Low-Convection-Cooling Slope Cast AlSi7Mg Alloy: A Rheological Perspective

In this paper we made an attempt to assess the solidification and flow behavior of the AlSi7Mg alloy melt flowing down the cooling slope, by calculating the Reynolds number of the flowing melt. It has been found that the length of the laminar regime within the flowing melt (low-convection flow) depends on the angle of slope. The microstructure of as-cast AlSi7Mg alloy processed by low-convection-casting using cooling slope method has been studied. The microstructure reveals dendritic primary α-Al phase with fine fibrous eutectic silicon in the interdendritic regions. The modification of eutectic silicon occurs predominately by the shearing of the solute-rich liquid between the primary α-Al dendrites prior to eutectic solidification as it flows down the cooling slope. Nucleation and growth of the primary silicon dendrites was also observed, which confirms earlier reports on three-layer theory. The mechanism responsible for the refinement of eutectic phase is the enhanced heterogeneous nucleation in the last liquid to solidify.