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A Comparison of Thixocasting and

Rheocasting
Stephen P. Midson
The Midson Group, Inc.
Denver, Colorado
USA

Andrew Jackson
Arthur Jackson & Co., Ltd.
Brighouse
UK

Abstract

The first semi-solid casting process to be commercialized was

thixocasting, where a pre-cast billet is re-heated to the semi-solid solid
casting temperature. Advantages of thixocasting include the production of
high quality components, while the main disadvantage is the higher cost
associated with the production of the pre-cast billets.

Commercial pressures have driven casters to examine a different

approach to semi-solid casting, where the semi-solid slurry is generated
directly from the liquid adjacent to a die casting machine. These
processes are collectively referred to as rheocasting, and there are
currently at least 15 rheocasting processes either in commercial
production or under development around the world.

This paper will describe technical aspects of both thixocasting and

rheocasting, comparing the procedures used to generate the globular,
semi-solid slurry. Two rheocasting processes will be examined in detail,
one involved in the production of high integrity properties, while the other
is focusing on reducing the porosity content of conventional die castings.

Key Words

Semi-solid casting, thixocasting, rheocasting, aluminum alloys

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Introduction

Semi-solid casting is a modified die casting process that reduces or

eliminates the porosity present in most die castings[1]. Rather than using
liquid metal as the feed material, semi-solid processing uses a higher
viscosity feed material that is partially solid and partially liquid. The high
viscosity of the semi-solid metal, along with the use of controlled die filling
conditions, ensures that the semi-solid metal fills the die in a non-turbulent
manner so that harmful gas porosity can be essentially eliminated. After
the die is filled, high pressure (1,000 bar or more) is maintained on the
biscuit to feed micro-porosity.

Semi-solid casting has been used commercially for the past 15 to 20 years
for the production of near-net shape aluminum components. Until
recently, all semi-solid cast components have been produced by
thixocasting, a process which re-heats pre-cast billets to the semi-solid
casting temperature.

However, commercial pressures have driven casters to examine

alternative approaches to semi-solid casting, where the semi-solid slurry is
generated directly from the liquid. These processes are collectively
referred to as rheocasting. Instead of re-heating a pre-cast billet,
rheocasting cools liquid aluminum into the semi-solid range, while
simultaneously generating the globular microstructure necessary for semi-
solid forming. Creating the semi-solid slurry directly from the liquid
eliminates the need for a special (more expensive) feedstock, as well as
permitting biscuits, runners and scrap castings to be recycled in-house.

This paper will provide a brief introduction to semi-solid casting, followed

by a description of the technical aspects of both thixocasting and
rheocasting. A number of rheocasting processes are either in commercial
production or under development around the world, and two of these
processes will be examined in detail.

Semi-Solid Casting

Most semi-solid casting processes use metal that is between 25-50% solid
and 50-75% liquid, utilizing high pressure, cold chamber die casting
machines to inject the semi-solid slurry into re-usable, hardened steel
dies[1]. For semi-solid casting to be successful, the slurry must contain the
globular primary particles shown in Figure 1a. Conventional, dendritic-
type microstructures, such as the one shown in Figure 1b, will not work for
semi-solid casting. The main advantage provided by all the different semi-
solid processes is that the dispersion of the globular solid particles in the
liquid produces a highly viscous semi-solid slurry, and controlling the flow
of that viscous liquid without splashing or turbulence is much easier than
with fully liquid aluminum.

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Conventional die casters accept the turbulence associated with high speed
filling of filly liquid aluminum. They inject the liquid aluminum into dies
using gates speeds of about 30-60 m/sec, and the resulting turbulence
produces high levels of residual porosity in the castings.

Aluminum casting processes such as sand and investment casting attempt

to fill the die cavity in a non-turbulent manner by limiting the gate speed to
a maximum of about 0.25 m/sec[2]. Such low filling speeds may be
acceptable when filling ceramic dies, but attempts to fill thin-walled
components using un-coated steel dies at such low speeds would result in
rapid solidification of the aluminum and non-fills.

The solid particles dispersed in semi-solid metals increase their viscosities

as much as 10,000 times greater than those of fully liquid aluminum.
Testing has shown that this higher viscosity allows a semi-solid alloy to be
injected into a die using gate speeds of as high as 2.5-5.0 m/sec, while still
avoiding turbulence[3]. This allows the production of porosity-free, thin
walled castings in re-usable steel dies.

