EP2059359B1 - Solidification microstructure of aggregate molded shaped castings - Google Patents

Solidification microstructure of aggregate molded shaped castings Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2059359B1
EP2059359B1 EP07836919.6A EP07836919A EP2059359B1 EP 2059359 B1 EP2059359 B1 EP 2059359B1 EP 07836919 A EP07836919 A EP 07836919A EP 2059359 B1 EP2059359 B1 EP 2059359B1
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Prior art keywords
casting
region
microstructure
solidification
fine
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP2059359A4 (en
EP2059359A1 (en
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John R. Grassi
John Campbell
J. Fred Major
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Rio Tinto Alcan International Ltd
Alotech Ltd LLC
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Alcan International Ltd Canada
Alotech Ltd LLC
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
    • C22F1/002—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working by rapid cooling or quenching; cooling agents used therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D21/00—Casting non-ferrous metals or metallic compounds so far as their metallurgical properties are of importance for the casting procedure; Selection of compositions therefor
    • B22D21/002—Castings of light metals
    • B22D21/007—Castings of light metals with low melting point, e.g. Al 659 degrees C, Mg 650 degrees C
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D15/00—Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D15/00—Casting using a mould or core of which a part significant to the process is of high thermal conductivity, e.g. chill casting; Moulds or accessories specially adapted therefor
    • B22D15/04—Machines or apparatus for chill casting
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D25/00—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product
    • B22D25/06—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product by its physical properties
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D27/00—Treating the metal in the mould while it is molten or ductile ; Pressure or vacuum casting
    • B22D27/04—Influencing the temperature of the metal, e.g. by heating or cooling the mould
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D30/00—Cooling castings, not restricted to casting processes covered by a single main group
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D46/00—Controlling, supervising, not restricted to casting covered by a single main group, e.g. for safety reasons
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C21/00—Alloys based on aluminium
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22F—CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C22F1/00—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working
    • C22F1/04—Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working of aluminium or alloys based thereon

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to metal castings. More particularly, the present invention relates to aggregate shaped metal castings having a fine solidification microstructure.
  • molten metal is poured into a mold and solidifies, or freezes, through a loss of heat to the mold.
  • the resulting product i.e., a casting
  • the casting is then removed from the mold.
  • green sand molds are composed of an aggregate, sand, that is held together with a binder such as a mixture of clay and water. These molds may be manufactured rapidly, e.g., in ten (10) seconds for simple molds in an automated mold making plant. In addition, the sand can be recycled for further use relatively easily.
  • sand molds often use resin based chemical binders that possess high dimensional accuracy and high hardness. Such resin-bonded sand molds take somewhat longer to manufacture than green sand molds because a curing reaction must take place for the binder to become effective and allow formation of the mold. As in clay-bonded molds, the sand can often be recycled, although with some treatment to remove the resin.
  • sand molds In addition to relatively quick and economical manufacture, sand molds also have high productivity. A sand mold can be set aside after the molten metal has been poured to allow it to cool and solidify, allowing other molds to be poured.
  • the sand that is used as an aggregate in sand molding is most commonly silica.
  • other minerals have been used to avoid the undesirable transition from alpha quartz to beta quartz at about 570 degrees Celsius (°C), or 1,058 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), that include olivine, chromite and zircon.
  • Some of these sands exhibit minor differences in thermal conductivity from common silica sand and are sometimes mixed in as mold or core sections with silica sand or each other in order to try and help achieve directional solidification.
  • These minerals possess certain disadvantages, as olivine is often variable in its chemistry, leading to problems of uniform control with chemical binders.
  • Chromite is typically crushed, creating angular grains that lead to a poor surface finish on the casting and rapid wear of tooling.
  • Zircon is heavy, increasing the demands on equipment that is used to form and handle a mold and causing rapid tool wear. Mixing these sands as different components of a single mold also complicates efforts at recycling of the sand.
