Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Makhlouf M Makhlouf

Diran Apelian

Deepak Saha

Richard D Sisson

Sumanth Shankar

Loutfallah Georges Chedid

Preferred embodiments of the present invention include methods that allow for casting alloys, and preferentially casting wrought alloys to circumvent problems such as, for example, hot tearing. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide for alloys having predominantly spherical primary &#x3b1;-aluminum grains in their microstructure (i.e., substantially free of dendrites) formed by mixing two liquids of differing compositions that are held at predetermined temperatures, such that when mixed they produce a predetermined alloy composition at a predetermined temperature that is inclined to solidify with a predominantly spherical grain structure that minimizes the alloy's tendency towards hot tearing.

Casting of aluminum based wrought alloys and aluminum based casting alloys

An alloy solute sensor probe, measurement system and measurement method are disclosed for directly measuring solute concentration profiles in conductive material components at elevated processing temperatures. The disclosed device and method permit direct, real-time non-destructive measurement of solute concentration profiles in treated surfaces in alloy components. In disclosed embodiments, a novel concentric carbon sensor and rod-shaped carbon sensor are disclosed which employ AC frequencies for probing the subsurface region of alloy samples to determine carbon concentration profiles at steel surfaces from measurements of alloy resistivity profiles. Results of carbon profile measurements obtained with the disclosed device and method compare favorably with conventional destructive analytical measurements made on post-processed samples. The sensor probe and method may be utilized to determine solute concentration profiles with a variety of solute materials and alloy compositions and may be advantageously employed in alloy surface processing, carburization heat treatments, induction heating and fatigue fracture applications.

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Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Makhlouf M Makhlouf