Thixocasting

As noted earlier, the thixocasting process was the first semi-solid process
to be commercialized. Thixocasting consists of three separate stages: the
production of a pre-cast billet having the special globular microstructure,
the re-heating of these billets to the semi-solid casting temperature and
the casting of the components (see Figure 2).

Thixocasting is capable of producing extremely high quality components

having excellent mechanical and functional properties. The billet feed
material is typically produced by aluminum companies in batches as large
as 50,000 lbs. These pre-cast bars provide billet-to-billet and lot-to-lot
chemistry, cleanliness and microstructural repeatability comparable to
forging and rolling stock, and far more consistent than is typically
achievable when pouring castings from the liquid in single doses[4]. Thus
semi-solid components produced by thixocasting tend to have very
consistent properties. The main disadvantage associated with
thixocasting is higher manufacturing cost, arising both from the premium
attached to special feedstock, as well as the inability to easily recycle
biscuits and runners.

Rheocasting

Rather than using pre-cast billet, rheocasting generates the special semi-
solid microstructure adjacent to the die casting machine directly from the
liquid (see Figure 3). The liquid is cooled into the semi-solid range, while
simultaneously generating the globular microstructure. Once the metal
has been cooled to the correct temperature, the semi-solid slurry is

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transferred to the shot sleeve of a die casting machine, and injected into
the die using the same type of controlled fill as with thixocasting.

The major advantage of rheocasting is that the semi-solid feed material is

produced at the casting machine directly from the liquid. This allows
conventional ingot material to be used, eliminating the premium associated
with the thixocasting billet. Another advantage is that biscuits and runners
can now be recycled directly into the casting stream, again reducing cost
(see Figure 3).

Potential disadvantages of rheocasting relate to the consistency of the

product and the limited commercial application of the various processes.
Questions relating to consistency arise from the fact that rheocasting uses
single shot liquid dosing (ie, a single shot of liquid metal is poured to
produce each casting), and it is much more difficult to maintain the
required levels of metal cleanliness when pouring 5 lbs of metal than when
pouring 50,000 lbs[4]. Therefore, it is still unclear whether rheocasting will
prove as reliable as thixocasting.

Slurry Generation for Rheocasting

As noted earlier, there are a number of different rheocasting processes in

commercial production or under development around the world. These
different rheocasting processes generally differ in the manner in which the
liquid is cooled and the globular semi-solid microstructure generated.
There are four general techniques used to generate the globular, semi-
solid microstructure, and most of the different rheocasting processes use
some variation of these practices[5]. The techniques are:

Stirring similar to thixocasting, the liquid aluminum (just enough for

one shot) is stirred as it is cooled into the semi-solid temperature
range.

Dendrite Fragmentation - a variation to stirring processes is the

dendrite fragmentation technique, where the melt is cooled below its
liquidus temperature, and the semi-solid alloy is treated in a turbulent
manner to break up the dendrites, producing numerous small solid
fragments that can be coarsened into globular-shaped aluminum
particles.

Pressure Waves pressure waves generated in the runner system

have been shown to generate semi-solid structures.

Numerous solidification nuclei In this technique, the liquid is poured

into a container from a temperature just above its liquidus temperature.
The rapid cooling generated during pouring generates a large number
of solid nuclei, which prevent the formation of dendrites, instead
producing a large number of globular solid particles. Often grain

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 refining techniques are used to assist the generation of the large
number of solid nuclei.

A recent publication[5] identified 15 different rheocasting processes, and

these are listed in Table 1, showing the organization that developed each
process, and the technique used to generate the slurry. The various
rheocasting processes are in different stages of commercial development,
with some of the processes being used for the commercial production of
components, while other processes are in the early stages of
development.

Detailed Description of Two Rheocasting Processes

This section of the paper will describe in more detail two of the rheocasting
processes listed in Table 1. One of the rheocasting processes is being
used for the production of high integrity, safety-critical type castings, while
the other is focusing on producing higher quality, porosity-free die
castings.

