Fabrication of Lotus-Type Porous Al-Ti Alloys Using the Continuous Casting Technique

Porous Al-5mass%Ti alloys were fabricated using a continuous casting technique in a hydrogen atmosphere, and the effects of transfer velocity (V) and the peritectic solidification process on the pore morphology and matrix microstructure were examined. In the case of V = 0.5 mm/min, columnar microstructure and directional pores grow along the transfer direction. The Al3Ti phases are formed in localized regions of matrix part, and however, they do not suppress the growth of directional pores in the other regions. In the case of 5.0 mm/min, because needle-like Al3Ti phases grow along the transfer direction, directional pores can grow between them. On the other hand, in the case of 10.0 mm/min, spherical pores surrounded by equiaxed peritectic microstructure and homogeneously distributed Al3Ti phases are formed, because the primary α -Al and Al3Ti phases probably prevent the growth of directional pores.