Alloys based on the titanium aluminide (TiAl) intermetallic compound are lightweight and have excellent high temperature strength and oxidation resistance. Therefore, they are being increasingly used in low-pressure turbine blades of jet engines for commercial aircraft, against the backdrop of fuel consumption reduction needs and the like. Kobe Steel has been working on the development of a manufacturing technology for TiAl material with international competitiveness, devised a melt deoxidation method utilizing the phenomenon of decreased oxygen solubility when high concentration aluminum is added, and achieved an oxygen concentration of 0.03 mass% or less. The company has also realized a narrow composition range (Al content ±0.3 mass%) and improved casting yield (+25% or higher compared with the conventional method) by constructing a melting and casting process using the cold crucible induction melting (CCIM) method. This paper also details the technology for recycling titanium scrap and describes future prospects.
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