Influence of Strip Thickness on As-Cast Material Properties of Twin-Roll Cast Aluminum Alloys

Abstract

Microstructural features of twin-roll cast aluminum products are strongly affected by the parameters of the casting process. Among these parameters, strip thickness is one of the most critical ones which dictates the solidification process and directly affects the microstructure and the quality of the as-cast sheet surface. In this study, 8xxx (Al-Fe-Mn) alloys were cast with different strip thicknesses via an industrial scale twin-roll caster and it was aimed to elucidate the effect of the strip thickness on secondary phases and grain structures along with the formation of macro-segregations. Microstructures of the samples were investigated by employing metallographic techniques. Complementary studies were performed by tensile tests, electrical conductivity and micro hardness measurements. Results show that the strip thickness is an important tool to obtain desired properties in as-cast materials.