A process for directional solidification of a cast part comprises energizing a primary inductive coil coupled to a chamber having a mold containing a material; energizing a primary inductive coil within the chamber to heat the mold via radiation from a susceptor, wherein the resultant electromagnetic field partially leaks through the susceptor coupled to the chamber between the primary inductive coil and the mold; determining a magnetic flux profile of the electromagnetic field; sensing a magnetic flux leakage past the susceptor within the chamber; generating a control field from a secondary compensation coil coupled to the chamber, wherein the control field controls the magnetic flux experienced by the cast part; and casting the material within the mold under the controlled degree of flux leakage.

Provided are a slide material in which the joining strength between a Bi-containing copper alloy layer and a substrate is improved, and a method for manufacturing the slide material. The slide material according to the present invention has a substrate and a copper alloy layer. The copper alloy layer comprises a copper alloy containing 4.0-25.0 mass % of Bi and has a structure in which Bi phases are scattered in a copper alloy structure. The contact area ratio of Bi phases of the copper alloy layer at the joining interface with the substrate is not more than 2.0%. The slide material is manufactured by casting a molten copper alloy onto a substrate and causing the copper alloy to solidify unidirectionally.

Provided are a slide material in which the joining strength between a Bi-containing copper alloy layer and a substrate is improved, and a method for manufacturing the slide material. The slide material according to the present invention has a substrate and a copper alloy layer. The copper alloy layer comprises a copper alloy containing 4.0-25.0 mass % of Bi and has a structure in which Bi phases are scattered in a copper alloy structure. The contact area ratio of Bi phases of the copper alloy layer at the joining interface with the substrate is not more than 2.0%. The slide material is manufactured by casting a molten copper alloy onto a substrate and causing the copper alloy to solidify unidirectionally.

High modulus turbine shafts and high modulus cylindrical articles are described as are the process parameters for producing these shafts and cylindrical articles. The shafts/articles have a high Young's modulus as a result of having high modulus <111> crystal texture along the longitudinal axis of the shaft/article. The shafts are produced from directionally solidified seeded <111> single crystal cylinders that are axisymmetrically hot worked before a limited recrystallization process is carried out at a temperature below the recrystallization temperature of the alloy. The disclosed process produces an intense singular <111> texture and results in shaft or cylindrical article with a Young's modulus that is at least 40% greater than that of conventional nickel or iron alloys or conventional steels.

A method including the steps of exposing a substrate to focused laser irradiation at a preselected series of locations that trace a subset of the substrate volume that is connected to the surface of the substrate, removing the substrate material from the exposed preselected series of locations to create within the substrate at least one cavity that is connected to the surface of the substrate, immersing the cavity-containing substrate in an appropriate atmosphere such as a selected gas or vacuum and, within this atmosphere, contacting the substrate surface with the molten castable material surface at locations where the cavity or cavities emerges from the substrate, applying pressure to the castable material to cause it to infiltrate the substrate cavities, and solidifying the castable material within the cavities.

The present disclosure discloses a shell mold chamber, a foundry furnace and a method for casting single crystal, fine crystal and non-crystal, which employ the technique of asynchronous-curving supercooling, and belongs to the technical field of precise casting apparatuses. Such a three-function foundry furnace includes a heating coil winding, a first thermal-shield assembly, a first superconducting coil, a second thermal-shield assembly and a second superconducting coil; and the first superconducting coil is provided at an inside of the first thermal-shield assembly, and the second superconducting coil is provided at an inside of the second thermal-shield assembly; and directions of a magnetic field generated by the first superconducting coil and a magnetic field generated by the second superconducting coil are opposite; and the first superconducting coil and the heating coil winding form a forward-directional static-magnetic-field heating zone, and the second superconducting coil forms a reverse-directional static-magnetic-field zone.

The present disclosure discloses a shell mold chamber, a foundry furnace and a method for casting single crystal, fine crystal and non-crystal, which employ the technique of asynchronous-curving supercooling, and belongs to the technical field of precise casting apparatuses. Such a three-function foundry furnace includes a heating coil winding, a first thermal-shield assembly, a first superconducting coil, a second thermal-shield assembly and a second superconducting coil; and the first superconducting coil is provided at an inside of the first thermal-shield assembly, and the second superconducting coil is provided at an inside of the second thermal-shield assembly; and directions of a magnetic field generated by the first superconducting coil and a magnetic field generated by the second superconducting coil are opposite; and the first superconducting coil and the heating coil winding form a forward-directional static-magnetic-field heating zone, and the second superconducting coil forms a reverse-directional static-magnetic-field zone.

An apparatus for moulding battery components including a molten metal feed trough, a mould block adjacent to the feed trough, a weir between the feed trough and each cavity and a supply for feeding molten metal to the feed trough. The mould block has at least one mould cavity and a cooling arrangement which cools the mould block, and the mould block is provided with a heating arrangement adjacent to the or each mould cavity. In use, the heating arrangement maintains at least part of the, or each, mould cavity at an elevated temperature relative to the average operational temperature of the mould block.

An apparatus for moulding battery components including a molten metal feed trough, a mould block adjacent to the feed trough, a weir between the feed trough and each cavity and a supply for feeding molten metal to the feed trough. The mould block has at least one mould cavity and a cooling arrangement which cools the mould block, and the mould block is provided with a heating arrangement adjacent to the or each mould cavity. In use, the heating arrangement maintains at least part of the, or each, mould cavity at an elevated temperature relative to the average operational temperature of the mould block.

An induction furnace assembly comprising a chamber having a mold; a primary inductive coil coupled to the chamber; a layered susceptor comprising at least two layers of magnetic field attenuating material surrounding the chamber between the primary inductive coil and the mold to nullify the electromagnetic field in the hot zone of the furnace chamber.