Microstructure Evolution During Spray Rolling and Heat Treatment of 2124 AI.

摘要

Spray rolling is a strip casting technology that combines elements of spray forming and twin-roll casting. It consists of atomizing molten metal with a high velocity inert gas, quenching the resultant droplets in flight, and directing the spray between mill rolls. In-flight convection heat transfer from atomized droplets and conduction heat transfer at the rolls rapidly move an alloys latent heat. Hot deformation of the semi-solid material in the rolls results in fully consolidated, rapidly-solidified product. While similar in many ways to twin-roll casting, spray rolling is able to process a broader range of alloys and operates at a higher production rate. A laboratory-scale strip caster has been constructed at INL and used to evaluate the interplay of processing parameters and strip quality while producing strips up to 200 mm wide and 1.6--6.4 mm thick. Plans are underway to scale to 600 mm width and demonstrate steady-state operation. As-spray-rolled strip is characterized by a flat, uniformly thick profile with minimal porosity or segregation. This paper examines how processing parameters influence the microstructure transformations that take place during spray rolling and post-deposition heat treatment of 2124 Al.