screw surface, the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure occur in the intermeshing region, and the flow rate is almost proportional to the screw speed.

Three-dimensional modeling of effect of surface intermetallic phase on surface defects of Al-Fe-Si aluminum foils during twin-roll casting

Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectrum analysis show that the clusters of intermetallic AlFeSi particle are distributed on or near the aluminum foil stock surfaces heterogeneously. 3D finite element modeling shows that these clusters of hard particles induce the fracture of the nano-scale lubricant oil film at first and further lead to severe deformation in the nearby aluminum foil substrate along the rolling direction. Consequently, the optical property in this region differs from that in the surroundings, resulting in surface defects.

Simulation of Polymer Melt Flow Fields in Intermeshing Co-Rotating Three-Screw Extruders

Three-dimension isothermal flows of polymer melt in the kneading blocks of triangularly-arranged and parallelly-arranged intermeshing co-rotating three-screw extruders are simulated using the finite element package POLYFLOW. Based on the velocity fields calculated, the particle trajectories in both machines are visualized using particle tracking technique. The numerical results indicate that the flow patterns in three-screw extruders are similar to those in twin-screw extruders. The triangularly-arranged three-screw extruder has the largest pumping capacity and also the highest extrusion stability in terms of flowrate fluctuation with screw rotation. The instantaneous mixing and cumulative residence time distribution （RTD） characteristics are also analyzed and compared with traditional intermeshing co-rotating twin-screw extruders. It is shown that the start section of the cumulative RTD curve for the triangularly-arranged machine has a small shoulder, which is attributed to the faster flow in the central region of this type of extruder.

Influence of temperature and strain rate on flow stress behavior of twin-roll cast, rolled and heat-treated AZ31 magnesium alloys

The effects of temperature and strain rate on the flow stress behavior of twin-roll cast, rolled and heat-treated AZ31 magnesium alloys were investigated under uniaxial tension. At high temperatures, dynamic recovery, continuous dynamic recrystallization, grain boundary sliding and the activation of additional slip systems lead to an improvement of the ductility of the alloys. The elongation to failure is nearly independent of the strain rate between 473 and 523 K at 10-2 s-1 and 10-1 s-1, which is related to the strain rate dependence of the critical resolved shear stress（CRSS） for nonbasal slip. Despite the high temperature, twins are even observed at 573 K and 10-3 s-1 because they have a low CRSS.

Water Modeling of Twin-Roll Strip Casting

Twin-roll strip casting is regarded as a prospective technology of near net shape continuous casting. The fluid flow field and level fluctuation in the pool have a strong influence not only on composition and temperature homogeneity of pool, but also on the strip quality. A 1 ： 1 water model of a twin-roll strip caster was set up based on the criteria of Froude number and Reynold number similarity. The level fluctuation was measured. The influence of pool depth, casting speed and feeding system configuration on level fluctuation in the pool was studied. The experimental results provided a basis for the optimization of feeding system and process parameters.

Numerical simulation of the temperature fields of stainless steel with different roller parameters during twin-roll strip casting

The temperature field of stainless steel during twin-roll strip casting was simulated by experiment and a finite element （FE） model. By comparing the measured result with the simulated values, it is found that they fit close to each other, which indicates this FE model is effective. Based on this model, the effects of roll gap （t） and roll radius （R） on solidification were simulated. The simulated results give the relationship between t or R and the position of the freezing point. The larger the t is and the smaller the R is, the closer the position of the freezing point is to the exit.

Simulation of Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer and Micro-Segregation in Twin-roll Strip Casting of Stainless Steel

In twin-roll strip casting process, metal flow and temperature distribution in the molten pool directly affect the stability of the process and the quality of products. In this paper, a 3D coupled thermal-flow fenite element modeling （FEM） simulation for twin-roll strip casting of stainless steel was performed. Influences of the pouring temperature and casting speed on the temperature fields were obtained from the numerical simulation. The micro-segregation of the solutes during the strip casting process of stainless steel was also simulated. A developed micro-segregation model was used to calculate the micro-segregation of solutes in twin-roll casting of stainless steel. The relationship between the solidus fraction in solidification and temperature was given, which was used to determine the LIT （liquid impermeable temperature）, ZST （zero strength temperature） and ZDT （zero ductility temperature） in the period of non-equilibrium solidification. The effect of temperature on the micro-segregation was discussed. According to the computational results, the solidification completion temperature in the twin-roll strip casting of stainless steel was then determined, which can provide a basis for controlling the location of solidification completion temperature and analysing the crack of the casting strip.

