RheoMetal™ rheocasting as an alternative to conventional diecasting: Fundamentals, process parameters, and microstructural evolution

Wednesday, September 30, 2026: 3:40 PM
307AB (Québec City Convention Centre)
Mr. Rasoul Khajeh , University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
Prof. Mousa Javidani , University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
Dr. David Levasseur , Centre de metallurgie du Quebec, Trois-Rivieres, QC, Canada
Mr. Francis Breton , Rio Tinto Aluminium, Saguenay, QC, Canada
Abstract

The use of aluminum in the automotive industry has increased progressively in recent years. Most aluminum components used in this sector are produced by die casting, making it one of the most important manufacturing techniques for automotive applications. However, conventional high-pressure die casting (HPDC) suffers from several inherent limitations. For this reason, semi-solid casting has been proposed as an alternative processing route. The principal difference between these two methods lies in the state of the material during injection into the die cavity. In semi-solid die casting, a partially solidified slurry is injected instead of fully liquid metal. This condition improves melt flow behavior and reduces the formation of casting defects. Among the different semi-solid processing techniques, the RheoMetal™ process has emerged as an industrially practical method for producing semi-solid feedstock within a short time. The process is based on controlled heat absorption from the superheated melt through the stirring of an enthalpy exchange material (EEM) within the melt. The microstructural characteristics of the semi-solid feedstock, such as solid fraction, particle size, morphology, and microstructural homogeneity, are critical factors that influence the final quality of rheocast components. These characteristics strongly depend on the RheoMetal™ process parameters, making the study of process conditions and slurry formation mechanisms an important topic in both industrial and academic research. This study provides a literature review together with experimental works presenting the fundamentals, industrial applications, process parameters, and microstructural evolution in RheoMetal™ process. This work contributes to an ongoing work for optimization of the RheoMetal™ process for industrial semi-solid die casting.

Key words: RheoMetal™ process, Aluminum, Semi-solid slurry, microstructure

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