J. Guo, M. T. Samonds, ESI US R&D, Columbia, MD
Part of the challenge of designing a new alloy is understanding the relationships between the alloy chemistry, the processing, and the final properties of an in-service part made from that alloy. The prediction of local mechanical and thermal properties is possible, to a degree, given knowledge of the microstructure, phase fractions, and defects present in a metallic part. Multi-component micro models of solidification, coupled with macro-scale thermal and fluid flow processing conditions, including macrosegregation, have recently been coupled with computational thermodynamics in a commercial software, ProCAST, to form the basis of this type of prediction. Subsequent solid state transformations through heat treatment can also be taken into account.
Summary: Part of the challenge of designing a new alloy is understanding the relationships between the alloy chemistry, the processing, and the final properties of an in-service part made from that alloy. The prediction of local mechanical and thermal properties is possible, to a degree, given knowledge of the microstructure, phase fractions, and defects present in a metallic part. Multi-component micro models of solidification, coupled with macro-scale thermal and fluid flow processing conditions, including macrosegregation, have recently been coupled with computational thermodynamics in a commercial software, ProCAST, to form the basis of this type of prediction. Subsequent solid state transformations through heat treatment can also be taken into account.
