Exploring the Versatile Metals and Alloys for Investment Casting

Investment casting, also known as lost wax casting, is a casting process with many steps. 

With the development of the military industry in the 1930s and 1940s, this process has made breakthrough progress and has been used to manufacture complex metal parts. The technical process includes making a wax pattern and welding it to the die rod, coating the wax pattern with a ceramic shell to make a shell mold, and then melting the wax to leave a hollow shell mold. The molten metal is then poured into the mold to give it the shape of the desired part. Finally, the shell film outside the metal is broken and cleaned, and the casting is cut off from the die head, polished and inspected before being put into the warehouse. 

The key factors for the success of investment casting can cast almost all materials. In this article, we will delve into the various metals and alloys that can be used for investment casting and explore their characteristics and applications.

Stainless steel: 

Stainless steel is widely used due to its excellent corrosion resistance, heat resistance, durability and aesthetics, and has become the preferred material for investment casting. It is commonly used in almost all industries such as aerospace, transportation industry (trains, cars, ships, etc.), medical, chemical and petroleum fields, kitchen utensils and food industry, architectural decoration, etc., some of which need to withstand harsh environments.

Carbon steel: 

Carbon steel is another widely used material in investment casting. It has good strength and toughness and is suitable for applications that require high wear resistance. Carbon steel investment castings are often used in machinery manufacturing, transportation and bridge industries, natural gas pipelines, construction engineering, agricultural machinery and other industries. For example, various mechanical accessories such as gears, valves, bearings, gears, transmission chains and springs.

Aluminum and aluminum alloys: 

Aluminum is an important lightweight raw material with excellent thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, plasticity, matte brightness, etc. It is often used for parts that require high strength and low weight. Lightweight parts are required in the aerospace and automotive industries, doors and windows, curtain walls, ceilings and stair handrails in the construction field, etc. Structural elements such as housings, radiators, etc. in the electronics industry, such as mobile phones, computers, etc.

Copper and copper alloys: 

Copper and its alloys have excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance and ductility. Mainly used in the following fields. Electronic and electrical industry: wires, inductors and electronic components, etc.; engine gearboxes and cooling systems, copper heat exchangers in the automotive industry; copper doors and windows, copper wall panels in the construction field, etc.; also widely used in the manufacturing field, such as pipe fittings, valves, water meters, statues, etc.

Nickel-based alloy: 

Nickel-based alloy refers to an alloy material made of nickel-based alloys with a certain proportion of alloying elements added. It has excellent high temperature resistance, creep resistance, corrosion resistance and wear resistance. It is widely used in the aerospace field: engine blades and turbine blades and other high temperature resistant parts; petrochemical field: corrosion-resistant and high temperature resistant parts, such as reactor parts, heat exchangers, etc.; high temperature and pressure resistant parts in the nuclear power generation and energy fields; medical and environmental protection fields: such as shape memory alloy nickel-titanium alloys, vascular stents and high temperature and corrosion resistant parts in the manufacture of environmental protection equipment.

Titanium: 

Titanium is a lightweight, corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, low-temperature-resistant, biophilic, and memory-resistant high-quality material. Because its specific strength ranks first among metals, it is very useful in the manufacture of satellites, spacecraft, and aircraft in aerospace. Compared with alloy steel, the weight of aircraft made of titanium alloy can be reduced by 40%; due to its good biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, it can be used to make artificial joints, dental implants, prostheses, etc. in the medical field; it is used in the chemical field to make corrosion-resistant parts; although it is not widely used in the automotive field, it is also used in high-end and high-performance cars and racing cars.

In short, in terms of material selection, investment casting can make almost all materials: stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, copper and copper alloys, nickel-based alloys, and titanium alloys. Each material has its own unique properties and applications, making investment casting the first choice for manufacturing complex and high-quality metal parts in various industries.