Patricia Fernández-Morales

Comportamiento microestructural de una fundición de magnesio puro con control en la temperatura de solidificación

The study of the microstructural behavior of pure magnesium (Mg) after a casting process conducted in a furnace of own manufacture with controlled atmosphere and solidification temperature control is presented. This study aimed to determine the change in the composition of the Mg by SEM/EDS, owing to the protective atmosphere used. Besides, the change in the microstructure of Mg was studied by performing solidification in a mold at temperature of 200°C within the casting system, in which a poor oxygen atmosphere was used with a mixture of CO2 and SF6. Through the compositional evaluation was evident a change in the material owing to the gases used and the elements that interacted with the Mg. It was possible to see a change in the microstructure of the Mg by optical microscopy analysis and SEM, observing differences in the amount and distribution of particles and inclusions present in the Mg. After casting process, the generation of a dendritic structure was observed, but not in the base material. Finally, using the manufactured casting system was possible to obtain an ingot of Mg with similar conditions to the base material, in addition to obtain a microstructure with finer grain and better distribution of particles in the matrix.

Pores distribution statistical analysis for metal foams obtained by casting-dissolution process

Interesting properties of metal foams such as light weight, good energy absorption and low thermal conductivity, have promoted the development of new processes to improve properties without sacrificing productivity. This study aims to verify the uniformity pore distribution in an aluminum alloy foam obtained by Casting - Dissolution Process, using a nondestructive analysis. In order to evaluate mechanical properties of a metal foam using computational numerical models, the use of a small reconstructed section of the sample representing an entire volume of metal foam, was validated. In conclusion, it was possible to determine that all parts of the sample have the equivalent superficial area and volume.