Abstract: A method for designing the location, surface temperature, flow rate, length and type of cooling lines within a mold for a casting process. The method allows the user to optimize each value for each individual cooling line of the mold. The method can utilize one or more parameters of the casting process and the heat load to be carried by each of the cooling lines in designing the mold.

Abstract: During casting of metal articles, a mold is moved into a body or bath of molten metal. The mold is moved into a container which contains a portion of the body of molten metal. Heat is transferred at a first rate from the mold to a first portion of the body of molten metal disposed above the container. Heat is transferred at a second rate from the mold to the second portion of the body of molten metal at least part of which is disposed in the container. The container retards movement of molten metal relative to the mold to effect an increase in the temperature of the molten metal in the container and thereby retards transfer of heat from a portion of the mold disposed in the container to the body of molten metal. The mold enters the container through an opening at the upper end portion of the container. One or more additional openings may be provided at the lower end portion of the container.

Abstract: A casting chamber configured to form a casting from molten material includes an outer mold, a plurality of inner core elements, and a surface portion of a thermal chill device. The thermal chill device includes first and second interchangeable elements with the surface portion of the thermal chill device including one of a first surface portion of the first interchangeable element and a second surface portion of the second interchangeable element. The first surface portion of the first interchangeable element includes an insulating material and the second surface portion of the second interchangeable element comprising a metallic material.

Abstract: An amorphous alloy having the general formula of: (ZrxAlyCuzNi1-x-y-z)100-a-bScaYb, wherein x, y, and z are atomic percents, and a and b are atom molar ratios, in which: about 0.45?x?about 0.60; about 0.08?y?about 0.12; about 0.25?z?about 0.35; 0<a?about 5; and 0?b<about 0.1.

Abstract: The invention relates to a stainless steel product, particularly to a duplex stainless steel casting with high machinability, to the use of the product and to the method to produce the product. The product contains in weight percent up to 0.07% carbon, up to 2% silicon, 3-8% manganese, 19-23% chromium, 0.5-1.7% nickel, up to 1% of molybdenum and/or tungsten with the formula (Mo+½W) less than 1%, up to 1% copper and 0.15-0.30% nitrogen, the remainder being iron and incidental impurities.

Abstract: A method for casting molded parts, comprising the following steps: The mold is prepared by forming a core packet from the cores which are made of molding sand; the metal melt is poured into the mold; the mold is thermally insulated prior to and/or after casting and the thermal process is used in a known manner inside the mold and/or insulation for controlled treatment of the cast molded part and/or the material forming the core packet.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing hose couplings is composed of three steps as follows. The first step involves jointing and fixing a top casting-cavity insert and a bottom casting-cavity insert within a mold base of a casting machine. The second step is injecting a high-temperature molten metal into both the casting-cavity inserts, so that the molten metal can fill up the casting-cavity inserts. The third step is cooling the casting-cavity inserts by using a cooling liquid, so that the cooled and solidified metal can be released from the casting-cavity inserts to form a hose coupling. By using the method, various types of top casting-cavity inserts and bottom casting-cavity inserts may be adapted as desired and, therefore, various types of hose couplings may be manufactured as desired.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a half Heuslar alloy including quench-solidifying a molten alloy at a cooling rate of 1×102 to 1×103° C./sec to produce a Heuslar alloy represented by the formula: ABC (wherein A and B each is at least one member selected from transition metals such as Fe, Co, Ni, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Hf, Nb, Mo, Ta and W, and C is at least one member selected from Group 13 or 14 element such as Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge and Sn), and a high-performance thermoelectric power generating device using the thermoelectric semiconductor alloy.

Abstract: An aluminum-silicon alloy composition is disclosed which meets the manufacturing and performance conditions for linerless cylinder engine block casting using low-cost casting processes such as silica-sand molds. The alloy of the invention comprises in weight percent: 13%-14% Si; 2.3%-2.7% Cu; 0.1%-0.4% Fe; 0.1%-0.45% Mn; 0.1%-0.30% Mg; 0.1%-0.6% Zn; 0.05%-0.11% Ti; 0.4%-0.8% Ni; 0.01%-0.09% Sr; and and the rest being aluminum plus any remainders. This alloy has very good machining characteristics, giving a significantly improved surface finish in the cylinder bores. The manufacturing cost of engine blocks is reduced in about 40% as compared with using current commercial alloys of the prior art requiring iron liners. Any primary Si present is substantially uniformly dispersed, and copper does not segregate during solidification and cooling.

