Influence of Reaction Temperature for the Manufacturing of Al-3Ti and Al-3B Master Alloys and their Grain Refining Efficiency on a Al-7Si Alloy

In the present work binary Al-3Ti and Al-3B master alloys were prepared at different reaction temperatures in an induction furnace by the reaction of halide salts like potassium fluoborate and potassium titanium fluoride with liquid molten Al. The indigenously developed master alloys were used for grain refinement studies of Al-7Si alloy and evaluated for their grain refining ability by CACCA studies. The present results suggest that, the reaction temperature influences the size, size distribution and morphology of the intermetallic (Al3Ti in Al-3Ti, and AlB2/AlB12 in Al-3B) particles present in Al-3Ti and Al-3B master alloys. Grain refinement studies of Al-7Si alloy reveal that, Al-3Ti and Al-3B master alloys prepared at 8000C-60 min. have shown better grain refining efficiency on Al- 7Si alloy when compared to the master alloys prepared at 9000C-60 min and 10000C-60 min respectively. In addition, B-rich Al-3B master alloy shows efficient grain refinement than Ti rich Al- 3Ti master alloy.