A counter-gravity casting method and apparatus in which the mold is held stationary and the crucible is moved generally laterally from a melt chamber to a fill chamber positioned below the mold with respect to gravity. A casting chamber is located generally above the fill chamber with respect to gravity. The method and apparatus utilize separate chambers for melting and casting in which the pressure in each chamber can be varied relative to each other in order to introduce molten metal into the mold.

A counter-gravity casting method and apparatus in which the mold is held stationary and the crucible is moved generally laterally from a melt chamber to a fill chamber positioned below the mold with respect to gravity. A casting chamber is located generally above the fill chamber with respect to gravity. The method and apparatus utilize separate chambers for melting and casting in which the pressure in each chamber can be varied relative to each other in order to introduce molten metal into the mold.

A continuous precision forming device and process for an amorphous alloy or a composite material thereof is provided. By means of the device, when a melting platform with an alloy melt is rotated from the melting position to a position just below the forming mould (9), temperature of the alloy melt can be in the range of the overcooled liquid zone temperature of the alloy melt, and then a loading rod (7) drives the forming mould (9) to proceed with pressing forming. According to the process, press-forming is carried out in a certain temperature interval in the amorphous alloy melt solidification process, and the heating, cooling, solidification and forming in the forming process are coordinated, such that continuous forming of the amorphous alloy is achieved.

A continuous precision forming device and process for an amorphous alloy or a composite material thereof is provided. By means of the device, when a melting platform with an alloy melt is rotated from the melting position to a position just below the forming mould (9), temperature of the alloy melt can be in the range of the overcooled liquid zone temperature of the alloy melt, and then a loading rod (7) drives the forming mould (9) to proceed with pressing forming. According to the process, press-forming is carried out in a certain temperature interval in the amorphous alloy melt solidification process, and the heating, cooling, solidification and forming in the forming process are coordinated, such that continuous forming of the amorphous alloy is achieved.

An apparatus for countergravity casting a metallic material, comprises: a crucible for holding melted metallic material; a casting chamber for containing a mold; a fill tube capable of extending into the crucible to communicate melted metallic material to the casting chamber; a gas source coupled a headspace of the melting vessel to allow the gas source to pressurize said headspace to establish a pressure differential to force the melted metallic material upwardly through said fill tube into said mold; and means for gettering sulfur.

A high creep-resistant equiaxed grain nickel-based superalloy. The high creep-resistant equiaxed grain nickel-based superalloy is characterized that the chemical compositions in weight ratios include Cr in 8.0 to 9.5 wt %, W in 9.5 to 10.5 wt %, Co in 9.5 to 10.5 wt %, Al in 5.0 to 6.0 wt %, Ti in 0.5 to 1.5 wt %, Mo in 0.5 to 1.0 wt %, Ta in 2.5 to 4.0 wt %, Hf in 1.0 to 2.0 wt %, Ir in 2.0 to 4.0 wt %, C in 0.1 to 0.2 wt %, B in 0.01 to 0.1 wt %, Zr in 0.01 to 0.10 wt %, and the remaining part formed by Ni and inevitable impurities.

A high creep-resistant equiaxed grain nickel-based superalloy. The high creep-resistant equiaxed grain nickel-based superalloy is characterized that the chemical compositions in weight ratios include Cr in 8.0 to 9.5 wt %, W in 9.5 to 10.5 wt %, Co in 9.5 to 10.5 wt %, Al in 5.0 to 6.0 wt %, Ti in 0.5 to 1.5 wt %, Mo in 0.5 to 1.0 wt %, Ta in 2.5 to 4.0 wt %, Hf in 1.0 to 2.0 wt %, Ir in 2.0 to 4.0 wt %, C in 0.1 to 0.2 wt %, B in 0.01 to 0.1 wt %, Zr in 0.01 to 0.10 wt %, and the remaining part formed by Ni and inevitable impurities.

A casting method of an active metal includes, in an induction melting furnace using a water-cooled crucible, tapping a molten metal into a mold from a tapping hole provided at a bottom of the water-cooled copper crucible to cast an ingot of the active metal. In conducting the casting under a casting condition in which the ingot has a diameter (D) of 10 mm or more and a ratio (H/D) of an ingot height H to the ingot diameter D of 1.5 or more and a weight of the molten metal tapped in the casting is 200 kg or less, a temperature of the molten metal in the casting is set to be higher than the melting point of the active metal and a casting velocity V (mm/sec) is controlled to satisfy V0.1H in relation with the ingot height H by adjusting an opening diameter of the tapping hole.

A casting method of an active metal includes, in an induction melting furnace using a water-cooled crucible, tapping a molten metal into a mold from a tapping hole provided at a bottom of the water-cooled copper crucible to cast an ingot of the active metal. In conducting the casting under a casting condition in which the ingot has a diameter (D) of 10 mm or more and a ratio (H/D) of an ingot height H to the ingot diameter D of 1.5 or more and a weight of the molten metal tapped in the casting is 200 kg or less, a temperature of the molten metal in the casting is set to be higher than the melting point of the active metal and a casting velocity V (mm/sec) is controlled to satisfy V0.1H in relation with the ingot height H by adjusting an opening diameter of the tapping hole.

According to some aspects, a method is provided of casting an object from a mold, the method comprising obtaining a mold comprising a hollow shell of rigid material, the material comprising a thermoset polymer having a plurality of pores formed therein, providing a metal and/or ceramic slurry into an interior of the mold, exposing at least part of the mold to a low pressure environment so that a net flow of gas is produced from the interior of the mold into the low pressure environment. According to some aspects, a method of forming a porous mold is provided. According to some aspects, a photocurable liquid composition is provided, comprising a liquid photopolymer resin, particles of a solid material, in an amount between 30% and 60% by volume of the composition, and a water-soluble liquid.