An aluminum alloy having about 0.03 wt % to about 0.50 wt % Niobium (Nb); about 0.03 wt % to about 0.50% Vanadium (V); about 0.03 wt % to about 0.50% Titanium (Ti), greater than 0 wt % to about 0.50 wt % Boron (B); and the balance is Aluminum (Al) and impurities. The alloy includes a weight percent ratio of (Nb+V)/Ti from about 1 to about 5, preferably from about 2 to about 3. The alloy may include a weight percent ratio (Nb+V+Ti)/B from about 1 to about 15, preferably from about 5 to about 10. The aluminum alloy may be form by incorporating 1 part master alloy, grain refiner, having about 1.5 wt % to about 4.0 wt % Niobium (Nb); from about 0.5 wt % to about 2.0% Titanium (Ti), and from about 0.2 wt % to about 0.8 wt % Boron (B) to about 27 to 80 part conventional aluminum alloy, by weight.

A method for die casting a metal alloy in a cavity, implementing a mold comprising an induction heater to heat the molding surfaces of the cavity. The cavity is filled with the metal alloy by injection and preheated to a nominal preheating temperature T1. The metal in the cavity is solidified. The mold is opened and the part is ejected therefrom. The molding surfaces of the cavity are heated by induction while the part is no longer in contact with said surfaces. The molding surfaces of the cavity are sprayed, the mold being opened, by a release agent. The mold is closed and the cavity is heated the temperature T1.

Provided is a method for filling a stem-side hollow area of an engine valve with metallic sodium. The method includes injecting melted metallic sodium into a cylinder having a larger diameter than an inner diameter of the hollow area of the engine valve, forming a solidified metallic sodium rod having a substantially uniform structure in the cylinder, inserting the metallic sodium into the hollow area of the engine valve through a nozzle having a small diameter, and sealing the engine valve.

A method for continuous semisolid die casting. The method is achieved using an apparatus for continuous semisolid die casting. The apparatus includes: a first preparation device for producing a nucleating agent, a second preparation device for producing semisolid slurry, a semisolid die casting machine, and a central controller. The second preparation device includes a slurry generator. The method includes: controlling, by the central controller, the first preparation device to produce a solid nucleating agent, and delivering the solid nucleating agent to the slurry generator of the second preparation device; controlling, by the central controller, the second preparation device to produce semisolid slurry, and delivering the semisolid slurry to the semisolid die casting machine; and controlling, by the central controller, the semisolid die casting machine to perform semisolid die casting.

A process for preparing molten metals for casting at a low to zero superheat temperature involves the steps of placing a heat extracting probe into the melt and at the same time vigorous convection is applied to assure nearly uniform cooling of the melt. Then, the heat extraction probe is rapidly removed when a low or zero superheat temperature is reached. Finally, the rapidly cooled melt is quickly transferred to a mold for casting into parts or a shot sleeve for injection into a die cavity. The process may be carried out so as that small amounts of solid form in part of the melt. In this case, a key aspect of the invention is to carry out the process rapidly in order to maintain the particles in a fine, dispersed state that will not impede flow and will improve the quality of the metal parts produced. Cost of the metal parts produced is lowered due to longer die life and shorter cycle time.

A thixomolding material includes: a metal body that contains Mg as a main component; and a coating portion that is adhered to a surface of the metal body via a binder and contains SiC particles containing SiC as a main component. A mass fraction of the SiC particles in a total mass of the metal body and the SiC particles is 2.0 mass % or more and 40.0 mass % or less. The binder may contain waxes. A content of the binder may be 0.001 mass % or more and 0.200 mass % or less.

A method for casting metals under pressure by a cold-chamber method includes placing a bolt of the metal to be cast in one of at least two casting chambers and selecting a casting chamber from the at least two casting chambers and feeding and introducing the selected casting chamber into a diecasting machine, the selected casting chamber having one outlet opening. The selecting and feeding of the casting chambers is carried out alternately from the at least two casting chambers. The method further includes heating the bolt by means of induction. Melting of the bolt in the selected casting chamber is carried out after the feeding and introducing of the selected casting chamber into the diecasting machine but before an opening of the outlet opening of the selected casting chamber in order to fill the cavities is completed.

The semi-solid molding method of the present invention comprises six parts as the traditional method: a mold, a main machine, an injection system, a pulping machine, a quantitative feeding system, and a holding furnace; the injection system, the pulping machine, and the quantitative feeding system are combined and called integrated pulping injection system, and the system is placed in the holding furnace. In order to adapt to the difficulty of molding the semi-solid slurry to carry less heat into the mold with large wall thickness, the semi-solid mold is divided into three layers according to the function, which greatly reduces the heat absorption capacity of the mold, due to the characteristics of the constant flow pump, the holding pressure after filling can reach 0.01 MPa-30 MPa, so low pressure casting, high pressure casting, differential pressure casting, liquid die forging and semi-solid extrusion forging can be unified in one kind of main machine.

A method for producing metals or metal alloys includes melting, by a melting apparatus, a metal or a metal alloy to produce a casting melt, transporting, by a feed line, the casting melt to casting moulds to be filled, adding, during the transporting of the casting melt by the feed line, solids to the casting melt, and mixing the casting melt with the added solids in a mixing zone during the transporting of the casting melt by the feed line.

The present disclosure provides a semi-solid die-casting aluminum alloy and a method for preparing a semi-solid die-casting aluminum alloy casting. The semi-solid die-casting aluminum alloy contains alloying elements, inevitable impurities and the balance of aluminum element. Based on the total weight of the semi-solid die-casting aluminum alloy, the alloying elements include: 7.5 to 9.5 wt % of Si, 3.5 to 4.8 wt % of Cu, 0.5 to 0.75 wt % of Mn, 0.01 to 0.5 wt % of Ti and 0.01 to 0.35 wt % of rare earth element.