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Abstract
This paper describes a comprehensive study on the combined addition of TiB grain refiner and Sr modifier elements to A356
AlSi alloy. Using different qualitative and quantitative techniques in conventional and semi-solid metal castings, it is shown that,
while the refiner and modifier elements affect respectively the nucleation and eutectic reactions, the combined addition not only
replicates both individual element effects but also gives the added bonus of better globularity in the semi-solid metal process. A
new innovative concept is introduced for fluidity measurement by using the magnitude of remaining liquid in the form of drainage,
which is increased by combined treatment.
2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Semi-Solid Metal; Rheocasting; SEED Process; Grain refiner; Modifier; Thermal analysis
1. Introduction
Grain refining and modification of AlSi alloys offer
substantial benefits in casting processes. Finer grains
ensure better mechanical properties, improved machinability, better feeding, while with modification the
silicon morphology changes from flake to fibrous,
resulting in improved properties, especially ductility [1
4]. Thus it is reasonable, and has become the norm for
the last two decades, to use treatments that combine
grain refining and modification, in order to take
advantages of both methods [5]. However, as reported
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: reza.ghomashchi@ampr-institute.com
(R. Ghomashchi).
URL: http://www.ampr-institute.com/.
1
Research fellow, Facility for Electron Microscopy Research,
McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
2
Former NSERC-ALCAN-UQAC Professor and Chair holder;
Director, Advanced Materials and Processing Research Institute.
1044-5803/$ - see front matter 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.matchar.2006.03.016
372
Table 1
Chemical analysis of A356 melts (wt.%)
Base alloy
Treated alloy
Si
Mg
Fe
Mn
Cu
Ti
Sr
Al
6.68
6.68
0.4
0.39
0.07
0.08
0.003
0.003
0.001
0.001
0.0058
0.058
0.0001
0.0098
0.0003 max.
0.0003 max.
0.000
0.014
bal.
bal.
4pA
3
Sphercity 2 , where A is total area of primary particles and P
P
is perimeter of liquidsolid interface. The closer the sphericity to 1,
the higher is the globularity of the particle.
4P
4
Sv , where Sv is specific volume surface of the particles (an
pA
estimation of 3D).
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374
Fig. 2. Cooling curves before and after additions. (A) Beginning of solidification; (B) Eutectic reaction zone.
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Fig. 4. Light optical micrographs showing the effect of the combined treatment. (A, B) Untreated base alloy; (C, D) alloy after the addition of 580 ppm
Ti, 98 ppm B, 140 ppm Sr.
377
Fig. 5. Relationship between grain size and the parameters TnucAl and (TgALTminAl).
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S. Nafisi, R. Ghomashchi / Materials Characterization 57 (2006) 371385
Fig. 8. Microstructural parameters of eutectic Si. (A) Si %; (B) number density of Si particles; (C) circular diameter and area/perimeter ratio; (D) percentage of particles having aspect ratio greater than 2.
379
Fig. 9. Light optical micrographs showing the effect of simultaneous melt treatment in the SEED process. (A, B) Untreated base alloy; (C, D) alloy
with the addition of 580 ppm Ti, 98 ppm B, 140 ppm Sr.
380
Fig. 11. (A) Polarized light micrograph and (B) schematic representation of dendrites transformation to cramped dendrites due to stirring.
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S. Nafisi, R. Ghomashchi / Materials Characterization 57 (2006) 371385
Fig. 14. Microstructural parameters of the SEED samples. (A) Primary -Al percentage; (B) circular diameter and number density of the -Al particles; (C) area/perimeter ratio and aspect ratio; (D)
sphericity.
383
grain refining effect in shifting the nucleation temperature to higher values and causing the formation of
more nuclei per unit volume. The greater number of
nuclei compensates for the enlargement of the solidification range due to the combined treatment. Furthermore, the average area/perimeter ratio is approximately
constant while the percentage of -Al particles with
aspect ratio > 2% decreases. Such a finding, coupled
with the increasing sphericity values as shown in Fig.
14(D), is an indication of improving globularity of the
structure.
As was mentioned in the experimental procedure
section, drainage is part of the SEED process to provide
a self-standing billet, but it is the belief of the authors
that it can also be an indication of the fluidity of the
alloy. Here it has to be noted that this may be
contradictory to the classical meaning of fluidity,
which is normally defined as the distance to which a
metal will run before solidification. The drainage
percentage increased with the combined treatment, as
can be seen in Fig. 15. Such a finding may look
contradictory to the fact that, by increasing the primary
-Al percentages, the drainage should decrease due to
the agglomeration and blockage of the mold bottom
orifice.
Drainage augmentation could be explained from
different aspects. According to the literature on
conventional casting [22], the dendrite coherency
point, DCP, has a direct relationship with the fluidity
concept, where in a postponed DCP improves fluidity,
i.e., smooth channels without interlocking pathways for
liquid flow. On the other hand, from the modification
point of view, Sr postpones the DCP, meaning that, in
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385
[24] Kwon YD, Lee ZH. The effect of grain refining and oxide
inclusion on the fluidity of Al4.5 Cu0.6 Mn and A356 alloys.
Mater Sci Eng A 2003;360:3726.
[25] Dahle AK, Tondel PA, Paradies CJ, Arnberg L. Effect of grain
refinement on the fluidity of two commercial AlSi foundry
alloys. Met Trans A 1996;27A:230513.