Study on Rheological Behavior of Semisolid A356 Alloy During Solidification

In the present work, a model is developed to predict the rheological behavior of an Al-alloy (A356) in semisolid state where the alloy is sheared between two parallel plates during continuous cooling. The flow field is represented by the momentum conservation equation where the non-Newtonian behavior of the semisolid alloy is incorporated considering the Herschel-Bulkley model. In the slurry, the agglomeration and de-agglomeration phenomena of the suspended particles under shear are represented using a time dependent structural parameter. The temperature field during cooling is predicted considering the transient energy conservation equation, and hence the fraction of solid and the yield stress of the semisolid alloy are continuously updated. Considering an apparent viscosity of the semisolid alloy as a function of structural parameter, shear stress and shear rate, the governing equations are solved analytically. Finally, the work predicts the variation of the apparent viscosity of the semisolid A356 alloy with fraction of solid. At first, the present prediction is validated against an available experimental data and, thereafter, the work predicts the effect of process parameters such as shear rate and cooling rate on the apparent viscosity.