Abstract: A process is provided for manufacturing aluminum vehicle wheels by a casting process that is followed by processing including flow forming and heat treatment steps while one or more risers remain on the cast wheel blank. The process can include directing cooling fluid onto an exposed surface of the casting mold to enhance wheel strength. One-by-one transfer of wheel blanks can be practiced to avoid negative aspects of batch processing.

Abstract: A Ni-base superalloy having a chemical composition comprising Cr: 3.0-5.0 wt %, Co: 5.0-10.0 wt %, Mo: 0.5-3.0 wt %, W: 8.0-10.0 wt %, Ta: 5.0-8.0 wt %, Nb: 3.0 wt % or less, Al: 4.5-6.0 wt %, Ti: 0.1-2.0 wt %, Re: more than 3.0-4.0 wt %, Ru: 0.2-4.0 wt %, Hf: 0.01-0.2 wt %, and the balance being Ni and unavoidable impurities, a method for producing the same, and turbine blade or turbine vane components are disclosed. The Ni-base superalloy has high creep strength and textural stability under high temperature environment, and is excellent in applicability to turbine blade or turbine vane components of large-sized gas turbines.

Abstract: The invention relates to a monotectic aluminium plain bearing alloy, comprising 5 to 20 wt. % bismuth, 3 to 20 wt. % zinc, 1 to 4 wt. % copper and additionally several of the components manganese, vanadium, niobium, nickel, molybdenum, cobalt, iron, tungsten, chromium, silver, calcium, scandium, cerium, beryllium, antimony, boron, titanium, carbon and zirconium in amounts up to 5 wt. % and aluminium to make 100 wt. %, produced by strip casting and during the subsequent production process for plain bearings, after rolling or roll-bonding, subjected to a heat treatment at ca. 270 to 400° C. Long bismuth particles or sheets, produced by rolling or roll-bonding can thus be recoagulated to give finely-distributed spherical drops with a size in the 20 ?m range and smaller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a casting process for an aluminum alloy containing at least about 0.1% of Mg and/or at least about 0.1% of Li in which a liquid surface of said alloy is put into contact with a dried gas including at least about 2% of oxygen by volume and with a water partial pressure lower than about 150 Pa throughout most of the solidification process. The invention makes it possible to cast the most oxidable aluminum alloys, in particular aluminum alloys containing magnesium and/or lithium, without using additives such as beryllium and/or calcium and without using expensive devices and/or gases, to obtain cast ingots free from surface defects and pollution, in complete safety.

Abstract: A method of casting metal articles includes providing a plurality of interconnected support sections. Article mold sections are positioned on the support sections. After article mold cavities, have been filled with a molten metal which is at a first temperature, the support sections and a body of a second molten metal are moved relative to each other while the body of a second molten metal is at a temperature which is less than the first temperature. Space extending between side surfaces of the support sections and between side portions of the article mold sections is filled with the second molten metal during movement between the support sections and the body of a second molten metal. A layer of insulating material may be provided above the body of a second molten metal. A baffle may be provided between a container holding the body of a second molten metal and a furnace assembly.

Abstract: In the casting of a single crystal component, such as a turbine blade, by the lost wax casting technique, one or more ceramic pieces are positioned on a wax pattern at locations corresponding to parts of the cast component where relatively quick solidification of molten metal may occur during casting. A coating is subsequently formed around the wax pattern to define a mould, whereupon the wax is removed to leave the one or more ceramic pieces within the formed mould.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sputtering target includes the steps of: providing a highly pure matrix material containing a magnetic metal, and a highly pure precious metal ingot material; cleaning the surfaces of the matrix material and the precious metal ingot; vacuum melting the matrix material and the precious metal ingot to obtain a molten alloy; pouring the molten alloy in a mold having a cooling system while maintaining a surface of the molten alloy at a molten state by arc heating until the pouring is finished, thereby forming the molten alloy into a cast blank; hot working the cast blank; and annealing the cast blank after the hot working.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a casting mould for casting a casting, in particular an engine block for a combustion engine, as well as to the use of such a casting mould, comprising mould parts 1, 2, 3 and casting cores 4, 5, 6, 7 produced from moulding sand, and at least one casting core 4, 5, 6, 7 for the formation of a space in the casting. The casting mould according to the invention makes it possible, in a simple manner, for castings to be produced in which at least one locally closely confined section is formed with a microstructure which differs from the remainder of the casting. This is achieved in that a section of the casting core 4, 5, 6, 7 is formed by a chill 9 which is manufactured from a material of which the thermal conductivity is many times higher than the thermal conductivity of the other section 8 of the casting core 4, 5, 6, 7, consisting of moulding sand.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the production of a casting comprises: —pouring molten material into a mould for forming the casting; —allowing the molten material to solidify; —removing the mould at least in part from the resulting solidified casting; and —locating the solidified casting in a chamber (10) that completely surrounds and facilitates a controlled rate of cooling of the casting.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for producing an amorphous ribbon by ejecting and rapidly solidifying molten alloy on a circumferential surface of a rapidly rotating cooling roll, wherein the cooling roll is polished online during amorphous ribbon production. When the circumferential surface of the cooling roll after peeling off the ribbon is polished using a polishing member, the circumferential surface of the cooling roll is polished continuously or intermittently across its lateral direction while differentiating the polishing mode in accordance with the surface properties.

