Development and Practice of Hypergravity Directional Solidification Furnace
Author of the article: ZHAOJianjiang1,2, WANG Fei1,2, CHEN Yunmin1,2, WEI Hua1,2
Author's Workplace:1. Center for Hypergravity Experimental and Interdisciplinary Research, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; 2. College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Key Words:hypergravity; directional solidification; temperature gradient; mechanical property
Abstract:
Hypergravity-assisted directional solidification is a promising technique for enhancing the mechanical properties
of alloys. Under sufficiently high centrifugal-induced hypergravity acceleration, the melt undergoes a transition from
laminar to turbulent flow before reverting to laminar flow, significantly affecting the thermal stability of the solidification
front and, consequently, the microstructural evolution and mechanical performance of the alloy. To establish a controllable
temperature gradient along the direction of centrifugal hypergravity, a multizone temperature regulation system was
combined with an argon gas cooling system at the bottom of the crucible. A hypergravity directional solidification furnace
was developed and experimentally evaluated, with tests conducted under 1g and 535g conditions to verify the feasibility of
the proposed design for the hypergravity directional solidification casting furnace. By coupling the multizone temperature
control method with the crucible bottom cooling method, control over the temperature gradient and cooling rate was
achieved under hypergravity conditions. The mechanical property results of the samples indicate that the 535g sample
exhibits significantly superior mechanical properties compared with those of the 1g sample, with the tensile strength
increasing by approximately 18% and elongation improving by approximately 76%. These results validate the feasibility
and effectiveness of the proposed system, demonstrating its significant advantages in refining solidified structures,
optimizing alloy microstructures, and enhancing mechanical properties, thereby providing a novel approach for the
preparation of high-performance materials.