Review of Grain Refinement Performance of Aluminium Cast Alloys

Improving the utilization of aluminum grain refinement in industrial settings is a continual point of focus for research. Grain refinement serves the dual purpose of not only achieving a fine grain size, but also enhancing the mechanical properties of materials. Numerous researchers have dedicated significant efforts over the last decades to explore the grain refinement of aluminium alloys. There has been a numerous research conducted regarding the mechanisms that explain the observed phenomena associated with grain refinement. The most employed are grain refiners based on Al-Ti-B system. However, the limited efficiency of these grain refiners on aluminium silicon alloys with excessive Si and the effect of alloying elements have been noticed. The review examines the impact of the factors influencing grain refining behaviour of master alloys, including the effects of poisoning elements such as Si, Mg, Zr, and Sr. A large grain refiners used for enhancing the properties of aluminium silicon alloys are reviewed. An overview of the new refiners has been given. Also, procedures for the assessment of grain refinement have been examined.