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Investment casting is widely used to cast near-net shape components, reducing material waste and process cost. Due to the high reactivity of titanium and its alloys, in order to reduce the interaction between the mold and molten titanium, very costly materials are used in the mold face coat. In order to reduce the material cost while maintaining the chemical inertness of the face coat, ZrO2 was added into an yttria-based face coat in different concentrations in this study. The face coat properties of the different systems were analyzed using dilatometry and XRD. The chemical inertness of the different face coat systems were tested using a sessile drop test using a Ti-45Al-2Mn-2Nb-0.2TiB alloy, and the interactions between the face coat and the alloy were analyzed by the interfacial microstructures, contact angle, and hardness changes. The results showed that small amounts of ZrO2 can be added into yttria without changing the chemical inertness of the face coat. High amounts of ZrO2 in the face coat can interact with TiAl alloy to form different interaction products. Meanwhile, both Y2O3 and ZrO2 filler materials were observed to dissolve in molten TiAl during the sessile drop test.

A stray grain exposed on the surface of a Re-containing single crystal Ni-based superalloy turbine blade was examined by high-resolution analytic electron microscopy. An intermediate layer with the size range of 3 to 4 μm, composed of elongated γ′ phase, was clearly detected forming a boundary between a normal matrix grain and a stray grain. Beyond the intermediate layer, the {100} direction of the γ′ phase in the matrix changed slightly, and a stray grain was formed. In each γ′ grain in the intermediate boundary, a Re-rich region of the size range of 100 to 200 nm was detected, suggesting a role for rhenium in the formation of stray grains.

Investment casting is uniquely suited to the manufacture of Ti alloys for the production of near net-shape components, reducing material waste, and machining costs. Because of the high reactivity of titanium and its based alloy, the molds which are used in the investment casting process require high chemical inertness, which results in them being very costly and non-recyclable. In order to reduce the cost of these molds, traditionally using yttria as the face coat, two alternative molds are developed in this study with face coat materials of Y2O3-Al2O3 and Y2O3-Al2O3-ZrO2. The slurry properties and chemical inertness of the face coats were evaluated for viscosity, thermal expansion, friability, and phase development. The chemical inertness of these two molds were determined using both the sessile drop test and investment casting to identify the levels of interaction with a Ti-45Al-2Mn-2Nb-0.2B alloy. The results illustrated that the molds using Y2O3-Al2O3 and Y2O3-Al2O3-ZrO2 as the face coats both showed excellent sintering properties and chemical inertness when compared to the yttria face coat. They can consequently be used as two alternative face coats for the investment casting of TiAl alloys.

The investment casting process is an economic production method for engineering components in TiAl-based alloys and offers the benefits of a near net-shaped component with a good surface finish. An investigation was undertaken to develop three new face coat systems based on yttria, but with better sintering properties. These face coat systems were mainly based on an yttria-alumina-zirconia system (Y2O3-0.5 wt pct Al2O3-0.5 wt pct ZrO2), an yttria-fluoride system (Y2O3-0.15 wt pct YF3), and an yttria-boride system (Y2O3-0.15 wt pct B2O3). After sintering, the chemical inertness of the face coat was first tested and analyzed using a sessile drop test through the metal wetting behavioral change for each face coat surface. Then, the interactions between the shell and metal were studied by centrifugal investment casting TiAl bars. Although the sintering aids in yttria can decrease the chemical inertness of the face coat, the thickness of the interaction layer in the casting was less than 10 μm; therefore, these face coats still can be possible face coat materials for investment casting TiAl alloys.

The boundary region formed on the surface of nickel-based single-crystal turbine blades was investigated by high-resolution microscopy observation. There was a distinguishable intermediate layer with the size of about 2 to 5 μm between the matrix and surface defect grains such as stray grains, multiple grains, freckle grains, and even low-angle grain boundaries which were formed during the solidification of turbine blades. The intermediate layer was composed of many elongated γ′ as well as γ phases. In addition, only one side of the intermediate layer was coherent to the matrix grain or defect grain due to good orientation match. At the coherent interface, the γ′ (as well as γ) phase started to extend from the parent grain and coincidently, rhenium-rich particles were detected. Furthermore, the particles existed within both elongated gamma prime and gamma phases, and even at their boundary. Based on experimental observations, the formation mechanism of this intermediate layer was discussed.