PREDICTING THE TORTUOUS THREE DIMENSIONAL MORPHOLOGY OF MICROPOROSITY IN ALUMINUM ALLOYS

摘要

A microscale model is presented to predict the complex interaction of pores and the developing solid microstructure. The 3D simulation results illustrate how the pore growth is influenced by both the grain and dendritic structure, forming highly tortuous and irregular shapes. Methods to quantify the 3D structures are proposed and used to qualitatively compare the predicted size and tortuosity of the porosity to experimental observations using x-ray micro-tomography. The predicted average and extreme sizes closely matched those observed in Al12Cu wedge castings.