Papers by Author: Dmitry G. Eskin

Abstract: Direct chill (DC) casting of high strength 7xxx series aluminum alloys is difficult mainly due to solidification cracking (hot cracks) and solid state cracking (cold cracks). Poor thermal properties along with extreme brittleness in the as-cast condition make DC-casting of such alloys a challenging process. Therefore, a criterion that can predict the catastrophic failure and cold cracking of the ingots would be highly beneficial to the aluminum industry. The already established criteria are dealing with the maximum principal stress component in the ingot and the plane strain fracture toughness (KIc) of the alloy under discussion. In this research work such a criterion was applied to a typical 7xxx series alloy which is highly prone to cold cracking. The mechanical properties, constitutive parameters, as well as the KIc values of the alloy were determined experimentally in the genuine as-cast condition and used as input data for the finite element package ALSIM5. Thermomechanical simulations were run for billets of various diameters and the state of residual thermal stresses was determined. Following the contour maps of the critical crack size gained from the model, the casting conditions were optimized to produce a crack-free billet.

Abstract: Non-homogenous cooling rates and solidification conditions during DC-casting of high strength aluminum alloys result in the formation and accumulation of residual thermal stresses with different signs and magnitudes in different locations of the billet. Rapid propagation of micro-cracks in the presence of thermal stresses can lead to catastrophic failure in the solid state, which is called cold cracking. Numerical models can simulate the thermomechanical behavior of an ingot during casting and after solidification and reveal the critical cooling conditions that result in catastrophic failure, provided that the constitutive parameters of the material represent genuine as-cast properties. Simulation of residual thermal stresses of an AA7050 alloy during DC-casting by means of ALSIM5 showed that in the steady-state conditions large compressive stresses formed near the surface of the billet in the circumferential direction. Stresses changed sign on moving towards the centre of the billet and became tensile with high magnitudes in radial and transverse directions, which made the alloy prone to hot and cold cracking.

Abstract: This review paper summarizes the results of recent studies on different mechanisms of macrosegregation upon direct-chill (DC) casting of aluminium alloys. In general, the main mechanisms of macrosegregation have been identified quite some time ago as thermo-solutal convection, free-moving crystals, shrinkage- and deformation-induced flow, and forced convection. Despite this general knowledge, the separation of the effects of these mechanisms on the overall macrosegregation pattern and the ratio of their contribution remained largely unexplored. With the advances in computer simulations and in experimental techniques it becomes possible to look at the impact of individual mechanisms in relation to the macroscopic parameters of the transition region of a DC cast billet and to the microscopic parameters of billet structure. Our systematic research helps in interpreting the apparently contradictory experimental macrosegregation profiles reported in literature. Paper is illustrated by own experimental and computer-simulation results.

Abstract: In the present investigation, serial sectioning and 3D reconstructions are made on samples quenched at selected temperatures during unconstrained solidification in order to observe the evolution in morphology of coarse dendrites in 3D. The 3D microstructure reconstruction during the solidification of an Al−7 wt.% Cu alloy allowed the identification of a complex coarse morphology of dendrites. High-ordered branches present different morphologies at different temperatures and locations in the microstructure due to coarsening and coalescence. 3D visualization of complex dendritic structures is discussed in the present investigation.

Abstract: Hot tearing is a significant problem upon direct-chill casting of high-strength aluminum alloys. The occurrence of hot cracks is related to the thermal contraction of the solid phase and to the lack of feeding by the liquid phase during solidification. It has been identified that structure features such as grain size and amount of nonequilibrium eutectics influence both phenomena involved in hot tearing. Experimental and computer-simulation results are presented for a range of model and commercial aluminum alloys. The results are obtained both during special small-scale experiments and during industrial-scale direct-chill casting. It is shown that grain refinement reduces hot tearing susceptibility of aluminum alloys through the related decrease of the temperature of thermal contraction onset and increased permeability of the mushy zone. The effects of process parameters on hot tearing are also discussed.

Abstract: The interaction between flow and progressing solidification front is of great importance, since it occurs in all casting processes. The present paper provides a better understanding of the flow phenomena and associated complex effects on solidification in a rectangular cavity under forced flow conditions, by means of experiments and computer simulations. It is shown that the cavity-driven flow with solidification is determined by several interacting features. The variation in bulk flow velocity and initial superheat dramatically changes the macro- and microstructure, promoting grain refinement, formation of peculiar grain and dendrite morphologies, etc. In particular, twinned feathery grains are found in the structure formed under certain heat and flow conditions during solidification. Some correlations between twinned feathery morphology, flow and solidification parameters are obtained. The effect of flow vortices on progressing solidification front and their effects on structure evolution are analyzed. Finally, the quantitative correlations between microstructure, solidification and flow parameters are established.

Abstract: It was shown on laboratory and industrial scale that ultrasonic melt treatment (UST) significantly refines structure of aluminium alloys and improves the quality of castings. However, despite considerable efforts which have been made over decades in the field of ultrasonic processing of aluminium melts, quite a few problems remain unclear. One of them is addressed in this project. The aim of the project is to understand which mechanism is responsible for cavitation-aided grain refinement. It is expected that the knowledge gained as a result of this work can be used in directchill, shape and die casting. The paper describes an experimental setup and first results on the correlation between parameters of UST, solidification conditions and degree of structure refinement. In separate experiments, a model Al-Cu alloy with different amount of solidification sites is solidified with and without UST. The final microstructure is analyzed.

Abstract: In the present research the possibility of studying the solidification of aluminum alloys by using the quenching technique is analyzed. Since the quenching technique does not provide reliable information (i.e. due to an overestimation of solid fraction) when measuring the solid fraction over 2D images from samples quenched at high temperature, the overestimation problem is investigated by analyzing 3D reconstructed microstructures from quenched samples. The 3D reconstructed microstructure may provide better understanding about the cause of overestimation of solid fraction when quenching at high temperatures. Consequently, the reconstruction of the microstructure that has existed before quenching may be possible after identifying and removing the solid phase that develops during quenching. In the present research, binary aluminum alloys are solidified and quenched at different temperatures, and then 3D reconstructed images are analyzed. The possibility of reconstructing the microstructure that develops during solidification before quenching is discussed.

Abstract: Aluminium alloys during solidification change their density. This process can be conditionally divided into two stages: solidification shrinkage due to the density difference between liquid and solid phases and thermal contraction due to the temperature dependence of the solid density. Solidification shrinkage is the main cause of porosity in castings and also plays an essential role in the development of macrosegregation, whereas thermal contraction is important for the development of hot and cold cracks and is responsible for shape distortions during casting. An experimental technique has been developed and applied to binary Al–Cu alloys in order to quantify the thermal contraction in the solidification range and at subsolidus temperatures. It is shown that thermal contraction of aluminium alloys starts at rather high fractions of solid, between 80 and 95%. The experimentally determined temperature of contraction onset agrees well with the temperature at which the mushy material acquires the ability to transfer stresses. The magnitude of contraction accumulated in the solidification range corresponds well to hot tearing susceptibility of the alloy. Factors that decrease the temperature of contraction onset and the magnitude of contraction, e.g. grain refinement, are also known to decrease hot tearing. The data on the temperature at which the thermal contraction starts, on the magnitude of the contraction, and on the thermal contraction coefficient are used to model hot tearing and shape distortions during casting.

Abstract: The addition of grain refiners during industrial direct chill (DC) casting of aluminum billets promotes formation of smaller equiaxed grains with obvious advantages. However, the role of grain refining in the extent of macrosegregation in DC cast Al alloys is still unclear. This is particularly evident in the case of commercial aluminum alloys with various alloying elements. In this work, the structure and associated macrosegregation patterns in DC cast AA 2024 (Al–Cu–Mg) aluminum alloy billets were studied at different casting speeds. The concentration profiles of Cu and Mg, measured along the billet diameter, showed an expected negative segregation in the center and close to the surface. The severity of segregation increases at a higher casting speed. On the other hand, grain refining does not seem to have any dramatic effect on the macrosegregation patterns. The experimental results are correlated with microstructural observations such as grain size and morphology and the occurrence of “floating” grains across the cross-section of the billet.