MICROSEGREGATION BEHAVIOR DURING SOLIDIFICATION AND HOMOGENIZATION OFAERMET100 STEEL

Cast AerMet100 exhibits mechanical properties comparable to the wrough t properties of competing ultrahigh-strength steels; however, the segr egation behavior had not been quantified under casting conditions. A m icrosegregation profile of the as-cast ingot was simulated and homogen ization treatments were predicted using Thermo-Calc and DICTRA softwar e. Experimental composition analysis confirmed the simulated microsegr egation profile, and the homogenization process occurred at a slightly faster rate than predicted. The convergence of theory and experiment demonstrates the feasibility of designing cast alloy compositions assi sted by computer simulation to minimize segregation without casting a large experimental matrix of test ingots.