TiB2 particle detection in liquid aluminum via laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Abstract

Because aluminum alloy castings are becoming commonplace for critical applications in the automotive and aerospace industries, tight control over the cleanliness of the melt (mitigation of solid particle inclusions) and microstructure must be achieved. In order to control cleanliness, it must first be well defined and measured. Very few techniques exist in industry that can quantitatively measure inclusion levels in-situ. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is presented as a promising technique to quantify solid particles, desired or undesired, in aluminum melts. By performing LIBS with subsequent statistical analysis on liquid Al with varying amounts of TiB2 particles, calibration curves for B and Ti were generated.