US 12,325,066 B2
Casting furnace for solidification restructuring (FSR)
Rajeev Naik, Yorktown, VA (US)
Filed by Rajeev Naik, Yorktown, VA (US)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/610,230.
Prior Publication US 2024/0316626 A1, Sep. 26, 2024
Int. Cl. B22D 45/00 (2006.01); B22D 27/04 (2006.01)
CPC B22D 45/00 (2013.01) [B22D 27/045 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A casting furnace for solidification restructuring, said casting furnace comprising:
a melting chamber to provide a source of molten alloy or ceramics with adequate superheat;
a dual zone mold heating chamber comprising a primary heating zone and a secondary heating zone, wherein the primary heating zone and the secondary heating zone are independently controlled, wherein the primary heating zone raises a temperature of a mold for a duration above its creep onset temperature of the mold and thereby a molten metal contained in it near a baffle to impart gradient solidification conditions, and wherein the secondary heating zone heats a majority of the duration below the creep onset temperature of the mold and to provide a preheated mold to assist the primary heating zone to raise the temperature of the mold; and
a dual zone mold cooling chamber comprising a primary cooling chamber and a secondary cooling chamber, wherein the primary cooling chamber and the secondary cooling chamber are independently controlled, wherein the primary cooling chamber speeds up the solidification to prevent defect formation and refine microstructure in a molten state, and wherein the secondary cooling chamber slows down cooling of castings solidified to
reduce residual stresses build up, and
minimize elemental segregation through augmenting solid-state diffusion of lower melting elements.