  • the disadvantages created by the unique aspects of silica and alternative minerals, sand molds with clay and chemical binders typically do not allow rapid cooling of the molten metal due to their relatively low thermal conductivity. Rapid cooling of the molten metal is often desirable, as it is known in the art that such cooling improves the mechanical properties of the casting. In addition, rapid cooling allows the retention of more of the alloying elements in solution, thereby introducing the possibility of eliminating subsequent solution treatment, which saves time and expense. The elimination of solution treatment avoids the need for the quench that typically follows, removing the problems of distortion and residual stress in the casting that are caused by the quench.
  • the fineness of the cast microstructure is related to the rate of cooling and solidification. Generally, as the rate of cooling and solidification increases, the solidification microstructure of the casting becomes finer.
  • molds made of metal or semi-permanent molds or molds with chills are sometimes used. These metal molds are particularly advantageous because their relatively high thermal conductivity allows the cast molten metal to cool and solidify quickly, leading to advantageous mechanical properties in the casting.
  • a particular casting process known as pressure die casting utilizes metal molds and is known to have a rapid solidification rate. Such a rapid rate of solidification is indicated by the presence of fine dendrite arm spacing (DAS) in the casting.
  • DAS fine dendrite arm spacing
  • pressure die casting often allows the formation of defects in a cast part because extreme surface turbulence occurs in the molten metal during the filling of the mold.
  • the presence of fine dendrite arm spacing may also be achieved by cooling the casting by a local chill or fin.
  • Such techniques include the localized application of solid chill materials, such as metal lump chills or moldable chilling aggregates, and the like, that are integrated into the mold adjacent to the portion of the casting that is to be chilled. These methods, however, only provide a localized effect in the region where the chill is applied. This localized effect contrasts with the benefits of the invention discussed in this application, in which the benefits of fine microstructure can apply, if the invention is implemented correctly, extensively throughout the casting. This is an important aspect of the current application, because the ultimate benefit is that the casting displays properties that are not only generally higher, but are also essentially uniform throughout the product, and thus of great benefit to the designer of the product. The product now essentially enjoys the uniformity normally associated with forgings.
  • One variety of known permanent mold process in which the residual liquid phase in the structure may be subject to rapid cooling includes some types of semi-solid casting.
  • the metallic slurry is formed exterior to the mold, and consists of dendritic fragments in suspension in the residual liquid.
  • the transfer of this mixture into a metal die causes the remaining liquid to freeze quickly, giving a fine structure, but surrounded by relatively coarse and separated dendrites, often in the form of degenerate dendrites, rosettes, or nodules.
  • regions of larger geometric modulus i.e., regions having a larger ratio of volume to cooling area
  • regions of the casting typically have significantly lower mechanical properties.
  • regions commonly exhibit shrinkage cavities or pores because they are more easily isolated from feed metal at a late stage of freezing.
  • regions are often seen, for instance, at hot spots formed by an isolated boss on a relatively thin plate, or in the hot spot that is found at the T-junction between two similar sections.
  • Complicated castings are often full of such features, resisting the attainment of any degree of uniformity of properties. This problem greatly complicates the work of the designer of the product. For instance, the thickening of a section intended to increase its strength will lower properties and in the worst instance may even lead to defects, and so is, often to some indeterminate degree, counter productive.
  • the invention described in this application provides the unique conditions in which the solidification microstructures described herein are produced routinely by a production process that can be operated to produce one-off or volume-produced castings that are shaped in three-dimensions.
  • an aggregate molded shaped casting exhibiting a region of fine solidification microstructure over extensive regions of the casting, so as to promote substantially uniform properties akin to those of forgings.
  • the variations that are discussed later, for instance in Figure 4 do not significantly affect properties, conferring substantial uniformity of properties in the cast product.
  • the present invention provides a metal casting formed in a mold comprising an aggregate via a rapid cooling process and exhibiting a cost microstructure as defined in claim 1.
  • the disclosure provides, in various embodiments, a shaped metal casting formed in an aggregate mold by an ablation casting process, the casting comprising a fine solidification microstructure that is finer than the microstructure of a casting of a similar metal having a similar weight or section thickness that is produced by a conventional aggregate casting process, wherein the fine microstructure comprises one or more of grains, dendrites, eutectic phases, or combinations thereof.
