Numerical simulation of heat transfer during the solidification of pure iron in sand and mullite molds

TLDR: In this article, two-dimensional numerical simulations were made of pure iron solidification in industrial AI 50/60 AFS greensand and mullite molds, using the finite element technique and the ANSYS software program.

Abstract: Many complex phenomena favoring the solidification of metal that occur during the casting process, such as cast metal flow, thermal gradient and heat transfer between the cast metal and the mold. The grain size and mechanical properties of cast metal are defined by both these phenomena, and by the geometrical characteristics and thermo-physical properties of the metal and the mold. Heat loss from the mold to the environment through convection can also affect the mechanical properties of cast metal. In this study reported, two-dimensional numerical simulations were made of pure iron solidification in industrial AI 50/60 AFS greensand and mullite molds, using the finite element technique and the ANSYS software program. For this purpose, the iron’s thermo-physical properties were considered dependent with temperature, while for sand and mullite these properties were considered constant, and the convection phenomenon was also considered on the mold’s external surface. Metallurgical characteristics, such as the attack zone in the feed head and hot top were not taken into account in this study, since they are irrelevant the behavior of heat transfer of the metal to the mold. Owing to the iron’s temperature-dependent thermo-physical properties, this type of problem is of nonlinear characteristic. The results of the heat transfer are shown in 2D, as well as, the thermal flux, the thermal gradient and the convergence curves that control the feasibility of the Newton-Raphson algorithm calculation process. The cooling curves at various points of the solidified specimen, and the heating and cooling curves in the mold were also shown. These results were considered relevant. Keywords :Numerical simulation, finite elements, solidification of iron, sand and mullite mold