Titanium Investment Casting Process
A casting process utilizing vacuum shell molding for producing complex titanium geometries while avoiding reactions with the mold wall.
When vacuum casting titanium, you melt the material in a skull crucible inside an evacuated chamber. The vacuum is important so that the liquid titanium doesn't react with oxygen or nitrogen from the air and flows cleanly into the mold. When welding titanium, you have to pay extreme attention to cleanliness and shielding gas. If the material gets hot and comes into contact with the atmosphere, it becomes brittle and can crack. So you must ensure that the weld zone and the back of the weld are completely inert shielded until cooled. Make sure the skull crucible and the starting material are absolutely free of grease and oxide. Keep the melting and pouring time as short as possible and constantly monitor the process, then you'll get a clean part without impurities.