RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REDUCED PRESSURE TEST
AND HYDROGEN CONTENT OF THE MELT
S. Dasgupta*, L. Parmenter*t, D. Apelian”
“Aluminum Casting Research Laboratory
Metal Processing Institute
WPI, Worcester, MA 01609 USA
{Palmer Foundry, Inc.
Palmer, MA 01069 USA
ABSTRACT
The Reduced Pressure Test (RPT) is an inexpensive, foundry floor test which
allows the metalcaster to qualitatively assess the cleanliness of a batch of molten
aluminum, allowing corrective action to be pursued. A previous study examining
various sampling techniques and sample density evaluation methods resulted in
the development of a statistically optimized test method for the RPT. This study
examines the correlation of RPT densities to recirculating gas hydrogen
measurements, specifically ALSCAN measurements, in 356 alloy which has not
been grain refined nor modified. A range of melt temperatures and oxide levels
was used in the development of each curve. The correlation curve developed in
this study extends the usefulness of the optimized RPT test method to allow
indirect measurement of the hydrogen content of 356 melts. The correlation
curve presented here together with the prescribed RPT methodology can be
used by the industrial sector to obtain on-line information about the metal quality.
285INTRODUCTION
Much has been written in the literature [1-6 ] discussing the need for tools and
enabling technologies to assess the level of cleanliness in the cast shop. Many
of the tests which exist at present are either (i) very specific to measuring either
hydrogen or a specific size range of inclusions; are (i) not proven technologies;
or are (ji) quite expensive instruments such as the LIMCA (based on the coulter
counter principle). Thus some of these methods are limited in the information
they provide, or are prohibitively expensive to utilize. The RPT test which has
been around for over 30 years and was shown to be an indirect measure of both
hydrogen content as well as inclusions by Brondyke and Hess (7] has been used
by foundries to obtain an indication of the melt cleanliness. The disadvantages
of the RPT test have been discussed in some detail by Parmenter and Apelian
[14] elsewhere. Moreover, the procedure followed from one cast shop to the
other to obtain RPT densities vary widely. It is for this reason that a correlation
between hydrogen content and RPT values has not been widely utilized on the
production floor. However, during the last year, it has been shown by Parmenter
and Apelian [74] that utilizing a specific optimized procedure, one can obtain
RPT values with a high confidence level.
‘The purpose of this investigation is to address the question of how one can
obtain usable operational information from the RPT, specific to hydrogen content
of the melt.
BACKGROUND
Hydrogen in Aluminum Alloy Melts
Hydrogen is the only gas which is appreciably soluble in aluminum and its alloys
[3-17]. The variation of hydrogen solubility with temperature in pure aluminum is
shown in Figure 1 [17]. Hydrogen gas results from the dissociation of water
vapor {3,5,6,8] which may be readily found in the atmosphere, especially on hot
and humid days. Due to the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere, a
certain level of hydrogen will always enter the mett during melting, transferring,
and other metal processing steps. Water may also be found on improperly dried
charge materials, refractories, and foundry tools.
Hydrogen soluble in the mett will subsequently form diatomic hydrogen gas
bubbles in the melt which is observed as porosity in the casting. Gas porosity is
known to be detrimental to tensile strength, elongation, and fatigue strength in
aluminum and its alloys[3,8,11,12]. Depending on cooling rate and alloy
composition, hydrogen blisters; in addition, porosity decreases resistance to
corrosion and crack propagation. Gas porosity can also result in poor surface
286
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|finish in machined or polished parts. Thus detection of hydrogen in the melt is a
critical step in the control of the quality of the mett prior to the casting.
The Reduced Pressure Test
One of the most commonly used methods for evaluating melt cleanliness in the
metalcasting industry is the Reduced Pressure Test (RPT), which is also known
as the Vacuum Density Test (VDT), the Vacuum Solidification Test (VST), and
the Straube-Preiffer Test [5,6,8]. In this test, a small sample of molten aluminum,
usually between 100 and 200 grams, is taken from the melt in a metal or ceramic
crucible and placed under vacuum [13]. The sample shown in Figure 2a is a
typical RPT sample solidified in a simple cup notched to control sample volume.
This type of RPT sample is referred to as an Open Top sample. It has been
‘suggested that a riser be added to the sample to eliminate the confounding
effects of shrinkage [5-6]. Because the core that forms the riser also determines
the size of the sample, a risered sample, such as that shown in Figure 2b, is
referred to as a Constant Volume sample.
The absolute pressure in the vacuum chamber is usually between 1 and 100 mm
Hg [8-9]. A typical test apparatus schematic is shown in Figure 3. By reducing
the pressure over the sample during solidification, hydrogen bubble nucleation
and growth is enhanced, which allows detection of low levels of hydrogen with a
small sample{8]. This enhanced hydrogen bubble formation is due to the
decrease in hydrogen solubility with decreasing pressure according to the law of
mass action, given by Equation 1 [17]. In its current form, however, the RPT is a
test for overall melt cleanliness, indicative of combinatorial effects due to
oxide/inclusion content and hydrogen content. It does not distinguish between
these two types of contaminants and it is more of a holistic evaluation of the
melt.
S=(f-H)/VP fl
where S = solubility of hydrogen gas in the melt (em*/100 g)
Ff =activity coefficient of hydrogen
HH =amount of hydrogen gas in the melt (cm*/100 g)
P = pressure of hydrogen vapor over the melt (atm)
Because there are many test parameters which dramatically affect the results of
the RPT, the accuracy of the RPT depends highly on the consistent and
accurate adherence to a test protocol [8]. Although the RPT has been widely
used throughout the aluminum casting industry for approximately fifty years,
there has never been a standardization of the test protocol. As a result, each
287
Melt Characteristics and Solidification Growth Direction With Respect To Gravity Affecting The Interfacial Heat Trasnsfer Coefficient of Chill Castings