Abstract: A casted aluminum alloy obtained by casting a molten metal of an aluminum alloy, an aluminum alloy material obtained by at least heating the casted aluminum alloy, and methods for producing them. In the production of the casted aluminum alloy, a molten metal is obtained by melting an aluminum alloy containing 0.8 to 5 mass % of Fe, 0.15 to 1 mass % of Ti, Zr or the like as third component elements in an specific amount, and a residual part containing Al and inevitable impurities at a certain temperature (melting step). Subsequently, the molten metal is cast into a plate-like shape by a casting mold while cooling the molten metal to a temperature that is lower by at least 10° C. than a solidus temperature of the aluminum alloy at a cooling rate of 150° C./sec. or more and less than 10000° C./sec. (casting step).

Abstract: Thick-walled parts made via a casting method often exhibit, in those thick zones, the worst mechanical properties since the solidification speed in the zones is reduced relative to the thin-walled zone and frequently induces the worst mechanical properties. There is described a method incorporating solidification control elements in a melting charge, the elements increase locally the solidification speed of the melting charge.

Abstract: An endodontic file (200) is provided particularly adapted for the removal of tooth structure, decayed or damaged nerve tissues or dentine material on the interior walls of a root canal or dentine and/or enamel from the external tooth wall. The endodontic instrument includes a shaft (202) having a shank portion (204) and a generally elongated working portion (206). The working portion preferably includes cutting or abrading features (232) adapted upon rotation and/or reciprocation of the instrument to cut, abrade or remove tissue from the interior walls of a root canal or dentine and/or enamel from the external tooth wall. The working portion extends from a proximal end (207) adjacent the shank portion to a distal end (208) terminating at a tip (250).

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making ferritic ductile iron castings (60-40-18) with high toughness (6 ft.lb minimum Charpy V at ?20 F and 10 ft.lb minimum Charpy V at +72 F), without adding Nickel and without annealing.

Abstract: Provided are a heat-resistant magnesium alloy which has at the same time both high strength and high ductility even under high temperature environment and is also inexpensive, and a production process of the heat-resistant magnesium alloy. The heat-resistant magnesium alloy includes, in relation to the total amount of the alloy, 1 to 3 at % of Zn, 1 to 3 at % of Y and 0.01 to 0.5 at % of Zr with the balance composed of Mg and inevitable impurities, wherein the composition ratio Zn/Y between Zn and Y falls within a range from 0.6 to 1.3, an a-Mg phase and an intermetallic compound Mg3Y2Zn3 phase are finely dispersed, and a long period stacking ordered structure phase is formed in a three-dimensional network shape. The heat-resistant magnesium alloy can be produced by melting a metal material having the above-described composition at temperatures within a range from 650 to 900° C., pouring the molten metal material into a mold and cooling the molten metal material at a rate of 10 to 103 K/sec.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for casting wherein molten metal is treated to create conditions of whole volume solidification in the mold. The treating of the molten metal can include the application of vibration in specified manner under specific frequency and amplitude for causing multiple sites of crystallization throughout the mold, or the treating can be by use of activators which are formed during casting, either directly from the molten metal stream by dispersion or from a mineral which concurrently with casting is milled, to a finely ground powder, dehydrated and fed into the molten metal throughout the metal to speed solidification and crystallization at multiple sites. Solidification speed can be more than doubled while eliminating pouring defects and improving the cast metal structure. The methods are applicable to various methods of casting including continuous casting and the methods of vibrating and use of activators can be combined with improved results.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for incessantly producing polysilicon ingots, especially fabricated of an equality polycrystalline material. It contains a metallurgical method for continuously producing large amount of polysilicon ingot made by metal silicon, further comprising the steps of aligning empty graphite molds on furnace cars; preheating the molds in the preheating area; pouring the liquidized silicon into the preheated molds; transporting the molds filled with liquidized silicon from the high-temperature area, thence to a medium-temperature area, and then to a low-temperature area for solidifying the liquidized silicon into crystallized silicon; cooling the crystallized silicon until reaching the room temperature by the assistance of a shroud in a rotary conveyer track, thus generating an integral polysilicon ingot. The apparatus comprises a body, a chamber, a track, cars, a front and rear auxiliary cars, a rotary conveyer track, a propulsion apparatus, and an adjusting system.

