In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction of Ultrasonic Microstructural Refinement During Solidification in a Commercial Al–Si–Mg Alloy

Rader, Katherine E.; Chuang, Andrew Chihpin; Bowden, Mark E.; Schemer-Kohrn, Alan L.; Thomas, Jonova; Singh, Dileep; Rohatgi, Aashish

doi:10.1007/s11661-025-07939-6

In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction of Ultrasonic Microstructural Refinement During Solidification in a Commercial Al–Si–Mg Alloy

Journal Article · Thu Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-025-07939-6· OSTI ID:3001358

Rader, Katherine E. ^[1]; Chuang, Andrew Chihpin ^[2]; Bowden, Mark E. ^[1]; Schemer-Kohrn, Alan L. ^[1]; Thomas, Jonova ^[2]; Singh, Dileep ^[2]; ^[1]

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

This study reports the first use of in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) to study the effects of ultrasonic melt processing (USMP) on phase and grain size evolution during solidification in a commercial Al–Si–Mg casting alloy. USMP is a technique that, when applied to aluminum as it solidifies, can be used to refine the local microstructure of large-scale castings. Analysis of the in-situ SXRD data to estimate the average grain size of primary α-Al grains during USMP demonstrates that USMP slows the growth rate of α-Al grains and reduces grain size by 36 pct. Furthermore, there is also evidence that USMP causes the primary α-Al grains to move relative to the X-ray beam; such motion increases the probability of primary α-Al grains colliding and fragmenting. This movement becomes constrained at the onset of the Al–Si binary eutectic, suggesting that USMP ceases to effectively refine the microstructure once the Al–Si binary eutectic begins to form. Complementary laboratory-scale X-ray diffraction (XRD) data were used to correlate the lattice parameters of the α-Al and Si (D-A4) phases with temperature to estimate cooling rate during solidification. Thus, this study can guide the design of novel castings with spatially distributed fine-grained regions produced using local ultrasonic processing.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 3001358

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA--209514

Journal Information:: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, Journal Name: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions. A, Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 56; ISSN 1073-5623; ISSN 1543-1940

Publisher:: SpringerCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction of Ultrasonic Microstructural Refinement During Solidification in a Commercial Al–Si–Mg Alloy

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