  • the disclosure also provides, in various embodiments, a metal casting exhibiting a cast microstructure, the microstructure comprising a first region located adjacent a surface of the metal casting, the first region comprising a coarse solidification microstructure; and a second region located internal to the first region, the second region comprising a fine solidification microstructure.
  • the disclosure provides, in various embodiments, a metal casting formed from a eutectic-containing alloy, the casting comprising a dual solidification microstructure region, wherein the dual solidification microstructure region comprises (i) one or more regions containing coarse dendrites; and (ii) one or more regions containing fine eutectic.
  • the disclosure provides a shaped metal casting made in a mold that is at least a partially aggregate mold, the casting comprising a dual solidification microstructure region, wherein the dual solidification microstructure region comprises at least one coarse solidification microstructure portion having a grain size and/or dendrite arm and/or eutectic spacing in the range commonly to be expected in a conventional aggregate or metal mold; and at least one fine solidification microstructure having a grain size and/or dendrite arm and/or eutectic spacing of less than one third of the conventional spacing for that portion of the casting.
  • the disclosure provides a shaped metal casting made in an aggregate mold, the casting comprising a dual solidification microstructure region, wherein the dual solidification microstructure region comprises: at least one coarse solidification microstructure portion having a dendrite arm spacing in the range of about 50 to about 200 micrometers; and at least one fine solidification microstructure portion having a dendrite arm spacing of less than about 15 micrometers.
  • the disclosure provides a shaped metal casting formed in an aggregate mold by an ablation casting process, the casting comprising a fine solidification microstructure having a dendrite arm spacing that is finer than the dendrite arm spacing of a casting having a similar metal of a similar weight or section thickness that is produced by a conventional aggregate molded or permanent molded casting process.
  • the disclosure provides a shaped metal casting with substantial soundness and with high and substantially uniform properties, to some extent resembling those features normally associated with forgings.
  • the disclosure relates to an aggregate molded, shaped casting comprising at least a fine solidification microstructure region.
  • An aggregate molded shaped metal casting in accordance with the disclosure includes a solidification microstructure region that is finer than the solidification microstructure obtained by conventional aggregate molding methods.
  • an aggregate molded shaped metal casting in accordance with the disclosure has a solidification microstructure that is substantially free of shrinkage porosity.
  • a shaped casting may comprise only a single type of microstructure.
  • an alloy may exhibit a solidification microstructure comprising one or more different microstructures.
  • a shaped casting may exhibit a microstructure comprising a combination of dendrites and grains.
  • a shaped casting may exhibit a combination of dendrites and eutectic phases.
  • a shaped casting may exhibit a combination of dendrites, eutectic phases, and grains.
  • eutectic alloys includes any alloy that forms eutectic phases, including hypo-eutectic, near-eutectic or hyper-eutectic alloys.
  • An aggregate molded, shaped metal casting in accordance with the present disclosure may be formed by a method such as that described in U.S. Application Serial No. 10/614,601 that was filed on July 7, 2003 , and the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • US 2004/050524 A1 discloses a process for the rapid cooling and solidification of aggregate molded shaped castings. The method also provides for the removal of the mold. The process described in US 2004/050524 A1 is referred to herein in as "ablation.”
  • a metal casting Upon solidifying during an ablation process, a metal casting exhibits a fine solidification microstructure that is finer than the microstructure of a similar metal having a similar weight or section thickness that is produced by a conventional aggregate casting process.
  • the fineness of a microstructure may be defined in terms of the size or spacing exhibited by a particular type of microstructure. For example, grains exhibit a grain size, dendrites exhibit a dendrite arm spacing, and eutectic phases exhibit a eutectic spacing.
  • FIGURE 1 a cooling or solidification curve for a solid solution alloy is shown. Solid solution type alloys form only grains and/or dendrites during solidification.
