AZ31 alloy billets of 200 mm in diameter were produced by three different processes of conventional direct chill(DC) casting,low-frequency electromagnetic casting(LFEC) and low-frequency electromagnetic vibration casting(LFEVC),respectively.The effect of LFEC and LFEVC on the microstructures,macrosegregation and mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy billets was investigated.In conventional DC casting,the AZ31 alloy billets exhibited coarse grains(about 370 μm) and severe segregation of Al and Zn.In the presence of a solo low-frequency alternating magnetic field or a low-frequency electromagnetic vibration field applied during DC casting of φ200 mm AZ31 billets,grains in the AZ31 alloy billets were effectively refined(about 210 μm) and the macrosegregation of Al and Zn in the billets was greatly decreased.Furthermore,the tensile strength,fracture elongation and hardness of the as-cast AZ31 alloy billets were improved by the processes of LFEC and LFEVC relative to that cast by the process of conventional DC casting.
The solidification microstructures and hardness of Mg-2%Zn (mass fraction) based alloys with addition of 0.4%Ce, 0.4%Gd, 0.4%Y or 0.4%Nd (mass fraction) were investigated, and the effects of the rare earth elements on the microstructures and mechanical properties of these alloys extruded at 310℃ were also compared. The results indicate that the trace rare earth Ce, Gd, Y or Nd in the Mg-2%Zn alloy has obviously different grain refinement effects on its solidification microstructures, and the as-cast and hot-extruded alloy with 0.4%Ce has the smallest average grain size and the highest strength. However, the extruded alloys containing 0.4%Nd or 0.4%Y with the elongation of 26.6% and 30%, respectively, show higher plasticity in spite of lower strength as compared with the alloy containing 0.4%Ce.
The working principle of LFEC(Low frequency electromagnetic casting) process developed in Northeastern University,China was introduced and the metallurgical results of LFEC were discussed according to the casting practices.The low frequency field around the mold produces Lorenz force,which can be divided into two parts:one is the potential force which will be balanced by a pressure gradient of the liquid and results in the formation of a convex surface meniscus and improves the surface quality;the other is the rotary force which stirs the liquid in the mold to refine the microstructures and homogenize the distribution of alloying elements.LFEC can refine microstructures remarkably,improve surface quality of the ingots,depress macrosegregation and eliminate cracks.Some new technologies,such as horizontal direct chill casting under low-frequency electromagnetic field(HLEC),DC casting of hollow billets under electromagnetic fields(HBEC),electromagnetic modifying of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys(EMM),air film casting under static magnetic field(AFCM),and multi-ingots casting under low-frequency magnetic field(MLFEC) were developed based on LFEC.
The effects of low frequency electromagnetic (LFEC) field and ultrasonic (US) field on the microstructures, macrosegregation of alloying elements and the mechanical properties of DC cast AZ80 alloy were studied. The results show that both LFEC and US fields can refine the grains of the billets, which results in the increase in mechanical properties and uniformity of alloying element distribution. The effective refinement takes place on the edge of ingots when LFEC field is applied, while in the center of billets when field US is adopted. Combined the characteristics of LFEC and US fields, a new process for direct-chilling (DC) casting of Mg-electromagnetic-ultrasonic (ECUS) casting is developed, by which the grains are refined significantly and are more uniform in the whole ingots, and the mechanical properties of the ingots are improved.
Under the high-intensity ultrasonic field,AZ80 magnesium alloy was semi-continuously cast.The effects of ultrasonic intensity on the as-cast microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated.The results show that the microstructures of the alloy cast under high-intensity ultrasonic field are fine and uniform,and the grains are equiaxed,rose-shaped or globular with an average size of 257μm.High-intensity field significantly decreases the grain size,changes the morphologies of theβ-Mg17Al12 phases and reduces their area fraction.It is also shown that a proper increase in ultrasonic intensity is helpful to obtain fine,uniform and equiaxed as-cast microstructures.The optimum ultrasonic parameters are that frequency is 20 kHz and ultrasonic intensity is 1 368 W.The mechanical tests show that the mechanical properties of the as-cast AZ80 magnesium alloy billets cast under ultrasonic field are greatly improved,and with increasing the ultrasonic intensity,the mechanical properties of the entire alloy billets are much higher and more uniform than those of the alloy without ultrasonic field.
It was attempted to enhance and accelerate the separation of oxidation inclusions from magnesium alloy melt by virtue of ultrasonic agglomeration technology.In order to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of standing waves for ultrasonic purification of magnesium alloy melt,numerical simulation and relevant experiment were carried out.The numerical simulation was broken into two main aspects.On one hand,the ultrasonic field propagations within the cells with various shapes were characterized by numerical solutions of the wave equation and with a careful choice of geometry a nearly idealized standing wave field was finally obtained.On the other hand,within such a standing wave field the agglomeration behavior of oxidation inclusions in magnesium alloy melt was analyzed and discussed.The agglomeration time and agglomeration position of oxidation inclusions were predicted with numerical simulation method.The results show that the oxidation inclusions whose apparent densities are close to the density of the melt can agglomerate at wave nodes in a short time which to a great extent enhances and accelerates the separation of oxidation inclusions from magnesium alloy melt.
