Ube Industries, Inc.

Satoru Sato

Mitsuru Adachi

Hiroto Sasaki

Yasunori Harada

Tatsuo Sakamoto

Atsushi Yoshida

Takashi Kawasaki

A method of shaping a semisolid metal comprising pouring a molten aluminum or magnesium alloy which contains a crystal grain refiner and which is superheated to less than 50&#xb0; C. above a liquidus temperature of aluminum or magnesium, directly into a vessel without using a cooling jig, maintaining the alloy in the vessel for 30 seconds to 30 minutes as a resultant melt is cooled to a temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established such that a temperature of the poured alloy which is liquid and superheated to less than 10&#xb0; C. above the liquidus temperature or which is partially solid, partially liquid and at a temperature of less than 5&#xb0; C. below the liquidus temperature decreases from an initial level and passes through a temperature zone 5&#xb0; C. below the liquidus temperature within at least 10 minutes, whereby fine primary crystals are generated in the alloy, recovering the alloy from the vessel, supplying the alloy into a mold, and shaping the alloy under pressure.

Method for shaping semisolid metals

A method of shaping a semisolid metal to provide shaped parts which are produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner, without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. The method includes feeding, without using a cooling jig, into an insulating vessel, a molten alloy containing an element for promoting generation of crystal nuclei and being held to be superheated to less than 100&#xb0; C. above a liquidus temperature of the alloy; maintaining the molten alloy in the insulating vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as the alloy is cooled at a cooling rate of 0.01&#xb0; C./s to 3.0&#xb0; C./s thereby crystallizing fine primary spherical crystals in an alloy solution containing a specified liquid fraction; and feeding the alloy solution into a forming mold for shaping the alloy under pressure.

Method and apparatus for shaping semisolid metals

A method and apparatus for the semisolid forming of alloys to enable shaped parts having a fine-grained, spherical thixotropic structure to be produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. In the method, a molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than the liquidus temperature or a partially solid, partially molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than a molding temperature is fed into an insulated vessel and is maintained in the insulated vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as it is cooled to the molding temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established, thereby crystallizing fine primary crystals in the alloy solution, and the alloy is fed into a forming mold, where it is shaped under pressure.

Method of shaping semisolid metals

Apparatus for producing metal to be semimolten-molded

A magnesium or aluminum alloy melt having a composition within maximum solubility limits is poured into a mold at a temperature exceeding the alloy liquidus line, but not higher by more than 30.degree. C., the melt is cooled at a rate of at least 1.0.degree. C./sec to form a billet, the billet is heated at a rate of at least 0.5.degree. C./min in a range bound by the alloy solubility line and the alloy solidus line and further heated to a temperature above the alloy solidus line and is maintained at that temperature for 5 to 60 minutes, thereby spheroidizing primary crystals thereof, the billet is then further heated to a temperature below the alloy liquidus line and the semi-solid billet is shaped under pressure. Alternatively, a hypo-eutectic aluminum alloy melt having a composition at or above maximum solubility limits is poured into a billet-forming mold at a temperature exceeding the alloy liquidus line, but not higher by more than 30.degree. C. and the melt is cooled at a rate of at least 1.0.degree. C./sec to form a billet, the billet is then heated to a temperature above the alloy eutectic point, the holding time and temperature are selected such that the liquid-phase content of the billet is adjusted to 20% to 80% and primary crystals thereof are spheroidized and, the semi-solid billet having the adjusted liquid-phase content is shaped under pressure.

Semi-solid metal processing method and a process for casting alloy

A--Si containing magnesium alloy for casting with a melt thereof with a cast structure having eutectic compounds of Mg.sub.2 Si produced to improve creep strength of a cast product, preferably a Si-containing magnesium alloy of a Mg--Al--Zn system having either 0.01% to 2.0% or 6 to 12% of Zn and 6 to 12% of Al, is disclosed with the improvement in that the alloy contains 0.3 to 1.5% by weight of Si in combination with 0.005 to 0.2% of Sr added to effect refinement of the eutectic compounds to thereby reduce hot cracking and improve mechanical properties of the cast product, while the improved creep strength is preserved.

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Ube, Japan

Satoru Sato