Structural Characterization and Dimensional Analysis During Directional Solidification of Al-Cu Alloys

A. E. ARES; C. M. RODRIGUEZ; C. E. SCHVEZOV; M. R. ROSENBERGER

Procedia Materials Science

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 1 p. 72 - 79

2211-8128

The columnar - to - equiaxed transition (CET) was investigated in Al-Cu alloys (Al-1wt.%Cu, Al-4.5wt.%Cu, Al- 15wt.%Cu and Al-33.2wt.%Cu) solidified directionally upward from a chill face. The CET occurs when the temperature gradient in the melt ahead of the columnar front reaches minimum and critical values. Two dimensionless numbers ( and numbers) that can relate the system parameters (cooling rate, local solidification time and liquidus temperature of the alloy) were defined. T which shows a linear relationship with the local solidification time and t , that for the Al-rich region in the Al-Cu system, strongly depend on the macrostructure. These results are important to correlate the experimental values of physical quantities, which are relevant to describe the solidification process