Experimental investigation of convective effects during solidification of a binary system in the continuous cast

A laboratory scale continuous casting facility is constructed to experimentally study the solidification of a binary system. Both initial and boundary conditions are varied in a parametric analysis to determine effects that these conditions have on convective transport in the critical liquid region of the continuous cast. A transparent Ammonium-Chloride and Water (NH4Cl-H20) solution is used to simulate cubic alloy solidification due to its dendritic microstructure. A hybrid Schlieren system is constructed to perform flow visualizations of heat and species transport for both eutectic and noneutectic solidification. Thermal and solutal profiles are measured via thermocouple grids and a multisensor fiber optic machine. Morphology images are also captured to serve as a photographic record of the two-phase region width along with tracking of the solidus and liquidus interfaces with respect to the mold walls. This data is used to substantiate origins and causes of defects known as macrosegregation in final casts