Modelling of soft impingement during solidifcation

Abstract

It has been well established that spheroidal grain morphology in the microstructure forms during stir casting (rheocasting) and grain refinement of magnesium alloys by zirconium addition. This curious microstructure has been of interest both commercially from enhanced mechanical properties and also scientific interest in explaining the mechanism of spheroidal grain formation. Vogel and Doherty proposed a model describing the fracturing of dendrite arms during stir casting to produce a high density of nuclei which they presume to give rise to spheroidal grains. They proposed that there is soft impingement of diffusion fields of neighbouring nuclei, which reduces the concentration gradient ahead of the planar solid and liquid interface, which in turn negates shape instability. In this paper, the Vogel and Doherty model is pursued by quantitative modeling of soft impingement problem and related to shape instability by constitutional supercooling theory. This analysis correctly predicts the spheroidal grain formation during stir casting or rheocasting. This model can also be used to explain the grain refinement of magnesium alloys by zirconium addition wherein spheroidal grains are formed.