Modeling of Electroslag Refining

Christopher J. Szczepanski

University of Pennsylania

Advising Professor: Matthew Krane

Introduction

Electroslag refining (ESR) is a well-developed industrial process that is currently employed to refine the composition and microstructure of various special-use alloys. The operating conditions of many of these alloys require that they be of the highest quality. This requirement had been met by the ESR process; however materials are now being used in conditions which demand more homogeneous and isotropic properties. Thus, this project attempts to model the solidification of alloys in the ESR process to more fully understand the effects that various process parameters have on the microstructure of resulting ingots. Armed with accurate predictions of how metals behave in this process, experts will be able to optimize their ESR processes to consistently produce high-quality ingots.

Project Objectives

  • To model the solidification of metals given temperature boundary conditions
  • To make qualitative predictions of the appearance of the microstructure

Experimental Approach

  • Using a Monte Carlo sampling method to determine the solidification behavior
  • Using a Random Number generator to generate grain orientations, and to randomly generate the placement of nucleation sites
  • A Cellular Automaton approach to calculate the depression of the melting point due to curvature and the misalignment of grains

Research Highlights

  • We produced a predicted microstructure for isothermal cases and cases in which one or more sides is cooled
  • We also produced a microstructure that takes into account the predicted depression of the melting temperature due to curvature
Final Research Presentation