Morgan Technical Ceramics Certech (MTC Certech), a leader in the investment casting industry, has introduced its advanced P52 core material used for producing ceramic cores that remain extremely stable with the high temperature super alloys now being used to cast quieter and more fuel-efficient jet engines. The fused silica ceramic cores are ideal in airfoil casting of blades and vanes for rotating and static parts of these engines.
To attain greater fuel efficiencies, engines are running at increasingly higher temperatures and must be cooled with more intricate cooling schemes, requiring the casting of complex cooling passages. Stronger metal alloys are also being used in the casting process and a core material must be able to withstand the extremely high temperatures used to pour them. MTC Certech’s core material is able to achieve this.
MTC Certech’s P52 core material stays rigid, maintaining extremely tight, consistent wall tolerances. Large volumes of dimensionally accurate parts can be produced on a timely basis. Holding thinner metal walls more accurately results in higher casting yields, reduced scrap rates and lower casting costs.
Another advantage of the P52 core’s stability is that manufacturers can reduce or eliminate the use of costly platinum pins to hold the ceramic in place and support the core during the casting process. This results in additional cost savings.
While dimensionally strong, P52 core material also exhibits improved crushability during solidification. This means that it remains rigid and stable through the cooling process but is crushable when it needs to be during the metal solidification process. This is particularly useful for alloys that are prone to hot-tearing (as found in equiax castings) or re-crystallization (castings that are involved in directionally solidified or single crystal castings).