Scalable Ultrasound-Assisted Casting of Ultra-large 2219 Al Alloy Ingots

A scalable ultrasound-assisted direct-chill casting technique was used to manufacture ultra-large 2219 Al alloy ingots (1250 mm in diameter; 2700 mm in net length). Following industrial ultrasonic casting experiments, three fundamental aspects of the resulting alloy were investigated: the microstructural refinement, the macro- and microsegregation mediation at different length scales, and the modification of eutectic skeletons and intermetallic compounds. This work presents new insights regarding the manufacture of ultra-large metallic ingots for special industrial applications. [GRAPHICS]