Cooling slope casting to obtain thixotropic feedstock

Thixoforming, and related semi-solid processing routes for metallic alloys, require feedstock with a non-dendritic microstructure in the semi-solid state. The material then behaves in a thixotropic way in that, when it is sheared it flows and can be forced to fill a die and, when it is allowed to stand it thickens again. The New Rheocasting (the NRC process) is a recently developed semi-solid processing route. There are two versions of this route. In one, molten alloy is poured directly into a tilted mould and, through careful temperature control during cooling, a spheroidal semi-solid microstructure is achieved. The material in the mould is then upended into a shot sleeve and hence forced into a die. Alternatively, the molten alloy is poured onto a cooling slope and thence into a mould before processing. The aim of the work described in this paper was to develop understanding of the microstructural development during the initial stages of this process. The results for pouring A356 aluminium alloy via a cooling slope into a mould are presented

Microstructural evolution under low shear rates during Rheo processing of LM25 alloy

© ASM InternationalMicrostructural features of LM25 alloy processed by two different routes: (1) conventional casting, and(2)shear casting based on inclined heated surface are studied. The microstructures of the primary phase for the shear-cast samples show rosette or ellipsoidal morphologies. Heat transfer of contacting melt with the inclined tube surface and shear stress exerted on the layers of the melt as result of gravitational force are crucial parameters for the microstructural evolution. Compared to those produced by conventional casting, shear-cast samples have a much improved tensile strength and ductility due to globular microstructure

Cooling Slope Casting to Obtain Thixotropic Feedstock II: Observations with A356 Alloy

New Rheocasting (the NRC process) is a recently developed semisolid processing route. There are two versions of this route. In one, molten alloy is poured directly into a mould and through careful temperature control during cooling a spheroidal semisolid microstructure is achieved, before the material in the mould is upended into a shot sleeve and hence forced into a die. Alternatively, the molten alloy is poured onto a cooling slope and thence into a mould before processing. The aim of the work described in this paper, and its companion, was to develop understanding of the microstructural development during the initial stages of this process i.e. in the mould before processing and with the cooling slope/mould combination. In the previous paper, an analogue system based on aqueous ammonium chloride has been used to visualise what happens when an alloy is poured into a tilted mould with a chill wall, which acts to mimic the mould and the cooling slope in the NRC process. In this companion paper, the results for pouring A356 aluminium alloy directly into a mould, and also via a cooling slope into a mould, are presented

Cooling Slope Casting to Obtain Thixotropic Feedstock I: Observations with a Transparent Analogue

New Rheocasting (the NRC process) is a recently developed semisolid processing route. There are two versions of this route. In one, molten alloy is poured directly into a tilted mould and through careful temperature control during cooling a spheroidal semisolid microstructure is achieved, before the material in the mould is upended into a shot sleeve and hence forced into a die. Alternatively, the molten alloy is poured onto a cooling slope and thence into a mould before processing. The aim of the work described in this paper, and its companion, was to develop understanding of the microstructural development during the initial stages of this process i.e. in the mould before processing and with the cooling slope/mould combination. In this first paper, an analogue system based on aqueous ammonium chloride has been used to visualise what happens when an alloy is poured into a tilted mould with a chill wall. In the companion paper, the results for pouring A356 aluminium alloy directly into a mould, and also via a cooling slope into a mould are presented