The New Rheocasting Process

The New Rheocasting (NRC) process[6-8] is shown schematically in Figure

4. The process uses a carousel of crucibles on a circular turntable. At
the first position, molten aluminum controlled just above its liquidus
temperature is poured into the crucible. It is critical for the success of the
process that the superheat of the melt has to be low, so that numerous
solid nuclei are produced during pouring - for example, Kaufmann et al[6]
report that that superheats of only 20oC are used. It is these nuclei that
generate the globular microstructure. As the carousel indexes, air is blown
on the walls of the crucible, allowing the liquid to cool into the semi-solid
state in a controlled manner. At the penultimate position, the surface of
the metal is re-heated using an induction coil. The objective is obtain a
semi-solid slug with a relatively consistent solid fraction from edge to
center and from top to bottom. The crucible is then removed from the
carousel, and the semi-solid slug is transferred into the shot chamber of a
vertical cold chamber die casting machine.

The NRC process was the first of the rheocasting process to be

commercialized. However, even at the height of its popularity, it never
approached thixocasting in tonnage of parts shipped. Typically the NRC
process is used for the production of high integrity castings used in safety-
critical, structural applications. In Europe, Stampal announced in 2003
that they would convert all their semi-solid cast parts to the NRC process.
Giordano and Chiarmetta from Stampal have provided an example of a
automotive suspension part (Figure 5) that was scheduled to enter
production in early 2005 at a rate of 20,000 sets per month[9].

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Semi-Solid Rheocasting

The Semi-Solid Rheocasting (SSRTM)[10-12] process was originally

developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and it uses
stirring and dendrite fragmentation techniques for generating the slurry.
The MIT researchers found that if solid nuclei are present in sufficient
quantities in a melt cooled just below its liquidus temperature, further
cooling will cause the nuclei to rapidly spheroidze and grow with a
spherical morphology, and that vigorous agitation is unnecessary after the
formation of only a small fraction of solid.

In Step 1 of the SSRTM process (Figure 6), a robot dips a coated ceramic
crucible into a holding furnace filled with molten aluminum held several
degrees above its liquidus temperature and brings it to the SSR station. In
step 2, a rotating, cooled graphite rod is inserted into the liquid metal and
rapidly cools the melt for a short time, usually within the range of 5-20
seconds. Yurko et al report that the stirring time is controlled by a PLC
utilizing a heat transfer algorithm that can account for variables such as
furnace and rod temperature and alloy type. The researchers report that
this closed loop feedback system is helpful in the foundry environment
where furnace temperature normally fluctuates and die casting cycles are
frequently interrupted[10].

Only a small solid fraction is formed during the stirring phase (about 5%),
so once the stirring rod is removed (step 3), additional cooling must occur
so the semi-solid metal is cooled (without additional stirring) to a solid
fraction of about 15-20%. As the melt is cooled, the particles generated in
stage two grow to form globular solid particles distributed in the liquid.
Once the target solid fraction is reached, the semi-solid alloy is poured
from the vessel into the shot chamber of a die casting machine, where it is
injected into the die.

One of the commercial focuses of the SSRTM process appears to be the

production of higher quality die castings. The inventors of the process
note that SSRTM provides the capability to improve the quality of
secondary die casting alloys such as AlSi8.5Cu3 (380), whose high
eutectic fraction make them difficult or impossible to process by other
semi-solid processes at a solid fraction of 50%. Yurko et al suggest that
SSRTM can reduce the porosity content, eliminate the need for
impregnation, and provide as much as a 25% faster cycle time (as some of
the alloys latent heat is removed at the SSRTM station).

Summary and Conclusions

A comparison of thixocasting and rheocasting has been presented,

reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of each process.

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Due to commercial pressures, casters around the world are currently
placing more attention on rheocasting. 15 rheocasting processes have
been identified, either in commercial production or under development.

Two of the rheocasting processes (NRC and SSRTM) are reviewed in

more detail. NRC is typically being used for the production of high
integrity, safety-critical type castings, while SSRTM is focusing on
producing higher quality, porosity-free die castings.

