Study of the Macrosegregation of Thin-walled and Complicated Titanium Alloy Castings Produced via the Vertical Centrifugal Casting Process
Author of the article: XUQin1, WANGXing1, YAOJia1, WU Shiping2
Author's Workplace:1. School of Mechanic and Electrical Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China; 2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Key Words: centrifugal casting; titanium alloy; thin-walled casting; macrosegregation
Abstract:
Macrosegregation usually occurs during the vertical centrifugal casting process because of the pressure gradient
at different positions during casting. TC4 alloy castings with complicated shapes were produced via a vertical centrifugal
casting process, and the effects of the mold rotational speed, centrifugal radius and casting wall thickness on the
macrosegregation of the castings were investigated. The results show that macrosegregation in castings produced by the
vertical centrifugal casting is greatly enhanced by increasing the rotational speed of the mold. The contents of V and Al in
the TC4 castings with smaller centrifugal radii are greater, whereas they are lower in those with larger centrifugal radii,
further promoting positive segregation. The distribution of Ti is different from that of V and Al, and it results in negative
segregation. The contents of Ti, Al and V at a radius of 71 mm are 88.1 wt.%, 8.1 wt.% and 4.1 wt.%, respectively,
and those at a radius of 143 mm are 89.9 wt.%, 7.7 wt.% and 3.6 wt.%, respectively. Element macrosegregation is
much more obvious in castings with greater wall thicknesses than in those with thin wall thicknesses because of the lower
cooling rates. Overall, the segregation of TC4 alloy castings with complicated shapes is not substantial.