Kinetics of recrystallization for twin-roll casting AZ31 magnesium alloy during homogenization

The kinetics of recrystallization for twin-roll casting AZ31 magnesium alloy with different thicknesses during homogenization was analyzed.It is shown that fine grains are first formed at the boundaries of deformed bands in the twin-roll casting slab.The recrystallized grains with no strain are gradually substituted for the deformed microstructure of twin-roll casting AZ31 magnesium alloy.The incubation temperature and time for the recrystallization of a twin-roll casting AZ31 magnesium alloy strip with a thickness of 3 mm are lower and shorter than those of the 6-mm thick strip,respectively.The 3-mm thick twin-roll casting magnesium alloy has finer grains than the 6-mm thick strip.The activation energies of recrystallization for twin-roll casting AZ31 magnesium alloy slabs with the thickness of 3 and 6 mm are 88 and 69 kJ/mol,respectively.The kinetics curves of recrystallization for twin-roll casting AZ31 magnesium alloy were obtained.

Relieving segregation in twin-roll cast Mg-8Al-2Sn-1Zn alloys via controlled rolling

Twin-roll casting(TRC)of Mg alloys with high Al content has unique advantages and broad development prospects.However,the severe segregation of high-alloyed Mg caused by TRC technology is difficult to solve at present,which restricts its practical application.In this work,the homogenization of coarse segregated phases in a twin-roll cast Mg-8Al-2Sn-1Zn(ATZ821)alloy was successfully achieved by a method combining solid-solution heat treatment and controlled rolling,which is suitable for industrial-scale production.In addition,the evolution of the microstructure was studied in detail.It was found that phases dynamically precipitated and dissolved repeatedly during the hot rolling process,and the evolution of entire second phases can be classified into three stages,i.e.,the net dissolution,balancing and net precipitation stages.During the process,the large-size chain-like eutectic phases evolved into a fine and nearly spherical(∼0.4μm)morphology that was uniformly dispersed in the Mg-matrix due to the thermodynamic coupling and the Ostwald ripening effect.Moreover,a fine grain microstructure(∼4μm)was obtained.The formidable segregation problem of twin-roll cast Mg alloys with high Al content was solved,which is an important finding for the industrial application of high-alloyed twin-roll cast sheets.©2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.on behalf of Chongqing University.

Numerical and physical simulation of a twin-roll strip caster

The 1：1 water model of a twin-roll strip caster was set up based on the Froude number and the Reynolds number similarity criteria. A new type metal delivery system was designed for the twin-roll strip caster. The level fluctuation and the fluid flow in the pool of the water model were measured using the level detector and the 3D-LDV （laser Doppler velocimetry） technology. It is shown that a wedged delivery system can produce the desirable level fluctuation and even fluid flow distribution in the pool Numerical simulations for the water model were performed. Comparisons between the numerical and physical simulation results show good agreement near the side dams.

Dynamic tensile behaviors of AZ31B magnesium alloy processed by twin-roll casting and sequential hot rolling

The dynamic tensile behavior of twin-roll cast-rolled and hot-rolled AZ31B magnesium alloy was characterized over strainrates ranging from 0.001 to 375 s^-1 at room temperature using an elaborate dynamic tensile testing method, and the relationshipbetween its mechanical properties and microstructures. It is observed that the sheet has a strong initial basal fiber texture andmechanical twinning becomes prevalent to accommodate the high-rate deformation. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strengthmonotonically increase with increasing the strain rate, while the strain hardening exponent proportionally decreases with increasingthe strain rate due to twinning-induced softening. The total elongation at fracture distinctly decreases as the strain rate increasesunder quasi-static tension, while the effect of strain rate on the total elongation is not distinct under dynamic tension. Fractographicanalysis using a scanning electron microscope reveals that the fracture is a mixed mode of ductile and brittle fracture.

