INCORPORATION OF DISPERSOIDS IN DIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFIED CASTINGS

• US 3,678,988 A
• Filed: 07/02/1970
• Issued: 07/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John K. Tien, Stephen M. Copley
• Original Assignee: John K. Tien, Stephen M. Copley
• Inventors: Copley, Stephen M., Tien, John K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Overholser, J. Spencer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roethel, John E.
• Application Number:
  US05/051,793
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 164/48,49,97,250,55
• US Class Current: 164/501
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 27/08 Shaking, vibrating, or turning of moulds

Abstract

Inert particles are uniformly dispersed within a molten alloy while it is being directionally solidified in a mold to cause a uniform dispersion within the casting, the dispersion being produced by ultrasonic waves within the molten alloy during solidification.

Claims

2. In the dispersion of inert particles in a directionally solidified casting during solidification of the alloy of the casting within the mold the steps of adding the inert particles to the molten alloy, generating ultrasonic waves in the molten portion of the alloy to obtain and to maintain a uniform dispersion of the particles in the alloy, and causing a directional solidification of the alloy from one end of the mold to the other to obtain an oriented grain structure in the cast article.

3. The process of claim 2 with the added steps of causing the directional solidification to occur upwardly by the use of a chill plate at the bottom end of the mold, and positioning the source of the ultrasonic waves in the molten alloy remote from the chill plate.

4. The process of casting a directionally solidified alloy with inert particles therein including the steps of melting the alloy, pouring the alloy into the mold, introducing inert particles into the alloy and mixing the particles in the molten alloy, generating ultrasonic waves in the molten alloy at one end of the mold as the alloy is solidified, and simultaneously causing a directional solidification of the alloy from the opposite end in a direction toward the source of the generated waves.

5. The process as in claim 4 in which the directional solidification of the alloy is caused by heat removal from the alloy by a chill plate located at one end of the mold and with the source of the ultrasonic waves located at the end of the mold remote from the chill plate and external to the part of the casting used as the cast article.

6. The process as in claim 1 including the step of solidifying the alloy within the mold in a direction toward the source of the waves to force the inert particles in the molten alloy against the solidification front.

7. The process as in claim 3 including the step of causing the solidification front to move from the chill plate toward the wave generator such that the particles in the molten alloy are forced against the solidification front to be uniformly embedded within the solidified alloy.