Microstructure Evolution and Rheological Behavior of Cooling Slope Processed Al-Si-Cu-Fe Alloy Slurry

In the present work, microstructure evolution during semi-solid slurry generation of Al-Si-Cu-Fe alloy, using a cooling slope, was studied and the effect of microstructural morphology of the slurry on its rheological behavior was investigated. Microstructure evolution during melt flow along the slope was studied by extracting samples from various locations of the slope and performing rapid oil quenching experiments. Quantitative investigation was performed to evaluate primary phase shape and size for different process conditions of the semi-solid slurry, and subsequently rheological investigations were performed to correlate slurry morphology with its flow behavior. Three different types of rheological experiments were performed: isothermal test, shear jump test, and shear time test, in order to investigate rheological behavior of the semi-solid slurry. In addition, effect of melt treatment, by adding modifier (0.1 wt pct of Al-10Sr) and grain refiner (0.15 wt pct of Al-5Ti-1B), on the microstructure evolution during slurry generation, flow behavior of the slurry, and intermetallics formation was studied.