Abstract
Zinc wires of 2 mm diameter have been produced using the horizontal Ohno Continuous Casting process at casting speeds of 0.5, 1.7 and 2.8 mm/s. The effects of casting speed on crystal orientation and the mechanical properties of the cast wires have been studied. It was found that wires cast at all three speeds were single crystals. At the higher casting speeds (1.7 and 2.8 mm/s), the crystal orientation of the wires in the casting direction tended to align parallel to [0001]. At the lowest casting speed, 0.5 mm/s, the orientation of the cast wires was inconsistent. Some of the single crystal wires were ductile and could be bent repeatedly before fracture occurred. Cast wires with an angle between the (0001) cleavage plane and the wire axis of less than about 1.1 rad (65°) (wire axis near the [1\bar211] direction) were significantly more ductile compared to those with an angle over 1.22 rad (70°) (wire axis near [0001]) which fractured after only a single bending. It was also found that wires with the axis close to the [1\bar210] direction (a cleavage angle of approximately 0.6 rad (36°)) exhibited considerable ductility with tensile elongations as large as 350%.
