Abstract
Vacuum arc remelting and electroslag remelting processes are used to produce large (five tonne) ingots of nickel-based superalloys, titanium alloys, and other high-value-added alloys. The remelting processes provide controlled solidification conditions capable of producing extremely uniform chemistry and microstructure; however, the consequences of a single defect are potentially so great, that process improvements are being vigorously pursued by the Specialty Metals Processing Consortium. The ultimate modeling goal is the realistic description of the liquid-solid mixed-phase region of the ingot (“mushy zone”), so that solidification defects such as freckles, macrosegregation, and solidification white spots can be avoided. Reaching this goal requires a numerical strategy capable of yielding not only accurate temperatures at the macroscale, but also accurate temperature gradients. The numerical procedure also requires thermophysical-property data for the alloy and some furnace data (such as contact resistance at ingot-crucible interfaces) as well as characterization of the heat sources.
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L.A. Bertram earned his Ph.D. in mechanics at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1969. He is currently a distinguished member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories. Dr. Bertram is also a member of TMS.
P.R. Schunk earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota in 1989. He is currently a principal member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories.
S.N. Kempka earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois in 1989. He is currently a principal member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories.
F. Spadafora earned his B.S.E.E. in electrical engineering at Pennsylvania State University in 1981. He is currently supervisor of melting process control at RMI Titanium Company.
R.S. Minisandram earned his Ph.D. in engineering mechanics at Clemson University in 1991. He is currently a process modeling senior engineer at Allvac.
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Bertram, L.A., Schunk, P.R., Kempka, S.N. et al. The macroscale simulation of remelting processes. JOM 50, 18–21 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-998-0373-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-998-0373-8