Regulating the wetting behavior of metal melts using modified triangle array heterogeneous coatings

In this work, the flow behavior and temperature field distribution of aluminum alloy melts on the inclined plate are investigated by numerical and experimental methods. A heterogeneous coating, designed with regular and inverted triangle arrays, was applied to the inclined plate to introduce wetting step and influence the melt flow. The phase field method was utilized to simulate the flow behavior of A356 alloy melts, focusing on the flow front and the distortion of the gas-liquid-solid three-phase line, while the transient heat flow coupling field was analyzed using the level set method. Moreover, the pouring experiment was designed according to the simulation process, and the microstructure of the ingot was observed. It indicated that the experimental results confirmed the simulation outcomes, demonstrating that triangle array heterogeneous coating significantly enhances melt spreading, impact, and shear stirring. Both the inverted and the regular triangle array heterogeneous coatings distorted the three-phase line. Particularly, the three-phase line is more distorted under the action of the regular triangle array heterogeneous coating, and it slows down the flow rate of A356 alloy melts on the inclined plate. This is beneficial to increase the heat transfer efficiency between the melt and the plate, and promote nucleation and grain refinement. The temperature variations at the inlet and outlet observed in experiments align with the simulation results, validating the reliability of the model. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing the preparation of semi-solid slurries, processing thin-wall castings, and convey molten metal.