Simulation of Bimetal Casting/Fusion TM Process

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For the past 70 years, Direct Chill (DC) casting has been the mainstay of the aluminum industry for the production of monolithic sheet products. In 2006, Novelis unveiled an innovative change that has the possibility of revolutionizing the DC casting process such that it allows the production of a multi-alloy laminated ingot using a bimetal casting process. Novelis calls this new technology Fusion Technology. Of paramount importance for the successful commercialization of this new technology is a scientific and quantitative understanding of the bimetal casting process used to co-cast the laminate ingot as a single monolithic ingot. This knowledge is critical, as it will provide scientific guidance towards optimization and understanding of the bimetal casting process. The overall objective will be to develop scientific understanding of the bimetal casting process including the heat transfer and fluid flow as well as from a metallurgical perspective what constitutes a defect free interface. This will include detailed information on the prediction of solidification conditions (with validation) and interface characteristics for specific clad/core alloy combinations. To achieve the overall goal, a multi faceted approach of mathematical modelling, metallurgical characterization and laboratory process measurements is necessary. The benefits to Canada include i) the development and transfer of specific knowledge to the industrial partner, Novelis, ii) the education of 1 M.A.Sc. student, 1 Ph.D. student and one postdoctoral fellow (the need for HQP has been identified by the industry) and iii) the expansion of internationally leading expertise on metallurgical processing of aluminum alloys at the University of Waterloo.