Alloy melting and refining method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016376685-A1
Application number	US-201514748788-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2015
Priority date	Jun 24, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of melting and refining an alloy comprises vacuum induction melting starting materials to provide a vacuum induction melted alloy. At least a portion of the vacuum induction melted alloy is electroslag remelted to provide an electroslag remelted alloy. At least a portion of the vacuum arc remelted alloy is vacuum arc remelted to provide a singly vacuum arc remelted alloy. At least a portion of the singly vacuum arc remelted alloy is vacuum arc remelted to provide a doubly vacuum arc remelted alloy. In various embodiments, a composition of the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises primarily one of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of melting and refining an alloy, the method comprising:
vacuum induction melting starting materials to provide a vacuum induction melted alloy; electroslag remelting at least a portion of the vacuum induction melted alloy to provide an electroslag remelted alloy; vacuum arc remelting at least a portion of the electroslag remelted alloy to provide a singly vacuum arc remelted alloy; and vacuum arc remelting at least a portion of the vacuum arc remelted alloy to provide a doubly vacuum arc remelted alloy.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises primarily one of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy is a nickel base alloy.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy has a composition of Alloy 718.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 50.0-55.0 Ni; up to 1.0 Co; 17.0-21.0 Cr; up to 0.35 Mn; 2.8-3.3 Mo; 4.75-5.50 Nb; 0.65-1.15 Ti; 0.2-0.8 Al; up to 0.35 Si; up to 0.08 C; up to 0.006 B; and Fe.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy has a composition of Alloy 720.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 50.0-55.0 Ni; up to 1.0 Co; 17.0-21.0 Cr; up to 0.35 Mn; 2.8-3.3 Mo; 4.75-5.50 Nb; 0.65-1.15 Ti; 0.2-0.8 Al; up to 0.35 Si; up to 0.08 C; up to 0.006 B; and Fe.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy has a composition of Rene 65 alloy.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 12.5-13.5 Co; 15.5-16.5 Cr; 0.75-1.20 Fe; 3.8-4.2 Mo; 3.8-4.2 W; 0.6-0.8 Nb; 3.55-3.90 Ti; 1.95-2.30 Al; 0.03-0.06 Zr; 0.005-0.011 C; 0.01-0.02 B; and Ni.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy is a nickel-cobalt base alloy.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy has a composition of MP35N alloy.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 33.0-37.0 Ni; 19.0-21.0 Cr; up to 1.0 Fe; up to 0.15 Mn; 9.0-10.5 Mo; up to 1.0 Ti; up to 0.15 Si; up to 0.025 C; and Co.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy is a cobalt base alloy.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy has a composition of C-22 alloy.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: up to 2.5 Co; 20.0-22.5 Cr; 2.0-6.0 Fe; up to 0.50 Mn; 12.5-14.5 Mo; 2.5-3.5 W; up to 0.08 Si; up to 0.015 C; and Ni.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein vacuum arc remelting comprises forming a vacuum arc remelted ingot in a crucible, and wherein in at least one of the vacuum arc remelting steps an inert gas is introduced into a gap between the crucible and the ingot.

18 . A method of melting and refining an alloy, the method comprising:
vacuum induction melting starting materials to provide an alloy; electroslag remelting at least a portion of the alloy to provide a first ingot; vacuum arc remelting at least a portion of the first ingot to provide a second ingot; and vacuum arc remelting at least a portion of the second ingot.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises primarily one of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy is a nickel base alloy.

21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy has a composition of Alloy 718.

22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 50.0-55.0 Ni; up to 1.0 Co; 17.0-21.0 Cr; up to 0.35 Mn; 2.8-3.3 Mo; 4.75-5.50 Nb; 0.65-1.15 Ti; 0.2-0.8 Al; up to 0.35 Si; up to 0.08 C; up to 0.006 B; and Fe.

23 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy has a composition of Alloy 720.

24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 50.0-55.0 Ni; up to 1.0 Co; 17.0-21.0 Cr; up to 0.35 Mn; 2.8-3.3 Mo; 4.75-5.50 Nb; 0.65-1.15 Ti; 0.2-0.8 Al; up to 0.35 Si; up to 0.08 C; up to 0.006 B; and Fe.

25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy has a composition of Rene 65 alloy.

26 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 12.5-13.5 Co; 15.5-16.5 Cr; 0.75-1.20 Fe; 3.8-4.2 Mo; 3.8-4.2 W; 0.6-0.8 Nb; 3.55-3.90 Ti; 1.95-2.30 Al; 0.03-0.06 Zr; 0.005-0.011 C; 0.01-0.02 B; and Ni.

27 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy is a nickel-cobalt base alloy.

28 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy has a composition of MP35N alloy.

29 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 33.0-37.0 Ni; 19.0-21.0 Cr; up to 1.0 Fe; up to 0.15 Mn; 9.0-10.5 Mo; up to 1.0 Ti; up to 0.15 Si; up to 0.025 C; and Co.

30 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy is a cobalt base alloy.

31 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy.

32 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the alloy has a composition of C-22 alloy.

33 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the vacuum induction melted alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: up to 2.5 Co; 20.0-22.5 Cr; 2.0-6.0 Fe; up to 0.50 Mn; 12.5-14.5 Mo; 2.5-3.5 W; up to 0.08 Si; up to 0.015 C; and Ni.

34 . The method of claim 18 , wherein vacuum arc remelting comprises forming a vacuum arc remelted ingot in a crucible, and wherein in at least one of the vacuum arc remelting steps an inert gas is introduced into a gap between the crucible and the ingot.

Assignees

• Ati Properties Inc

Inventors

• Banik Anthony V
• Lippard Henry E
• Wilson Brandon C

Classifications

• C22C1/02

  by melting {(C22C1/1036 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C22C1/023

  Alloys based on nickel · CPC title

• C22B9/20

  Arc remelting · CPC title

• C22C19/03

  based on nickel · CPC title

• C22F1/10

  of nickel or cobalt or alloys based thereon · CPC title