  • the cooling curve shows the cooling of a solid solution alloy with time, from the pouring temperature (T p ) through the liquidus temperature (T L ) to the solidus temperature (T S ), which is the point at which solidification is complete.
  • Cooling of a solid solution type alloy in a conventional aggregate mold is represented by the time/temperature profile "abcdef".
  • the total time for cooling using conventional methods is in the range of from minutes to hours and is, of course, particularly dependent on the thickness of the casting, and the rate at which heat can transfer into the mold.
  • the rate of cooling slows at the liquidus temperature (T L ) as a result of the latent heat evolution during the formation of dendrites. Solidification is complete at the solidus temperature (T S ) and the rate of fall of temperature increases once the evolution of latent heat has subsided.
  • Cooling profiles such as "el,” however, are commonly utilized in the casting industry where castings are taken from a metal die and quenched directly into water.
  • the solidified structure of solid solution alloys typically consists almost entirely of dendrites that are outlined by a negligible thickness of residual inter-dendritic material.
  • Figure 1a shows the approximate logarithmic relation between the local DAS and the local t s in many common Al alloys. This figure illustrates that to reduce DAS by a factor of 10, t s is required to be reduced by a factor of approximately 1000. (Undoubtedly such a relationship has not been investigated for grains and eutectic spacing, so that a clear, quantitative description of the refinement of these other features of the solidification structure of some alloys cannot easily be made. Thus the quantitative predictions of refinement of structure by ablation described in this application concentrate on DAS. However, it is to be understood that similar but unquantified refinements are paralleled in grain size and eutectic spacing) Thus very large increases in cooling rate are required to substantially affect the fineness of the solidification microstructure.
  • FIGURE 2 is a micrograph depicting the coarse microstructure of a solid solution cast alloy A206 (a nominal A1 - 4.5wt%Cu alloy) that was cast by conventional methods.
  • a casting in accordance with the present disclosure comprises the presence of fine solidification microstructure in at least a portion of the casting. That is, a casting may comprise from greater than 0% to up to 100% of fine solidification microstructure. In one embodiment, the casting is substantially free of any coarse solidification microstructure and comprises up to 100% fine solidification microstructure that is continuous throughout the casting. In another embodiment, a casting comprises a first region adjacent the surface of the casting that comprises up to 100% coarse solidification microstructure, and a second region internal to the first region wherein the second region comprises up to 100% fine solidification microstructure.
  • a casting in accordance with the present disclosure comprises a continuous or at least a substantially continuous, region of fine solidification microstructure extending from a distal end of the casting to a proximal end thereof, i.e., the end adjacent the feeder or riser.
  • a casting comprises a dual solidification microstructure region intermediate a coarse solidification microstructure region and a fine solidification microstructure region.
  • a dual microstructure region is a region that includes areas of coarse microstructure having one or more areas of fine microstructure interspersed therein.
  • the dual solidification microstructure in a casting is substantially continuous throughout from a distal end of the casting to the feeder.
  • the dendrite arm spacing is generally dependent on the time over which solidification occurs.
  • the log/log relationship of dendrite arm spacing to freezing time is linear and, for aluminum alloys, for example, has a slope of approximately 1/3.
  • the graph shows there is approximately a factor of 5 spacing reduction for each factor of 100 in freezing time.
  • a particular casting section in a conventional mold may experience solidification in 1000 seconds giving a corresponding DAS of 100 micrometers.
  • the same casting section would result in a local solidification time of only approximately 10 seconds, giving a dendrite arm spacing of about 20 micrometers.
  • the relationship between spacing and freezing time remains constant over all experimental times.
  • FIGURE 3 is a micrograph showing regions of both fine microstructure and regions of coarse microstructure.
  • FIGURES 4A-4E various exemplary embodiments of aggregate molded, shaped metal castings comprising a fine solidification microstructure region are shown.
  • a casting comprises a small percentage of fine solidification microstructure.
  • the casting in FIGURE 4A represents a situation in which the rapid cooling process, such as ablation, is applied late in the casting process.
