Semi-solid metal fabricated by a continuous casting apparatus characterized with the inclined cooling plate. The primary α size, aspect ratio and hardness of an A356 Al alloy was investigated. Crystal seeds of the primary α were believed to nucleate...
Semi-solid metal fabricated by a continuous casting apparatus characterized with the inclined cooling plate. The primary α size, aspect ratio and hardness of an A356 Al alloy was investigated. Crystal seeds of the primary α were believed to nucleate on the cooling plate. The seeds of primary crystal separated from the cooling plate were consider to result in a fine and equiaxed microstructures. The minimum size of primary α at 630℃ of pouring temperature was 65㎛ when using a BN coated cooling plate and 53㎛ in BN uncoated cooling plate. Primary α size and aspect ratio were increased with increasing isothermal holding time. Among the several steps of the semi-solid forging process, the heating step of the billet prior to semi-solid forging step is necessarily to obtain a globular microstructure. The microstructural variation of semi-solid A356 at various specimen heating temperatures and mould temperatures was also investigated.