Abstract: Jewelry and methods of making jewelry containing a precious metal-base alloy component in bulk-solidified amorphous phase are provided.

Abstract: An injection molding machine using a plurality of metal molds 2 and a plurality of stations S1 to S10, for executing molding by moving the metal molds in rotation and in one direction includes on one of the sides of the metal molds a plurality of heat pipes 5 which are fitted into the molds and one of the ends of which protrudes from the metal mold, and a heat transfer plate 6 so disposed as to cover a projection portion 5a of the heat pipe protruding from the metal mold. Temperature adjustment plates 4 connected to a temperature adjustment machine 4 are disposed on the other station side and while the metal mold is halted at the station, the temperature adjustment plates clamp the heat transfer plate and adjust the temperature of said metal mold.

Abstract: A method of investment casting bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys, and the formation of articles of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys made by such methods are provided.

Abstract: A system and method for thermal management of a die is disclosed wherein cooling of the die is controlled by controlling coolant flow to switch between laminar flow and turbulent flow as desired.

Abstract: A mold includes ducts designed to be traveled by heat-regulating fluid of the mold. The ducts are realized by grooves realized on the external surface of the mold and closed above along their extension by metallic strips. Advantageously the grooves are formed by pairs of ribs projecting from the surface of the mold to form side walls of the ducts.

Abstract: A process for producing a porous metal body, the process includes melting part of a starting metal material in succession while moving the material by a floating zone melting method under a gas atmosphere to dissolve a gas into a resultant molten metal; and solidifying the molten metal zone in succession by cooling. Even when the starting metal material is of low thermal conductivity, a porous metal body with uniform and micro pores grown only in the longitudinal direction is produced.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a directionally solidified columnar grained article with a reduced amount of secondary misorientation of the columnar grains. The apparatus includes a casting assembly comprising a mold with a cavity, a selector section at a lower end of the mold, a heating chamber and a cooling chamber. The mold is fed with a liquid metal and then moved from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber where the columnar grained article is solidified. The article is solidified with at least two dendrites (or grains) emerging from the selector section and entering the main cavity of the shell mold. Further, the selector section is configured so that no dendrite or grain grows from the bottom of the selector section into the shell mold cavity along a continuous path of purely vertical growth.

Abstract: Magnetic materials having a coercivity not less than about 1000 Oersted are prepared in a single step procedure. A molten mixture of a desired composition having a relatively high boron content is cooled at a rate slower than about 105 degrees Celsius per second. Preferably, the molten mixture is cooled by depositing it on a chilled surface such that it forms a layer between about 120 and about 300, and preferably between about 120 and about 150, microns thick.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal comprising pouring a molten aluminum or magnesium alloy which contains a crystal grain refiner and which is superheated to less than 50° C. above a liquidus temperature of aluminum or magnesium, directly into a vessel without using a cooling jig, maintaining the alloy in the vessel for 30 seconds to 30 minutes as a resultant melt is cooled to a temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established such that a temperature of the poured alloy which is liquid and superheated to less than 10° C. above the liquidus temperature or which is partially solid, partially liquid and at a temperature of less than 5° C. below the liquidus temperature decreases from an initial level and passes through a temperature zone 5° C. below the liquidus temperature within at least 10 minutes, whereby fine primary crystals are generated in the alloy, recovering the alloy from the vessel, supplying the alloy into a mold, and shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: By determining an amount of a metal to be prepared into a slurry in its liquid state, thereafter applying a motion to the melted metal via a mechanical or physical means when at least a part of the melted metal reaches a temperature below the liquidus temperature and cooling the melted metal in a slurry preparing container to prepare the melted metal into a metal slurry in a semi-solid state, and by concurrently making the semi-solid metal slurry in the slurry preparing container with a shape to be kept almost unchanged, and feeding the semi-solid metal slurry in a state wherein the shape is nearly kept as it is into the shot sleeve/prechamber of the part making machine, a semi-solid metal slurry with the non-dendritic (spherical) primary crystal particles being fine and almost uniform can be fed into the part making machine, with no need of any specifically complex process but with a simple system and plain equipment. Thus, a shaped part with high quality can be produced.