  • some solidification has occurred prior to rapid cooling (e.g., ablation)
  • portions of the casting such as those having a small geometric modulus (volume to cooling area ratio) conventionally freeze.
  • Dual solidification microstructure regions occur where some portions have solidified prior to ablation but other portions remain liquid at the time ablation begins.
  • an aggregate molded shaped casting comprises a fine solidification microstructure region and a dual solidification microstructure region wherein the dual solidification microstructure region is substantially continuous from a distal end of the casting to a proximal end of the casting.
  • the embodiment of FIGURE 4B is an example of an embodiment of a casting having a substantially continuous dual solidification microstructure region.
  • the solidification microstructure profile of FIGURE 4B is a profile that would be expected from following the cooling profile "abcdjk" in FIGURE 1 .
  • the freezing point arrives at and passes the point at which the natural freezing of the constricted section reaches the center of the section.
  • the casting is frozen by a rapid cooling procedure, such as ablation, from the more distant parts of the casting up to the center point. If the fine structure zone produced by rapid freezing is terminated on reaching the modulus constriction (as it does in the embodiment in FIGURE 4B ) the casting will freeze soundly up to this point. Even though the dual solidification microstructure is absent in the local region of the constriction in the embodiment in FIGURE 4B , the rapid local solidification time throughout the remainder of the casting creates a substantially continuous zone of fine and sound alloy, free from shrinkage defects, throughout the remainder of the casting. Thus, by driving the solidification directionally from distal regions to those proximal to the feeder, the more distant portions of the casting exhibit fine solidification microstructure and mechanical soundness that would not have been achieved by conventional methods.
  • a rapid cooling procedure such as ablation
  • the casting includes a greater percentage of fine solidification microstructure, and the region of dual solidification microstructure is continuous through the constricted region of the casting.
  • a desirable solidification microstructure may be achieved by applying a rapid cooling procedure, such as ablation, at a time earlier than that of FIGURE 4B .
  • a metal casting comprises a desirable fine solidification microstructure region that is substantially continuous from the distal ends of the casting to the feeder.
  • a solidification microstructure may be achieved by applying a rapid cooling procedure early in the cooling profile.
  • the casting may also include regions of dual solidification microstructure and coarse solidification microstructure.
  • the solidification microstructure profile of FIGURES 4C and 4D would be expected from applying a rapid cooling at an early time, such that the narrowest part of the casting would follow a path starting at a point between c and d on the cooling profile in FIGURE 1 .
  • the entire solidification microstructure comprises a fine solidification microstructure.
  • a desirable structure might be achieved by applying a rapid cooling method at Point "b" in the cooling curve of FIGURE 1 and following the profile "abghi.” This would occur if no freezing occurs due to loss of heat to the mold and the freezing occurs totally unidirectionally and at a high rate.
  • Such a structure is not easily achieved and has yet to be experimentally achieved by the inventors. Difficulties in achieving this solidification microstructure arise from the impingement of the liquid coolant directly on the surface of the still liquid casting.
  • a casting comprising 100% fine solidification microstructure may be achievable under certain conditions such as using a highly insulating mold, and applying a highly directional solidification process.
  • An aggregate molded, shaped metal casting may comprise from about 1 to about 100% fine solidification microstructure. Even a small amount of solidification microstructure is desirable for enhancing the mechanical properties of a casting. This is especially the case where the creation of small amounts of fine solidification microstructure, denoting as it does in this invention the action of directional solidification, and thus optimal feeding, prevents defects such as shrinkage porosity from occurring in the casting.
  • Castings in accordance with the present disclosure that include a fine solidification microstructure region may be formed from any solid solution alloy that solidifies dendritically. These include both ferrous materials and non-ferrous materials.
  • the dendrite arm spacing of both the coarse and fine solidification microstructure regions will vary depending on the metal that is used. With respect to aluminum alloys, coarse solidification microstructure regions typically have a dendrite arm spacing of greater than about 50 micrometers. In some embodiments the coarse solidification microstructure has a dendrite arm spacing of from about 50 to about 200 micrometers. Also in aluminum alloys, the fine solidification microstructure has a dendrite arm spacing of less than about 15 micrometers, and, in some embodiments, is from about 5 to about 15 micrometers.
