Direct-Chill Co-Casting of AA3003/AA4045 Aluminum Ingots via Fusion™ Technology

Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to cast AA3003/AA4045 clad ingots via Fusion™ Technology, a novel process developed by Novelis Inc. for the production of aluminum clad materials such as brazing sheet. Experimental results were used to validate a steady-state thermofluids model of the Fusion™ Technology co-casting process. The numerical model was able to accurately predict the temperature field within the AA3003/AA4045 clad ingot as well as the shape of the AA3003 liquid sump. The model was also used to quantify the temperature, fraction solid, and velocity fields in a clad ingot cast with an asymmetrical molten metal-feeding system. Feeding of core and clad molten metals at opposite corners of the mold was found to reduce the risks of hot spots and liquid metal breakthrough from the core sump to the clad side of the Fusion™ Technology mold. The use of a diffuser for the AA3003 core molten metal and of a vertical feeding tube for the AA4045 clad produced different flow patterns and liquid sump shapes on either side of the mold. The quality of the metallurgical bond at the core/clad interface appeared good near the clad inlet and at the ingot centerline, but poor near the edges of the ingot. SEM–EDS analysis of the chemical composition across the interface showed that a 1 to 20-μm-deep penetration of silicon from the AA4045 clad into the AA3003 core had occurred at visually acceptable interfaces, whereas silicon diffusion across poor interfaces was very limited. A study of the model-predicted fraction solid history at different points along the interface indicated that reheating of the AA3003 core is not required to form a visually acceptable metallurgical bond. However, a sufficient amount of interaction time between the solid AA3003 core shell and the silicon-rich AA4045 clad liquid is required to chemically dissolve the surface of the core and form a good metallurgical bond. An approximate dissolution depth of 750 to 1000 μm was observed along the visually good interface. Partial dissolution of the Mn-rich AA3003 core led to the formation of Al(Mn,Fe)Si intermetallic particles in the AA4045 clad and an increased manganese concentration near the core/clad interface.