A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach for the Design of Mold Topography that Leads to Desired Ingot Surface and Microstructure in Aluminum Casting.

Technical Report · Sun Oct 30 04:00:00 EST 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/850514· OSTI ID:850514

Zabaras, N J ^[1]; Samanta, D; Tan, L

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1. Material Process Design and Control Laboratory, Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University

A design methodology will be developed with which casting mold surface topographies can be tuned to produce required surface features and micro-structural properties of Aluminum ingots. Both static and continuous casting processes will be examined with instrumented molds. Mold surface topographies, which consist of unidirectional and bi-directional groove textures, will be generated using contact and non-contact techniques to elicit a radiator-like effect at the mold-casting interface. The rate of heat extraction, the evolution of near-surface cast microstructure, and shell macro-morphology can be controlled once the proper balance between mold surface area extension and the degree of imperfect wetting at the instant solidification starts is determined. Once this control is achieved, it will be possible to minimize or even eliminate costly post-casting surface milling or scalping which is currently a major barrier to the development of new Aluminum casting processes.

• Research Organization: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE)
• DOE Contract Number: FC36-02ID14396
• OSTI ID: 850514
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID/14396; Report 1 of 7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
ALUMINIUM
CASTING
CASTING MOLDS
DESIGN
HEAT EXTRACTION
MICROSTRUCTURE
MILLING
SOLIDIFICATION
SURFACE AREA
TOPOGRAPHY
aluminum alloys
deformation of solidifying alloys
early stage solidification
non-uniform heat transfer
imperfect contact
optimal wavelength
surface defect
surface tension.
uneven mold surface topography