  • the conventional cooling curve for mixed dendrite/eutectic alloys is illustrated in FIGURE 5 as curve "a-h.” Starting at the pouring temperature (Tp) at point “a” the liquid alloy cools to the liquidus temperature (T L ), at point "c,” which is the point at which dendrites start to form. The dendrite growth is complete at point "e,” which is the eutectic temperature (T E ).
  • a second example alloy of an Al-Si alloy that benefits powerfully from the application of this invention is the widely used A319 alloy. This alloy also contains some copper. The alloy differs somewhat from A356 in having a eutectic formation region "eg” that is not isothermal, the horizontal plateau "eg” of Figure 5 being replaced by a steady downward slope. However, the same principles apply precisely.
  • the cooling profile would follow the path "bijkl"' so that the whole solidification microstructure would consist of fine dendrites and very fine eutectic.
  • this structure is not easily obtained, and has yet to be tested by the inventors, it may be achievable in special conditions. These conditions might include circumstances in which the mold is highly insulating, and the freezing is highly directional. Castings having excellent mechanical properties are, nevertheless, achievable without resort to these special conditions.
  • FIGURE 7 shows a structure in which the ablation was applied in time to freeze some dendritic material, followed by the rapid freezing of all of the eutectic.
  • the eutectic is so fine that it is not resolvable in this image, but appears as a uniform light grey phase (in this case the alloy had no refining action of the additions of chemical modifiers such as Na or Sr). Additionally, because all of the eutectic freezes along the path "mn,” the whole of the eutectic phase, between both the coarse and the fine dendrites, is seen to be uniformly fine in FIGURE 7 .
  • the uniform and extremely fine eutectic is a common feature of ablated solidification microstructures and is unique to ablation cooled alloys that have received no benefit from chemical modification by Na or Sr as an aid to refine the microstructure. It is seen in FIGURE 8 , in which some finely distributed dross and associated pores can also be seen in the structure. The mechanical properties of the castings appear to be remarkable insensitive to most defects of this variety and size.
  • FIGURE 9 illustrates a similar fine eutectic after a solution heat treatment. In FIGURE 9 , the eutectic has coarsened somewhat to reduce its interfacial energy as is common for two-phase structures submitted to high temperature treatment.
  • Ablation-cooled castings including both dendritic castings and dendritic/eutectic castings, comprising a fine solidification microstructure are generally free of defects that are often found in castings formed by conventional casting methods.
  • a casting comprising a fine solidification microstructure portion is substantially free from porosity. The rapid freezing and directional feeding created by ablation reduces both gas and shrinkage porosity.
  • a casting comprising a fine solidification microstructure portion is substantially free of large damaging iron-rich platelets.
  • a casting is substantially free of both porosity and iron-rich platelets. Without being bound to any particular theory, the reduction in size of the iron-rich platelets may be the result of the more rapid quench of the liquid alloy.
  • the reduction of porosity also benefits from this speed.
  • it is significantly aided by the naturally progressive action of the ablation process, in which the cooling action of water (or other fluid) is moved steadily along the length of the casting to drive the solidification in a highly directional mode towards the source of feed metal.
  • the maintenance of a relatively narrow pasty zone by the imposition of a high temperature gradient in this way is highly effective in assisting the feeding of the casting.
  • shrinkage porosity would normally be expected in regions of the casting such as an unfed hot spot. In principle, however, these regions can be fed if the freezing process is carried out directionally. The water or other cooling fluid is applied to ablate the mold and cool and cause solidification in the casting progress systematically, creating a uniquely strong directional temperature gradient. Thus, those regions that would have been isolated from feed liquid in a conventional casting are easily and automatically fed to soundness, or greatly improved soundness, when the benefits of the invention are correctly applied.