References

1. Fan, Z, Inter. Meter. Rev., Vol. 47, 2002, p 49

2. Campbell, J, Proc. Materials Solutions Conference 98 on Aluminum
Casting Technology, 1998, p3
3. Midson S P, Minkler R B & Brucher H G, Gating of Semi-Solid
Castings, Proc 6th Inter. Conf. on Semi-Solid Processing of Alloys
and Composites, Ed. G.L. Chiarmetta & M. Rosso, Turin, Italy, Sept
2000
4. Jorstad, J, Semi-Solid Metal Processing: A Cost Competitive
Approach for High Integrity Aluminum Components, Proc. 6th Inter.
Conference on Semi-Semi Processing of Alloys and Composites,
Eds. G. Chiametta & M. Rosso, Sept 2000, Turin, Italy, p 227
5. Midson S P, Rheocasting Processes for Semi-Solid Casting of
Aluminum Alloys, Die Casting Engineer, January 2006, p48
6. Kaufmann H, Holzl A & Uggowitzer P J, New Rheocasting of High
Strength Aluminum Foundry Alloys, Proc. 7th Inter. Conference on
Semi-Semi Processing of Alloys and Composites, Eds. Y. Tsutsui,
M. Kiuchi & K. Ichikawa, Sept 2002, Tsukuba, Japan, p 617
7. Adachi M, Sato S, Harada Y & Kawasaki T, US patent number
6,165,411, Apparatus for Producing Metal to be Semimolten
Molded, Dec 26th, 2000
8. European patent number 745,694Al, Method and Apparatus for
Shaping Semisolid, 1999
9. Giordano P and Chiarmetta G, New Rheocasting: A Valid
Alternative to the Traditional Technologies for the Production of
Automotive Suspension Parts, Proc. 8th International Conference on
Semi-Semi Processing of Alloys and Composites, Eds. A.
Alexandrou & D. Apelian, Sept 2004, Limassol, Cyprus
10. Yurko J A, Martinez R A & Flemings M C, SSRTM: The Spheroidal
Growth Route to Semi-Solid Forming, Proc. 8th Inter. Conference on
Semi-Semi Processing of Alloys and Composites, Eds. A.
Alexandrou & D. Apelian, Sept 2004, Limassol, Cyprus
11. Yurko J, Flemings M & Martinez A, Semi-Solid Rheocasting
(SSRTM) Increasing the Capabilities of Die Casting, Die Casting
Engineer, January 2004, p 50
12. Flemings M C, Martinez-Ayers R A, de Figueredo A & Yurko J A,
Metal Alloy Compositions and Process, US Patent number
6,645,323, Nov 11, 2003

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 Technique Used
Process Name Organization Location to Generate
Slurry
Gibbs Gibbs Die Casting USA Stirring
Hitachi Hitachi Metals Japan Stirring
Honda Honda Japan Stirring
Induction
CSIR South Africa Stirring
Heating/Stirring
SEED Process Alcan Canada Stirring
Slurry On
Mercury Marine USA Stirring
Demand
Stirring/Dendrite
Rheo-Diecasting Brunel University England
fragmentation
Semi-Solid Stirring +
IdraPrince USA
Rheocasting numerous nuclei
ATM CSIRO Australia Pressure Waves
Continuous Worcester
Dendrite
Rheoconversion Polytechnic USA
fragmentation
Process Institute
Buhler Buhler Switzerland Numerous nuclei
Controlled Worcester
Diffusion Polytechnic USA Numerous nuclei
Solidification Institute
Direct Thermal University College
Ireland Numerous nuclei
Method Dublin
New
Ube Japan Numerous nuclei
Rheocasting
Sub-Liquidus
THT Presses USA Numerous nuclei
Casting

Table 1: Fifteen different rheocasting processes (after 5)

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a) b)

100 m

Figure 1: Aluminum alloy 357 microstructures

a) Globular microstructure required for semi-solid processing
b) Conventional cast dendritic microstructure

Figure 2: Schematic of the thixoforming process

Figure 2: Schematic drawing of the thixocasting process

Figure 3: Schematic drawing of the rheocasting process

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 Figure 4 Schematic of Ubes New Rheocasting (NRC) process

Figure 5: Photograph of an automotive suspension arm scheduled to enter

production at Stampal in 2005 using the Ube NRC process (after 9)

a) b)

Figure 6: Semi-solid Rheocasting (SSRTM) (after 10)

a) Schematic of the Semi-Solid Rheocasting process
b) Photograph of IdraPrinces SSRTM Station

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