Effect of Combined Electromagnetic Fields on the Structure of a HDC Casting 2024 Al Alloy Ingot

摘要

2024 Al alloy ingot with diameter of 100 mm is produced by conventional and combined electromagnetic fields (CEMF) horizontal direction chill (HDC) casting processes. The effect of CEMF on the ingot structure is investigated. The results show that the CEMF is effective in changing the inner structure of the 2024 HDC cast ingot. In the conventional HDC ingot, feathery gralns malnly distribute over the majority of the area of the ingot, and coarse equiaxed gralns mixed with coarse floating gralns distribute in a crescent-shaped area near the bottom surface. With the application of the CEMF, the majority of the feathery gralns transform to fine equiaxed gralns, and the mixture of feathery and fine gralns only exist in the area near the upper surface. In addition, the coarse floating gralns completely disappeared in the ingot with the application of CEMF.