  • alloys that cannot normally be cast as shaped castings because of hot-shortness problems such as the wrought alloys 6061 and 7075, etc., or with long freezing range such as alloys 7075 and 852, can easily and beneficially be cast into a shaped form via ablation techniques.
  • the ablated castings are characterized by a solidification microstructure that is immediately identifiable as being unique in a shaped casting.
  • An aggregate molded shaped metal casting comprising a fine solidification microstructure region is further described with reference to the following examples.
  • the examples are merely for the purpose of illustrating potential embodiments of a shaped metal casting having a fine solidification microstructure region and are not intended to be limiting embodiments thereof.
  • a single test bar was molded of diameter 20 mm and length 200 mm furnished with a small conical pouring basin at one end that was filled to act as a feeder.
  • the mold material was silica sand bonded with a water-soluble inorganic binder as described in US 2004/050524 A1 .
  • thermocouples were inserted into the mold cavity at the base of the feeder, and at the base of the cavity. Two additional thermocouples were located at equal intervals along the axis. These four thermocouples were labeled TC1 (riser), TC2 (top midsection), TC3 (bottom midsection) and TC4 (bottom).
  • An aluminum alloy 6061 at a temperature of 730°C (1350°F) was poured into the cavity, arranged with its axis vertical. Within approximately 10 seconds, water at 20°C (68°F) was then applied from nozzles directed at the base of the mold so as to start the ablation of the mold from the base upward. The rate of upward progression of the ablation front was approximately 25 mm/s.
  • thermocouple TC4 is seen to cool rapidly, signaling the freezing and cooling to below the boiling point of water in only about 2 seconds.
  • TC3 still records that the metal is still molten, and that cooling has only just begun. This pattern is repeated successively up the mold.
  • the jump in temperature for TC2 records the unintentional momentary loss of cooling water in this experiment).
  • the thermal traces confirm that the temperature gradient caused by the application of ablation was sufficient to freeze the melt and cool it to near ambient temperatures within a distance of less than the spacing between thermocouples (50 mm). Furthermore, the effect was easily and accurately sustainable for the length of an average automotive casting.
  • an automotive knuckle casting was made in alloy A356. Many knuckle castings have a reputation for being difficult to cast because of their complexity, having heavy sections distant from points where feeders can be added. This casting was no exception.
  • the casting was filled with metal at 750°C (1385°F) on a tilt pouring station, taking 8 seconds to fill, resulting in an excellent surface finish.
  • the feeder was located at the far end of the casting from the pouring cup and down-sprue. Thermocouples in the sprue and feeder are illustrated in Figure 13 . It is seen that freezing took place in the sprue, being the first to ablate, in approximately 20 seconds. Freezing was then caused to progress across the casting, arriving at the feeder approximately 90 seconds later, at which point the feeder is caused to freeze at a similar time of only about 20 seconds.
  • the casting was found to be completely sound, and with properties exceeding specification.
  • a steering/suspension component of an automobile was molded in the mold material as specified for Example 1.
  • the mold was poured with A356 alloy of approximately composition Al-7Si-0.35Mg-0.2Fe at approximately 700°C (approximately 1400°F). Ablation cooling of this mold produced a casting that was subsequently cut up and machined to produce tensile test bars that were subject to a T6 heat treatment.
  • the solution treatment was 538°C (1000°F) for 0.5 hours, water quench at 26°C (78°F) and age at 182°C (360°F) for 2.5 hours.
  • Four test bars were cut from each of three castings numbered 45, 46 and 47.
  • an 852 aluminum alloy (Al-6Sn-2Cu-1Ni-0.75Mg alloy) is known as a long range freezing alloy, wherein the eutectic freezes approximately at the melting point of tin (232C, 61 OF).
  • This alloy was ablated using the ablation casting process.
  • the mold was symmetrical, allowing the identical mold halves to be produced from a single sided pattern and then assembled.
  • the metal was poured at or near 700C (1275F).
  • the casting section thickness was approximately 75mm (3 inch) in diameter.
  • the pouring of the mold by gravity was achieved in 10 seconds.
