Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nucleation in Al Alloys Processed By MCDC Casting

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Present work confines itself to discuss the mechanism responsible for the grain refinement of the melt conditioned direct-chill cast aluminum alloys. It has been found that the Al alloys processed by this process undergo grain refinement irrespective of their chemical composition. The forced convection caused during this process led to dendrite fragmentation which enhances the heterogeneous nucleation and result in grain refinement. It is suggested that owing to their favorable lattice matching with α-Al, these fragments serve as potent nuclei for α-Al grains.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Z. Fan, M. Xia, H. Zhang, G. Liu, J.B. Patel, Z. Bian, I. Bayandorian, Y. Wang, H.T. Li, and G.M. Scamans, Melt Conditioning by Advanced Shear Technology (MCAST) for Refining Solidification Microstructures, Int. J. Cast Met. Res., 2009, 22(1–4), p 103–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Z. Fan, Y. Wang, M. Xia, and S. Arumuganathar, Enhanced Heterogeneous Nucleation in AZ91D Alloy by Intensive Melt Shearing, Acta Mater., 2009, 57(16), p 4891–4901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. R. Haghayeghi and L. Nastac, On Microstructural Refinement of an AA7449 Aluminium Alloy Through Shearing Above Liquidus Temperature, Mater. Lett., 2011, 65(21–22), p 3230–3233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. R. Haghayeghi, E.J. Zoqui, D.G. Eskin, and H. Bahai, Grain Refinement of an Al-10% Mg Alloy by Intensive Shearing in the Liquid State, J. Alloys Compd., 2009, 485(1–2), p 807–811

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. H.T. Li, Y. Wang, and Z. Fan, Mechanisms of Enhanced Heterogeneous Nucleation During Solidification in Binary Al-Mg Alloys, Acta Mater., 2012, 60(4), p 1528–1537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. H.T. Li, M. Xia, Ph Jarry, G.M. Scamans, and Z. Fan, Grain Refinement in a AlZnMgCuTi Alloy by Intensive Melt Shearing: A Multi-Step Nucleation Mechanism, J. Cryst. Growth, 2011, 314(1), p 285–292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Z. Cassinath, Development of Twin Screw Rheo-Extrusion Technology. PhD Thesis, Brunel University, Uxbridge, 2013, UK (http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/7608/1/FulltextThesis.pdf)

  8. L.F. Mondolfo, Aluminum Alloys: Structure and Properties, Butterworths, London, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  9. S. Jones, A.K. Prasada Rao, and Z. Fan, Melt Conditioned Direct Chill Casting (MC-DC) of Al Alloys, Trans. Indian Inst. Met., 2013, 66(2), p 117–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Y. Zuo, H. Li, M. Xia, B. Jiang, G.M. Scamans, and Z. Fan, Refining Grain Structure and Porosity of an Aluminium Alloy with Intensive Melt Shearing, Scripta Mater., 2011, 64(2), p 209–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. M.C. Flemings, Behavior of Metal Alloys in the Semisolid State, Metall. Trans. A, 1991, 22, p 957–981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. A.K. Prasada Rao, Understanding the Evolution of the Microstructure in Melt-Conditioned Direct-Chill Cast Al Alloys, Mater. Manuf. Process., 2014, 29(7), p 848–852

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. E. Liotti, A. Lui, R. Vincent, S. Kumar, Z. Guo, T. Connolley, I.P. Dolbnya, M. Hart, L. Arnberg, R.H. Mathiesen, and P.S. Grant, A Synchrotron X-Ray Radiography Study of Dendrite Fragmentation Induced by a Pulsed Electromagnetic Field in an Al-15Cu Alloy, Acta Mater., 2014, 70, p 228–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. K.H. Kim, FIB Serial Milling and Lifting Out of Fine Inclusions in an Intensively Melt Sheared Aluminum Alloy, Mater. Lett., 2014, 117, p 74–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. K.H. Kim, The Effect of Melt Conditioning on Segregation of Solute Elements and Nucleation of Aluminum Grains in a Twin Roll Cast Aluminum Alloy, Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 2014, 45(10), p 4538–4548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. D.G. Eskin, Physical Metallurgy of Direct Chill Casting of Aluminium Alloys, CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, 2008

    Book  Google Scholar 

  17. B. Chalmers, Principles of Solidification, Wiley, New York, 1964

    Google Scholar 

  18. Z. Fan, Epitaxial Nucleation and Grain Refinement, Solidification Science and Technology. Proceedings of the John Hunt International Symposium, 12-14 December, Brunel University, 2011, p 29-44

Download references

Acknowledgments

Author acknowledges Dr. S. Jones, Dr. H.R. Kotadia, and Dr. S. Das for assisting in the casting experiments and Sapa Aluminium (Sweden) and EPSRC-UK for providing financial support. Author would like to specially thank Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia (UMP) and Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia, for their financial support through FRGS research Grant No. RDU 140113, for attending the MS&T14 conference to present the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Pekan, 26600, Pahang, Malaysia

    A.K. Prasada Rao

Authors
  1. A.K. Prasada Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A.K. Prasada Rao.

Additional information

This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at “Innovation in Processing of Light Metals for Transportation Industries: A Symposium in Honor of C. Ravi Ravindran,” held during MS&T’14, October 12-16, 2014, in Pittsburgh, PA., and has been expanded from the original presentation.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Prasada Rao, A. Nucleation in Al Alloys Processed By MCDC Casting. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 24, 2219–2224 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-015-1463-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-015-1463-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation