Influence of liquid metal feeding on the flow and macrosegregation in DC casting

ABSTRACT

The influence of liquid metal feeding on the flow and macrosegregation during direct chill (DC) casting of Al-4.5wt-%Cu billets is investigated. An analytical study for constricted inlets predicts that the inflow only reaches the bottom of the sump for narrow inlets, a result confirmed by steady-state axisymmetric simulations of equiaxed solidification. For wide inlets, and inlets using a combo bag, the inflow is swiftly entrained towards the chill and the final macrosegregation predictions are all similar. For narrow inlets without a combo bag, penetration of the thermal jet to the bottom of the sump locally delays solidification producing an inclination in the packed solid interface and the possible growth of columnar dendrites in this region.

KEYWORDS:

• Direct chill casting
• alloy solidification
• macrosegregation
• numerical modeling
• natural convection
• forced convection
• shrinkage induced flow
• aluminum alloys

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Robert Wagstaff and Novelis Inc. for the financial contribution that funded this work. The authors also thank Sam Wagstaff for contributing the macrograph published in this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

J. Coleman http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7261-3143

M. J. M. Krane http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2019-4792