SBIR Phase IB: USV-Grain Refining

该小型企业创新研究第一期项目名为“USV-晶粒细化”，旨在推进铝或镁合金铸锭或铸件生产的晶粒细化技术。晶粒细化通常是生产金属和合金产品的第一个加工步骤之一。常规方法使用含有外来颗粒的化学晶粒细化剂。这些方法在减小晶粒尺寸方面的能力有限，并且添加到熔融金属中的外来颗粒导致在材料加工期间形成缺陷。该项目将联合收割机与超声波振动（USV）和连续铸造或直接激冷铸造技术的轻质材料加工的最新技术相结合，并证明在不使用外来颗粒进行晶粒细化的情况下生产超细晶粒金属锭的可行性。新技术将为生产金属和合金产品提供成本效益的机会，其晶粒尺寸比使用最好的商业晶粒细化剂可获得的晶粒尺寸小得多，解决与使用含有外来颗粒的晶粒细化剂相关的缺陷形成相关的问题，并提高金属和合金的生产率。第一阶段项目的成功完成将带来一项突破性技术，将大量金属和合金的晶粒细化到传统技术无法实现的晶粒尺寸水平。晶粒细化对于最大化铸锭速率、改善抗热裂性、最小化元素偏析、增强机械性能（特别是延展性）、改善锻造产品的精加工特性、增加模具填充特性以及降低铸造合金的孔隙率是重要的。该项目成果的商业实施有可能为金属制造业实现显著的成本节约、能源节约和环境效益。此外，参与研究的学生将有机会与工业合作伙伴互动。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project entitled "USV-Grain Refining" aims at advancing the grain refining technologies for the production of aluminum or magnesium alloy ingots or castings. Grain refining is usually one of the first processing steps for the production of metal and alloy products. The conventional methods use chemical grain refiners that contain foreign particles. These methods have limited capability in reducing grain size, and foreign particles added into molten metals lead to defect formation during materials processing. This project will combine the latest technologies of processing of lightweight materials using ultrasonic vibration (USV) and continuous casting or direct chill casting technology, and to demonstrate the feasibility of an enabling technology for producing metal ingots of ultrafine grains without the use of foreign particles for grain refining. The new technology will provide cost effective opportunities for producing metal and alloy products with grain size much smaller than that obtainable using the best commercial grain refiners, addressing issues related to the defect formation associated with the use of grain refiners containing foreign particles and increasing the production rates of metals and alloys. The successful completion of this Phase I project will lead to a breakthrough technology for grain refining of a vast array of metals and alloys to the grain size level that are not capable to achieve using the conventional technologies. Grain refining is important for maximizing ingot casting rate, improving resistance to hot cracking, minimizing elemental segregation, enhancing mechanical properties, particularly ductility, improving the finishing characteristics of wrought products, increasing the mold filling characteristics, and decreasing the porosity of foundry alloys. The commercial implementation of the project results has the potential of achieving significant cost savings, energy savings, and environmental benefits for the metal manufacturing industry. In addition, students involved in the research will have opportunities to interact with industrial partners. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).