Effect of processing route on the spatial distributions of constituent particles and their role in the fracture process in AA5754 alloy sheet materials

The solidification process and subsequent thermal mechanical history determines both the nature and distribution of the constituent particles. This study shows how the spatial distribution can be characterized and related to the fracture properties. It also indicates how the route of solidification changes the character of the particles. The main feature of this study is the development of an image analysis technique to characterize the spatial distribution of the particles in order to compare continuous casting (CC) and direct-chill casting (DC) processing route.