• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.147-152
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• 2016

Aluminum has been used as an alternative material for copper, due to its good electrical and thermal conductivities. However, small quantities of transition elements such as Ti and V affect the conductivities of aluminum. Therefore, in this study, the influence of B addition to reduce the effects of Ti and V on the conductivities of aluminum was investigated. Both the electrical and thermal conductivities of aluminum were improved with addition of B up to 0.05 wt%, while the conductivities were gradually reduced with an excess amount of B. SEM-EDS and XRD results exhibited that B reacted with Ti and V element to form diborides, such as $TiB_2$ and $VB_2$ phase, and those diborides tended to settle down to the bottom of the crucible because their densities were higher than that of aluminum melt. As a result, B reduced the deleterious effects of Ti and V, and the electrical and thermal conductivities of aluminum were improved.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2018

In a numerical study, equations relating the mechanical properties and cooling rate in a casting process have been applied to an AC4CH cast aluminum alloy. Good agreement was found between the measured and predicted material properties. Step-shaped steel blocks were made to comprise a casting mold with a Y-shaped cavity. Thermometers were inserted into each step of the mold to investigate temperature changes. The microstructure and mechanical properties, such as hardness and tensile stress were measured for each cut of piece. The correlation between the cooling rate and SDAS was found by curved fitting. Moreover, both the solidification time and the temperature were simulated using a commercial package, ZCast. The simulation results for yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, and hardness were compared with experimental results. Using the estimated K and n values, the hardness values of a ship propeller were simulated, and the results were similar to those obtained for actual castings.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.184-190
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• 2006

Presence of inclusions in Ti castings imparts detrimental effects on the mechanical performance of castings. However, actual inclusions do not occur very frequently and they are difficult to locate. As a result, acquirement of specimens for mechanical tests and thus in-depth research of the adverse influence of inclusions are challenging. To address this problem, artificial inclusion seeding methodology is developed to emulate actual inclusions in Ti investment castings. Firstly, to validate that this new methodology does not result in inherent mechanical property degradation, Ti specimens with machined, backfilled and HIPed holes are produced and compared to control (unaltered), cast Ti material. Fatigue test results indicate that this 'machine-and-HIP methodology without seeding' does not result in any fundamental mechanical property alteration, which would bias ensuing comparative results. Secondly, based on this result, validation of the artificially seeded inclusions being equivalent to 'as cast' inclusions is performed by comparing their fatigue behaviors. Test specimens created by the novel artificial inclusion seeding methodology are equivalent to Ti casting specimens containing actual cast-in inclusions, and an adverse effect of inclusions in investment castings is confirmed.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.314-322
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• 2004

The CaO crucible is expected to serve as a useful tool for melting Ti and its alloys due to its thermodynamic stability. However, tjere still remain problems that need to be resolved in the melting of Ti and its alloys to enable commerical use. The cause of the defects of Ti-6AI-4V alloy castings melted in the CaO crucible were examined and compared with induction skull melting. The key factors of the melting technique using the CaO crucible, affecting the quality of Ti-6AI-4V alloy castings, were investigated. Defects of the Ti-6AI-4V alloy castings are caused by the chemical reduction of CaO by Ti. Pressurizing with argon gas in a vacuum induction chamber is effective for reducing the defects. Preheating of the charged material in the crucible and quick pouring into a mold of lower temperature, just after melting down, are important for produsing sound Ti-6AI-4V castings.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.198-204
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• 2011

The present study was aimed to investigate the dependence of fatigue property on microporosity variation of low-pressure die-cast (LPDC) A356 alloy. The fatigue property of A356 alloy was evaluated through high cycle fatigue test, and the microporosity-terms used were the fractographic porosity measured from SEM observation on fractured surface and the volumetric porosity obtained through the density measurement using Archimedes's principle. The number of cycles to failure of A356 alloys depends obviously upon the variation of fractographic porosity, and can describe in terms of the defect susceptibility which depends on the microporosity variation at a given value of stress amplitude. The modified Basquin's equation was suggested through the combination of microporosity variation and static maximum tensile stress to fatigue strength coefficient. Using modified Basquin's equation, it could suggest that the maximum values of fatigue strength coefficient and exponent achievable in defect-free condition of A356 alloy are 265 MPa, -0.07, respectively.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2002

The main objectives were to investigate the suitability of CaO crucible for melting TiAl alloys and to develop investment mold for investment casting of TiAl alloys. TiAl alloy specimen were prepared by plasma arc furnace under argon atmosphere. After melting of TiAl alloy using CaO crucible, the results showed that there is little contamination of oxygen in the TiAl bulk. Conventional vacuum induction furnaces can be readily adaptable to produce cast parts of TiAl without high skilled techniques. The determination of optical metallography and microhardness profiles in investment cast TiAl alloy rods has allowed the gradation of the relative thermal stability of the oxides examined. The molds used for the present study were $ZrO_2$, $Al_2O_3$, CaO stabilized $ZrO_2$ and $ZrSiO_4$. Even although high temperature of mold preheating, $Al_2O_3$ mold is a promising mold material for investment casting of TiAl alloys in terms of thermal stability, cost and handling strength. It is important to take thermal stability and preheating temperature of mold into consideration for investment casting of TiAl alloys.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 2000

