TABLE OF CONTENTS Direct strip casting is a complex process involving solidification of liquid metal directly into thin-gauge strip. To control both the process and the microstructure and properties of the strip, an understanding of various phenomena such as heat transfer, fluid flow and thermomechanical behaviour is important. A more complete understanding of these (and many other) aspects of DSC can be achieved using casting simulators and/or mathematical modelling. To be effective, however, the outcome of these methods must compare well with actual plant data. As it is impossible to depict the overall strip casting process by a single model, the process is generally broken up into component parts. Examples include the prediction of molten metal flow, interfacial heat transfer or the temperature profile of the strip during casting. This appendix describes some useful laboratory-based techniques for simulating strip casting together with relevant mathematical techniques for modelling heat transfer, fluid flow and microstructural evolution etc. The appendix precludes a detailed discussion of the very wide range of mathematical and computer-based techniques available for modelling DSC and does not cover models and simulations associated with machine dynamics and process automation.
Quenching a molten droplet onto a substrate is a simple but useful method for understanding rapid solidification behaviour. The droplet may be levitated above the substrate or injected from a small nozzle containing the melt. Other rapid quenching techniques are possible such as sandwiching a molten droplet between two platens. A schematic diagram of the interaction...
