Simulation of lead Antimony Alloy Solidification and its Experimental Validation

Abstract

The solidification of metals continues to be a phenomenon of great interest to physicists, metallurgists, casting engineers, and software developers. It is a non-linear transient phenomenon, posing a challenge in terms of modeling and analysis. During the solidification of a casting in a mould, the heat-transfer between the casting and the mould plays a vital role. This paper attempts to study heat flow within the casting, as well as from the casting to the mould, and finally obtains the temperature history of some points inside the casting. The most important instant of time is when the hottest region inside the casting is solidifying. ProCAST software has been used to obtain the temperature distribution in the casting process by performing Transient Thermal Analysis. In this research work, solidification of lead-2wt%antimony alloy has been carried out in the different sizes of metallic mold to predict the formation of shrinkage during solidification. Theoretical results have been validated experimentally for a particular case of lead-2wt%antimony alloy solidification. Results obtained by simulation software are compared with the experimental reading of temperature and found to be in good agreement. Voids appeared at the top and isolated area of castings for the defect-free direct method used in this study.