Modeling of alloy casting solidification

Alloy casting solidification processes involve many physical phenomena such as chemistry variation, phase transformation, heat transfer, fluid flow, microstructure evolution, and mechanical stress.1 Simulation technologies are applied extensively in casting industries to understand the effects of these phenomena on the formation of defects and on the final mechanical properties of the castings. As of today, defect prediction is still one of the main purposes for casting solidification simulation. In this paper, we will first present the commonly used microstructure simulation methods, then discuss the predictions of the major defects of a casting, such as porosity, hot tearing, and macrosegregation. The modeling of casting solidification can be chained with later stages of heat treatment such that the resultant microstructure, defects, and mechanical state will be used as the initial conditions of the subsequent processes, ensuring the tracking of the component history and maintaining a high level of accuracy across metallurgical stages.