Abstract: Molds are fabricated having a substrate of high density, high strength ultrafine grained isotropic graphite, and having a mold cavity coated with a refractory metal such as W or Re or a refractory metal carbide such as TaC or HfC. The molds may be made by making the substrate (main body) of high density, high strength ultrafine grained isotropic graphite, by, for example, isostatic or vibrational molding, machining the substrate to form the mold cavity, and coating the mold cavity with titanium carbide via either chemical deposition or plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition, magnetron sputtering or sputtering. The molds may be used to make various metallic alloys such as nickel, cobalt and iron based superalloys, stainless steel alloys, titanium alloys and titanium aluminide alloys into engineering components by melting the alloys in a vacuum or under a low partial pressure of inert gas and subsequently casting the melt in the graphite molds under vacuum or low partial pressure of inert gas.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for implementing post-heat treatment after spray forming is ended to achieve stress control in the manufacture of a spray formed metallic tool involves providing a spray-formed metallic tool by applying a spray-forming material on a mold substrate and causing substantially homogenous metallic phase transformations of the spray forming material within the spray-formed metallic tool to a substantially homogenous distribution of commingled metallic phases consisting, for example, of predetermined proportions of at least a bainite phase and a martinsite phase.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a metal component from a non-dendritic, semi-solid metal alloy slurry involves the use of a graphite agitator that is functionally equivalent to conventional metal rod agitators, and has the additional advantage of having a very low surface wettability, whereby labor and expenses associated with removing a metal alloy skin formed after withdrawal of the agitator from a metal slurry is eliminated or at least substantially reduced. The invention also provides an improved process and apparatus for producing a metal component from a non-dendritic semi-solid metal slurry by transferring the slurry to a cooling vessel for subsequent cooling and raising of the solids content without agitation after the slurry has been formed with agitation in a first vessel, whereby more rapid cooling of the slurry and increased production rates are achievable.

Abstract: The newly proposed cast aluminum alloy product has the composition consisting of 6.5-8.0% Si, 0.25-0.45% Mg, 0.08-0.40% Fe, 0.001-0.01% Ca, P less than 0.001%, 0.02-0.1% Ti, 0.001-0.01% B, optionally one or two of 0.05-0.3% Cr and 0.05-0.2% Mn, and the balance being Al except inevitable impurities. It has the metallurgical structure that an ?-Al phase in a surface layer is of average grain size different by 50 ?m or less from an ?-Al phase in an inner part, and that a maximum size of eutectic Si particles is 400 ?m or smaller. It is manufactured by injecting a molten aluminum alloy into metal dies at an injection speed of 0.05-0.25 m/second, and then cooling the injected alloy at a cooling speed of 20° C./or higher in a temperature range between liquidus and solidus curves in a state charged with a pressure of 30 MPa or higher. Since the cast product is good of ductility, it is used as a member for coupling another member therewith by calking or the like.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal to provide shaped parts which are produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner, without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. The method includes feeding, without using a cooling jig, into an insulating vessel, a molten alloy containing an element for promoting generation of crystal nuclei and being held to be superheated to less than 100° C. above a liquidus temperature of the alloy; maintaining the molten alloy in the insulating vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as the alloy is cooled at a cooling rate of 0.01° C./s to 3.0° C./s thereby crystallizing fine primary spherical crystals in an alloy solution containing a specified liquid fraction; and feeding the alloy solution into a forming mold for shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the semisolid forming of alloys to enable shaped parts having a fine-grained, spherical thixotropic structure to be produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. In the method, a molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than the liquidus temperature or a partially solid, partially molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than a molding temperature is fed into an insulated vessel and is maintained in the insulated vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as it is cooled to the molding temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established, thereby crystallizing fine primary crystals in the alloy solution, and the alloy is fed into a forming mold, where it is shaped under pressure.

Abstract: A mold temperature control system comprises a mold section having a cavity, a fluid circuit to distribute a flow of a conditioning fluid, the fluid circuit being positioned spaced apart from the cavity, a temperature sensor positioned in the mold to generate a signal representative of a temperature in the mold, a controllable supply of the conditioning fluid, and a controller for automatically initiating flow of the conditioning fluid through the fluid circuit in response to an initiation temperature and for automatically terminating flow of the conditioning fluid through the fluid circuit in response to a termination temperature.

