Effects of B and Sr and holding time on the thermal analysis cooling curves and solidification microstructure of Al-7Si alloy melt were investigated. A digital temperature measurement technique

the pattern recognition principle and the digital image analysis approach were used to measure the cooling curve shape and solidification microstructure respectively and compare between them. Based on a database established from a large amount of experimental results

the evaluation of melt features

such as the grain refinement and modification effects of the alloy was conducted. The results showed that the differences both in grain size and modification level converged to zero with zero limit of comprehensive deviation value expressing the shape analogy between two cooling curves . The whole shape of a thermal analysis cooling curve can characterise Al-Si alloy melt

including the grain refinement and modification effects.