Radial Variation of Microstructure in a Direct-Chill Cast AA7050 Billet on Homogenization

TL;DR

This study develops a coupled numerical model to analyze the radial microstructural variation in AA7050 billets during direct-chill casting and homogenization, revealing how macrosegregation influences microstructure and recrystallization.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive 'through-process' model combining solidification and homogenization to predict microstructural evolution in AA7050 billets.

Findings

Macrosegregation impacts microstructure across the radius.

Surface regions are prone to recrystallization due to fewer dispersoids.

The model accurately predicts SDAS and phase distribution.

Abstract

A "through-process" solidification homogenization numerical model to study the microstructural evolution has been developed for AA7050 alloy. A continuum scale Direct Chill Casting (DCC) solidification model has been coupled with a meso-scale homogenization precipitation model to evaluate the radial variation of microstructure in a cylindrical DC cast billet after homogenization. The Local Solidification Times predicted by the DCC numerical model is used to predict the Secondary Dendritic Arm Spacing (SDAS) across the radius from an empirical relationship. It also predicts the macrosegregation used to estimate the radial as-cast microstructures (phases and phase fractions) using Thermo-Calc. Macrosegregation affects the initial and homogenized microstructures across the radius, making the surface prone to recrystallization, due to lesser dispersoids and larger precipitated particles during cooling, caused by lesser extent of Zenner pinning and Particle Stimulated Nucleation (PSN) of recrystallized grains respectively.