Aluminium loss during Ti-Al-X alloy smelting using the VIM Technology

Titanium alloys belonging to the group of modern metallic materials used in many industries, including the aerospace industries. Induction crucible vacuum furnaces and induction furnaces with cold crucible are most commonly used for their smelting. When operating these devices, one can deal with an adverse phenomenon of decrease in the content of alloy elements that are characterized by higher equilibrium vapour pressure than the matrix metal or titanium, in the metal bath. In the paper, results of the study on aluminium evaporation from the Ti-Al-Nb, Ti-Al-V and Ti-Al alloys (max 6.2 % wt.) during smelting in a vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnace are presented. The experiments were performed at 10 to 1000 Pa for 1973 K and 2023 K. A significant degree of aluminium loss has been demonstrated during the analysed process. The values of relative aluminium loss for all the alloys ranged from 4 % to 25 %. Lowering the pressure in the melting system from 1000 Pa to 10 Pa resulted in increased values of aluminium evaporation flux from 4.82⋅10-5 to 0.000327 g⋅cm-2⋅s-1 for 1973 K and from 9.28⋅10-5 to 0.000344 g⋅cm-2⋅s-1 for 2023 K. The analysis of the results obtained took into account the value of the actual surface of the liquid metal. In the case of melting metals in an induction furnace, this surface depends on the value of power emitted in the charge. At greater power, we observe a significant increase in the bath surface due to the formation of a meniscus.