A production device and method for high-uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide a production device and method for highly uniform and fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots, which relate to the field of aluminum alloy materials. The production device includes a launder, a crystallizer, and an ingot guide head arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The bottom surface of the launder is connected to a number of conduits of the same specifications, and the conduits extend into the crystallizer. The distribution rate of conduits in the middle area of ​​the crystallizer is less than that in the surrounding area. The bottom outlet of the crystallizer is also provided with a strong cooling component. The production method includes: starting the strong cooling component; allowing the aluminum alloy melt in the launder to enter the crystallizer through the conduit, and when the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer solidifies into a billet shell, starting the ingot guide head to run vertically downward for casting. During the casting process, the injection port of the conduit is located in the melt in the crystallizer and is located 2-5 cm above the two-phase region; and the ingot guide head is moved to a preset position to complete the casting. The production device and method realize the production of uniform, fine-grained, low-stress, and defect-free ingots.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aluminum alloy materials, and in particular to a production device and method for highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots. Background Art

[0002] Aluminum alloys are widely used in modern industrial production, and deformed aluminum alloys are widely used in aviation, aerospace, shipbuilding, and other fields. Deformed aluminum alloys are produced by plastic deformation processes such as forging, rolling, and extrusion of aluminum alloy ingots. Aluminum alloy ingots are the foundation for the production of deformed aluminum alloys and directly affect the performance of subsequent materials.

[0003] Currently, aluminum alloy ingots are mostly produced using traditional semi-continuous casting technology, whereby the aluminum melt flows through a launder or distributor into the mold, where it is then drawn by a starter head to complete the casting process. Large-sized ingots produced using this traditional semi-continuous casting process suffer from inherent issues such as compositional and structural segregation, larger grains, and high stress. These issues directly restrict the size and alloy type of the ingots, and also affect their overall performance after deformation and heat treatment.

[0004] Furthermore, additive manufacturing, as an emerging technology, is also undergoing research and development or limited application. Although ingots produced using additive manufacturing have largely resolved issues such as material segregation and coarse grains, they still suffer from significant defects such as porosity and looseness.

[0005] Therefore, a new technology is needed that can simultaneously solve the intrinsic defect problems of traditional semi-continuous casting technology and additive manufacturing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a production device and method for highly uniform and fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots, which is based on traditional semi-continuous casting technology and adopts a new melt impact solidification technology to achieve the production of uniform, fine-grained, low-stress, and defect-free ingots.

[0007] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a production device for highly uniform and fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots, which includes a flow trough, a crystallizer and an ingot guide head arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The bottom surface of the flow trough is connected to a number of conduits of the same specification, which extend into the crystallizer and are sprayed downward. The conduit distribution rate in the middle area of ​​the crystallizer is smaller than that in the surrounding area. The ingot guide head is arranged at the bottom outlet of the crystallizer and can move vertically. The bottom outlet of the crystallizer is also provided with a strong cooling component.

[0008] In the above-mentioned implementation process, the production device of the embodiment of the present application combines the crystallizer and ingot guide head that realize the traditional semi-continuous casting technology with the conduit and crystallizer that realize the new technology of melt impact solidification. On the one hand, based on the melt impact and the distribution technology of flow / heat in the two-phase zone of the melt, specifically, the layout of the conduits in the crystallizer is as follows: the conduit spacing in different areas is different, the conduits corresponding to the edges of the aluminum alloy ingot are distributed more densely to strengthen the edge impact, and the conduits corresponding to the center of the aluminum alloy ingot are distributed more sparsely to weaken the impact, and finally reduce the depth of the liquid cavity, realize the grain refinement of the ingot and improve the structural heterogeneity; on the other hand, based on the strong cooling technology, the solidification interface is forced to move upward, so that the solidification interface can still maintain the original / similar balance under the action of impact. Ultimately, the production of uniform, fine-grained, low-stress, defect-free ingots is achieved, solving the intrinsic defect problems existing in traditional semi-continuous casting technology and additive manufacturing technology.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the distribution area of ​​the conduits on the bottom surface of the flow channel matches the cross-section of the crystallizer, and the conduits are vertically inserted into the crystallizer.

