Effects of Electromagnetic Stirring process on Melt Quality of A356 Aluminum Alloy

In A356 aluminum alloy, the effect of electromagnetic stirring process on the melt quality such as density index, hydrogen and oxygen content, and the inclusion amount were investigated. To determine the optimal EMS condition for the aluminum alloy, a numerical study of EMS was applied and the electromagnetic force strength, which is the main source for stirring the melt, was predicted according to the EMS application conditions. In this study, the melt cleaning effect of the EMS process was analyzed by measuring the cleanliness of the solidified A356 alloy samples cast with and without the EMS process. After applying EMS process, the deviation of density index (DI) and hydrogen content in the cast samples according to the specimen position decreased, and it was confirmed that EMS was effective in homogenizing molten metal quality. In the case of the center of the top position, the hydrogen content in the sample decreased by 39.8% after EMS application, and a clear degassing effect was observed. Compared to the cast sample without EMS application, the amount of inclusions decreased by 40 to 55% when EMS was applied. From this, it can be concluded that EMS process has the effect of homogenizing and improving molten metal quality.