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What Are Precision Investment Casting Materials?

The choice of casting materials in precision manufacturing significantly influences the final product's quality, durability and performance. Among the different types of casting, precision investment casting, which dates back thousands of years, has evolved into a sophisticated method for producing highly detailed and complex components. As a leader in this field, Bescast stands out for our expertise in leveraging advanced casting materials to meet the stringent requirements of industries such as aerospace and defense.

Our investment casting materials include a wide range of specialized alloys, each selected for its unique properties that cater to specific application needs. We cast various grades of steel, such as 15-5PH and 17-4PH, known for their strength and corrosion resistance; cobalt alloys like L605 and MM509, chosen for their wear resistance and high-temperature capabilities; and nickel-based superalloys, including IN718 and HastX, which provide exceptional strength and corrosion resistance at extreme temperatures. The best material for casting depends on your application's specific requirements.

This guide will briefly describe investment casting and then closely examine these materials, which are crucial for their mechanical and chemical properties and for their ability to meet the rigorous standards of the industries Bescast serves.

Casting Materials

The Investment Casting Process

Explaining the investment casting process would be helpful before we discuss casting materials. Investment casting produces parts with tight tolerances, excellent surface finish and complex geometries. This process involves:

  • Developing a wax model of the part
  • Coating the wax with a refractory ceramic material
  • Melting out the wax to leave a hollow mold
  • Pouring molten metal into the mold
Once the metal solidifies, the ceramic shell is removed, revealing a part that requires minimal finishing work. The versatility and precision of investment casting make it an invaluable manufacturing method, particularly when working with metals that offer superior strength, corrosion resistance and thermal properties. Let's take a look at some of those metal casting materials.

Stainless Steel Alloys

Stainless steel is the backbone of modern engineering and manufacturing due to its remarkable versatility and strength. Stainless steel casting materials are composed of iron and carbon, along with various other elements that enhance their physical and chemical properties. In investment casting, steel alloys are prized for their adaptability, allowing for the creation of strong, durable and precise components. 

Thanks to our outstanding capabilities, Bescast harnesses the full potential of steel alloys, casting them into complex shapes that serve many industries, including aerospace, automotive and beyond. The specific characteristics of each steel alloy type, including their compositions, mechanical properties and applications, make them uniquely suited to meet diverse engineering challenges.

15-5PH Stainless Steel

A martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel, 15-5PH combines hardness, high strength and excellent corrosion resistance. Characterized by its remarkable mechanical properties at ambient and elevated temperatures, 15-5PH is widely used in aerospace, chemical, petrochemical and food processing applications. Its strength and ductility make it ideal for aircraft parts, gears, valves and fasteners. The benefits of using 15-5PH in investment casting include its uniformity in shape and size and ability to undergo heat treatment to reach various strength levels.

15-5PH STAINLESS STEEL

17-4PH is another precipitation-hardening stainless steel known for its outstanding combination of mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and strength at temperatures up to 600°F. This alloy is often used in applications requiring high strength and moderate corrosion resistance, such as the aerospace, nuclear and chemical processing industries. Components made from 17-4PH include turbine parts, nuclear waste casks and surgical instruments. Its adaptability in the heat-treating process allows for a wide range of strength and toughness, making it a versatile choice for complex investment castings.

300 Series Stainless Steel

The 300 series encompasses a range of austenitic chromium-nickel alloys renowned for their corrosion resistance and formability. Alloys within this series, such as 304 and 316, are used in a wide array of applications, from kitchen utensils and medical devices to automotive and aerospace components. The 300 series is non-magnetic and has excellent toughness, even at cryogenic temperatures, so it's appropriate for parts exposed to harsh environments. The advantages of using 300 series alloys in investment casting include their exceptional surface finish and resistance to oxidation and corrosion.

400 SERIES STAINLESS STEEL

The 400 series of stainless steel casting materials consists of ferritic and martensitic chromium alloys known for their good strength and high wear resistance. Alloys such as 410 and 430 are magnetic and offer good corrosion resistance and high heat conductivity. They are often found in automotive exhaust systems, cutlery and equipment components in the oil and gas industry. The 400 series alloys can be heat treated to improve their hardness and strength, making them an excellent choice for investment casting applications requiring durability and resistance to wear and thermal degradation.

Cobalt Alloys

Cobalt alloys represent a significant category of investment materials known for their exceptional strength at high temperatures and resistance to wear and corrosion, particularly in harsh environments.

Casting Materials
    These properties make cobalt alloys an indispensable choice for applications demanding durability under extreme conditions, such as gas turbines, medical implants and aerospace components. Bescast uses these casting materials to meet and exceed the rigorous demands of such specialized applications, delivering a significant customer advantage. The capability of cobalt alloys to maintain structural integrity and performance at high temperatures is particularly valued in industries where operational conditions can be severe.

