Abstract Scope |
Most wrought aluminum is produced by Direct Chill (DC) casting, a semi-continuous solidification process providing feedstock for downstream deformation processing. Transport phenomena and solidification behavior in DC casting has been the subject of modeling over the past 30 years and, while this work has led to distinct improvements in understanding process behavior, there are still many outstanding issues.
In this talk, we begin with available experimental observations of industrial scale DC casting. We then examine different approaches to modeling the slurry of free-floating solid which forms from the grain-refined liquid pool, as well as ways to estimate the coalescence of that slurry into a rigid, solid matrix. Finally, we consider the purpose of these models, the reliability of the model outputs as a function of uncertainty in model input parameters, and the effect of choices for inclusion and form of representation of various physical mechanisms. |