Liquid metal cooling: A new solidification technique

Abstract

This paper describes a new and highly efficient directional solidification process using liquid metal as a coolant. A laboratory version of this process is reviewed in detail. The selection of a coolant is also discussed. Process thermal characteristics such as thermal gradient, growth rate and cooling rate are measured and compared with established directional solidification processing. Microstructural refinement of primary dendrites, secondary dendrite arms and MC carbides is demonstrated in the case of Ni-base super-alloys. Special advantages of the process, such as a lack of interdependence of growth rate and thermal gradient are discussed. Liquid Metal Cooling (LMC) offers a wide range of rate-gradient combinations and i therefore the most flexible directional solidification process discovered to date. The high levels of thermal gradient which are available make LMC a natural choice for the growth of eutectics. Alternatively, growth rates of dendritic materials can be substantially increased leading to significantly finer microstructures. Thus, LMC promises to be a highly useful process.