Jessada Wannasin

Evolution of microstructure in semi-solid slurries of rheocast aluminum alloy

Semi-solid metal processing is being developed in die casting applications to give several cost benefits. To efficiently apply this emerging technology, it is important to understand the evolution of microstructure in semi-solid slurries for the control of the rheological behavior in semi-solid state. An experimental apparatus was developed which can capture the grain structure at different times at early stages to understand how the semi-solid structure evolves. In this technique, semi-solid slurry was produced by injecting fine gas bubbles into the melt through a graphite diffuser during solidification. Then, a copper quenching mold was used to draw some semi-solid slurry into a thin channel. The semi-solid slurry was then rapidly frozen in the channel giving the microstructure of the slurry at the desired time. Samples of semi-solid 356 aluminum alloy were taken at different gas injection times of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 35, 40, and 45 s. Analysis of the microstructure suggests that the fragmentation by remelting mechanism should be responsible for the formation of globular structure in this rheocasting process.

Industrial development of gas induced semi-solid process

The gas induced semi-solid (GISS) is a rheocasting process that produces semi-solid slurry by applying fine gas bubble injection through a graphite diffuser. The process is developed to be used in the die casting industry. To apply the GISS process with a die casting process, a GISS maker unit is designed and attached to a conventional die casting machine with little modifications. The commercial parts are developed and produced by the GISS die casting process. The GISS die casting shows the feasibility to produce industrial parts with aluminum 7075 and A356 with lower porosity than liquid die casting.

Effects of primary phase morphology on mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg-Fe alloy in semi-solid slurry casting process

Abstract The gas induced semi-solid (GISS) process was developed to create semi-solid slurry with fine and uniform globular structure. The combination of local rapid heat extraction and vigorous agitation by the injection of fine inert gas bubbles through a graphite diffuser in molten metal held at a temperature above its liquidus temperature changes the morphology of primary a(Al) from coarse dendritic to rosette-like and finally to fine globular. The GISS process produced semi-solid slurry at low solid fractions and then formed the slurry by a squeeze casting process to produce casting parts. The effects of primary phase morphology on the mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg-Fe alloy were investigated. The results show that the ultimate tensile strength and elongation are affected by the shape factor and particle size of the primary a(Al).

A Novel Technique to Produce Metal Slurries for Semi-Solid Metal Processing

Various processing methods exist for applying agitation to a molten metal during solidification to obtain metal slurries suitable for semi-solid metal processing. . In this paper, a new technique to achieve semi-solid metal structure using agitation during solidification is reported. The technique applies a new medium and means to efficiently create semi-solid metal structures. The results of a systematic study showing the feasibility and the necessary conditions to achieve the structure are discussed.

Development of the Gas Induced Semi-Solid Metal Process for Aluminum Die Casting Applications

A simple and efficient rheocasting process that has recently been invented is being developed for aluminum die casting applications. The process called Gas Induced Semi-Solid (GISS) utilizes the combination of local rapid heat extraction and agitation achieved by the injection of fine gas bubbles through a graphite diffuser to create semi-solid slurry. In the GISS process, the die casting machine and the process cycle remain little changed from those of conventional die casting. The GISS unit creates a low solid fraction of semi-solid slurry in the ladle during the ladle transfer to the shot sleeve. The semi-solid slurry is then poured directly into the shot sleeve. This paper presents the detailed description of the process. The results of the semi-solid die casting experiments with ADC10 alloy using the GISS process are also reported and discussed.

Feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy

The feasibility of semi-solid die casting of ADC12 aluminum alloy was studied. The effects of plunger speed, gate thickness, and solid fraction of the slurry on the defects were determined. The defects investigated are gas and shrinkage porosity. In the experiments, semi-solid slurry was prepared by the gas-induced semi-solid (GISS) technique. Then, the slurry was transferred to the shot sleeve and injected into the die. The die and shot sleeve temperatures were kept at 180 °C and 250 °C, respectively. The results show that the samples produced by the GISS die casting give little porosity, no blister and uniform microstructure. From all the results, it can be concluded that the GISS process is feasible to apply in the ADC12 aluminum die casting process. In addition, the GISS process can give improved properties such as decreased porosity and increased microstructure uniformity.

Development of aluminum rheo-extrusion process using semi-solid slurry at low solid fraction

An aluminum extrusion process is mainly used to fabricate long tubes, beams and rods for various applications. However, this process has a high production cost due to the need for investment of high-pressure machinery. The objective of this work is to develop a new semi-solid extrusion process using semi-solid slurry at low solid fractions. A laboratory extrusion system was used to fabricate aluminum rods with the diameter of 12 mm. The semi-solid metal process used in this study was the gas induced semi-solid (GISS) technique. To study the feasibility of the GISS extrusion process, the effects of extrusion parameters such as plunger speed and solid fraction on the extrudability, microstructure, and mechanical properties of extruded samples were investigated. The results show that the plunger speed and solid fraction of the semi-solid metal need to be carefully controlled to produce complete extruded parts.

Hot Tearing Susceptibility and Fluidity of Semi-Solid Gravity Cast Al-Cu Alloy

Aluminum-copper alloys offer both high strength and excellent ductility suitable for a number of automotive applications to reduce vehicle weight; however, the alloys are difficult to cast because of their tendency for hot tearing. In this work, semi-solid gravity casting of an aluminum-copper alloy, B206, was conducted in constrained rod casting molds to study the feasibility of using the process to reduce or eliminate hot tearing. To demonstrate the feasibility of gravity casting of the metal slurries, a fluidity test was also conducted. Results show that the hot tearing susceptibility of the aluminum-copper B206 alloy cast in semi-solid state is lower than those cast in liquid state with high superheat temperatures. The grain size of the semi-solid cast Al-Cu samples appears to be finer than those cast in liquid state with high superheat temperatures. In addition, the metal slurries had sufficient fluidity to fill the molds even with low gravity pressures. The results suggest that semi-solid gravity casting is a feasible process to help reduce hot tearing.

Microstructure Evolution during Solution Heat Treatment of Semisolid Cast 2024 Aluminum Alloy

The aim of this study is to determine the appropriate solution treatment temperature and time of semi solid 2024 Al alloy. Solution heat treatment at 450°C and 480 °C for various times, from 4 hours to 16 hrs, were applied followed by artificial aging at 220 °C for 1 hr. Microstructure of the semi solid cast 2024 aluminum alloy mainly showed globular grain structure which consisted of matrix-α (Al) and grain boundary (GB) - eutectic phases (α+Al2CuMg/Al2Cu). Eutectic GB phases was found to completely dissolved after solution heat treatment at 480°C for 14 hrs while sample solution treated at 450°C for the same time showed the existence of remaining GB phases. Prolonging heat treatment after 14 hrs at both temperatures resulted in the formation of coarse black particles at the grain boundaries which were identified as Mg2Si phases. Therefore the suitable solution treatment of the alloy in this study was at 480°C for 14 hrs.

Semi-solid gravity sand casting using gas induced semi-solid process

The semi-solid metal forming using high pressures has been applied for several years. In contrast, low pressure casting, such as gravity sand casting, has not been widely studied even though it may help reduce porosity defects and offer a better casting yield. A semi-solid gravity sand casting process using the Gas Induced Semi-Solid process was investigated. The results show that the process can produce complete parts with no observable defects. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation data of semi-solid cast samples are higher than those of the liquid cast samples. In addition, the semi-solid sand casting process gives a better casting yield. It can be concluded that the semi-solid sand casting of an aluminum alloy using the GISS process is a feasible process.