Abstract: A device is made available for producing monocrystals, for example large-diameter gallium arsenide monocrystals, that has a cylindrical heating appliance with a floor heater (2) and a cover heater (3). The heating surfaces of the floor and the cover heater are considerably larger than the cross-sectional area of the monocrystal to be produced. In addition, an insulator (6) is planned for the reaction space that is designed to prevent a radial heat flow and the guarantee a strictly axial heat flow over the complete height of the reaction space between the cover heater (3) and the floor heater (2).

Abstract: A process for transforming a metal alloy (28) having a liquidus temperature and a solidus temperature into a part solid/part liquid shaped body. The metal alloy (28) is poured in the molten state at a temperature (TMo) into a mould (10) having an essentially cylindrical mould wall (12), whereby the mould (10) at the start of filling exhibits a starting temperature that lies below the liquidus temperature, the mould (10) is set into an eccentric rotational movement at a starting temperature for the metal alloy (28) lying above the liquidus temperature and the rotational movement maintained until the metal alloy (28) has cooled to a to a discharging temperature lying between the liquidus temperature and the solidus temperature corresponding to a desired solid/liquid ratio in the shaped body and the shaped body removed from the mould (10) at the discharging temperature.

Abstract: Molds are fabricated having a substrate of high density, high strength ultrafine grained isotropic graphite, and having a mold cavity coated with pyrolytic graphite. The molds may be made by making the substrate (main body) of high density, high strength ultrafine grained isotropic graphite, by, for example, isostatic or vibrational molding, machining the substrate to form the mold cavity, and coating the mold cavity with pyrolytic graphite via a chemical deposition process. The molds may be used to make various metallic alloys such as nickel, cobalt and iron based superalloys, stainless steel alloys, titanium alloys and titanium aluminide alloys into engineering components by melting the alloys in a vacuum or under a low partial pressure of inert gas and subsequently casting the melt in the graphite molds under vacuum or low partial pressure of inert gas.

Abstract: A skinless metal alloy composition free of entrapped gas and comprising primary solid discrete degenerate dendrites homogeneously dispersed within a secondary phase is formed by a process wherein the metal alloy is heated in a vessel to render it a liquid. The liquid is then rapidly cooled while vigorously agitating it under conditions to avoid entrapment of gas while forming solid nuclei homogeneously distributed in the liquid. Agitation then is ceased when the liquid contains a small fraction solid or the liquid-solid alloy is removed from the source of agitation while cooling is continued to form the primary solid discrete degenerate dendrites in liquid secondary phase. The solid-liquid mixture then can be formed such as by casting.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a directionally solidified columnar grained article (3) with a reduced amount of secondary misorientation of the columnar grains with a casting assembly comprising a mold with a cavity, a selector section (1) at lower end of the mold, a heating chamber and a cooling chamber, wherein the mold is fed with a liquid metal and the mold is removed from the heating chamber to the cooling chamber and thereby the columnar grained article (3) is solidified, characterised in that the columnar grained article (3) is solidified with at least two dendrites (or grains) coming out of the selector section (1) and entering the main cavity of the shell mold in such a way that it is not possible for any dendrite or grain to grow from the bottom of the selector section (1) to the columnar grained article (3) defined by the shell mold cavity along a continuous path of purely vertical growth.

Abstract: A continuously cast copper ingot is made by a procedure in which turbulence is imparted to the metal/solid interface during the casting operation. The ingot is then hot worked to form a billet having a smaller average grain size and a larger diameter than possible in the past. The billet is especially useful for making electroplating anodes used in the damascene process for making copper interconnects in silicon wafers.

Abstract: A method of casting a metal article comprising the steps of forming a mold having a mold cavity with a height, a thinwall portion and a base wall portion. The thinwall portion may be less than 0.05 inches thick and free of gating. The method comprises the steps of: positioning the mold in a preheated furnace so that the furnace substantially surrounds the mold and so that a longitudinal axis of the long thin portion of the mold cavity is in an upright orientation; heating the mold in the furnace to a temperature between 1045° C. and 1055° C.; and drawing a vacuum in the furnace. The metal is heated until it is molten and is then poured at a temperature between 1560° land 1570° C. into the mold cavity. The vacuum is then broken and the mold cavity withdrawn from the furnace. The molten metal is allowed to solidify in the mold cavity so that it will solidify with a equiaxed grain structure.