Jet Mixing in Direct-Chill Casting of Aluminum: Crater Effects and its Consequence on Centerline Segregation

Recent reports have demonstrated the possibility of mitigating macrosegregation during the Direct-Chill casting of rolling slab ingots using an impinging jet. Herein, an analytical model is presented to predict the shape of the crater formed due to the impact of the jet on the slurry region. The model takes into account alloy composition, physical dimension, and casting speed on the distribution of forces and crater shape. The calculated shape of the crater profile is used to explain the centerline depletion in the impingement region previously reported. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2017