Macrostructure of IN-713C superalloy after volume modification

The study discusses the results of the preliminary investigations of the process of volume modification of nickel and cobalt superalloys. The investigations were carried out on an IN-713C alloy. As an inoculant, cobalt aluminate CoAl2O4 in composition with aluminium powder and zircon flour was used. Experiments included the use of inoculant-coated filters and inoculant placed on and between the filters. As a criterion for evaluation of the modification effect, the macrostructure produced in a stepped test casting was used. It has been concluded that the modification effect depends, first of all, on the pouring temperature and on the time of contact between the liquid alloy and inoculant. Compared with the non-modified alloy, which has columnar grains in its structure, the refining treatment gave very fine and equiaxial grains. The higher was the cooling rate (or the smaller was the thickness of the step), the finer were the equiaxial grains.