Impact of Cooling Water Composition on Heat Transfer in Ingot Casting

It has long been known that variation in the composition of ingot cooling water can have an effect on the casting process. These effects can include discoloration, cracking, excessive curl and bleedouts. While several studies have been conducted to understand heat flux in ingot casting, there information in the literature is limited relating specific chemical species or interactions to heat transfer or relating specific solution properties to boiling heat transfer. In an effort to gain insight into the relationships between water chemistry and heat transfer, a broad literature review was conducted. Upon examining the literature beyond aluminum ingot casting, many examples were found in which components of cooling water had very different effects dependent on the heat transfer regime. This paper serves to summarize many of the findings in the literature and to propose mechanisms for the effects of cooling water composition seen in aluminum DC casting. A good deal of information was discovered in reviewing literature published related to the powergeneration industry.