Microstructure Development in Solidification of Al-Si-Alloys under

Magnetically Controlled Flow Conditions

A.Weiß*, G. Zimmermann, R. Salber, Z. Mbaya

ACCESS e.V.
Intzestrasse 5, 52072 Aachen, Germany,

Abstract
The specific objective of the paper is the investigation of forced melt flow on the development of a
dendritic microstructure. Therefore the aluminium-based alloy A357 was directional solidified in a
gradient furnace with adaptation of a rotating magnetic field to induce forced flow in the melt. To
characterize the three-dimensional solidification microstructure in detail, the growing dendritic network
was uncovered by decanting of the residual melt at the end of the solidification process. As a result a
significant change of the microstructure due to the transversal melt flow was observed. Quantitatively, the
primary dendrite spacing is decreased, whereas the dendrite tip radii are almost unaffected.

Introduction
External magnetic fields are important tools in the foundry industry to control the behaviour of the
melts during the solidification process. Especially in continuous casting plants both for steel and
aluminium alloys an increasing number of electromagnetic stirring devices have been implemented
during the last years [1]. The principal objectives of using such facilities are the realization of a globular
microstructure and the reduction of the centre-line segregation in the billets being cast. For these purposes
rotary stirring coils are often applied which enclose the whole sample or bar. In such systems by
application of alternating magnetic fields an eddy current and, hence, the Lorentz force is generated,
which results in a convective flow within the melt. The resulting homogenization effect is particularly
significant for high stressed material like the aluminium alloy A357, which are applied e.g. for
automotive components as engine blocks and cylinder heads.
During directional solidification without melt convection the growth direction of dendrites depends on
the direction of the heat flux and on the crystallographic orientation (figure 1).

Figure 1: Scheme of a dendritic array without melt convection (primary spacing λ, dendritic arm spacing
λa, crystallographic orientation α)

Forced flow in the melt changes the heat and mass transfer conditions ahead of the growing solid-
liquid interface. Depending on the strength, direction and the profile of the melt flow (e.g. azimuthal
shear flow) the interface morphology shows significant modifications up to transitions to fragmentation of
dendrite arms and globulitic growth [2]. On microscopic level under the influence of melt flow the shapes
of the dendrites are expected to become asymmetrical and the characteristic interdendritic primary
spacing λ will change corresponding to the value and direction of the flow velocity (figure 2).

________________________
* Corresponding author: a.weiss@access.rwth-aachen.de
Assciated Web site: http://www.access.rwth-aachen.de
Proceedings of the Electromagnetic Processing of Materials International Conference 2003
Figure 2: Scheme of a dendritic array deformed by convective flow v with different orientations

This paper presents experimental results attained by using the alloy A357, which was directional
solidified under the influence of a rotating permanent magnet. In order to characterize the three-
dimensional solidification microstructure in detail, the growing dendritic network was uncovered by
decanting of the residual melt after the solidification process. It will be shown, how melt flow induced by
the rotating magnetic field has an impact on the primary dendrite spacings, the development of secondary
dendrite arms and the formation of the dendrite tips.

Experimental Setup
For the experiments a Bridgman-type furnace was used which consists of two separately controlled
heating zones, a water-cooled copper chill and several ceramic discs as insulating baffles. Directional
solidification was realized via a motion of the furnace chamber relative to fix-mounted rod-like samples
of 8·10-3 m in diameter. As sample material the technical aluminium based alloy A357 was selected, i.e.
an Al-7wt%Si-0.6wt%Mg alloy, pre-solidified by the TITAL Company. The process parameters for the
directional solidification experiments were a furnace velocity of 4.2·10-6 m/s and an axial temperature
gradient in the sample at the solid-liquid interface of 1.0·104 K/m.
After a defined solidification length the sample is rapidly pulled out of the furnace and then
accelerated to high rotational speed. Thereby the remaining liquid is thrown off by means of the
centrifugal force and the three-dimensional dendritic array structure is uncovered. This concept has been
already successfully tested by D. Ma and P. R. Sahm [3]. For this removal of the residual melt a decanting
facility was developed and located below the cold zone of the Bridgman furnace (figure 3).

Figure 3: Experimental set-up of the Bridgman furnace with decanting facility.

 For the investigation of the influence of a rotating magnetic field a permanent magnet ring was
integrated in the baffle disc (figure 4). Its rotation was achieved by a belt drive which allowed up to 50
revolutions per second. In the centre of the ring a magnetic field strength of 2.5·10-2 T was measured in
radial direction [4]. Experiments presented here were carried out without rotation - i.e. without forced
flow in the melt - and with a rotation frequency of 50 Hz.

Figure 4: Experimental set-up including Bridgman furnace, rotating permanent magnet and decanting
facility.