  • the mold was then left to sit for a period of nearly 180 seconds, to achieve a mostly solidified alpha phase. After this period of normal solidification rate being controlled by the molding aggregate (in this case silica sand), the mold was ablated.
  • FIG. 16 shows the spectrum of various casting processes and the relationship between dendrite cell size and solidification rate for aluminum alloys.
  • a conventional permanent mold microstructure is illustrated in FIGURE 17a .
  • FIGURES 17b and c show the same alloy but now created using the ablation process.
  • the volume, pressure and temperature of the cooling medium used in removing the mold while simultaneously causing solidification of the metal are, of course, also important.
  • the dwell time of the cooling sprays upon the casting can be beneficially adjusted to allow for the local surface to volume ratio (the geometrical modulus).
  • the rate of dissolution of the mold binder can be reduced to slow the rate of ablation of the mold, and so reduce the rate of thermal extraction. This could limit the rate so as to produce a conventional microstructure.
  • the water pressure can be varied. At first, a higher pressure can be used to remove the aggregate of the mold. Then, the pressure can be reduced to create a cooling rate that would be akin to that of a conventional metal mold process.
  • an automotive suspension control arm casting was molded in the material as specified for Example 1. Molds were poured with B206 alloy of approximate composition Al-4.8Cu-0.4Mn-0.28Mg-0.07Fe at approximately 1265F plus or minus 15F. Ablation cooling of these molds produced castings that were subsequently subjected to T4 and T7 heat treatments. A photograph of the part in question appears in Figure 18 with a box showing the position from which tensile samples were subsequently machined. Tensile properties obtained from the parts are shown in Figure 19 and are compared to standard tabulated values obtained from separately cast test bar data from the open literature for this type of alloy in Figure 20 . A micrograph taken from the center of the thick section of one of the parts prior to heat treatment appears in Figure 21 .
  • the micrograph in Figure 21 displays the aforementioned dual microstructure seen in ablatively solidified parts.
  • a course DAS averaging 43um with spacings as high as 85um is host to much finer patches with a DAS averaging on the order of 22um.
  • the mechanical properties reported in Figure 17 are more typical of those that would be expected from the finer DAS.
  • the intermetallics visible in Figure 19 are, in the main, Cu Aluminides which dissolve during the solution heat treatment applied as part of both the subsequent T4 and T7 tempers.
  • Those skilled in the art of producing 200 series aluminum castings will recognize the advantage of a fine structure with respect to economy of heat treatment.
  • the three stage solutionizing operation needed to dissolve the aforementioned Cu Aluminides for thick sand castings may be foregone in favor of the two stage treatment most commonly applied in the case of thin and/or rapidly solidified casting.
EP07836919.6A 2006-08-16 2007-08-14 Solidification microstructure of aggregate molded shaped castings Active EP2059359B1 (en)

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US11/505,019 US20080041499A1 (en) 2006-08-16 2006-08-16 Solidification microstructure of aggregate molded shaped castings
PCT/US2007/018175 WO2008021450A1 (en) 2006-08-16 2007-08-14 Solidification microstructure of aggregate molded shaped castings

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AU2007284439A1 (en) 2008-02-21
EP2059359A4 (en) 2012-11-14
GB0904243D0 (en) 2009-04-22
BRPI0716660A2 (pt) 2015-02-10
JP2010500923A (ja) 2010-01-14
EP2059359A1 (en) 2009-05-20
GB2455007A (en) 2009-05-27
US20150083280A1 (en) 2015-03-26
AU2007284439B2 (en) 2011-03-10
BRPI0716660B1 (pt) 2015-12-15
WO2008021450A1 (en) 2008-02-21
JP5756162B2 (ja) 2015-07-29
JP2014039958A (ja) 2014-03-06
US20080041499A1 (en) 2008-02-21
CA2660940A1 (en) 2008-02-21
CA2660940C (en) 2012-07-17
CN101522341B (zh) 2014-10-29
GB2455007B (en) 2012-02-22
CN101522341A (zh) 2009-09-02

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