Thermal Contraction during Solidification of Aluminium Alloys

Journal Materials Science Forum (Volumes 519 - 521)

Volume Aluminium Alloys 2006 - ICAA10
Edited by W.J. Poole, M.A. Wells and D.J. Lloyd
Pages 1681-1686
DOI 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.519-521.1681
Citation Dmitry G. Eskin et al., 2006, Materials Science Forum, 519-521, 1681
Online sinc
July, 2006
e
Authors Dmitry G. Eskin, Laurens Katgerman
Keywords Hot Tearing, Porosity, Solidification, Solidification Shrinkage, Thermal Contraction
Aluminium alloys during solidification change their density. This process can be
conditionally divided into two stages: solidification shrinkage due to the density
difference between liquid and solid phases and thermal contraction due to the
temperature dependence of the solid density. Solidification shrinkage is the main
cause of porosity in castings and also plays an essential role in the development of
macrosegregation, whereas thermal contraction is important for the development of
hot and cold cracks and is responsible for shape distortions during casting. An
experimental technique has been developed and applied to binary Al–Cu alloys in
order to quantify the thermal contraction in the solidification range and at
Abstract subsolidus temperatures. It is shown that thermal contraction of aluminium alloys
starts at rather high fractions of solid, between 80 and 95%. The experimentally
determined temperature of contraction onset agrees well with the temperature at
which the mushy material acquires the ability to transfer stresses. The magnitude of
contraction accumulated in the solidification range corresponds well to hot tearing
susceptibility of the alloy. Factors that decrease the temperature of contraction onset
and the magnitude of contraction, e.g. grain refinement, are also known to decrease
hot tearing. The data on the temperature at which the thermal contraction starts, on
the magnitude of the contraction, and on the thermal contraction coefficient are used
to model hot tearing and shape distortions during casting.