Ultrasonic treatment for microstructure refinement of continuously cast products
AssigneeNovelis Inc.
InventorSamuel Robert Wagstaff
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Abstract
Described herein are techniques for improving the grain structure of a metal product by applying ultrasonic energy to a continuously cast metal product at a position downstream from the casting region and allowing the ultrasonic energy to propagate through the metal product to the solidification region. At the solidification region, the ultrasonic energy can interact with the growing metal grains, such as to deagglomerate and disperse nucleating particles and to disrupt and fragment dendrites as they grow, which can promote additional nucleation and result in smaller grain sizes.
Claims19
A method of making an aluminum alloy product, the method comprising:
- continuously casting a molten aluminum alloy in a continuous caster to form a cast aluminum alloy product;
- applying ultrasonic frequency energy to the cast aluminum alloy product at a position downstream from the continuous caster, wherein applying ultrasonic frequency energy comprises subjecting the cast aluminum alloy product to ultrasonic frequency magnetohydrodynamic forces, wherein the ultrasonic frequency energy propagates through the cast aluminum alloy product to a solidification region of the cast aluminum alloy product within the continuous caster;
- detecting ultrasonic frequency energy using an acoustic sensor or receiver positioned at a location upstream of the solidification region, wherein the acoustic sensor or receiver is coupled to a launder or tundish providing the molten aluminum alloy to the continuous caster;
- and
- controlling one or more of an amplitude, frequency, or phase of the ultrasonic frequency energy using a signal derived from the ultrasonic frequency energy detected using the acoustic sensor or receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.