In the present invention the torch movement period is 20-40 seconds, with the torch movement period being the time required to move plasma torches (which heat the surface of molten metal in the casting mold) one time. The average heat input amount at multiple sites, which are obtained by dividing the initial solidification portion (which is where the molten metal makes contact with the casting mold and first solidifies) into multiple sites in the circumferential direction of the casting mold, is 1.0-2.0 MW/m.sup.2. The molten metal advection time, which is the time required for electromagnetically stirred molten metal to travel the length of the torch heating region of the surface of the molten metal in the lengthwise direction of the casting mold, is 3.5 seconds or less.

An investment-diecasting mold has a thin inner investment casting ceramic layer surrounded by a thicker outer metallic diecasting material. The two layers, inner ceramic and outer metallic, provide a hybrid mold for the fabrication of near-to-net or near net shape amorphous alloy composed parts. The inner ceramic layer being appropriate for thermoconductivity and the casting of intricately designed parts, and the outer metallic diecasting mold for support of the inner investment casting layer and as a heat sink for quench of the molten amorphous alloys during use.

The present invention discloses a titanium-alloy substrate which is formed plastically by performing die casting and forging to alloyed titanium at least one time. The present invention is characterized in that this titanium-alloy substrate is provided with a first structure layer which is arranged in a configuration of long axis crystal structure, and a second structure layer which is disposed on a side in adjacent to the first structure layer and is arranged in a configuration of equiaxed crystal structure.

The present invention pertains to the field of nanoimprint lithography (NIL) processes and more specifically to a soft NIL process used for providing a sol-gel patterned layer on a substrate. Specifically, this process comprises a step of adjusting the solvent uptake of the sol-gel film to 10 to 50% vol., preferably between 15 and 40% vol., by varying the relative pressure of the solvent while a soft mould is applied onto the substrate coated with the sol-gel film.

The present invention provides a metal wire rod composed of iridium or an iridium alloy, wherein the number of crystal grains on any cross-section in a longitudinal direction is 2 to 20 per 0.25 mm.sup.2, and the Vickers hardness at any part is 200 Hv or more and less than 400 Hv. The iridium wire rod is a material which is produced by a -PD method, and has low residual stress and which has a small change in the number of crystal grains and hardness even when heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a recrystallization temperature (1200 C. to 1500 C.). The metal wire rod of the present invention is excellent in oxidative consumption resistance under a high-temperature atmosphere, and mechanical properties.

The disclosure relates generally to mold compositions and methods of molding and the articles so molded. More specifically, the disclosure relates to mold compositions, intrinsic facecoat compositions, and methods for casting titanium-containing articles, and the titanium-containing articles so molded, where the mold comprises calcium hexaluminate.

An aluminum bronze alloy containing 7.0-10.0% by weight Al; 3.0-6.0% by weight Fe; 3.0-5.0% by weight Zn; 3.0-5.0% by weight Ni; 0.5-1.5% by weight Sn; 0.2% by weight Si; 0.1% by weight Pb; and the remainder Cu in addition to unavoidable impurities. Also described is an aluminum bronze product having such an alloy composition, and a method for producing such a product from an aluminum bronze alloy.

Provided is a high-pressure casting method and a high-pressure casting device which are capable of safe and high-quality casting of a high-fusion-point metal having a fusion point exceeding 1000 K. After melting a casting material (1) inside a melting container (2) of cartridge type, the melting container (2) is linearly moved to pass through a guide (14) attached to a casting port bush (13) to thereby be communicated with the casting port bush (13). The melting container (2) is brought into close contact with the guide (14) and is setting to a cooling state. After the elapse of prescribed time, a plunger (50) is brought into contact with a plunger tip (4), and is immediately transferred together with a molten metal to the casting port bush (13). The molten metal is pressurized inside the casting port bush (13), and is injection-filled into a cavity (10).

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.

Provided is a method for producing cathode copper. The method comprises a smelting step including feeding sulfidic copper bearing material and oxygen-bearing reaction gas into a suspension smelting furnace, to produce blister copper, a fire refining step including feeding blister copper into an anode furnace to produce molten anode copper, an anode casting step to produce cast anodes, a quality checking step for dividing cast anodes into accepted cast anodes and rejected cast anodes, an electrolytic refining step including subjecting accepted cast anodes to electrolytic refining in an electrolytic cell to produce cathode copper and as a by-product, spent cast anodes, and a recycling step for recycling anode copper of rejected cast anodes and anode copper of spent cast anodes.