Provided in one embodiment is a method of making use of foams as a processing aid or to improve the properties of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy materials. Other embodiments include the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy/foam composite materials made in accordance with the methods.

A method for obtaining a product made of titanium alloy or a titanium-aluminum intermetallic compound by plasma torch melting, the alloy having an oriented structure, the method including heating the molten alloy surface in a casting ring with a plasma torch; cooling a cold zone of the casting ring over a length L1, the cooling forming a semi-solid crown of alloy; heating a hot zone of the casting ring over a length L2, thereby forming a solidification front, the flatness of which relative to a plane perpendicular to a drawing direction is less than 10?; and drawing the solidified alloy at a speed of more than 10.sup.?4 m/s in the drawing direction. The present disclosure also relates to a plant having one or more devices for implementing the method.

The present invention provides a golf club head that enables increasing the moment of inertia while also improving durability, and a manufacturing method for the same. The golf club head of the present invention includes a crown portion. The crown portion has a first region having a first thickness and multiple second regions having a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness. The second regions are distributed in a radiating fashion so as to extend from an origin toward a peripheral portion of the crown portion excluding the face side, the origin being located within 15 mm of the center of gravity of the golf club head in the toe-heel direction and also being located in the vicinity of the face side in the face-back direction in a plan view.

An alpha-beta titanium alloy comprises Al at a concentration of from about 4.7 wt. % to about 6.0 wt. %; V at a concentration of from about 6.5 wt. % to about 8.0 wt. %; Si at a concentration of from about 0.15 wt. % to about 0.6 wt. %; Fe at a concentration of up to about 0.3 wt. %; O at a concentration of from about 0.15 wt. % to about 0.23 wt. %; and Ti and incidental impurities as a balance. The alpha-beta titanium alloy has an Al/V ratio of from about 0.65 to about 0.8, where the Al/V ratio is defined as the ratio of the concentration of Al to the concentration of V in the alloy, with each concentration being in weight percent (wt %).

A method of forming a component having an internal passage defined therein includes forming a precursor core having a shape corresponding to a shape of the internal passage, and forming a hollow structure around the precursor core. The method also includes removing the precursor core from within the hollow structure, and disposing an inner core within the hollow structure to form a jacketed core. The method further includes positioning the jacketed core with respect to a mold, and introducing a component material in a molten state into a cavity of the mold, such that the component material in the molten state at least partially absorbs the hollow structure from a portion of the jacketed core within the cavity. Additionally, the method includes cooling the component material in the cavity to form the component. The inner core defines the internal passage within the component.

A component including a channel and an insert is provided. The channel is configured to extend through a wall thickness of the component from an inner surface of the component to an outer surface of the component. The channel is defined by an inner channel surface. The insert is configured to permit flow cooling fluid such as air and has an outer insert surface corresponding to and attached to the inner channel surface. The component may be a turbine component. Also provided is a method for forming the component.

For continuously casting an ingot of titanium or titanium alloy, molten titanium or titanium alloy is poured into a top opening of a bottomless mold with a circular cross-sectional shape, the solidified molten metal in the mold is pulled downward from the mold, a plurality of plasma torches disposed on an upper side of molten metal in the mold such that their centers are located directly vertically above the molten metal in the mold, are operated to generate plasma arcs that heat the molten metal in the mold, and the plasma torches are moved in a horizontal direction above a melt surface of the molten metal in the mold, along a trajectory located directly vertically above the molten metal in the mold, while keeping a mutual distance between the respective plasma torches such that the plasma torches do not interfere with each other.

A molding machine cylinder comprising a lining layer having a structure comprising 20-50% by area of tungsten carbide particles and 1-10% by area of tungsten-based metal carboboride particles in a nickel-based alloy matrix, and containing 1-7.5% by mass of Fe, can be produced by a centrifugal casting method comprising a first step of heating at higher than 1140 C. and lower than 1200 C., and a second step of heating at 1080-1140 C. after melting the raw material powder.

A system (5) and method (800) for unit cell casting of titanium or titanium-alloys is disclosed herein. The system (5) comprises an external chamber (45), a crucible (10) positioned within the external chamber (45), an induction coil (15) positioned around the crucible, an internal chamber (40) positioned within the external chamber (45), and a mold (30) positioned within the internal chamber (40). The external chamber (45) is evacuated and a pressurized gas is injected into the evacuated external chamber (45) to create a pressurized external chamber (45). An ingot (20) is melted within the crucible utilizing induction heating generated by the induction coil (15). The internal chamber (40) is evacuated to create an evacuated internal chamber (40). The titanium alloy material of the ingot (20) is completely transferred into the mold (30) from the crucible (10) using a pressure differential created between the external chamber (45) and the internal chamber (40).

A system (5) and method (800) for unit cell casting of titanium or titanium-alloys is disclosed herein. The system (5) comprises an external chamber (45), a crucible (10) positioned within the external chamber (45), an induction coil (15) positioned around the crucible, an internal chamber (40) positioned within the external chamber (45), and a mold (30) positioned within the internal chamber (40). The external chamber (45) is evacuated and a pressurized gas is injected into the evacuated external chamber (45) to create a pressurized external chamber (45). An ingot (20) is melted within the crucible utilizing induction heating generated by the induction coil (15). The internal chamber (40) is evacuated to create an evacuated internal chamber (40). The titanium alloy material of the ingot (20) is completely transferred into the mold (30) from the crucible (10) using a pressure differential created between the external chamber (45) and the internal chamber (40).