Methods to control macro shrinkage porosity and gas bubbles in cast aluminum engine blocks

1. A method of fabricating aluminum automobile components, by estimating proper eutectic modification level in a liquid metal to minimize macro shrinkage porosity and gas bubbles during aluminum casting, said estimating proper eutectic modification level comprising:

estimating the effective phosphorus level in the liquid metal using

P eff (wt %)=P(wt %)+ c 1*Sb(wt %)+ c 2*Bi(wt %)− c 3*Ca(wt %)  (2);

estimating the required minimal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

Sr eff-min (wt %)= a 1 +b 1*P eff (wt %)  (3);

estimating the allowed maximal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

Sr eff-max (wt %)= a 2+ b 2 *P eff (wt %)  (4);

where:

P eff (wt %) is the combined effect of trace elements on eutectic modification;

P (wt %) is the phosphorous weight percent in the liquid metal;

Sb (wt %) is the antimony weight percent in the liquid metal;

Bi (wt %) is the bismuth weight percent in the liquid metal;

Ca (wt %) is the calcium weight percent in the liquid metal;

Sr eff-min (wt %) is the required minimal addition of strontium in weight percent to the liquid metal eliminate macro shrinkage;

Sr eff-max (wt %) is the allowed maximal addition of strontium in weight percent to the liquid metal eliminate gas bubbles;

and

a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2, c3 are constants that depend on a given set of casting component geometry and casting process parameters;

providing a mold;

introducing the liquid metal into said mold such that porosity due to at least one of macro shrinkage and gas bubble formation is reduced; and

cooling said liquid metal such that said liquid metal is substantially solidified.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the casting is selected from the group consisting of sand casting, and investment casting and permanent mold casting.

3. A system to estimate proper eutectic modification level of a liquid metal during casting of aluminum automobile components, said system comprising:

an information input configured to receive information relating to at least one of trace elements of the liquid metal, casting component geometry, and casting process parameters;

an information output configured to convey information relating to proper eutectic modification level predicted by the system;

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable medium comprising a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer-readable medium cooperative with the computer processor, the information input and the information output such that the received information is operated upon by the computer processor and the computer-readable program code to be presented to the information output as proper eutectic modification level, said computer-readable program code comprising a proper eutectic modification level module, wherein:

the proper eutectic modification level module estimates the required minimal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

P eff (wt %)=P(wt %)+ c 1*Sb(wt %)+ c 2*Bi(wt %)− c 3*Ca(wt %)  (2)

estimating the required minimal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

Sr eff-min (wt %)= a 1+ b 1*P eff (wt %)  (3);

estimating the allowed maximal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

Sr eff-max (wt %)= a 2+ b 2*P eff (wt %)  (4);

where:

P eff (wt %) is the combined effect of trace elements in weight percent on eutectic modification;

P (wt %) is the phosphorous weight percent in the liquid metal;

Sb (wt %) is the antimony weight percent in the liquid metal;

Bi (wt %) is the bismuth weight percent in the liquid metal;

Ca (wt %) is the calcium weight percent in the liquid metal;

Sr eff-min (wt %) is the required minimal addition of strontium in weight percent to the liquid metal eliminate macro shrinkage;

Sr eff-max (wt %) is the allowed maximal addition of strontium in weight percent to the liquid metal eliminate gas bubbles;

and

a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2, c3 are constants that depend on a given set of casting component geometry and casting process parameters;

a mold configured to receive the liquid metal such that porosity due to at least one of macro shrinkage and gas bubble formation is reduced.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the liquid metal is an aluminum silicon alloy.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the aluminum silicon alloy comprises a hypoeutectic alloy or a near eutectic alloy.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the received information relating to trace elements of the liquid metal comprises at least one of phosphorus, antimony, bismuth, calcium, strontium, and sodium.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the received information relating to casting component geometry comprises at least one of wall thickness and variations, geometrical structure configuration, maximum three dimensional dimensions, and shrinkage feeding capability.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein the received information relating to casting process parameters comprises at least one of liquid metal pouring temperature, mold filling method and fill profile, chill and metal insert configuration and temperatures, casting mold temperature.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein the received information relating to trace elements of the liquid metal is determined by at least one of direct measurement and analytical prediction.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said direct measurement comprises weight percentage measurement of the trace element in the liquid metal by at least one of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF).

11. The system of claim 3 , wherein the received information relating to casting component geometry and casting process parameters is determined by direct measurement.

12. An article of manufacture to estimate proper eutectic modification level of a liquid metal during casting of aluminum automobile components, said article of manufacture comprising an information input, an information output, a processing unit, a mold, and at least one computer usable medium, wherein:

the information input is configured to receive information relating to at least one of trace elements of the liquid metal, casting component geometry, and casting process parameters;

the information output is configured to convey information relating to proper eutectic modification level predicted by the article of manufacture;

the processing unit is cooperative with the computer usable medium to operate upon computer-readable program code means embodied on the computer useable medium for estimating the required minimal addition of strontium to the liquid metal; and

the computer useable medium comprises computer-readable program code means embodied therein for;

estimating the required minimal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

P eff (wt %)=P(wt %)+ c 1*Sb(wt %)+ c 2*Bi(wt %)− c 3*Ca(wt %)  (2);

estimating the required minimal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

Sr eff-min (wt %)= a 1+ b 1*P eff (wt %)  (3);

estimating the allowed maximal addition of strontium to the liquid metal using

Sr eff-max (wt %)= a 2+ b 2*P eff (wt %)  (4);

where:

P eff (wt %) is the combined effect of trace elements in weight percent on eutectic modification;

P (wt %) is the phosphorous weight percent in the liquid metal;

Sb (wt %) is the antimony weight percent in the liquid metal;

Bi (wt %) is the bismuth weight percent in the liquid metal;

Ca (wt %) is the calcium weight percent in the liquid metal;

Sr eff-min (wt %) is the required minimal addition of strontium in weight percent to the liquid metal eliminate macro shrinkage;

Sr eff-max (wt %) is the allowed maximal addition of strontium in weight percent to the liquid metal eliminate gas bubbles; and

a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, c2, c3 are constants that depend on a given set of casting component geometry and casting process parameters; and

the computer useable medium is cooperative with the information input and the information output such that the received information is operated upon by the computer-readable program code means to be presented to the information output as an estimation of the proper eutectic modification level of the liquid metal during aluminum casting;

the mold is configured to receive the liquid metal such that porosity due to at least one of macro shrinkage and gas bubble formation is reduced.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the liquid metal is an aluminum silicon alloy.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the aluminum silicon alloy comprises a hypoeutectic alloy or a near eutectic alloy.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the information relating to trace elements of the liquid metal comprises at least one of phosphorus, antimony, bismuth, calcium, strontium, and sodium.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the information relating to casting component geometry comprises at least one of wall thickness and variations, geometrical structure configuration, maximum three dimensional dimensions, and shrinkage feeding capability.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the information relating to casting process parameters comprises at least one of liquid metal pouring temperature, mold filling method and fill profile, chill and metal insert configuration and temperatures, and casting mold temperature.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the received information relating to trace elements of the liquid metal is determined by at least one of direct measurement and analytical prediction.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 , wherein said direct measurement weight percentage measurement of the trace element in the liquid metal by at least one of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF).

20. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the received information relating to casting component geometry and casting process parameters is determined by direct measurement.