MM509 Cobalt Alloy

MM509 is a cobalt-based superalloy known for its exceptional wear resistance and high-temperature properties. This investment casting alloy is commonly used in applications requiring high strength, corrosion resistance and the ability to withstand abrasive wear. Typical uses include turbine blades, vanes and other components in the aerospace and energy sectors. The benefits of MM509 include its durability and longevity in extreme conditions, making it an ideal choice for parts exposed to corrosive environments and high temperatures.

L605 Cobalt Alloy

L605, also known as Haynes 25, offers high strength, good oxidation resistance up to 1800°F and excellent resistance to sulfidation. It is widely utilized to manufacture gas turbine parts, combustion chamber liners in jet engines and various medical device applications. L605's ability to maintain its properties at high temperatures makes it suitable for critical components requiring long-term reliability and thermal fatigue resistance.

X40 (S31) Cobalt Alloy

X40, often referred to as S31, boasts high wear and corrosion resistance, making it an excellent material for dental and surgical instruments and industrial applications requiring durable surfaces. Its corrosion resistance and ability to maintain hardness over a broad range of temperatures ensure that X40 components retain their integrity and performance even in challenging conditions.

WI-52 Cobalt Alloy

WI-52 casting materials offer a balance of high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance and good resistance to thermal fatigue. They are typically used in applications such as turbine discs and rings, exhaust valves and other components subjected to high temperatures and cyclic stresses. WI-52's durability and resistance to degrading factors like oxidation and thermal fatigue make it a preferred material for parts that must withstand harsh operational environments.

Nickel Alloys

Nickel alloys are at the forefront of casting materials technology, offering unparalleled resistance to extreme temperatures and corrosive environments. These attributes make them particularly suited for vacuum casting — a process that ensures the highest integrity and quality of cast parts by removing gasses and other impurities from the mold environment. Bescast uses vacuum casting to create components from nickel alloys for critical applications in aerospace, power generation and chemical processing. The exceptional mechanical properties of nickel alloys, including their thermal stability, strength at high temperatures and resistance to oxidation and corrosion, are crucial for parts that must perform reliably under the most demanding conditions.

HastX

HastX, known for its superior oxidation resistance and exceptional strength at elevated temperatures, is frequently used in gas turbine engines, chemical processing equipment and nuclear reactors. Its ability to withstand corrosive environments, particularly those involving high temperatures and pressures, makes it an invaluable material for components requiring long-term stability and performance.

Inconel Alloys

Inconel alloys are a group of nickel-chromium-based superalloys known for their resistance to oxidation and corrosion, even at extreme temperatures. These casting materials are essential in applications such as jet engines, industrial furnaces and chemical processing plants. Their ability to maintain strength over a wide temperature range makes them ideal for high-temperature applications where aluminum and steel would succumb to thermal creep.

MM247

MM247 is a nickel-based superalloy optimized for high-temperature strength and creep resistance. Investment casting examples using this material include turbine blades and other aerospace components that operate under high-stress and high-temperature conditions. MM247's resistance to thermal fatigue and excellent castability make it a preferred choice for complex, high-performance parts.

R77, R80 and R125

Nickel alloys like R77, R80 and R125 offer a blend of high-temperature performance, strength and resistance to oxidation. These alloys are utilized in advanced aerospace applications, including turbine rotors and exhaust systems, where durability and reliability are paramount. Their specialized compositions ensure they can withstand the extreme conditions encountered in military and commercial aviation.

U500

U500 is a high-temperature, high-strength nickel alloy that excels in environments requiring resistance to thermal cycling and oxidation. It's widely used in gas turbine components, such as blades and vanes, where its ability to endure fluctuating temperatures without losing mechanical properties is critical. U500's resilience and longevity under severe operational stresses make it a key material for the most challenging applications.

Frequently Asked Questions About
Casting Materials

As precision investment casting leaders, we field many questions about the best casting material. Bescast is a trusted source of information on casting materials. Read the following for the answers you need.

What Material Is Often Used in Casting?

Nickel alloys are often used in casting components for applications requiring exceptional resistance to corrosive environments and extreme temperatures. They withstand the harshest conditions and meet the highest performance and quality standards.

What Are the Different Types of Casting Materials?

Different types of casting materials include stainless steel, cobalt alloys and nickel alloys. Each type comprises a wide range of materials with various characteristics and applications.

What Metal Is Most Frequently Used in the Casting Process?

Stainless steel is a durable material and is widely used for casting. Because of its versatility and strength, stainless steel is found in a broad array of applications, including automotive and aerospace components.

Trust Your Investment Casting
Needs to Bescast

Whatever casting materials your application demands, Bescast can bring your concept to life. Our comprehensive knowledge of investment casting materials and our attention to detail and outstanding capabilities deliver components that meet or exceed our customers' expectations. Put our expertise to use. Contact us now for assistance with your next project. 

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