[0010] In the above implementation process, it is ensured that the feeding impact on the middle area of ​​the crystallizer is weak, and the aluminum alloy melt in this area is not easy to solidify and form. The feeding impact on the surrounding area is strong, and the aluminum alloy melt in this area is easy to solidify and form. Due to the difference in the impact effect of the aluminum alloy melt at the edge and the middle, the temperature difference in the melt solidification process can be leveled, and the temperature uniformity of the solidified melt from the edge to the core can be achieved, which fundamentally improves the segregation of the composition and structure of the aluminum alloy ingot.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the cross-section of the crystallizer is rectangular, the distribution area of ​​the conduits on the bottom surface of the flow channel is rectangular, and the spacing between adjacent conduits in the middle area along the length direction is greater than the spacing between adjacent conduits in the end areas.

[0012] In the above implementation process, for the case of producing aluminum alloy ingots with a rectangular cross-section, the cross-section of the crystallizer and the distribution area of ​​the conduits are rectangular, the distribution of the conduits in the middle area is sparse, and the impact of the aluminum alloy melt in the corresponding center is small, and the distribution of the conduits in the two end areas is denser, and the impact of the aluminum alloy melt in the corresponding edge is large, thereby achieving uniformity in the temperature and solidification of the aluminum alloy melt.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the cross-section of the crystallizer is 1300-2000 mm long and 300-500 mm wide. The spacing between adjacent conduits in the two end regions along the length direction on the bottom surface of the flow channel is 30-60 mm, the spacing between adjacent conduits in the middle region is 50-80 mm, and the spacing between adjacent conduits along the width direction is 80-120 mm.

[0014] In the above implementation process, it can be ensured that aluminum alloy ingots with a width of 1300-2000 mm and a thickness of 300-500 mm are uniformly formed during production.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the cross-section of the crystallizer is circular or square, the distribution area of ​​the conduits on the bottom surface of the flow channel is correspondingly circular or square, and the spacing between adjacent conduits in the central area is greater than the spacing between adjacent conduits in the surrounding area.

[0016] In the above implementation process, for the case of producing aluminum alloy ingots with circular or square cross-sections, the cross-section of the crystallizer and the distribution area of ​​the conduits correspond to circular or square, the distribution of the conduits in the central area is relatively sparse, and the impact of the aluminum alloy melt corresponding to the center is small, the distribution of the conduits in the surrounding area is relatively dense, and the impact of the aluminum alloy melt corresponding to the edge is large, thereby achieving uniformity of melt temperature and solidification.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the diameter of the catheter is 5-20 mm.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the forced cooling component extends from the bottom outlet of the crystallizer to below the crystallizer.

[0019] In the above implementation process, a strong cooling component is set at the bottom outlet of the crystallizer to ensure that the crystallizer can successfully pull the billet. The strong cooling component extends to the bottom of the crystallizer to ensure that the billet is further cooled to be fully formed.

[0020] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for producing a highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot based on the production device provided in the first aspect, comprising the following steps:

[0021] Start the strong cooling component;

[0022] The aluminum alloy melt in the runner is passed through the conduit into the crystallizer. When the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer solidifies into a billet shell, the starter head is started to move vertically downward to perform casting. During the casting process, the nozzle of the conduit is located in the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer and 2-5 cm above the two-phase zone.

[0023] When the ingot starter moves to the preset position, the ingot starter is stopped and the aluminum alloy melt is stopped from being introduced into the crystallizer to complete the casting.

