Simulation of Channel Segregation During Directional Solidification of In—75 wt pct Ga. Qualitative Comparison with In Situ Observations

International audienceFreckles are common defects in industrial casting. They result from thermosolutal convection due to buoyancy forces generated from density variations in the liquid. The present paper proposes a numerical analysis for the formation of channel segregation using the three-dimensional (3D) cellular automaton (CA)—finite element (FE) model. The model integrates kinetics laws for the nucleation and growth of a microstructure with the solution of the conservation equations for the casting, while introducing an intermediate modeling scale for a direct representation of the envelope of the dendritic grains. Directional solidification of a cuboid cell is studied. Its geometry, the alloy chosen as well as the process parameters are inspired from experimental observations recently reported in the literature. Snapshots of the convective pattern, the solute distribution, and the morphology of the growth front are qualitatively compared. Similitudes are found when considering the coupled 3D CAFE simulations. Limitations of the model to reach direct simulation of the experiments are discussed

Columnar and Equiaxed Solidification of Al-7 wt.% Si Alloys in Reduced Gravity in the Framework of the CETSOL Project

International audienceDuring casting, often a dendritic microstructure is formed, resulting in a columnar or an equiaxed grain structure, or leading to a transition from columnar to equiaxed growth (CET). The detailed knowledge of the critical parameters for the CET is important because the microstructure affects materials properties. To provide unique data for testing of fundamental theories of grain and microstructure formation, solidification experiments in microgravity environment were performed within the European Space Agency Microgravity Application Promotion (ESA MAP) project Columnar-to-Equiaxed Transition in SOLidification Processing (CETSOL). Reduced gravity allows for purely diffusive solidification conditions, i.e., suppressing melt flow and sedimentation and floatation effects. On-board the International Space Station, Al-7 wt.% Si alloys with and without grain refiners were solidified in different temperature gradients and with different cooling conditions. Detailed analysis of the microstructure and the grain structure showed purely columnar growth for nonrefined alloys. The CET was detected only for refined alloys, either as a sharp CET in the case of a sudden increase in the solidification velocity or as a progressive CET in the case of a continuous decrease of the temperature gradient. The present experimental data were used for numerical modeling of the CET with three different approaches: (1) a front tracking model using an equiaxed growth model, (2) a three-dimensional (3D) cellular automaton–finite element model, and (3) a 3D dendrite needle network method. Each model allows for predicting the columnar dendrite tip undercooling and the growth rate with respect to time. Furthermore, the positions of CET and the spatial extent of the CET, being sharp or progressive, are in reasonably good quantitative agreement with experimental measurements

Direct Simulation of a Solidification Benchmark Experiment

International audienceA solidification benchmark experiment is simulated using a three-dimensional cellular automaton-finite element solidification model. The experiment consists of a rectangular cavity containing a Sn-3 wt pct Pb alloy. The alloy is first melted and then solidified in the cavity. A dense array of thermocouples permits monitoring of temperatures in the cavity and in the heat exchangers surrounding the cavity. After solidification, the grain structure is revealed by metallography. X-ray radiography and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry are also conducted to access a distribution map of Pb, or macrosegregation map. The solidification model consists of solutions for heat, solute mass, and momentum conservations using the finite element method. It is coupled with a description of the development of grain structure using the cellular automaton method. A careful and direct comparison with experimental results is possible thanks to boundary conditions deduced from the temperature measurements, as well as a careful choice of the values of the material properties for simulation. Results show that the temperature maps and the macrosegregation map can only be approached with a three-dimensional simulation that includes the description of the grain structure

Study of Hot Tearing During Steel Solidification Through Ingot Punching Test and Its Numerical Simulation

International audienceExperimental and numerical studies of hot tearing formation in steel are reported. On the one hand, an ingot punching test is presented. It consists in the application of a deformation at the surface of a solidifying 450 kg steel ingot. The experimental parameters are the displacement of the pressing tool, together with its velocity, leading to variations of a global strain rate. On the other hand, three-dimensional finite element thermomechanical modeling of the test is used. The time evolution of the strain tensor serves to compute an index to evaluate the susceptibility to create hot tears. It is based on the integration of a hot tearing criterion (HTC) that compares the local accumulation of strain with the expression of a critical value proposed in the literature. The main variable of the criterion is the brittleness temperature range (BTR) that refers to the solidification interval during which strain accumulates and creates hot cracks or tears. Detailed comparison of the simulation results with the measurements reveals the importance of the BTR for the prediction as well as excellent capabilities of the HTC to predict the formation of hot tears