Simulation of patterns of crystallizing ingot macrostructure formation

Abstract

The electromagnetic, hydrodynamic, and temperature fields of a crystallizing cylindrical ingot with a diameter of 163 mm have been calculated using the finite-difference method. Crystallization has been simulated in an electromagnetic crystallizer. The crystallization rate has been calculated, and then the ingot areas have been divided into small crystals, dendrites and globular ones. Quantitatively, the relationship between the temperature field gradient during crystallization and the ingot structure can be expressed by the following rules: 1) elongated grains of about 10 mm - cooling rate of about 1.8 • 10-4 kg/s; 2) elongated grains of about 20-30 mm - cooling rate of about 0.7 • 10-4-1.8 • 10-4 kg/s; 3) globular grains with a size of 10-20 mm - cooling rate of less than 0.7 • 10-4 kg/s. The possibility of simulation of the ingot structure during its crystallization based on the relationship between the crystallization rate and the grain size has been shown. The influence of the inductor current frequency on the structure of a crystallizing ingot has been simulated. It has been shown that an increase in the current frequency from 5 to 500 Hz leads to the expansion of the area with small crystals. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.