Interfacial reaction and mechanical properties between Sn-Zn-X ternary alloys(X : 3wt.%In, 4wt.%Bi) and Cu-substrate were studied. Cu/solder joints were subjected to aging treatments for up to 50days to see interfacial reaction at $100^{\circ}C$ and then were examined changes of microstructure and interfacial compound by optical microscopy, SEM and EDS. Cu/solder joints were aged to 30days and then loaded to failure at cross head speed of 0.3 mm $min^{-1}$ to measure tensile strength. According to the results of the solderability test, additions of In and Bi in the Sn-9wt.%Zn solder improve the wetting characteristics of the alloy and lower the melting temperature. Through the EDS and XRD analysis of Cu/Sn-9wt.%Zn solder joint, it was concluded that the intermetallic compound was the ${\gamma}-Cu_5Zn_8$ phase. Cu-Zn intermetallics at Cu/solder interfaces played an important role in both the microstructure evolution and failure of solder joints. Cu/solder joint strength was decreased by aging treatment, and those phenomenon was closely related to the thickening of intermetallic layer at Cu/solder joints.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2000

Ni and Ni-Cr porous metals which are estimated to be easy to fabricate by squeeze casting are used as strengtheners for composite materials. As a matrix material, Al-7%wtSi-0.3 wt%Mg(AC4C) has been used. In case of Ni/AC4C and Ni-Cr/AC4C composite, $750^{\circ}C$ melt temperature and minimum 25 MPa squeezing pressure are needed to produce sound composite materials. The observation of interfacial reaction zone at various heat treatment condition showed that solutionizing temperature of above 520^{\circ}C$, the interfacial reaction zone increased proportionally with increasing heat treatment tim and reaction products formed by interfacial reaction are mainly composed of $Al_3Ni$ and $Al_3Ni_2$ phases. The tensile strength of Ni/AC4C and Ni-Cr/AC4C composite is lower than the matrix metal and this can be explained by the brittle intermetallic compounds formed at the interface of Ni and Ni-Cr reinforcements. But the properies of hardness, wear resistance and thermal expansion are better than the matrix due to the strengthening effect of Ni-Cr porous metals.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.494-501
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• 1997

In order to manufacture large rod preforms of 2014 Al alloy with a good mechanical property by spray forming method, it was spray-formed at a droplet temperature of $715^{\circ}C$, a droplet flight distance of 400mm, and a spraying angle of $35^{\circ}$. The rod preforms were extruded at $397^{\circ}C$ with the die temperature of $420^{\circ}C$ under the hot extrusion ratio 21:1 and T6 heat treatment was performed. The 2014 Al alloys cast by hot top process were also extruded and heat-treated at the same condition as a reference material. Microstructural observation and tensile test were carried out to investigate the effects of extrusion on microstructure and mechanical property of spray-formed Al alloy. Spray-formed Al alloys had many porosities due to inappropriate process conditions such as long droplet flight distance and low droplet temperature but have fine equiaxed grain. These porosities were reduced with decreasing in grain size by hot extrusion. Ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of spray formed-extruded 2014 Al alloy were inferior to those of the normal cast-extruded 2014 Al alloy, but elongations were superior. The control of porosity was important to get spray formed preform with a good mechanical property.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.129-135
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• 2008

The reheating stage of electromagnetically stirred Al billet is a critical factor in the thixoforming process. When reheated to the solid-liquid state, the microstructure evolves to a more globular and more homogeneous structure by a coarsening mechanism, the kinetics depending on the initial microstructure. Microstructural evolution has been characterized by conventional parameters (mean size of particle and shape factor) as a function of holding time in the solid-liquid state. The aim of this study is to report experimental results concerning microstructural evolution in the solid-liquid state of electromagnetically stirred Al billet. The material was elaborated in the form of continuously cast bars solidified with electromagnetic stirring to degenerate the dendritic structure. The choice of the reheating conditions is determined by a dendritic ripening and coalescence mechanism, involving variations of both the shape and size of the particles. The reheating time has to be long enough to allow a minimum degree of spheroidizing, but has to be limited as much as possible in order to avoid excessive ripening. The optimum microstructure was obtained at the reheating temperature of near $584^{\circ}C$ and the holding time of 5 min. The only means of combining high productivity with good casting quality was to use feedstock billets whose microstructure showed rapid transformation characteristics.