Ablation Casting: Solidification Characteristics, Microstructure Formation, and Mechanical Properties

Ablation casting is an emerging sand casting technology that achieves high cooling rates in a casting during its solidification, especially its eutectic solidification of the metal, resulting in an extremely fine eutectic microstructure, reduced levels of defect, and enhanced mechanical properties of the casting. The technology is creating extensive interest in the industry for its capability in producing castings with high mechanical properties and internal integrity. However, scientific research lags behind the industrial applications of this new technology. There is a lack of scientific understanding on the solidification features of the castings made using ablation casting. Experimental data on the microstructural length scales seem inconsistent. This article aims at interpreting the experimental data available in the literature by considering the solidification characteristics of ablation casting. The paper also discusses certain research needs to further exploring the potential of the ablation casting process.