On-line prediction of aluminum–silicon eutectic modification level using thermal analysis

Most contemporary evaluations of silicon modification level (ML) are done according to a specific scale based on an American Foundry Society (AFS) standard chart in aluminum–silicon casting. The structures depicted in the chart do not always resemble those seen in actual castings. Therefore, this procedure is subjective and can introduce bias into comparative metallographic analyses. Thermal analysis (TA) that incorporates image analysis algorithms can be a powerful on-line tool for estimating the degree of silicon modification in cast test samples. The aim of this work is to establish a methodology for the on-line quantitative control of aluminum–silicon ML using TA.