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Effect of Coupling Low-Flow Pouring with Inoculation on the As-Cast Microstructure of 7055 Alloys

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Abstract

Achieving uniform grain size in ingots is challenging in traditional direct chill (DC) casting. The thermal conditions during solidification often result in smaller grain size at the edge of the ingot compared to the center, leading to grain size inhomogeneity even in centimeter-scale samples. In this study, a low-flow pouring technique with the addition of grain refiner is employed to create similar thermal conditions from the edge to the center of the ingot during solidification, resulting in a homogeneous ingot. The grain size at the center of the prepared ingot consistently matches it at the edge. Finite element analysis confirms that low-flow pouring provides suitable thermal conditions for ensuring homogenous grains. Additionally, based on experimental results, a novel analytical model is proposed to precisely identify all active nucleation substrates. The grain size predicted by the proposed model aligns well with the experimental results, outperforming previous models. Our experimental and analytical results provide valuable guidance for the production of homogeneous ingots on an industrial scale.

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Acknowledgments

This work is financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2023YFB3406800) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52273230 and 51731007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Key Lab of Advanced High-temperature Materials and Precision Forming and State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P.R. China

    Dong Li, Yanfeng Han, Shusheng Lu, Biao Yu, Guangmin Hu & Qing Dong

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  1. Dong Li
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  2. Yanfeng Han
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Correspondence to Yanfeng Han.

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Li, D., Han, Y., Lu, S. et al. Effect of Coupling Low-Flow Pouring with Inoculation on the As-Cast Microstructure of 7055 Alloys. Metall Mater Trans A 55, 1564–1575 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-024-07344-5

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