Effect of Electromagnetic Flow Direction on Grain Refinement of Al 2024 Alloy

In the present study, molten Al 2024 alloy was subjected to two different electromagnetic flow directions, i.e., (1) irreversible clockwise (CW) and (2) reversible clockwise–anticlockwise (CW-ACW) direction rotational magnetic fields (RMF) at constant and varying intervals. The construction allows the aluminum melt to solidify in the TP-1 mold under a combination of directional solidification with a forced convection mechanism. With the help of computer-based simulation, secondary flow and variation in temperature profiles have been evaluated. The effect of the electromagnetic stirring current and pouring temperature on the microstructural morphology of the Al 2024 alloy has been analyzed by experimental work. It was found that at a low pouring temperature (913 K) with an increase in current value (6–9 A), when CW-ACW RMF is applied, the grain size of the sample was finer compared to the CW RMF. In contras, at higher pouring temperatures (943–993 K) and the same current value, better grain size refinement was observed in the case of the CW RMF samples. However, deviation in the grain refinement trend was observed at a current of 11 A at low and higher pouring temperature. The best grain refinement was achieved at a pouring temperature of 993 K with a 7.5-A current in an irreversible direction.