[0024] In the above-mentioned implementation process, the production method is based on traditional semi-continuous casting technology and adopts a new melt impact solidification technology. The melt is added in a way that the aluminum alloy melt in the flow channel enters the crystallizer from the conduit, and the melt impact force is controlled by controlling the height difference of the aluminum alloy melt. The injection amount of the aluminum alloy melt in different areas is controlled by the conduit distribution, and the depth of the liquid cavity is finally reduced. The strong impact of the aluminum alloy melt will cause the overall downward shift of the solidification interface, changing the original interface balance; and the insertion depth of the conduit is close to the two-phase region of the aluminum alloy melt, directly impacting the two-phase region to achieve the effect of grain refinement; the grain refinement of the aluminum alloy ingot, as well as the improvement of composition and organizational segregation, reduce the internal stress of the aluminum alloy ingot, and provide conditions for enhanced cooling of the aluminum alloy ingot; by introducing a strong cooling medium into the strong cooling component, the strong cooling forces the solidification interface to move upward, so that the solidification interface maintains the original / similar balance. The production process of the embodiment of the present application changes the problems of composition and structure segregation, large grains, large stress, pores, looseness, etc. in the ingots produced by traditional and existing technologies, and finally obtains high-quality aluminum alloy ingots with low stress and low segregation; obtains highly uniform equiaxed fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots; and the aluminum alloy ingots have no obvious defects such as pores and looseness.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the aluminum alloy melt in the flow channel is pressurized at 0-3 bar.

[0026] In the above-mentioned implementation process, the transmission of the aluminum alloy melt is achieved through the flow channel and the conduit. The aluminum alloy melt directly enters the solidification two-phase zone under the pressure condition generated by the height difference. Pressurizing the aluminum alloy melt can strongly impact the melt two-phase zone in the crystallizer, refine the grains, and hinder the formation of dendrites, and finally present an equiaxed fine crystal shape.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the aluminum alloy is 7050 aluminum alloy, and the temperature of the aluminum alloy melt is 650-720°C. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a production device for a highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the midstream trough and the conduit;

[0031] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Structural diagram from another perspective;

[0032] 4 to 9 are graphs showing the distribution of chemical composition of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 along the same direction from the center to the edge;

[0033] 10 and 11 are microstructure diagrams of the edge and core of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1;

[0034] Figure 12 A schematic structural diagram of a flow channel and a conduit in another production device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Icons: 100-production device; 111-flow channel; 112-conduit; 120-crystallizer; 130-ingot starter; 140-forced cooling component; 211-flow channel; 212-conduit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] During the implementation of this application, the applicant discovered that while ingots produced using additive manufacturing technology have largely resolved issues such as material segregation and coarse grains, they still suffer from significant defects such as porosity and looseness. This is generally due to the difficulty in controlling air intake and oxidation during the scanning molding process, as well as the difficulty in controlling shrinkage control for high-alloy melts with relatively large crystallization ranges. Porosity and looseness, among other defects, can occur. After processing and heat treatment, the ingots exhibit poor fracture toughness, fatigue properties, and other properties, making them difficult to meet the requirements for high-performance aluminum alloys used in aviation applications. For example, additive manufacturing technology cannot produce large, high-performance aluminum slabs for aviation.

[0037] In order to solve the shortcomings of the traditional semi-continuous casting technology and the additive manufacturing technology, the applicant has explored a new technology that combines the semi-continuous casting technology and the additive manufacturing technology.

[0038] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0040] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in this application without creative effort are also within the scope of protection of this application.

[0041] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0042] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the product of the application is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on this application.

[0043] It should also be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, or electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, or internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0044] First embodiment

[0045] See also Figures 1 to 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a production device 100 for highly uniform and fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots, which includes a flow channel 111, a crystallizer 120 and an ingot guide head 130 arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The bottom surface of the flow channel 111 is connected to a plurality of conduits 112 of the same specification. The conduits 112 extend into the crystallizer 120 and the injection direction is downward. The distribution rate of the conduits 112 in the middle area of ​​the crystallizer 120 is less than that in the surrounding area. The ingot guide head 130 is arranged at the bottom outlet of the crystallizer 120 and can move vertically. The bottom outlet of the crystallizer 120 is also provided with a strong cooling component 140. The strong cooling component 140 extends from the bottom outlet of the crystallizer 120 to the bottom of the crystallizer 120, and a strong cooling medium is passed into the strong cooling component 140.

