RPC “Magnetic Hydrodynamics”, Krasnoyarsk, Russia:

A. A. Avdulov, Head of Department of Continuous Casting Technologies
N. V. Sergeev, Leading Engineer of High-frequency Currents Department
I. S. Gudkov, Leading Engineer of Department of Continuous Casting Technologies, e-mail: rdohead@mail.ru

LLC “KiK”, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

G. P. Usynina, Head of Independent Laboratory

The technology for continuous casting of aluminium alloys into electromagnetic crystallizers was first being developed in 1980s under management of Z. N. Getselev. The given method is being further developed in the RPC “Magnetic Hydrodynamics” company. By now its employees have mastered a continuous casting of long-length light gauge blanks and casting of cylindrical ingots with a diameter of 70 mm. This paper describes the properties of light gauge blanks. Casting into an electromagnetic crystallizer is significantly different than the methods for casting of ingots where the molten metal has no contact with the mould’s wall; which enables a faster crystallization and thus affects the melt of a high-frequency electromagnetic field. There are given the results of researching the structure and properties of long-length ingots (with a diameter of 8 mm) from aluminium alloys that were cast into an electromagnetic crystallizer. A refinement of dendrite cells and a reduction of the width of eutectic layers were noted. It was shown that casting into electromagnetic crystallizers can guarantee metal cleanness in the case of nonmetallic inclusions without a preliminary cleaning of the melt (refinement, degasification etc.). The reason for the absence of non-metallic inclusions and other impurities in light gauge ingots, cast into an electromagnetic crystallizer, lies in properties of crystallization of the melt in a high-frequency electromagnetic field. It was determined that ingots with small diameters, cast into an electromagnetic crystallizer, have a dispersed structure where the dendrite cell size is 4 μm, which is typical for granulated aluminium alloys that are obtained at cooling speeds of 103–104 °С/sec. The obtained cast material’s properties are comparable with properties of a deformed material.

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