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On the role of orifice wetting for Al and Al22.5wt%Cu with Al2O3 in the Discharge Crucible method
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The demand to develop Materials Genomics and Integrated Materials Computation requires the availability of high temperature property data of liquid metals. As computing power and algorithms are constantly being improved, the accuracy of thermophysical property data has emerged as one of the limiting factors. Knowledge of these properties for materials such as Al and Al-alloys is a critical factor in numerical simulations and modelling of a wide array of industrial processes. This work reports on the measurement of viscosity, surface tension and density of liquid Al and Al-22.5wt.%Cu using the Discharge Crucible method. By comparing to other experimental data published in literature, as well as several theoretical and empirical models, the results from this study have achieved, with a varying degree of success, the goal of validating the Discharge Crucible method as a viable, cost-effective measurement method. However, while viscosity and surface tension proved to be in good agreement with other published data and model calculations, density were found to be significantly lower than expected. Through analysis, it was determined that wetting of Al or Al-Cu at the orifice of the Al2O3 crucible has an effect on flow rate since modelling of the flow using the modified-Bernoulli formulation does not account for accelerative losses within the meniscus. Dimensionless number analysis identified that wetting had an immediate effect on the flow rate, becoming more dominant with decreasing Capillary number, and hence drain time. In looking at the sensitivity of the Discharge Crucible model, it was determined that density had the largest effect on flow rate, thus explaining the link between the role of orifice wetting and the inaccurate density measurements (as opposed to viscosity or surface tension). Future research will aim to extend the Discharge Crucible model and method to account for wetting at the orifice, particularly at high temperatures.
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- Date created
- 2022-01-01
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- Type of Item
- Article (Published)