[0046] In the embodiment of the present application, the specifications of each conduit 112 are the same, the diameter of the conduit 112 is 5-20 mm, and the flow rate of each conduit 112 is also the same, so the melt flow rate in different areas is controlled by the spacing between the conduits 112. The distribution area of ​​the conduits 112 on the bottom surface of the flow channel 111 matches the cross-section of the crystallizer 120, and the conduits 112 are vertically inserted into the crystallizer 120. In the embodiment of the present application, the cross-section of the crystallizer 120 is rectangular, specifically, the long side is significantly larger than the wide side. Corresponding to the production of plate ingots, the distribution area of ​​the conduits 112 on the bottom surface of the flow channel 111 is rectangular, and the spacing between adjacent conduits 112 in the middle area along the length direction is larger than the spacing between adjacent conduits 112 in the end areas. Specifically, the cross-section of the crystallizer 120 is 1300-2000 mm long and 300-500 mm wide. The spacing between adjacent conduits 112 at the two end regions along the length direction on the bottom surface of the flow channel 111 is 30-60 mm, the spacing between adjacent conduits 112 in the middle region is 50-80 mm, and the spacing between adjacent conduits 112 along the width direction is 80-120 mm.

[0047] Accordingly, the embodiment of the present application provides a production method of the production device 100 of the highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot, which includes the following steps:

[0048] S1. Start the strong cooling component 140. Generally, a strong cooling medium is continuously introduced into the strong cooling component 140. Based on the setting method of the strong cooling component 140, primary cooling and secondary cooling are achieved: the strong cooling component 140 passes through the crystallizer 120, and the strong cooling medium flowing through the crystallizer 120 solidifies the melt therein into a billet shell. This process is primary cooling; the strong cooling medium in the strong cooling component 140 passing through the crystallizer 120 is sprayed onto the casting, and the strong cooling medium is used to achieve strong cooling conditions. This process is secondary cooling. The strong cooling medium in the embodiment of the present application is a coolant or water with a lower temperature added to the water to lower the water temperature as a whole, to ensure that the temperature of the strong cooling medium during the secondary cooling is low (usually below 10°C), to achieve strong cooling of the entire casting process, and to replace the water cooling used in traditional semi-continuous casting, where the water temperature is relatively high.

[0049] S2. The aluminum alloy melt in the flow channel 111 enters the crystallizer 120 through the conduit 112. The temperature of the aluminum alloy melt varies depending on the type of aluminum alloy. For example, if the aluminum alloy model is 7050 aluminum alloy, the temperature of the aluminum alloy melt is 650-720°C. The aluminum alloy melt can be pressurized by the height difference between the aluminum alloy melt in the flow channel 111 and the injection port of the conduit 112 and the atmospheric pressure. A certain air pressure can also be directly added to the aluminum alloy melt in the flow channel 111 to allow the aluminum alloy melt to impact the conduit 112 and enter the crystallizer 120. The aluminum alloy melt in the flow channel 111 is pressurized by 0-3 bar.

[0050] The aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer 120 solidifies into a billet shell under one cooling. Under the cooling action, the interior of the billet shell is divided into L phase (liquid phase zone), L+S phase (a mixed zone of liquid phase and solid phase, i.e., a two-phase zone) and S phase (solid phase zone) from top to bottom. When the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer 120 solidifies into a billet shell (usually when the aluminum alloy melt in the area near the bottom end of the crystallizer 120 near the outlet solidifies into a billet shell), the ingot head 130 is started to move vertically downward for casting. The length of the crystallizer 120 corresponds to the width of the billet, the width of the crystal corresponds to the thickness of the billet, and the casting length of the crystallizer 120 corresponds to the length of the billet. During the casting process, the injection port of the conduit 112 is located in the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer 120 and is located 2-5 cm above the two-phase zone. The specific insertion depth varies depending on the type of aluminum alloy.

[0051] It should be noted that, since the stress of the ingot is relatively low and evenly distributed during the casting process, the strong cooling condition provided by the strong cooling assembly 140 will not cause the ingot to crack.

