9313254 Lawley Semisolid alloy slurries can exhibit thixotropic behavior. Thixoforming is an innovative technique for the net shape processing of alloys and composites with attendant integrity of microstructure and mechanical properties. The study will use spray cast materials which exhibit a fine equiaxed grain structure devoid of dendrites. The goals of the proposed experimental-analytical-computational research program are to understand the physical mechanisms of flow in spray cast materials in the semisolid regime under conditions that simulate semisolid processing operations, develop a constitutive model that will accurately represent this behavior, develop computational procedures that will facilitate the analysis, design and optimization of semisolid processing of spray cast materials and assess the microstructural integrity and mechanical properties of thixoformed alloys and metal matrix composites. ***
