The research objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award, executed jointly by Purdue University, Haynes International, and Special Metals Corporation, is to investigate the causes of surface defects in electroslag remelting (ESR) of nickel superalloys. During ESR, a liquid slag cap sits on top of a liquid metal pool which is fed by molten metal drops falling through the slag. As the process proceeds, slag-metal interactions can embed slag patches in the metal and can form regions in which the metal is in contact with the mold; both defects cost time, materials, and energy. We will develop a numerical process model to predict the behavior of the slag-metal interface throughout the process, the final surface roughness, and the bulk ingot characteristics. Also, Purdue student interns will collect data from industrial processes to determine the defect structure in the slag and the surrounding metal. This study will bring to light the possible formation mechanisms of this expensive class of defects, which understanding will be used by industry to design control strategies and to improve yield and lower costs and energy usage.
This GOALI project will strengthen ties among the organizations through collaborative research and placement of students and faculty in industrial internships. These companies expect that most of their new development work will be in response to the energy sector, which has requirements for higher temperatures and pressures and more corrosive environments. Realization of these plans will only be facilitated by proper alloy and process design, which this proposal will aid. The partners are tightly connected and the collaborations are designed to expose students to cutting-edge process technology vital to the nation's economy and security. The PI will spend part of a summer at the Haynes research lab, each company will hire a summer intern from Purdue each year, and the PI will include undergraduates researchers in the project.