[0052] The cooling rate of the strong cooling component 140 needs to match the impact amount (flow rate) of the aluminum alloy melt in the conduit 112, so that the greater the impact amount / flow rate in the crystallizer 120, the stronger the cooling needs to be, so that the entire solidification process can be rebalanced, otherwise the solidification interface will move downward, which is not good for the entire ingot. However, when the casting is stable, the required flow rate of the aluminum alloy melt (the sum of all flows of each conduit 112) is fixed, so the cooling intensity is also fixed, and the key parameter that determines the flow rate is the casting speed, that is, the billet drawing speed. For example, when the casting speed is 15mm / min, the required flow rate of the aluminum alloy melt is 1.626534t / h; when the casting speed is 25mm / min, the required flow rate of the aluminum alloy melt is 2.71089t / h; when the casting speed is 35mm / min, the required flow rate of the aluminum alloy melt is 3.795246t / h; when the casting speed is 48mm / min, the required flow rate of the aluminum alloy melt is 5.2049088t / h.

[0053] In addition, from the perspective of flow rate (impact volume) and cooling intensity, judging from the flow rate / impact volume at the edge, the greater the overall flow rate, the lower the temperature of the strong cooling medium needs to be. At the current speed of 48mm / min and flow rate of 5.2t / h, the temperature of the strong cooling medium needs to be stabilized at 0-10℃.

[0054] S3. After the starter head 130 moves to a preset position (forming an ingot of a certain length), the starter head 130 stops running and the aluminum alloy melt is stopped from being introduced into the crystallizer 120 to complete the casting.

[0055] Example 1

[0056] This embodiment provides a 7050 aluminum alloy ingot with the following specifications: width × thickness = 1655 mm × 400 mm. The specific production process is as follows:

[0057] (1) Using Figure 1 The production device 100 shown adjusts the diameter of the conduit 112 to 10 mm, and sets the distribution of the conduit 112 in the flow channel 111: a conduit 112 is set every 50 mm near the edge in the width direction of the ingot, a conduit 112 is set every 80 mm near the center, and a conduit 112 is set every 80 mm in the thickness direction of the ingot.

[0058] (2) introducing a strong cooling medium into the strong cooling component 140 of the crystallizer 120;

[0059] (3) Melting a 7050 melt of standard composition at a casting temperature of 700°C; passing the melt pressurized at 1 bar into the crystallizer 120 through the flow channel 111 and the conduit 112, with the conduit 112 approaching a depth of 2-5 cm from the mushy zone (two-phase zone); when the melt solidifies into a shell, starting the ingot starter 130 for casting;

[0060] (4) When the starter head 130 moves to a preset position (required ingot length), the starter head 130 is stopped and the introduction of the melt is stopped at the same time, and the casting is completed.

[0061] Comparative Example 1

[0062] This comparative example provides a 7050 aluminum alloy ingot having the same specifications as those of the ingot in Example 1. The ingot is produced using conventional semi-continuous casting technology. The production process is as follows:

[0063] Melt a 7050 melt of standard composition at a casting temperature of 700°C; directly introduce the melt into a conventional crystallizer; when the melt solidifies into a shell, start the starter head for casting; when the starter head moves to the preset position (required ingot length), stop the starter head and the introduction of the melt at the same time, completing the casting.

[0064] The chemical composition and microstructure of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were analyzed, and the results are as follows:

[0065] FIG4 to FIG9 are graphs showing the distribution of chemical composition of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 along the center to the edge in different directions, as follows:

[0066] FIG4( a ) and FIG4 ( b ) are diagrams showing the step-by-step changes in Zn from the center to the edge of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively;

[0067] FIG5( a ) and FIG5 ( b ) are diagrams showing the step-by-step changes in Zn from the center to the edge of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively;

[0068] FIG6( a ) and FIG6 ( b ) are step-by-step diagrams showing the change of Mg from the center to the edge of the ingots in the width direction of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively;

[0069] FIG7( a ) and FIG7 ( b ) are step-by-step diagrams showing the change of Mg from the center to the edge of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 in the thickness direction, respectively;

[0070] 8( a ) and 8 ( b ) are diagrams showing the step-by-step changes in Cu from the center to the edge of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively;

[0071] 9( a ) and 9 ( b ) are diagrams showing the step-by-step changes in Cu from the center to the edge of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, respectively.

[0072] Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are microstructure diagrams of the edges of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1;

[0073] 11( a ) and 11 ( b ) are microstructure diagrams of the core of the ingots of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1.

