Review of thermal analysis applications in aluminium casting plants

Thermal analysis has been applied as a quality control tool in aluminium casting plants for many years. Recently, it has been recognized that the cooling curve and its first derivative analysis offer parameters that can successfully be used in simulation software programs to improve simulation accuracy. The latest developments in cooling curve analysis are related to the application of higher order derivatives, showing that the thermal analysis technique can be applied to calculate the total amounts of different phases precipitated in the solidification process, including copper-rich eutectic. This paper gives a short overview of cooling curve applications in aluminium casting plants, and the impact of lead on solidification characteristic temperatures of AlSi6Cu4 alloy.