Research progress on refractory composition and deformability of shell molds for TiAl alloy castings

At present, most TiAl components are produced by an investment casting process. Environmental and economic pressures have, however, resulted in a need for the industry to improve the current casting quality, reduce manufacturing costs and explore new markets for the process. Currently, the main problems for investment casting of TiAl alloys are cracks, porosities, and surface defects. To solve these problems, many studies have been conducted around the world, and it is found that casting defects can be reduced by improving composition and properties of the shell molds. It is important to make a summary for the related research progress for quality improvement of TiAl castings. So, the development on refractory composition of shell molds for TiAl alloy investment castings was reviewed, and research progress on deformability of shell mold for TiAl alloy castings both at home and abroad in recent years was introduced. The existing methods for deformability characterization and methods for improving the deformability of shell molds were summarized and discussed. The updated advancement in numerical simulation of TiAl alloy investment casting was presented, showing the necessity for considering the deformability of shell mold during simulation. Finally, possible research points for future studies on deformability of shell mold for TiAl alloy investment casting were proposed.