A study of TiCAl 315™ grain refinement in a roll cast AA8111 aluminium alloy

A new carbon containing grain refiner, TiCAl315(TM), produced by London & Scandinavian Metallurgical Co Limited, has been used in a roll cast AA8111 aluminium alloy. The effect of the grain refiner on as-cast grain structure has been investigated, in conjunction with variations in strip thickness, roll casting speed and addition level of Ti. A conventional grain refiner, 5/1 TiBAl, has also been used in the roll casts for comparison. The results of the study show that TiCAl315(TM) is equally efficient in terms of grain refining ability compared with 5/1 TiBAl at equivalent Ti additions levels. However, the as-cast grain structure refined by TiCAl 315(TM) rod is better than that produced using 5/1 TiBAl at higher roll casting speeds and thinner cast gauge.