Abstract
Investment casting of aluminum alloy open-pore foams requires high mold temperatures to ensure proper mold filling. The microstructural evolution of these foams is affected by the resulted slow cooling rate and the limited solidification space due to their intrinsic geometry. In our study, solidification and homogenization of investment-cast Al–Cu foams were investigated using cooling curve analysis, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Eutectic Al2Cu preferably precipitates around Fe-rich needle-like phases and just beneath the surface. The latter suggests that the last melt to solidify in foam casting is near the surface. Solution annealing for 16 h at 535 °C was sufficient to homogenize the Al–3.8 wt.% Cu sample but insufficient for the Al–4.8 wt.% Cu. Moreover, a 1D DICTRA model was proposed to simulate the Cu microsegregation. Simulation results agree with the experiments, and back diffusion was found to contribute slightly to homogenizing the as-cast microstructure during a relatively near-equilibrium cooling.
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Mohammed, W., Firoozbakht, M., Bührig–Polaczek, A. (2023). Study of the Solidification Behavior and Homogenization Heat Treatment of the Investment-Cast Al–Cu Foams: Experimental and Modelling Investigations. In: Broek, S. (eds) Light Metals 2023. TMS 2023. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22532-1_85
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