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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. 285 INTRODUCTION 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 | | 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

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