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An investigation of semisolid Al7075 feedstock billet produced by a gas-assisted direct thermal method

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Abstract

Semisolid metal (SSM) processing is a forming process which occurs within solidus and liquidus temperatures, and it requires feedstock billets with spheroidal microstructures. In this paper, a novel gas-assisted direct thermal method (DTM) is proposed as a method to create feedstock billets with fine spheroidal microstructures. Effect of different combination parameters between pouring temperature and holding time during the gas-assisted DTM technique on the microstructure of aluminium alloy 7075 feedstock billets was investigated. Pouring of molten aluminium alloy 7075 was conducted at temperatures between 645 and 685 °C, while holding time was set between 20 and 60 s. The melt was cooled down within the semisolid temperature range in a cylindrical copper mould with the help of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas before quenching in room temperature water. Results revealed that the smallest primary phase grain size formed at the combination parameters of 645 °C pouring temperature and 20-s holding time. Furthermore, the same combination parameters also produced the highest circularity value. The addition of external CO2 gas surrounded the copper mould as a rapid cooling agent was found to have a significant improvement of 36.4% to the formation of smaller primary grain and spheroidal structure. It is concluded that the lowest pouring temperature and shortest holding time coupled with rapid cooling condition from the addition of external CO2 during DTM produced the finest and most globular structure of primary phase size.

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Funding

This study was funded by Universiti Malaysia Pahang and Centre for Automotive Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang (RDU160311 and RDU1603125). Recipient: Asnul Hadi Ahmad.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

    Nur Azhani Abd Razak & Asnul Hadi Ahmad

  2. Centre for Automotive Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26600, Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia

    Asnul Hadi Ahmad

  3. Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26600, Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia

    Mohd Maarof Rashidi

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, City University of London, London, EC1V 0HB, UK

    Sumsun Naher

Authors
  1. Nur Azhani Abd Razak
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  2. Asnul Hadi Ahmad
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  3. Mohd Maarof Rashidi
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  4. Sumsun Naher
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Contributions

Nur Azhani Abd Razak was in charge of the manuscript preparation, collecting data of the microstructure formation, and analysis of the microstructure results. Asnul Hadi Ahmad handled the feedstock billet production and analysis of the microstructure results. Mohd Rashidi Maarof prepared the metallographic samples, and Sumsun Naher was in charge of writing the introduction part of this manuscript and proofreading the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nur Azhani Abd Razak.

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Abd Razak, N.A., Ahmad, A.H., Rashidi, M.M. et al. An investigation of semisolid Al7075 feedstock billet produced by a gas-assisted direct thermal method. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 114, 1233–1240 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-06924-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-06924-8

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