Abstract:

To address the prevalent issues of shrinkage cavities and porosity in Cu-6Ag alloy ingots during solidification, this study combines numerical simulation and experimental investigation to examine mold filling and solidification processes. A finite element-based numerical model was developed using ProCAST software to systematically analyze the effects of pouring temperature, heat transfer coefficient, and pouring time on defect formation. Key findings reveal that pouring temperature significantly influences secondary shrinkage cavity depth, with the minimum depth (4.89 cm) achieved at 1300 °C. When the heat transfer coefficient is below 5000 W/(m²·K), shrinkage cavity depth increases markedly with rising coefficient values. Extending pouring time to 150 s effectively suppresses both primary and secondary shrinkage formation. Experimental validation revealed an optimal ingot utilization rate of 76.7% at 1300 °C. This work reveals the defect formation mechanisms in Cu-6Ag alloy ingots and establishes an optimized process parameter window, offering a viable solution for high-quality and cost-effective production.

Key words: numerical simulation, Cu-6Ag alloy, ingot solidification, shrinkage cavity and porosity