Casting of aluminum alloy strip by a single-roll caster equipped with a scraper

A SRCES (Single-Roll Caster Equipped with a Scraper) was devised in order to improve the free-solidified surface. A scraper contacted to the free-solidified surface at the constant force. The some amount of semisolid metal on the solid layer was removed and the surface condition becomes flat. The melt pool was mounted on the top of the roll. Therefore, the scraper was easily operated. In our study, aluminum alloy strip was cast by the SRCES. The scraped surface condition of the cast strip was investigated. The as-cast strip could be cold-rolled and the roughness of the free-solidified surface was reduced. There was no difference between the free-solidified surface and roll-contact surface after cold-rolling. The cross-section of the as-cast strip was observed. The porosity of the free-solidified surface was less than the porosity at center area of the strip cast by a TRC (Twin-Roll Caster). The mechanical properties of the cast strip were investigated by deep-drawing test and tensile test. As a result of deep-drawing test, there was no difference between the free-solidified surface and the roll-contact surface after cold-rolling. As a result of tensile test, mechanical properties of cold-rolled strips were similar to the strip cast by the D.C.casting. These result shows that the free-solidified surface could be improved up to the roll-contact surface by the scraper and cold-rolling.