Effect of particle shape and size distribution on the dissolution behavior of Al2Cu particles during homogenization in aluminum casting alloy Al-Si-Cu-Mg

Finite element and finite difference modeling approaches were used in this study. Planar, cylindrical, spherical and elliptical particle shapes were considered. A log-normal distribution function was utilized to evaluate the effect of the particle size distribution on the dissolution behavior of the Al2Cu particles. The models were validated by conducting homogenization experiments, and using microscopy and image analysis. The dissolution kinetic is not affected by the particle-matrix interface. The assumption of spherical shape results in the best agreement between the modeling predictions and the experimental data provided that the effect of the particle size distribution instead of an average particle size is taken into account.