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High-Temperature Interactions Between Titanium Alloys and Strontium Zirconate Refractories

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Abstract

We investigated interactions between Ti6Al4V alloys and strontium zirconate (SrZrO3) ceramic to assess its potential as a refractory mold material in investment casting. We developed a robust yet simple procedure to examine both the liquid–solid and solid–solid interactions using pellets in drop casting and diffusion couple methods. Reaction layers were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The results were compared to alumina (Al2O3) which is still a common refractory ceramic for molds in investment casting. Our findings indicate that Ti6Al4V surfaces in contact with SrZrO3 had no apparent changes in surface chemistry nor microstructure. On the other hand, Ti6Al4V surfaces in contact with Al2O3 developed γ-TiAl and α2-Ti3Al intermetallics with thicknesses of ~ 100 μm in diffusion couples and ~ 10 μm in drop-casting experiments. Nanoindentation results showed that the surface of Ti6Al4V in contact with Al2O3 was significantly harder compared to SrZrO3, confirming our conclusion. Given the time and costs associated with mechanical and chemical removal of reaction layers on Ti6Al4V castings, SrZrO3 can be a better choice for a mold material in the investment casting of titanium alloys.

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Acknowledgment

We gratefully acknowledge support from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RXMS) via Contracts FA8650-18-C-5700 and FA8650-20-C-5206. The sample characterization presented herein were carried out using the equipment in the ThermoFisher Scientific Center for Advanced Microscopy and Materials Analysis (CAMMA), and UConn Tech Park. We also thank Seok-Woo Lee (University of Connecticut) and his group for their help with the nanoindentation experiments.

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  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA

    R. Sharon Uwanyuze, Baris Yavas, Jiyao Zhang, Janos E. Kanyo, Lesley D. Frame, Rainer J. Hebert & S. Pamir Alpay

  2. Department of Ceramic Materials Engineering, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany

    Stefan Schafföner

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Uwanyuze, R.S., Yavas, B., Zhang, J. et al. High-Temperature Interactions Between Titanium Alloys and Strontium Zirconate Refractories. J. of Materi Eng and Perform (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08597-8

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