Investment and suction casting (ISC) represents an economic and promising process route to fabricate auto-motive exhaust valves of γ-TiAI based alloys, but information available on the metal flow and the temperatur...Investment and suction casting (ISC) represents an economic and promising process route to fabricate auto-motive exhaust valves of γ-TiAI based alloys, but information available on the metal flow and the temperature changeseduring mould filling and solidification process for the ISC process is meager. A sequentially coupled mathematical flow-thermal model, based on the commercial finite-volume/finite-difference code FLOW-3D and the finite-element code PROCAST, has been developed to investigate the ISC process. In term of calcu-lating the flow and temperature fields during the filling and solidification stages, potential defects including the gas bubbles and the surface air entrainment occurred in the mould filling process and the shrinkage porosities formed in the solidification process are predicted and the reasons for the formation of these defects are also analyzed. The effects of filling pressure difference control methods and moulds on gas bubble and surface air entrainment behavior are presented. It is found that by changing the filling pressure difference control methods from general suction casting to "air leakage" suction casting and reducing air leakage flow rates, the gas bubbles are eliminated effectively, and the surface air entrainment attenuate dramatically. With resort to a mould with a tetragonal runner, the surface air entrainment decrease to the lowest level. Finally, the water analogue and suction casting experiments of exhaust valves are implemented for further validation of the simulation results.展开更多
Solidification behaviour of AA8006 aluminium alloy in suction casting has been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It is found that there is a secon...Solidification behaviour of AA8006 aluminium alloy in suction casting has been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It is found that there is a secondary solidification process of the remaining liquid in located region of α-Al dendrites, and the cooling rate influences not only the solidification of the primary α-Al dendrite, but also the secondary solidification process of the remaining liquid. With the primary solidification being responsible for the formation of the relatively large α- Al dendrite, a fine and homogeneous microstructure is observed in the secondary solidification. Furthermore, because of the presence of the fine microstructure, the eutectic reaction is confined into small intergranular areas, inducing the formation of the laminar eutectic phase in the primary solidification region and fibrous eutectic phase in the secondary solidification region. EDS analysis shows that the content of Fe is higher in the secondary solidification region, and the enrichment of the solute element further confirms the existence of the secondary solidification.展开更多
Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx (M = Ce, Pr, Tb, and Gd) bulk metallic glassy (BMG) alloys were prepared by copper-mold vacuum suction casting. The effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability (GFA), thermal stab...Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx (M = Ce, Pr, Tb, and Gd) bulk metallic glassy (BMG) alloys were prepared by copper-mold vacuum suction casting. The effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability (GFA), thermal stability, and mechanical properties of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx were investigated. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx (M = Ce, Pr) alloys is dependent on the content of Ce and Pr, and the optimal content is 4 at.%. Cu46Zr47-xA17Thx(X = 2, 4, and 5) amorphous alloys with a diameter of 5 mm can be prepared. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Gdx(x = 2, 4, and 5) increases with increasing Gd. Tx and Tp of all decrease. Tg is dependent on the rare-earth element and its content. ATx for most of these alloys decreases except the Cu46Zra2Al7Gd5 alloy. The activation energies △Eg, △Ex, and △Ep for the Cu46Zr42A17Gd5 BMG alloy with Kissinger equations are 340.7, 211.3, and 211.3 kJ/mol, respectively. These values with Ozawa equations are 334.8, 210.3, and 210.3 kJ/mol, respec- tively. The Cu46Zr45Al7Tb2 alloy presents the highest microhardness, Hv 590, while the Cu46Zr43A17Pr4 alloy presents the least, Hv 479. The compressive strength (at.f.) of the Cu46Zra3A17Gd4 BMG alloy is higher than that of the Cu46Zr43Al7Tb4 BMG alloy.展开更多
文摘Investment and suction casting (ISC) represents an economic and promising process route to fabricate auto-motive exhaust valves of γ-TiAI based alloys, but information available on the metal flow and the temperature changeseduring mould filling and solidification process for the ISC process is meager. A sequentially coupled mathematical flow-thermal model, based on the commercial finite-volume/finite-difference code FLOW-3D and the finite-element code PROCAST, has been developed to investigate the ISC process. In term of calcu-lating the flow and temperature fields during the filling and solidification stages, potential defects including the gas bubbles and the surface air entrainment occurred in the mould filling process and the shrinkage porosities formed in the solidification process are predicted and the reasons for the formation of these defects are also analyzed. The effects of filling pressure difference control methods and moulds on gas bubble and surface air entrainment behavior are presented. It is found that by changing the filling pressure difference control methods from general suction casting to "air leakage" suction casting and reducing air leakage flow rates, the gas bubbles are eliminated effectively, and the surface air entrainment attenuate dramatically. With resort to a mould with a tetragonal runner, the surface air entrainment decrease to the lowest level. Finally, the water analogue and suction casting experiments of exhaust valves are implemented for further validation of the simulation results.
基金support from Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing (No. 42-QP-009)Fundamental Research Fund of Northwestern Polytechnical University (No. JC200929) the 111 Project (No. B08040)
文摘Solidification behaviour of AA8006 aluminium alloy in suction casting has been investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It is found that there is a secondary solidification process of the remaining liquid in located region of α-Al dendrites, and the cooling rate influences not only the solidification of the primary α-Al dendrite, but also the secondary solidification process of the remaining liquid. With the primary solidification being responsible for the formation of the relatively large α- Al dendrite, a fine and homogeneous microstructure is observed in the secondary solidification. Furthermore, because of the presence of the fine microstructure, the eutectic reaction is confined into small intergranular areas, inducing the formation of the laminar eutectic phase in the primary solidification region and fibrous eutectic phase in the secondary solidification region. EDS analysis shows that the content of Fe is higher in the secondary solidification region, and the enrichment of the solute element further confirms the existence of the secondary solidification.
文摘Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx (M = Ce, Pr, Tb, and Gd) bulk metallic glassy (BMG) alloys were prepared by copper-mold vacuum suction casting. The effects of rare-earth elements on the glass-forming ability (GFA), thermal stability, and mechanical properties of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx were investigated. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Mx (M = Ce, Pr) alloys is dependent on the content of Ce and Pr, and the optimal content is 4 at.%. Cu46Zr47-xA17Thx(X = 2, 4, and 5) amorphous alloys with a diameter of 5 mm can be prepared. The GFA of Cu46Zr47-xA17Gdx(x = 2, 4, and 5) increases with increasing Gd. Tx and Tp of all decrease. Tg is dependent on the rare-earth element and its content. ATx for most of these alloys decreases except the Cu46Zra2Al7Gd5 alloy. The activation energies △Eg, △Ex, and △Ep for the Cu46Zr42A17Gd5 BMG alloy with Kissinger equations are 340.7, 211.3, and 211.3 kJ/mol, respectively. These values with Ozawa equations are 334.8, 210.3, and 210.3 kJ/mol, respec- tively. The Cu46Zr45Al7Tb2 alloy presents the highest microhardness, Hv 590, while the Cu46Zr43A17Pr4 alloy presents the least, Hv 479. The compressive strength (at.f.) of the Cu46Zra3A17Gd4 BMG alloy is higher than that of the Cu46Zr43Al7Tb4 BMG alloy.