The pure Al or-(1,2,3wt%)Cu alloy internal chill with 4,6,8,12 and 15mm ø, respectively, was inserted at the center of a graphite mold with the size of 95mm ø × 200mm H. The molten metal with the same composition as the internal chill was poured into the mold at the pouring temperature of 750 ? C and the cooling rates, solidified structures and chemical segregation were analyzed. The results represented that there was remarkable increased in cooling rate as well as decrease in grain size, secondary dendrite arm spacing and chemical segregation as the ratio of ingot to internal chill diameter was increased to 8. However there was a considerable drop of the internal chill effect when this ratio exceeded 8, resulting from incomplete melting of internal chills. The optimum ratio for the maximum internal chill effect of pure Al and-(1,2,3wt%)Cu allolys was 8 at the given pouring temperature.