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High-Temperature Flexural Strength of Aluminosilicate Ceramic Shells for the Investment Casting of Nickel-Based Superalloy

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Abstract

Casting failures are caused by the thermal stress and hydraulic pressure of the molten metal during the investment casting process due to the insufficient high-temperature strength of the ceramic shell. This work investigated how the high-temperature flexural strength of aluminosilicate ceramic shells varies with temperature, different types of back-up sands, manufacturing processes, and the thickness of back-up coats by a three-point bending test. The results showed that flexural strength at room temperature is half of the high-temperature flexural strength at 1000 °C, almost equal to that at 1200 °C, and about three to eight times higher than that at 1400 °C. In comparison with the fused silica, aluminosilicate shells have inadequate high-temperature flexural strength at 1400 °C, regardless of mullite and bauxite as back-up sands. In addition, the mullite shell prepared by the automated robotic arm has higher flexural strength than one made through the manual operation process. Finally, the high-temperature flexural strength of the bauxite shell is unaffected by the increasing thickness of back-up coats. This study provides a guide to improve the high-temperature flexural strength of aluminosilicate shells and a theoretical foundation for reducing defects in castings.

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Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Major Science and Technology Projects of China under Grant No.J2019-VII-0002-0142 and No.J2019-VI-0004-0118.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shi-changxu Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Qingzhong Song, Xiangdong Zha, Meiqiong Ou & Yingche Ma

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Qingzhong Song

  3. CAS Key Laboratory of Nuclear Materials and Safety Assessment, IMR(NMSA), Shenyang, 110016, China

    Xiangdong Zha, Meiqiong Ou & Yingche Ma

  4. AECC Shenyang Liming AERO-ENGINE Co., Ltd, Shenyang, 110043, China

    Chang Lu & Jing Li

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  1. Qingzhong Song
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Correspondence to Meiqiong Ou or Yingche Ma.

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Song, Q., Zha, X., Ou, M. et al. High-Temperature Flexural Strength of Aluminosilicate Ceramic Shells for the Investment Casting of Nickel-Based Superalloy. Inter Metalcast 18, 962–974 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-023-01061-2

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