The paper presents the results of studies to determine the effect of complex surface and bulk modification and double filtration during mould pouring on the stereological parameters of macrostructure and mechanical properties of castings made from the post-production waste IN-713C and the MAR-247 nickel alloys. The evaluation covered the number of grains per 1mm2 of the sample surface area, the average area of grains and the shape index, hardness HB, tensile strength and resistance to high temperature creep. The results indicate the possibility of controlling the stereological parameters of macrostructure through application of several variants of the modification, controlling in this way also different low- and high-temperature properties. The positive effect of double filtration of the alloy during mould pouring on the metallurgical quality and mechanical properties of castings has also been emphasized.

Paper presents the results of ATD and DSC analysis of two superalloys used in casting of aircraft engine parts. The main aim of the

research was to obtain the solidification parameters, especially Tsol and Tliq, knowledge of which is important for proper selection of

casting and heat treatment parameters. Assessment of the metallurgical quality (presence of impurities) of the feed ingots is also a very

important step in production of castings. It was found that some of the feed ingots delivered by the superalloy producers are contaminated

by oxides located in shrinkage defects. The ATD analysis allows for quite precise interpretation of first stages of solidification at which

solid phases with low values of latent heat of solidification are formed from the liquid. Using DSC analysis it is possible to measure

precisely the heat values accompanying the phase changes during cooling and heating which, with knowledge of phase composition,

permits to calculate the enthalpy of formation of specific phases like γ or γ′.

Paper presents the results of research on modified surface grain refinement method used in investment casting of hollow, thin-walled parts

made of nickel based superalloys. In the current technology, the refining inoculant is applied to the surface of the wax pattern and then, it

is transferred to the ceramic mould surface during dewaxing. Because of its chemical activity the inoculant may react with the liquid metal

which can cause defects on the external surface of the cast part. The method proposed in the paper aims to reduce the risk of external

surface defects by applying the grain refiner only to the ceramic core which shapes the internal surface of the hollow casting. In case of

thin-walled parts the grain refinement effect is visible throughout the thickness of the walls. The method is meant to be used when internal

surface finish is less important, like for example, aircraft engine turbine blades, where the hollowing of the cast is mainly used to lower the

weight and aid in cooling during operation.

This paper presents the results of measurements of liquid metal fluidity and linear shrinkage of nickel alloy IN-713C in vacuum induction

melting furnace Balzers VSG-2. Because of limited volume of the furnace chamber special models for technological trials were designed

and constructed to fit in the mould of dimensions 170x95x100mm. Two different designs of test models were proposed: horizontal round

rods and modified spiral. Preliminary studies were carried out for alloys Al-Si. Horizontal round rods test was useful for evaluation of

fluidity of hypoeutectic silumin, however in case of nickel superalloy the mould cavity was completely filled in each test because of high

required pouring temperature. Positive results were obtained from the modified spiral test for all alloys used in the research. Relationship

between the linear shrinkage for the test rod and a specific indicator of contraction defined on a spiral was observed.

The paper presents the results of studies on the development of correlation of solidification parameters and chemical composition of nickel

superalloy IN-713C, which is used i.a. on aircraft engine turbine blades. Previous test results indicate significant differences in

solidification parameters of the alloy, especially the temperatures Tliq and Tsol for each batch of ingots supplied by the manufacturer.

Knowledge of such a relationship has important practical significance, because of the ability to asses and correct the temperatures

of casting and heat treatment of casts on the basis of chemical composition. Using the statistical analysis it was found that the temperature

of the solidification beginning Tliq is mostly influenced by the addition of carbon (similar to iron alloys). The additions of Al and Nb have

smaller but still significant impact. Other alloying components do not have significant effect on Tliq. The temperature Teut is mostly

affected by Ni, Ti and Nb. The temperature Tsol is not in any direct correlation with the chemical composition, which is consistent with

previous research. The temperature Tsol depends primarily on the presence of non-metallic inclusions present in feed materials and

introduced during the melting and casting processes.

Paper presents the results of evaluation of heat resistance and specific heat capacity of MAR-M-200, MAR-M-247 and Rene 80 nickel

superalloys. Heat resistance was evaluated using cyclic method. Every cycle included heating in 1100°C for 23 hours and cooling for 1

hour in air. Microstructure of the scale was observed using electron microscope. Specific heat capacity was measured using DSC

calorimeter. It was found that under conditions of cyclically changing temperature alloy MAR-M-247 exhibits highest heat resistance.

Formed oxide scale is heterophasic mixture of alloying elements, under which an internal oxidation zone was present. MAR-M-200 alloy

has higher specific heat capacity compared to MAR-M-247. For tested alloys in the temperature range from 550°C to 800°C precipitation

processes (γ′, γ′′) are probably occurring, resulting in a sudden increase in the observed heat capacity.

