Combined Experimental/Theoretical Study of Mold/Casting Interface Behavior During Directional Solidification

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The project will investigate experimentally and theoretically the effects of mold surface morphology, physical and thermal properties of casting and mold, wettability of molten aluminum over the mold surface, and temperature and pressure at the mold casting interface on the heat transfer rate, interface conductance, and physical and chemical structure of the casting surface. The surface quality of castings is closely related to the cooling rate during solidification, but no quantitative results are readily available on how surface structure of the casting is affected by mold surface morphology and heat transfer rate across the metal- mold interface. Thus, this interdisciplinary project encompasses the areas of heat transfer, tribology, metallurgy, and stress analysis and combines the theoretical predictions with experimental verifications. Semi-empirical relations will be developed for the effects of the various factors stated above on interface conductance and heat transfer rate across the casting mold interface. Since the ultimate goal of this research with heat transfer/mechanics and mold surface design, is to positively influence the surface quality of the casting ingot, the investigators will evaluate the metallurgical structure of the cast ingots and attempt to correlate it to the heat transfer model as well as to mold surface properties. The success of the project may allow the production of higher quality, lower cost casting.