Results
Figure 5 shows the macroscopic dendritic structure of a decanted sample directionally solidified
without a rotating magnetic field. A distinct mushy zone region of about 10-2 m in length is found which
corresponds with the solid-liquid interval in the phase diagram for a situation close to thermodynamic
equilibrium. The dendrites themselves, i.e. the tip region as well as the dendrite arms, are well developed.
A quantitative determination of the primary dendrite spacing is afflicted with some error because of large-
sized dendrites and therefore a rather low number of dendrites within the cross-section of the sample. As
result a mean value of the primary spacing of about 3.7·10-4 m is estimated.

Figure 5: Macroscopic views of decanted dendritic array of AlSi7Mg0.6, directionally solidified with
v=4.2·10-6 m/s and G=1·104 K/m without a rotating magnetic field.
 The influence of forced melt flow induced by a rotating magnetic field of strength B=2.5·10-2 T and a
frequency of f=50 Hz is documented in figure 6. The axial extension of the solid-liquid region is much
shorter and the interface is deformed by a dent in the centre of the sample. This macroscopic interface
shape originates from the intense melt flow. Assuming laminar conditions an azimuthal flow profile is
expected. In the centre axis of the sample and at the cartridge wall the velocity is zero; in between the
azimuthal flow velocity has its maximum value. A quantitative estimation using the thermophysical
properties of the alloy, the sample diameter, the frequency and the strength of the rotating magnetic field
predicts flow velocities up to 0.5 m/s. It is obvious that for the boundary conditions the melt convection is
in no way laminar but highly turbulent. With respect to the shape of the solid-liquid interface the dent
seems to be the effect of an eddy in the melt.
A more detailed investigation of the dendritic array shows that in a ring-like region of the sample cross
section between radii of about 1.5·10-3 m to 3.0·10-3 m a more or less uniform microstructure exists
(figure 6). In this ring the mean value of primary dendrite spacing is about 2.1·10-4 m. Furthermore the
intense mass transport in the melt modifies the overall shape of the dendrites. The development of
secondary dendrite arms is strongly constricted and the dendrites look similar to pyramids.

Figure 6: Macroscopic views of decanted dendritic array of AlSi7Mg0.6, directionally solidified with
v=4.2·10-6 m/s and G=1·104 K/m with a rotating magnetic field (B=2.5·10-2 T, f=50Hz).

Based on detail pictures the tip region of the dendrites can be investigated in more detail. As an
example figures 7 and 8 show the tips of two single dendrites viewed from 3 different directions (0°, 45°
and 90°). The dendrite in figure 7 was grown without forced flow, whereas the one shown in figure 8 was
grown with flow. It is remarkable that in both cases the development of side branch instabilities occurs
very close to the dendrite tip.
To determine the tip radii R the contour of dendrite tips were fitted to polynomials of 2nd and 4th order
(see for example figure 9). A 2nd order fit will correspond to a paraboloidal shape. The 4th order
polynomial fit may also take into account asymmetries of the tip, which may exist in case of shear flow.
The tip radii were calculated from the curvature of the polynomial fits at the vertex. In case of the
dendrite tip shown in figure 9 the tip radii taken for the 2nd and 4th order polynomial fits are R=14.6·10-6
m and R=11.0·10-6 m, respectively.
Evaluation of a series of dendrites directionally solidified both without and with forced flow indicate a
better fit for a 4th order polynom in all cases. The determination of the average dendrite tip radii gives
R=10.4·10-6 m and R=9.5·10-6 m for solidification without forced flow and with flow, respectively. The
standard deviations in both cases are about 2·10-6 m. This means that within statistical error the dendrite
tip radii show no significant change under influence of magnetic stirring.
Figure 7: Tip of a selected AlSi7Mg0.6 dendrite Figure 8: Tip of a selected AlSi7Mg0.6 dendrite
shown from different sides (0°, 45°, 90°), shown from different sides (0°, 45°, 90°), solidified
directionally solidified without forced flow. with forced flow induced by B=2.5·10-2 T, f=50Hz
(see figure 6).
Figure 9: Tip of a selected AlSi7Mg0.6 dendrite solidified with forced flow induced by B=2.5·10-2 T,
f=50Hz. Additionally polynomial fits of second (dashed line) and forth order (solid line) are
drawn in to determine the tip radius.

A similar result was found in a solidification experiment using a transparent mixture of pivalic acid
and ethanol alcohol [5]. Applying a defined flow to the dendrites the shape of the tip’s regions remain
almost parabolic. The characteristic parameter R²v is independent on the transversal component of melt
flow and scales linearily with the flow component parallel to the growth direction. Bouissou et al. [5]
explained this result with a first-order expansion of R²v for small flow effects. Whether this holds for
intense melt flow as assumed here has to be discussed in future.

Conclusions
This paper describes experimental results on directional solidification of dendritic array growth using
an AlSi7Mg0.6 alloy without and with melt flow caused by horizontal magnetic stirring. Forced melt
flow results in a change of the overall shape of the dendrites and in a decrease of the primary dendrite
spacing, whereas the dendrite tip radii almost seem to be unaffected.

Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) under MAP Project
‘MICAST’ (AO-99-031) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under grant No. 50 WM 0043, which
is gratefully acknowledged.

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