The paper presents the results of research on the determination of the effect of pouring temperature on the macrostructure of the castings

subjected to complex (surface and volume) modification and double filtration. Tested castings were made of post-production scrap (gating

system parts) of IN-713C superalloy. Tests included the evaluation of the number of grains per 1 mm2

, mean grain surface area, shape

factor and tensile strength. Casting temperature below 1470 °C positively influenced the modification effect. The grains were finer and the

mechanical properties increased, especially for castings with thicker walls. On the other hand, manufacture of thin walled castings of high

quality require pouring temperature above 1480 °C.

Paper presents the assessment of impact of heat treatment on durability in low-cycle fatigue conditions (under constant load) in castings

made using post-production scrap of MAR-247 and IN-713C superalloys. Castings were obtained using modification and filtration

methods. Additionally, casting made of MAR-247 were subjected to heat treatment consisting of solution treatment and subsequent aging.

During low-cycle fatigue test the cyclic creep process were observed. It was demonstrated that the fine-grained samples have significantly

higher durability in test conditions and , at the same time, lower values of plastic deformation to rupture Δϵpl. It has been also proven that

durability of fine-grained MAR-247 samples can be further raised by about 60% using aforementioned heat treatment.

In current casting technology of cored, thin walled castings, the modifying coating is applied on the surface of wax pattern and, after the

removal of the wax, is transferred to inner mould surface. This way the modification leading to grain refinement occur on the surface of

the casting. In thin walled castings the modification effect can also be seen on the other (external) side of the casting. Proper reproduction

of details in thin walled castings require high pouring temperature which intensify the chemical reactions on the mould – molten metal

interface. This may lead to degradation of the surface of the castings. The core modification process is thought to circumvent this problem.

The modifying coating is applied to the surface of the core. The degradation of internal surface of the casting is less relevant. The most

important factor in this technology is “trough” modification – obtaining fine grained structure on the surface opposite to the surface

reproduced by the core.

The paper presents the results of research on the impact of impurities in the feed ingots (master heat) on the precipitation of impurities in

the ATD thermal analysis probe castings. This impurities occur mostly inside shrinkage cavities and in interdendritic space. Additionally,

insufficient filtration of liquid alloy during pouring promotes the transfer of impurities into the casting. The technology of melting

superalloys in vacuum furnace prevents the removal of slag from the surface of molten metal. Because of that, the effective method of

quality assessment of feed ingots in order to evaluate the existence of impurities is needed. The effectiveness of ATD analysis in

evaluation of purity of feed ingots was researched. In addition the similarities of non-metallic inclusions in feed ingots and in castings

were observed.

The paper presents the results of evaluation of the metallurgical quality of master heat ingots and of the identification of non-metallic inclusions (oxides of Al., Zr, Hf, Cr, etc.), which have been found in the shrinkage cavities formed in these ingots. The inclusions penetrate into the liquid alloy, and on pouring of mould are transferred to the casting, especially when the filtering system is not sufficiently effective. The specific nature of the melting process of nickel and cobalt alloys, carried out in vacuum induction furnaces, excludes the possibility of alloy refining and slag removal from the melt surface. Therefore, to improve the quality of castings (parts of aircraft engines), it is so important to evaluate the quality of ingots before charging them into the crucible of an induction furnace. It has been proved that one of the methods for rapid quality evaluation is an ATD analysis of the sample solidification process, where samples are taken from different areas of the master heat ingot. The evaluation is based on a set of parameters plotted on the graph of the dT/dt derivative curve during the last stage of the solidification process in a range from TEut to Tsol.

The paper presents the results concerning impact of modification (volume and surface techniques), pouring temperature and mould

temperature on stereological parameters of macrostructure in IN713C castings made using post-production scrap. The ability to adjust the

grain size is one of the main issues in the manufacturing of different nickel superalloy castings used in aircraft engines. By increasing the

grain size one can increase the mechanical properties, like diffusion creep resistance, in higher temperatures. The fine grained castings. on

the other hand, have higher mechanical properties in lower temperatures and higher resistance to thermal fatigue. The test moulds used in

this study, supplied by Pratt and Whitney Rzeszow, are ordinarily used to cast the samples for tensile stress testing. Volume modification

was carried out using the patented filter containing cobalt aluminate. The macrostructure was described using the number of grains per

mm2

, mean grain surface area and shape index. Obtained results show strong relationship between the modification technique, pouring

temperature and grain size. There was no significant impact of mould temperature on macrostructure.