Computer aided cooling curve analysis to calculate the thermophysical properties of zinc aluminium 12

Abstract

Computer Aided Cooling Curve Analysis (CA-CCA) is the utilization of time-Temperature graph to reveal several processing and material parameters. Its application ranges from prediction of transition temperatures, amount of different phases, latent heat and dendrite coherency point among various others. In the current paper, both Newtonian and Fourier methods were used and solidification parameters such as phase change temperature, latent heat and thermal diffusivity of zinc-12% aluminium alloy (ZA 12) were determined. The phase transition temperatures were observed at 440 +C and 370 +C for liquidus and solidus respectively. The value of latent heat obtained by Fourier technique was 130.7�J/g which is closer to the theoretical value of 118�J/g when compared to Newtonian technique. It can be mainly attributed to the fact that the effect of temperature gradient within the solidifying sample is taken into consideration in Fourier technique. Also thermal diffusivity was calculated as a temperature dependent function for the mushy zone (440-370 +C) using the Fourier method ranging from 5.04 � 10-5m2/s and 3.04 � 10-5m2/s. � 2019 Author(s).