Preparation of semi-solid 6061 aluminum alloy slurry by serpentine channel pouring

The semi-solid 6061 aluminum alloy slurry was prepared by a serpentine channel pouring process. The effects of pouring temperature, bend number and bend diameter on the microstructures were investigated. Microstructural evolution mechanism of the semi-solid slurry during the pouring process was also analyzed. The results show that the grain is refined and the grain roundness is improved by controlling the pouring temperature close to the liquidus temperature, and the nucleation rate of primary α(Al) grains is effectively increased via increasing the bend number and decreasing the bend diameter. The primary grains are not only formed directly from the alloy melt via chilling nucleation and heterogeneous nucleation, but also evolved from the fractured dendrite fragments. Meanwhile, the heat exchange between the melt and the serpentine channel is increased by the "self-stirring" effect in the melt, which also promotes the refinement and spheroidization of primary α(Al) grains.