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A metallic alloy having a semi-solid range between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature of the metallic alloy is processed by cooling the metallic alloy from an initial metallic alloy elevated temperature to a semi-solid temperature of less than the liquidus temperature and more than

A metallic alloy having a semi-solid range between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature of the metallic alloy is processed by cooling the metallic alloy from an initial metallic alloy elevated temperature to a semi-solid temperature of less than the liquidus temperature and more than the solidus temperature, and maintaining the metallic alloy at the semi-solid temperature for a sufficient time to produce a semi-solid structure in the metallic alloy of a globular solid phase dispersed in a liquid phase. The cooling may be accomplished by providing a crucible at a crucible initial temperature below the solidus temperature, pouring the metallic alloy into the crucible, and allowing the metallic alloy and the crucible to reach a thermal equilibrium between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature of the metallic alloy. The method further includes removing at least some, but not all, of the liquid phase present in the semi-solid structure of the metallic alloy to form a solid-enriched semi-solid structure of the metallic alloy, and forming the metallic alloy having the solid-enriched semi-solid structure into a shape.

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1. A method for processing a metallic alloy having a liquidus temperature and a solidus temperature, the method comprising the steps ofproviding the metallic alloy having a semi-solid range between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature of the metallic alloy; heating the metallic alloy

1. A method for processing a metallic alloy having a liquidus temperature and a solidus temperature, the method comprising the steps ofproviding the metallic alloy having a semi-solid range between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature of the metallic alloy; heating the metallic alloy to an alloy initial elevated temperature above the liquidus temperature to fully melt the alloy; reducing the temperature of the metallic alloy from the initial metallic alloy elevated temperature to a semi-solid temperature of less than the liquidus temperature and more than the solidus temperature; maintaining the metallic alloy at the semi-solid temperature for a sufficient time to produce a semi-solid structure in the metallic alloy of a globular solid phase dispersed in a liquid phase, wherein the semi-solid structure has less than about 50 weight percent solid phase; removing at least some, but not all, of the liquid phase present in the semi-solid structure of the metallic alloy to form a solid-enriched semi-solid structure of the metallic alloy, wherein the step of removing includes the step of removing liquid phase until the solid-enriched semi-solid structure has from about 35 to about 55 weight percent solid phase; and forming the metallic alloy having the solid-enriched semi-solid structure into a shape.