ADVANCED INTERMETALLIC MATERIALS AND PROCESSES: OVERVIEW OF THE IMPRESS INTEGRATED PROJECT

摘要

IMPRESS is part of the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme and stands for Intermetallic Materials Processing in Relation to Earth and Space Solidification.The main scientific objective of the project is to gain a better understanding of the complex links between materials processing, material structure and resultant properties of intermetallic compounds. In order to achieve this objective, the IMPRESS project combines a wide range of activities including improved casting technology, fundamental studies of solidification both terrestrially and in space, the creation of reliable thermodynamic and kinetic databases, thermophysical property measurements, multiscale computer modelling, structure characterisation, mechanical property testing and industrial product development.With the knowledge generated, the project aims to develop and test 40cm investment-cast TiAl turbine blades for aero-engines and stationary gas turbines. For blade manufacturing the principal casting processes under study are tilt casting, counter-gravity casting and centrifugal casting. All these processing routes involve a phase transformation to the solid, and it is the control of this solidification that represents one of the most important challenges in the project.