Investigation of interface reaction between TiAl alloys and mold materials

This paper describes the investment casting of TiAl alloys. The effects of mold mateiral and mold preheating temperature for the investment casting of TiAl on metal-mold interfacial reaction were investigated by means of optical micrography, hardness profiles and an electron probe microanalyzer. The mold materials examined were colloidal silica bonded ZrO₂, ZrSiO₄, Al₂O₃ and CaO stabilized ZrO₂. When compared with conventional titanium alloy, the high aluminum concentration of TiAl alloys helps to lower their reactivity in the molten state. The Al₂O₃ mold is a promising mold material for the investment casting of TiAl in terms of the thermal stability, formability and cost. Special attention need to be paid to thermal stability and mold preheating when developing the investment casting of TiAl alloys.