Bonding strength of Invar/Cu clad strips fabricated by twin-roll casting process

Based on traditional twin-roll casting process,Invar/Cu clad strips were successfully fabricated by using solid Invar alloy strip and molten Cu under conditions of high temperature,high pressure and plastic deformation.A series of tests including tensile test,bending test,T-type peeling test and scanning electron microscope(SEM)and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS)measurements were carried out to analyze the mechanical properties of Invar/Cu clad strips and the micro-morphology of tensile fracture surfaces and bonding interfaces.The results indicate that no delamination phenomenon occurs during the compatible deformation of Invar/Cu in bending test and only one stress platform exists in the tensile stress-strain curve when the bonding strength is large.On the contrary,different mechanical properties of Invar and Cu lead to delamination phenomenon during the uniaxial tensile test,which determines that two stress platforms occur on the stress-strain curve of Invar/Cu clad strips when two elements experience necking.The average peeling strength can be increased from13.85to42.31N/mm after heat treatment at800℃for1h,and the observation of the Cu side at peeling interface shows that more Fe is adhered on the Cu side after the heat treatment.All above illustrate that heat treatment can improve the strength of the bonding interface of Invar/Cu clad strips.

Study on Hardware-in-loop Simulation of Twin-screw Extruder Experiment System

In order to facilitate the teaching of industrial processes and experiments on the twin-screw extruder control debugging,and be closer to the actual testing,to reduce the debugging costs and the risk of debugging process,the paper designs a hardware-in-loop simulation of twin-screw extruder experiment system which is closer to scene,low cost and high safety.The system through the establishment of twin-screw extruder’s mathematical model on computer to simulate the realistic system and there is hardware practicality in the computer simulation loop.The hardware based on C8051F020 can operate in the simulation loop in real time.In computer software design, we desigh man-machine interface that is intuitive and easy to operate,can reflect twin-screw extruder main operation information vividly.Finally,twin-screw extruder’s 3 heater temperature mathematical model and PID incremental control algorithm are presented.

Application of Fuzzy Logic Controller to Level Control of Twin-Roll Strip Casting

An intelligent fuzzy-PID controller consisting of fuzzy logic controller and PID controller was developed to control the molten steel level of twin-roll strip caster.Additionally,a feedforward differential PID controller was used for stopper position control in order to avoid differential kick.It is proved by simulation that the proposed intelligent controller is able to obtain zero steady state error asymptotically and the control system is robust due to its fuggy behavior of the controller.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF MOLTEN POOL AND CONTROL STRATEGY OF KISS POINT IN A TWIN-ROLL STRIP CASTING PROCESS

Coupled turbulent flow, temperature fields of the twin-roll casting strip process were simulated by three-dimensional finite element method. Based on the heat balance calculation and using inverse methods between the simulations and real experiments, the relational models among casting speed, location, and coefficient of heat transfer between molten metal and rolls in different regions are given. In the simulation, the calculated surface temperatures are in good agreement with the measured values. An on-line model of kiss point is derived by simulations and the geometry of molten pool, corresponding control strategy is also proposed.

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.

Heat transfer analysis and experimental study of unequal diameter twin-roll casting process for fabricating Cu/Al clad strips

Unequal diameter twin-roll casting(UDTRC)can improve the formability,surface conditions,and production efficiency during the fabrication of clad strips.Using Fluent software,a numerical simulation is used to study the asymmetric heat transfer characteristics of Cu/Al clad strips fabricated by UDTRC.The effects of roller velocity ratio,Cu strip thickness,and inclination angle on the kissing point position,as well as the entire temperature distribution are obtained.The heat transfer model is established,and the mechanism is discussed.The Cu strip and rollers are found to be the main causes of asymmetric heat transfer,indicating that the roller velocity ratio changes the liquid zone proportion in the molten pool.The Cu strip thickness determines the heat absorption capacity and the variations in thermal resistance between the molten Al and the big roller.The inclination angle of the small roller changes the cooling time of big roller to molten Al.Moreover,the microstructure of Al cladding under different roller velocity ratios is examined.The results show significant grain refinement caused by the shear strain along the thickness direction of Al cladding and the intense heat transfer at the moment of contact between the metal Al cladding and Cu strip.