Title: Dissolution kinetics of aluminium-manganese compacts in molten aluminium

Authors: R. Molaei, M. Soltanieh, M.R. Aboutalebi

Addresses: Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, P.O.B. 16845-161, Narmak, Tehran, Iran. ' Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, P.O.B. 16845-161, Narmak, Tehran, Iran. ' Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, P.O.B. 16845-161, Narmak, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: The common alloying practice in aluminium cast house is to prepare the alloy additions as compacts with aluminium and to add them to the aluminium melt. In this study, mixtures of Mn and Al powders with different Al contents were compacted and added to the Al melt. The dissolution rate and its mechanisms were studied. Microstructure of the samples was investigated using SEM. Meanwhile, XRD and EDS techniques were employed to evaluate the chemical composition of the samples. Formation of intermetallic compounds was studied by DTA. The results show that the dissolution rate of Mn in molten Al was so high when Al-Mn compacts were used instead of pure Mn compacts. Formation of the intermetallic compounds during the dissolution process was concluded as the main reason for such a high rate. The incubation time was mostly influenced by chemical composition of the compacts. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the dissolution process of Mn in molten Al is controlled by mass transfer.

Keywords: molten aluminium; manganese; dissolution kinetics; aluminium-manganese compacts; microstructure; intermetallic compounds; chemical composition; mass transfer; aluminium alloys.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSI.2009.025298

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity, 2009 Vol.3 No.1, pp.88 - 98

Published online: 18 May 2009 *

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