[0074] According to the above test results, the ingot produced in Example 1 has great advantages over the conventional semi-continuous casting in Comparative Example 1 in terms of composition segregation, grain morphology and grain size from the center to the edge in the width and thickness directions, which are specifically reflected in:

[0075] 1. Composition: The ingots produced in the embodiments of the present application have a relatively uniform distribution of Zn, Mg, and Cu from the core to the edge in the width and thickness directions, with a low degree of segregation, which is a great advantage over ingots produced by conventional semi-continuous casting.

[0076] 2. Organization: The ingots produced in the embodiments of the present application have no obvious defects in their organization, the grains are uniform and fine equiaxed crystals, and the grain size difference between the edge and the core is not much; while the grains of ingots produced by traditional semi-continuous casting are dendritic, the grain size is larger, and the grain size difference between the edge and the core is large.

[0077] Second embodiment

[0078] See also Figure 1 and Figure 12As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a production device for highly uniform and fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots, which has substantially the same structure as the production device 100 in the first embodiment, except that: the cross-section of the crystallizer 120 in the embodiment of the present application is circular, the distribution area of ​​the conduits 212 on the bottom surface of the flow channel 211 is correspondingly circular, and the spacing between adjacent conduits 212 located in the central area is greater than the spacing between adjacent conduits 212 located in the surrounding area. In particular, viewed from the middle to the surrounding, the spacing between adjacent conduits 212 gradually decreases. The production device 100 is used to produce ingots with a circular cross-section.

[0079] In summary, the production device and method of highly uniform and fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots in the embodiments of the present application are based on traditional semi-continuous casting technology and adopt a new melt impact solidification technology to achieve the production of uniform, fine-grained, low-stress, and defect-free ingots.

[0080] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations of the present application are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A production device for highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingots, characterized in that: It includes a flow trough, a crystallizer and a starter head arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The bottom surface of the flow trough is connected to a plurality of conduits of the same specification. The conduits extend into the crystallizer and the injection direction is downward. The conduit distribution rate in the middle area of ​​the crystallizer is smaller than that in the surrounding area. The starter head is arranged at the bottom outlet of the crystallizer and can move vertically. The bottom outlet of the crystallizer is also provided with a strong cooling component.

2. The production device of highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distribution area of ​​the conduits on the bottom surface of the flow channel matches the cross-section of the crystallizer, and the conduits are vertically inserted into the crystallizer.

3. The production device of highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The cross section of the crystallizer is rectangular, the distribution area of ​​the conduits on the bottom surface of the flow channel is rectangular, and the distance between adjacent conduits in the middle area along the length direction is greater than the distance between adjacent conduits in the end areas.

4. The production device of highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cross-section of the crystallizer is 1300-2000 mm long and 300-500 mm wide. The spacing between adjacent conduits in the two end areas along the length direction on the bottom surface of the flow channel is 30-60 mm, the spacing between adjacent conduits in the middle area is 50-80 mm, and the spacing between adjacent conduits along the width direction is 80-120 mm.

5. The production device of highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The cross section of the crystallizer is circular or square, the distribution area of ​​the conduits on the bottom surface of the flow channel is correspondingly circular or square, and the spacing between adjacent conduits in the central area is greater than the spacing between adjacent conduits in the surrounding area.

6. The production device of highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The diameter of the catheter is 5-20 mm.

7. The production device of highly uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The strong cooling component extends from the bottom outlet of the crystallizer to below the crystallizer.

8. A production method based on the production device of high-uniform fine-grained aluminum alloy ingot according to claim 1, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: Start the strong cooling component; The aluminum alloy melt in the runner is passed through the conduit into the crystallizer. When the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer solidifies into a billet shell, the starter head is started to move vertically downward to perform casting. During the casting process, the nozzle of the conduit is located in the aluminum alloy melt in the crystallizer and 2-5 cm above the two-phase zone. When the starter head moves to the preset position, the starter head is stopped and the aluminum alloy melt is stopped from being introduced into the crystallizer to complete the casting.

9. The production method according to claim 8, characterized in that The aluminum alloy melt in the launder is pressurized at 0-3 bar.

10. The production method according to claim 8, characterized in that The model of the aluminum alloy is 7050 aluminum alloy, and the temperature of the aluminum alloy melt is 650-720°C.

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