Fabrication of Cladding Billet in Diameter of 160mm/148mm by Direct Chill Casting Process

The AA4045/AA3003 cladding billet, which has a low clad ratio of 7.5% in size of φ160mm/φ148mm, was prepared successfully by the modified direct chill casting process. Microstructures, elements distribution and mechanical properties of the bonding interface were examined. The results show that metallurgical bonding interface can be obtained with the optimal parameters. The metallurgical bonding interface is free of any discontinuities due to the elements diffusion across the interface. The hardness of the interfacial region is higher than that of the AA3003 but lower than that of AA4045, suggesting that the interface bonding strength is higher than the strength of AA3003. The shearing strength is 82.3 MPa, indicating excellent metallurgical bonding.