SECONDARY ALUMINIUM ALLOYING – FLUXING & REFINING

DR. R. DUTTA, VDI(GERMANY) & FIMMM(LONDON)

CHEMMETALS

Two major metallurgical concern for any secondary Aluminium Melting and Refining of the
alloys are made suitable for any casting Specifications meeting LM series, I.S.I. ADC or DIN :
First concern is the Removal of Magnesium, which is the most common of the constituents in
any wrought Aluminium Alloys whereas most Foundry casting alloy specifications stated above
contains relatively low Magnesium. So, the use of Magnesium Remover Flux is imperatively
necessary. Second concern is the removal Zinc.

The commonly practiced melting process of scrap is to cover the scrap with NaCl-KCl salt
mixtures during initial melting, either in a Reverbatory Furnace or in a Rotary Furnace (which
rotates very slowly).

The function of salt flux is to separate metal from the oxides, dirt etc. and to prevent the
incendiary burning of aluminium.

Having had the melting of the scrap under the cover of molten layer of salts, it would be
necessary to have an assay, i.e. spectro analysis of the melt, after which specific removal of
excessive content of magnesium or Zinc or even Lead would be necessary before addition for
making-up silicon or copper to meet the specification.

After the above treatments on removal of unwanted percentage, it would be now ready for
Modification of the Eutectic of Al-Si alloy at 11.7% to embrace more Silicon, even up to 14%,
thus called the modification of the Eutectic and progressively refine the grain structure as well.
This is carried out by our COMBI-Flux available both in powder and Ball forms. Please refer to
our literature on COMBI-Flux.

Good stirring is necessary and the final treatment before pouring into Tundish and then to the
moulds can be carried out by using 250g of COMBI-Ball Flux (like Tennis Ball size), keeping two
pieces each time inside a perforated inverted small bucket type launder.

This treatment will also help, other than modifying/grain refining, removal of AlO, AlO2 and finally
Al2O3 out of the final composition of the alloy, floating inside the depth of the melt.

The advantage of a Rotary Furnace or any Reverbatory Furnace is the arrangement for bottom
pouring, which ensures avoidance of oxides layers, inclusions in to the tundish and to the
moulds.

Skelner type Furnace when tilts to fill up the Tundish, it takes along the skin like oxide layer
along with the wave of the molten alloy – which is not desirable.